Lakers Ready
Division of Academic Affairs
July 24, 2023
Lakers Ready is sent by the Office of the Provost
to faculty and staff within the Division of Academic Affairs
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In this issue of Lakers Ready
- Laker to Laker: Message from the Provost
- Educational Equity
- Engaged Scholarship
- Updates
- Events
- Important Dates and Links
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Laker to Laker: Message from the Provost
Dear Colleagues,
In the July 10, Laker to Laker message, Vice Presidents Truss, Hall-Jones and I shared with you the news about Fall 2023 enrollment and the work being done to ensure that we have housing and courses for these students.
Many of the conversations this past year have been around growing our capacity to ensure the success of every Laker, accounting for the changing demographics, the impact of three years of Covid, and the changing needs and aspirations of all our students. The holistic care and advising for students play a key role in the thriving and success of our Lakers.
Several groups have worked on campus over the last three years to examine national trends, research best practices, and create proposals for a holistic coordinated approach to student care. We are at an opportune time to follow the national trend of elevating advising to the Provost’s Office to make advisors a key partner in student retention, well-being, and success.
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Cathy Buyarski as Vice Provost for Advising and Student Success, a new role in the Office of the Provost. Dr. Buyarski is currently the Director of Advising in CLAS, a position she has held since July 2022. She came to GVSU with extensive experience in advising, student coordinated care, and change management, having served as Executive Associate Dean of University College at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and working closely with the national student success organizations Complete College America and the Gardner Institute. She will build on the strong foundation of student centeredness at Grand Valley, and the studies and recommendations by various GVSU task forces.
Dr. Buyarski will start in this position on August 6, and begin work with advising offices, student affairs, enrollment management, and information technology to lead the transformation of advising in alignment with our emerging model of coordinated care.
Please help me in congratulating Dr. Buyarski and welcoming her in her new role.
Fatma
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Jackson College Agreement
President Mantella and Provost Mili signed an agreement with Jackson College on July 11 that includes a nursing pathway for Jackson College students to earn a bachelor's degree in nursing from GVSU, strengthening the talent pipeline in that field. Nursing faculty from both institutions will co-design a curriculum for current Jackson College students and gradautes who hold an associate degree in nursing and want to continue their education. The agreement also provides other Jackson College students with seamless pathways to complete their bachelor's degree at GVSU. It also gives GVSU a physical office at Jackson College's main campus. Laker Welcome Program
August 22 officially launches the University's Laker Welcome program which provides new students with valuable information and opportunities to connect with their community as they acclimate to life as a Laker. The program will include a wide range of events and experiences for students both during Welcome Week and the first six weeks of classes, including Convocation as the signature experience to launch their Laker era.
If your unit is hosting an event for all students, or for specific groups of students, please consider adding it to the Laker Welcome calendar so it is shared with all incoming students. By August 1, please enter all events your unit is hosting under the Event Schedule tab on this spreadsheet, as well as the GVSU Events Calendar using the tag lakerwelcome, so they also appear on the Laker Welcome schedule of events. Be sure to look at the considerations and descriptions tab on the spreadsheet for further details. If your unit has recurring programs, you can also list those under the Recurring Programs tab with details so we can market those offerings as well.
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Engaged Scholarship
Congratulations to Dr. Kathy Moran, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs in the Kirkhof College of Nursing, and her partners at McLaren Health Care and Trinity Health Muskegon for their $2.6 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This project is a continuation of their successful healthcare-provider pipeline program, which recruits, trains, and helps secure employment for nurse practitioners in rural/underserved communities bringing primary, mental health, and substance use disorder care to the region.
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Welcome Mike Eichberger, School Partnership Specialist
Mike Eichberger is the new School Partnership Specialist who joined the Office of the Provost on July 17. Mike has been with Grand Valley since 2002 and spent the past 21 years working in various positions in the Admissions Office. He comes to this role with a wealth of experience and expertise, including work with K-12 and community college students and partners. In his role as School Partnership Specialist, Mike will lead GVSU’s new direct credit initiatives which facilitate additional pathways for high school students as they prepare for and access higher education. Mike can be reached at eichbem@gvsu.edu. Software Requests for Windows and Mac Computers
To prepare physical and virtual computer labs for fall classes, Academic Research Computing is seeking software requests for Windows and Mac computers. Submissions are accepted anytime. However, to ensure thorough testing for compatibility with other software packages and operating systems, requests should be made six weeks in advance of the start of each term. There is no need to request software that is already installed unless there is an update. Requests can be made at services.gvsu.edu.
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EventsFall 2023 Convocation
The time-honored Fall Convocation celebration is scheduled on Thursday, August 24, at 7 p.m. in the Fieldhouse Arena on the Allendale Campus. Convocation welcomes our newest students to our community of learners and is the kick-off event to Laker Welcome. Our presence in academic regalia helps students recognize that this is a time of intellectual discovery and that their university lives have begun. Please join the celebration by submitting your RSVP by August 17. Visit the Convocation website for addtional information.
Seminars, Lectures, and Performances
Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) Special Presentation
Dr. Jonathan Overpeck, Samuel A. Graham Dean of the School for Environmental and Sustainability at University of Michigan, will present "Climate Change and What it Means for the Great Lakes" at GVSU's Lake Michigan Center in Muskegon on July 27, at 2:00 p.m. Contact Heidi Feldpausch in AWRI for additional information.
29th Annual Fall Conference on Teaching and Learning
The 29th Annual Fall Conference will take place on Wednesday, August 23, 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in the Eberhard Conference Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus. The conference begins with a keynote presentation by noted author James Lang. His talk, "Teaching Distracted Minds: Old Challenges, New Contexts" draws from his latest book. The keynote will be followed by faculty and staff led sessions and lunch. For additional information, visit the Pew FTLC website.
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Important Dates and Links
Previously Shared Events7/27 - Climate Change and What it Means for the Great Lakes, Dr. Jonathan Overpeck - 2:00 p.m., Annis Water Resources Institute, Lake Michigan Center, Muskegon
8/23 - 29th Annual Fall Conference on Teaching and Learning, 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Eberhard Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
10/12 - Author Angeline Boulley - 6:00 p.m., Kentwood Branch Library
11/8 - Author Robin Wall Kimmerer - 11:30 a.m., Grand River Room, Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
Dates7/28 - Withdraw Deadline - 2nd 6 weeks
8/7-8 - Exams - 2nd 6 and 12 weeks
8/9-11 - New Faculty Orientation
8/22 - University Address - 4:30 p.m., Pew Grand Rapids Campus
8/22 - Faculty & Staff Picnic - 5:30 p.m., Pew Grand Rapids Campus
8/24 - Fall Convocation - 7:00 p.m., Fieldhouse Arena, Allendale Campus
9/1 - Sabbatical Proposals due
Links
Lakers Ready - repository of this weekly newsletter and a link to submit content
Laker Family Network - repository of the monthly newsletter sent by the Division of Student Affairs to GVSU parents/supporters
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