Until you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it and make it survive, you haven't done a thing.

--Wangari Maathai

Good teachers are memorable. But so are bad teachers.

Teaching and mentoring others is so rewarding because one can positively impact our future, often through multiple generations. We in the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies are fortunate to have the opportunity to do this day in and day out. And get paid to do it!

Of course, some of our most important learning has been from people who were not specifically tasked with being our teachers. Recently, my older brother called me out of the blue to ask the last name of our high school custodian. I immediately answered Art Schwark and then shared my experiences of having learned more from Mr. Schwark than from some of the teachers. My brother was asking me because he felt the same way.

It has been 20 years since our father passed away. I still miss him terribly. He happened to be a high school teacher by profession. And a full time carpenter in his “off” seasons of Summer and holidays. I learned so much from him that I cannot even begin to enumerate the ways here. He was my role model, my anchor, my dad.

When I’m my best self, I think my actions and thoughts reflect his teachings on life and parenthood. And I think our own sons live in ways that reflect what I passed on from my father. For all of us experiencing loss, and dealing for decades with loss, let’s focus on what we’ve learned and what we’re passing on from our best teachers. That’s how I try to respond to the waves of sudden grief. Wishing for you the same.

Mark Schaub, Dean of Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies

We wish everyone in Brooks College, as well as our entire newsletter audience, a very warm, safe, and joyful holiday season! 

Brooks College faculty and staff will gather for the Winter (Re)Start meeting on Friday, January 12, from 10:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. at the Russel H. Kirkhof Center, Pere Marquette Room 2204. Lunch will be served. We look forward to seeing you there!

In  January 2024, Grand Valley is moving to Workday!  Workday’s cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system will replace Banner Finance, Concur, OnBase, PageUp and more. 

ALL employees ARE REQUIRED to complete the initial training, WD 101: Getting Started with Workday for All Employees, by December 22.

Get started with Workday courses.  Sign up at this link: Workday Courses!  

Find out more at the Workday web page or contact Noreen Savage if you have any questions.

On November 8, GVSU welcomed national best-selling author Robin Wall Kimmerer for a deeply touching talk, "What Does the Earth Ask of Us?" The opening ceremony featured Native American drum group Wandering Nation, who performed both a heartfelt welcome song at the beginning of the presentation, and a soul-stirring travel song at the conclusion.

The audience was a beautiful blend of Native American tribe members, GVSU students, staff, faculty, and general public. Some individuals traveled hundreds of miles just to be present. As an estimated 600 attendees gathered in the Grand River Room at the Russel H. Kirkhof Center, an atmosphere of profound emotion enveloped the space. By the time the event concluded, tears flowed freely from many touched hearts.

The event was not confined to those physically present; it was also livestreamed on Zoom. Hundreds more joined remotely to witness this powerful presentation. For those unable to attend or watch live, a recording is now accessible through the Brooks College virtual event archive using a GVSU login.

Following the event, Robin shared an intimate lunch with a group of Native American students and community members. In a heartfelt gesture, she was presented with a sweetgrass braid by the Native American Student Association and the Native American Advisory Council. As they connected over their shared experiences, stories were shared and laughter mingled with tears.

Robin expressed her overwhelming emotions about this visit; she felt deeply honored and profoundly moved by seeing so many from her native family in attendance. With tears glistening in her eyes, she professed, "I will remember this day."

We are humbled by our ability to touch Robin's heart as her presence brought immense joy to all who attended this memorable event. To delve deeper into this extraordinary event, we invite you to read an article on GV Next that captures its essence beautifully, and view the photo gallery for the event on the Brooks College website.

On November 16, the Charles W. Loosemore Forum in the Seidman Center on GVSU's downtown campus was packed with people from all walks of life, gathering to discuss issues in our public education system. The occasion was the 10th annual Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse symposium.

The symposium theme was "Calm the Chaos: Honoring All Voices in Public Education." Following a welcome from center director Lisa Perhamus and remarks by Provost Fatma Mili, a short video was played depicting the uncivil discourse happening at school board meetings and in public regarding public education.

The video, produced by Phil Oosterhouse, featured many different clips taken directly from news stories, showing people expressing a range of extreme emotions while they shouted about their local school systems and officials...it was a shocking sight for many attendees. 

The program transitioned into a moderated panel discussion led by the endowed professor of civil discourse, Dr. Gregory Warsen.

Four guests from different perspectives in local public education were the featured panelists: Dan Behm, a retired superintendent of Forest Hills public schools;  Rick Dernberger, a member of the board of education of Zeeland public schools; Dominique Rickett, Dean of Taylor Exemplar Academy and a former elementary school teacher; and Alexia Youngman, an english and language arts high school teacher of Grandville public schools.

The evening shifted to small table discussions in groups of four with a facilitator guiding the conversations, using the guidelines for civil discourse that were provided during the event. Attendees were highly engaged in discussing three questions: 

1) Where do you see societal division in schools?

2) What education/school issues do you wish this country could talk more constructively about?

3) What questions do you have for our panel?

The civil discourse guidelines encouraged participants to be curious and listen to understand, while reserving judgment and seeking common ground. Attendees were given a generous chunk of time to delve deeply into these issues.

Following the table conversations, the panelists fielded questions from the audience, and offered their insight and experiences in relation to many different issues that were raised related to public education.

The panelists had very diverse backgrounds that allowed them to address questions thoughtfully and with real world experiences. The attendees asked very thought-provoking questions.

Attendees surveyed after the event shared that they felt the discussions modeled civil discourse effectively and they were highly satisfied with the experience.

Attendees noted that the symposium was a very memorable and impactful experience for them.  They expressed that civil discourse should be taught more widely in society, and that public schools should provide a space similar to this for discussion of issues.

To stay up to date on the Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse, visit their website and consider subscribing to their newsletter!

Do you know of a student who is highly motivated and eager to be involved in the community? The 2024-25 academic year application process for the Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy (CLA) has begun!

Interested students can visit their website for more information on the program and submit their applications. The CLA is a group of diverse students across all disciplines who dedicate over 60 hours during the academic year to their leadership development.

CLA fellow candidates spend time mastering leadership competencies, developing mentor relationships, learning from local leaders, and growing through self-reflection. 

Check out these fun events that have been happening around Brooks College since the last newsletter!

Krista Benson, Becky Williams, and Dan Cope presented with sophomore student Eli Klunder at the National Women's Studies Association 2023 Conference in Baltimore. Their panel was titled, "Empowering Learners with ChatGPT: A Collaborative Approach to Ethical and Accessible Use."

Brooks College faculty and staff taking a moment to relax and socialize over tea. Afterward, Lynnette Keen (Dean's Office Assistant) led the group in a series of easy stretches that helped everyone feel recharged.

Feel free to swing by Lake Ontario Hall room 225/227 for a Brooks Break session on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:00 to 12:30 pm!

Julia Mason, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Mark Schaub, Maureen Strand, and Yumi Jakobcic pose for a behind-the-scenes photo before Robin Wall Kimmerer gave her memorable presentation on November 8.

Maureen Strand, Noreen Savage, and Lynnette Keen pose for a quick picture as they manage the registration tables for the Civil Discourse Symposium on November 16.

Brooks College held its first in-person town hall on November 17 in the Honors College multipurpose room. Dean Mark Schaub provided updates and fielded open questions from attendees.

Many Brooks College current and former faculty and staff gathered to give Aubrey Dull a soup-er send off on November 21. We'll miss you, Aubrey! 

Mark your calendar and look forward to a day you won't need to pack a lunch.

Feeling the finals week crunch? Stop in across from the Dean's office to warm up with a cup of soup (or two!) and chat during Soup's On! Invite your students, too!

On Monday, December 11, the soup options will be chicken noodle, tomato basil, and vegetable beef barley. On Tuesday, December 12, the options will be chicken noodle, tomato basil, and vegan chili. Soup will be served on a drop-in basis from 11:30 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. both days.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Jeremiah Cataldo, associate professor in Honors, published a new book: Disembodying Narrative: A Postcolonial Subversion of Genesis (Lexington Books / Fortress Academic, 2023). 

Congratulations, Jeremiah!

Aubrey Dull has departed from GVSU, and is no longer in her role as the School of Interdisciplinary Studies Office Assistant. A search is underway to fill her position. The following is a special farewell message from Aubrey:

I am writing with some very bittersweet news to share. My last day at GVSU was Tuesday, November 21. I recently accepted a new position at the YWCA in Kalamazoo as a Research and Evaluation Specialist. This is not a decision I took lightly; however, the opportunity to return to the social work field doing vitally important work in my community was not one I could pass by.

My time at GVSU has lasted nearly two decades, as a student from freshman year through graduate school, and a staff member working as a GA in the CWGE, a research coordinator at the Johnson Center, and a PSS in Brooks College and the School of Interdisciplinary Studies. It has all been wonderful experience. Along the way, I have met so many amazing people, had the chance to engage in some incredible scholarly and professional experiences, and have made truly lifelong connections.

Thank you all for the role you have played in my lifetime as a Laker.

Anchor up!

Aubrey

If you missed the opportunity and would like to leave Aubrey a special farewell message, you may do so on this Kudoboard we created for her. Her warm smile, deep empathy, kindness, and razor sharp intelligence will be greatly missed. We wish Aubrey a bright future and we know that she will make a bright and positive impact on her community in her new role! 

Isak Davis has accepted the position of Farm Manager and Educator at the Sustainable Agriculture Project, under the Office of Sustainability Practices. They will begin on December 19. Isak's bio will be featured in the January newsletter. Welcome aboard, Isak!

December 11: Academic Leadership Council Meeting - 9:00 a.m.

December 11: Soup's On - 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

December 12: Soup's On - 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

December 22 - January 2: Holiday Break (Campus Closure)

January 8: Academic Leadership Council Meeting - 9:00 a.m.

January 12: Brooks College Winter (Re)Start - 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

January 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Recess (Observed Holiday)

January 19: ENS Winter Kickoff Social - 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

*New events are posted regularly.
Stay up to date on Brooks College Events by checking the event calendar on our website.

December 9: Classes End and Commencement

December 9 - 16: Final Exam Week

December 11: Academic Leadership Council Meeting - 9:00 a.m.

December 16: Semester Ends

December 19: Final grades due by 12:00 p.m.

December 22 - January 2: Holiday Break (Campus Closure)

January 8: Winter semester begins, first day of classes

January 8: Academic Leadership Council Meeting - 9:00 a.m.

January 12: Brooks College Winter (Re)Start - 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

January 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Recess (Observed Holiday)

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