Happy end of June, colleagues!

What a wonderful and full month it has been, filled with moments of celebration, reflection, and community. Earlier this month, we gathered at Pride by the Pond to kick off Pride Month, celebrating the vibrant LGBTQ+ community at GVSU.

We also came together to honor Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. and reflecting on our ongoing, collective work to build a more equitable world.

Thank you to everyone who joined, volunteered at campus and community events alike, and helped make these events meaningful opportunities to learn from and lift each other up.

Within our division and across the university, summer has provided a welcome opportunity to reflect on our progress and prepare for what

comes next. Our work highlighting the momentum and evolution of our Shared Leadership efforts was highlighted in the recent Lakers Ready note from Academic Affairs.

As we wrap up strategic milestones from this past academic year, we are moving critical subcommittee recommendations into permanent institutional spaces to ensure long-term impact. This evolution is all about strengthening our ways of working to ensure Grand Valley continues to serve and support our students.

Our updated divisional goals and upcoming strategic focus areas will be available soon on our website. Please keep an eye on upcoming institutional communications for a more comprehensive look at these next steps and action plans for the new academic year.

As we head into July, I hope you take the time to rest, recharge, and enjoy all that the summer season has to offer. I look forward to seeing you at upcoming campus engagements and events soon!

With Gratitude,

Robert Shorty, Ph.D.
Vice President for People, Equity, and Culture,
Chief People and Inclusion & Equity Officer

Save the date for the Wellness Summit, an all-day opportunity to invest in your well-being and explore the many dimensions of wellness at GVSU. Throughout the day, participants will have the chance to engage in numerous experiences, offered in a variety of formats, to help you be well at GV.

More details, including the full lineup of activities, will be shared soon!

The Office of the Employee Ombuds celebrates its fifth anniversary this year. Elisa Ortega-Schultz, ombuds officer, discusses her role, how it impacts GVSU and what comes next.

Teams can now use Udemy learning content in Workday to spark meaningful development conversations. Udemy is your way to unlock on-demand, high‑impact growth for you and your teams.

It’s learning, unpacked together, in a way that’s practical and grounded in your team’s real work. Start exploring Udemy content today with keywords (e.g. “delegation”, “time management”, “emotional intelligence”), select a short training or a few segments of a larger training, start the conversation, and watch how small moments of learning turn into meaningful growth for your whole team.

The GVSU Campus Health Center is offering sports physicals for your dependents at a cost of $25 per physical! Scheduling is available from June 22, 2026 through August 14, 2026 at this rate. Please call (616) 331-2800 to schedule an appointment.

We look forward to supporting your families in preparing for upcoming sports seasons. To learn more about the services we provide, please visit the Campus Health Center webpage.

If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out to Corey Pfeiffer, RN Care Manager, at pfeiffec@gvsu.edu.

Please note: All patient information and patient history must be completed prior to your appointment.