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Grand Valley State University (GVSU, GV, or Grand Valley) is a
public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...
in
Allendale, Michigan Allendale is a census-designated place (CDP) in Ottawa County, Michigan, Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 27,073 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. It is located within Allendale Charter Township, Mi ...
, United States. It was established in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. Its main campus is situated on approximately west of
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...
. The university also features campuses in Grand Rapids and
Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
and regional centers in
Battle Creek Battle Creek is a city in northwestern Calhoun County, Michigan, United States, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a tota ...
,
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
,
Muskegon Muskegon ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Muskegon County, Michigan, United States. Situated around a harbor of Lake Michigan, Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, and boating. It is the most populous city along Lake Michigan' ...
, and
Traverse City Traverse City ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although it partly extends into Leelanau County. The city's population was 15,678 at the 2020 census, while the four-county Traverse C ...
. GVSU enrolled more than 24,000 students as of fall 2021 from all 83 Michigan counties and dozens of other states and foreign countries. It employed nearly 4,000 people, with about 1,800 faculty and 2,000 staff. The university has alumni from 50 U.S. states, Canada, and 25 other countries. GVSU's
NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is the intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environment ...
sports teams are the
Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
and they compete in the
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. The GLIAC was founded in June 1972. Its eleven member ...
(GLIAC) in all 20 intercollegiate varsity sports. They have won 28 NCAA Division II National Championships.


History


Formation, planning and construction

In 1958 the
Michigan Legislature The Michigan Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of the Senate (the upper chamber) and the House of Representatives (the lower chamber). Article IV of the Michigan Con ...
commissioned a study that demonstrated a need for a four-year college in the
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...
area, Michigan's second largest metropolitan region. Local businessman Bill Seidman created a committee to study the report and spearhead the planning and promotion to create such an institution. In the following year the Michigan Legislature established the college. A naming contest was held, and out of 2500 submissions, "Grand Valley State College" was chosen. Private donations, including $350,000 to purchase land and $1,000,000 for construction, were secured from 5,000 individuals, organizations, and business throughout
West Michigan West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for a region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Generally, it refers to the Grand Rapids- Muskegon-Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region along the Lower Peninsula's Lake ...
. In 1961, the Grand Valley State College Board of Control chose a site in Ottawa County near the Grand River for the new campus, and construction of academic buildings began the following year.


Early years

Grand Valley State College accepted its first class of 225 students in 1963, Diane (Hatch) Paton was the first student, and was among the first graduation of 138 students on June 18, 1967. The middle-late 1960s saw the addition of the first dormitories and construction of new academic buildings, including the Zumberge Library, named for the university's first president, James Zumberge. In 1969, the ''
Grand Valley Lanthorn The ''Grand Valley Lanthorn'' is the student-run newspaper for Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. The ''Lanthorn'' is printed twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year (Late August through April). It is ...
'' printed an issue containing several vulgarities and obscenities. After complaints from some at Grand Valley State College and the surrounding communities, the
Ottawa County, Michigan Ottawa County ( ) is a Counties of the United States, county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, United States 2020 Census, the population was 296,200. The county seat is Grand Haven, Michigan, Grand Have ...
, sheriff arrested the editor, and the prosecutor closed down the newspaper office. The university, then a co-ed college, sued the sheriff and prosecutor for closing the Lanthorn offices. Eventually, Michigan's Attorney General settled the case out of court, siding with the college because the Lanthorn's content was considered covered by
Freedom of Speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been r ...
. During the 1970s Grand Valley organized its academic units into several colleges: College of Arts and Sciences, Thomas Jefferson College, William James College, Seidman College of Business, and College IV. Michigan Governor
William Milliken William Grawn Milliken (March 26, 1922 – October 18, 2019) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 44th governor of Michigan from 1969 to 1983. A member of the Republican Party, he assumed the governorship following the r ...
signed the law changing the institution's name to Grand Valley State Colleges in 1973. However, the "s" was dropped and the name was reverted to Grand Valley State College in 1983 when the academic programs were reorganized into divisions.


College to comprehensive university

In 1987 the Michigan Legislature passed a law renaming the college to Grand Valley State University. The 1980s and 1990s saw addition of satellite campuses or centers in downtown Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Holland, and Traverse City. In 2004, the university's board reorganized the university structure again into a college system consisting of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Interdisciplinary Studies, College of Community and Public Service, College of Education, College of Health Professions,
Kirkhof College of Nursing The Kirkhof College of Nursing is located at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United S ...
, Seidman College of Business, and Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing. Grand Valley completed its first 50 years with a comprehensive campaign that raised almost $100 million from over 17,000 donors, making it the university's largest campaign to date. Money raised during the campaign has helped fund many construction projects on campus, including the Mary Idema Pew Library and the L. William Seidman Center.


Continued growth beyond 50th anniversary

In 2012, GVSU announced several more construction projects and land purchases. Future buildings to be constructed include a new biology laboratory building and an addition and renovation to the Zumberge Library on the Allendale campus. Land purchases in 2012 included property in downtown Grand Rapids adjacent to the medical mile for healthcare program expansion. In 2013, GVSU announced it would add on to Au Sable Hall and construct a building to house the GVSU Laker Store (known as University Bookstore prior to April 2015), with expanded dining facilities.


Campuses

Grand Valley has three primary campuses. The main campus is located in
Allendale Charter Township, Michigan Allendale Charter Township is a charter township of Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 Census, the township population was 26,582. Allendale Charter Township is best known as being home to the main campus of Grand Valley St ...
, about west of
Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...
; two satellite campuses are located in Grand Rapids. The university has regional academic centers in Detroit, Holland, Muskegon, and Traverse City.
The Rapid The Rapid is the public transit operator serving Grand Rapids, Michigan and its surrounding suburbs. The Rapid operates local service in urban areas in Kent County, and regional service to Ferris State University and Grand Valley State Univers ...
operates bus service between the three primary campuses, funded by the university. The Laker Line, named for GVSU's sports teams, connects all three campuses via Lake Michigan Drive, and additional shuttle services operate on the Allendale campus. These bus services are open to the public, and rides on all The Rapid services are free for Grand Valley students, faculty and staff on all Rapid routes with a valid I.D. card.


Allendale campus

The university's main and original campus in Allendale is the site of most of the university's programs. The Allendale campus is composed of 1,322 acres perched above the Grand River next to a system of
ravine A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. Ravines may also be called a cleuch, dell, ...
s and is divided into two areas, north and south campus, separated by West Campus Drive. State highway M-45 links the campus in suburban Allendale to US Highway 31/
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
to the west and
Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...
to the east.
Lubbers Stadium Lubbers Stadium, or Arend D. Lubbers Stadium, is a stadium on the Grand Valley State University's main campus in Allendale, Michigan, USA. The stadium was named after former university president Arend Lubbers. It is primarily used for Americ ...
, the GVSU Fieldhouse and all other athletic facilities for the school's 20 varsity sports are also on the Allendale campus. The campus is dotted with many sculptures, including works by Dale Eldred and James Clover. Academic facilities on the Allendale campus includes at least 122 classrooms, 144 research laboratories, 20 lab prep rooms, 21 computer labs, and the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons. The Allendale campus is also home to the Kindschi Hall of Science, a science facility that opened in the fall of 2015. The Holton-Hooker Learning and Living Center, with space for 490 students, opened in August 2016. The building is
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...
silver-certified.


Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids campus

The Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids campus is in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids on the banks of the Grand River. It consists of 11 buildings and three leased spaces and includes the
Richard DeVos Richard Marvin DeVos Sr. (March 4, 1926 – September 6, 2018) was an American billionaire businessman, co-founder of Amway with Jay Van Andel (company restructured as Alticor in 2000), and owner of the Orlando Magic basketball team. In 2012, ...
Center, L.V. Eberhard Center, L. William Seidman Center,
Beckering Family Carillon Tower The Beckering Family Carillon Tower is a carillon-clock tower located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States on the Pew Campus of Grand Valley State University. The tower and carillon was funded and built by Pioneer Construction in 2000. The B ...
, The Depot (houses the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development headquarters), Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, Keller Engineering Laboratories, John C. Kennedy Hall of Engineering, Peter F. Secchia Hall (housing), Winter Hall (housing), and the
Van Andel Van Andel is a Dutch toponymic surname meaning "from/of Andel", a town in North Brabant. Notable people with the surname include: *Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper (1890–2005), Dutch supercentenarian, oldest Dutch person * (1877–1972), Dutch Lieut ...
Global Trade Center. Winter Hall is typically occupied by graduate students and is fully furnished along with appliances. These facilities include 57 classrooms, 78 research laboratories, 23 lab prep rooms, 11 computer labs, and the Steelcase Library.


Health campus

The Health Campus is a part of the Grand Rapids Medical Mile area and houses many of GVSU's health programs. The Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences (CHS), which opened in 2003, reached capacity in 2011. To accommodate the growth in the health sciences, GVSU completed the $37.5 million Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall north of the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, and in 2018 broke ground on the next phase, the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health, a $70 million building that is attached to the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences and includes a parking structure shared with nearby
Spectrum Health Spectrum Health System, commonly known as Spectrum Health, was a not-for-profit, integrated, managed care health care organization based in West Michigan. It bought out Beaumont Health of Metro Detroit in 2022. The merger of the two hospital grou ...
.


Regional centers

GVSU has three locations in
Muskegon, Michigan Muskegon ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Muskegon County, Michigan, United States. Situated around a harbor of Lake Michigan, Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, and boating. It is the most populous city along Lake Michigan' ...
. The James L. Stevenson Center for Higher Education at
Muskegon Community College Muskegon Community College (MCC) is a Public college, public community college in Muskegon, Michigan. The college offers 49 associate degree programs and 33 certificate programs. The college's main campus is located on a 111-acre campus in Muske ...
was established in the fall of 1995 as a joint venture between GVSU,
Ferris State University Ferris State University (FSU or Ferris) is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1884 as Big Rapids Industrial School by Woodbridge N. Ferris and became a public institution in 1950. ...
, and
Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...
. The center offers several GVSU graduate and undergraduate programs. Lake Michigan Center houses the Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI). The Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC), which is the first fully integrated demonstration facility for distributed generation of electricity using alternative and renewable energy technologies in the United States. The Traverse City Regional Center was established in the fall of 1995 in
Traverse City, Michigan Traverse City ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, Michigan, Grand Traverse County, although it partly extends into Leelanau County, Michigan, Leelanau County. The city's population was 15, ...
, and is at the NMC University Center in partnership with
Northwestern Michigan College Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) is a Public college, public community college in Traverse City, Michigan. Established in 1951, the college enrolls more than 3,000 students. The college offers associate degrees and professional certificates, B ...
. The center offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in education, social work, and liberal studies. The GVSU Physician Assistant program enrolls 10-14 students at the TC campus. The Meijer campus, just outside downtown
Holland, Michigan Holland is a city in Ottawa County, Michigan, Ottawa and Allegan County, Michigan, Allegan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in the West Michigan, western region of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula, the city is si ...
, was opened in 1998 and was named for the
Meijer Meijer Inc. (, ) is an American supercenter chain that primarily operates throughout the Midwestern United States. Its corporate headquarters are in Walker, Michigan. Founded in 1934 as a supermarket chain, Meijer is credited with pioneering ...
family for their donation of land. The campus houses continuing education programs in of building space and contains 12 classrooms, 2 conference rooms, 3 labs and 11 offices. The Detroit Center was established in 2012 when GVSU purchased the Barden Building adjacent to
Comerica Park Comerica Park is a baseball stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It has been the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers since 2000, when the team left Tiger Stadium (Detroit), Tiger Stadium. History Construction Founded in 1894, t ...
in downtown
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
to house its charter school offices. The center also houses the Southeast Michigan Region of the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, of which GVSU is the supervisor.


Organization and administration

Grand Valley State University is governed by an eight-member board of trustees, whose members are appointed by the
Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of government of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the state's 49th governor. She was re-ele ...
and confirmed by the
Michigan Senate The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. Along with the Michigan House of Representatives, it composes the state legislature, which has powers, roles and duties defined by Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, ado ...
for terms of eight years. This setup is provided for by the constitution of the state of Michigan of 1963. Members of the board serve without compensation. The board appoints the president of the university, formulates university policies, controls university finances, and acts as the supreme governing body of the institution. The president of the university administers the policies of the board of trustees.


Finance

GVSU's general fund budget is $351 million, of which $275 million is from tuition and $72 million is from state appropriations. As of 2019, Grand Valley's amount of university-based student financial aid was $289 million, including $90 million of that in scholarships and grants. During the 2013–2014 academic year, full-time dependent students received an average award of $13,276.


Public safety

The Grand Valley Police Department provides law enforcement services for the Allendale Campus. While the department is self-empowered to enforce its jurisdiction, officers are also deputized by the Ottawa County
Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
's Department. Because Allendale doesn't have a police department, the Grand Valley State University Police can handle cases anywhere in Ottawa County, mainly in Allendale and the area surrounding the campus. The department handles other security issues, such as parking and driving violations, community policing, as well lost and found. Allendale Fire Department serves the campus. The Department of Public Safety also employs several students who assist the department by performing a variety of clerical and security based duties and services. The Pew Campus Security and Regional Centers is an entity distinct from the Department of Public safety, and handles security and public safety issues for the Grand Rapids Pew Campus and all Regional Centers including the Holland (MI) Meijer Campus, the Muskegon (MI) campus and the Traverse City (MI) campus. This department is not sworn or certified and relies on the Grand Rapids Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies for official law enforcement when necessary.


Academics

Grand Valley State University is a large, primarily residential comprehensive university that has a large undergraduate enrollment and emphasis. GVSU offers over 200 areas of study, including 82 undergraduate majors and 36 graduate programs that include 74 graduate emphases and certificate programs at the certificate,
bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ( ...
, post-bachelor's,
master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
, post-master's, and
doctoral A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
levels. GVSU conferred 4,448 undergraduate degrees and 1,033 graduate degrees in 2012–2013. Its most popular undergraduate majors, by 2021 graduates, were: ::Biomedical Sciences (262) ::Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences (250) ::Exercise Science and Kinesiology (250) ::Marketing/Marketing Management (226) ::Psychology (226) ::Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (208) ::Finance (205) Grand Valley's student body consists of 21,636 undergraduates and 3,458 graduate students across all campuses and centers with the majority being on the Allendale campus (as of Fall 2014). The fall 2014 incoming freshman undergraduate class of 4,199 students, represented 80 Michigan counties, 23 states, and 20 countries. 86% of first year students live on campus: 3,591 freshman chose to live on-campus in fall 2014, while 608 chose to live off-campus. As of fall 2014, more than 400 international students were enrolled at the university representing 82 countries. Grand Valley is accredited by the
Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...
. Grand Valley also has baccalaureate program accreditation with
AACSB The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is an American professional and accreditation organization. It was founded as the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business in 1916 to provide accreditation to business ...
,
ABET ABET (pronounced A-bet), formerly known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., is a non-governmental accreditation organization for post-secondary programs in engineering, engineering technology, computing, and applied ...
, APTA, CSWE, NASAD, NASM, NCATE, and NLN.


Colleges

The university consists of seven degree-granting colleges: * F.E. Seidman College of Business * College of Education and Community Innovation * College of Liberal Arts and Sciences * Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing * College of Health Professions *
Kirkhof College of Nursing The Kirkhof College of Nursing is located at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United S ...
* Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies GVSU is also home to the
Frederik Meijer Frederik Gerhard Hendrik "Fred" Meijer (December 7, 1919 – November 25, 2011) was an American billionaire businessman who was the chairman of the Meijer hypermarket chain, headquartered near his former hometown in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ear ...
Honors College, which is non-degree-granting but is meant to provide a more challenging interdisciplinary education in a learning-living environment. The honors college is in the Glenn A. Niemeyer Learning and Living Center on the south side of the Allendale campus. GVSU has a
National Association of Schools of Art and Design The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), founded in 1944, is an accrediting organization of colleges, schools and universities in the United States. The organization establishes standards for graduate and undergraduate degrees ...
(NASAD) accredited art program, including emphases in
illustration An illustration is a decoration, interpretation, or visual explanation of a text, concept, or process, designed for integration in print and digitally published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, vi ...
,
graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art that involves creating visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of ...
,
ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porce ...
,
printmaking Printmaking is the process of creating work of art, artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand proces ...
, painting,
visual studies Visual culture is the aspect of culture expressed in visual images. Many academic fields study this subject, including cultural studies, art history, critical theory, philosophy, media studies, Deaf Studies, and anthropology. The field of visua ...
, and sculpture. Art students attend classes at the Calder Art Center, named for contemporary artist
Alexander Calder Alexander "Sandy" Calder (; July 22, 1898 – November 11, 1976) was an American sculptor known both for his innovative mobile (sculpture), mobiles (kinetic sculptures powered by motors or air currents) that embrace chance in their aesthetic, hi ...
. The building includes exhibition space under the name of the Stuart & Barbara Padnos Art Gallery.


Study abroad

The Padnos International Center collaborates with students who wish to
study abroad International students or exchange students, also known as foreign students, are students who undertake all or part of their secondary or tertiary education in a country other than their own. In 2022, there were over 6.9 million international ...
. Grand Valley has more than 4,000 study abroad programs, both affiliated with and independent from GVSU, from which students can choose. In 1995 Peimin Ni () established GVSU's Shanghai, China study abroad program, and by the 2000s he and Geling Shang () co-lead it. Word of mouth and announcements in classes were used to promote it. Daniel Golden, author of '' Spy Schools: How the CIA, FBI, and Foreign Intelligence Secretly Exploit America's Universities'', stated that the organizers initially had trouble finding interested students. Golden, Daniel. ''Spy Schools: How the CIA, FBI, and Foreign Intelligence Secretly Exploit America's Universities''.
Henry Holt and Company Henry Holt and Company is an American book-publishing company based in New York City. One of the oldest publishers in the United States, it was founded in 1866 by Henry Holt (publisher), Henry Holt and Frederick Leypoldt. The company publishes in ...
, October 10, 2017. , 9781627796361. p
120


Undergraduate admissions

GVSU's undergraduate admissions are classified as "more selective" by '' U.S. News & World Report'' as Grand Valley admitted 69% of applicants for the 2008–2009 school year. For the Class of 2025 (enrolling Fall 2021), GVSU received 17,163 applications and accepted 15,730 (91.7%), with 3,807 enrolling. The middle 50% range of
SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and Test score, scoring have changed several times. For much of its history, it was called the Scholastic Aptitude Test ...
scores for enrolling freshmen was 1010-1230. The middle 50% ACT composite score range was 21-27.


Rankings

'' U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Grand Valley third in the "Top Public Regional Universities in the Midwest" category and 26th in the "Regional Universities (Midwest) tier 1" category for 2014. ''US News & World Report'' noted in its "Best Colleges 2011" that 98 percent of Grand Valley graduates find employment or pursue advanced degrees after graduation. In 2024, ''
Washington Monthly ''Washington Monthly'' is a bimonthly, nonprofit magazine primarily covering United States politics and government that is based in Washington, D.C. The magazine also publishes an annual ranking of American colleges and universities, which ser ...
'' ranked Grand Valley 187th among 438 national universities in the U.S. based on Grand Valley's contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service.


Research

During the two years prior to October 2009 university researchers engaged in over 186 research projects funded by more than $32.7 million in grants. Grand Valley's Annis Water Resources Institute conducts research on water resources, including: ecosystem structure and function, contaminants and toxicology, hydrology, land use, watershed, stream, and wetland ecology, water quality, and basic and applied limnology. GVSU's Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) recently received funding for its $3.7 million Lake Michigan Offshore Wind Assessment Project to test wind energy on
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
. The research should take three years as a floating buoy will be used and moved to collect data from different locations on the lake.


Michigan State University partnerships

The
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine (MSUCHM) is an academic division of Michigan State University (MSU) that grants the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree, emphasizing patient-centered care and a biopsychosocial approach to caring ...
maintains the Secchia Center, a medical campus in downtown Grand Rapids. Along with GVSU and two Grand Rapids hospitals, it is a founding member of the Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners. This partnership allows "educational opportunities for residents, fellows, practicing physicians, physician assistants, nurses and students in other health professions." The Early Assurance Program reserves spaces in MSU's medical program for top-performing GVSU pre-medical graduates. One of the program's goals is to select first-generation college students, students from underprivileged areas, and students who have expressed a desire to work in high-demand medical specialties. Students entering the program must agree to work in under-served areas after they complete their medical degrees. The first group of six students entered this program during the fall 2010 semester. The two universities have announced a joint program specializing in
clinical trial Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human subject research, human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel v ...
management, aimed at providing the foundations for carrying out clinical drug trials in West Michigan. It is an
online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity, and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed as "on lin ...
certificate program, and was started due to requests from local drug trial companies. The program was set to begin for the fall semester of 2011.


Libraries

Each
academic library An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution, which supports the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are an es ...
's collection is tailored to its location and the programs it serves, with daily deliveries between sites. * Mary Idema Pew Library (Allendale) * Seidman House (Allendale) * Steelcase Library (Grand Rapids) * Frey Foundation Learning Center (Grand Rapids) * Curriculum Materials Library (Grand Rapids) The university libraries offer opportunities for research, collaboration, and individual study. Collectively, the libraries subscribe to over 60,000 print and electronic journals. They also house more than 1,482,633 books including more than 829,463 electronic books. Construction of a new library on the Allendale campus was finished in 2013. The $70 million, facility holds 150,000 books. It also has an automated storage and retrieval system that can handle 600,000 volumes. The library is named the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons, after the late Mary Idema Pew. The
U.S. Department of Energy The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, the research and development of nuclear power, the military's nuclear we ...
announced the library used part of the $21 million allocated for technical assistance projects to improve energy use in commercial buildings. The library was one of only 24 projects in the United States receiving the assistantships that was funded by the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed in response to the G ...
.


Collections

Grand Valley is a recipient of United States government documents and receives 44% of the documents distributed by the
Federal Depository Library Program The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) is a government program created to make Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government publications available to the public at no cost. there are 1,114 depository libraries in the U ...
. The Curriculum Materials Library at the Robert C. Pew campus houses instructional materials for preschool through grade twelve and provides spaces where education majors can preview resources, develop lesson plans, create media for the classroom, and try out teaching aides. Seidman House on the Allendale campus houses the University Archives, which include extensive collections of rare books and Michigan novels, the Harvey Lemmen Collection on
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
, the
Young Lords The Young Lords, also known as the Young Lords Organization (YLO), were a left-wing political organization that originally developed from a Chicago street gang. With major branches in Chicago and New York City, they were known for their direct act ...
project on line at Young Lords in Lincoln Par

the largest Latino oral history collection in the Mid-West by
Jose Cha Cha Jimenez Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galilean * Jose ben Halafta ...
, and the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, and the papers of acclaimed Michigan author
Jim Harrison James Harrison (December 11, 1937 – March 26, 2016) was an American poet, novelist, and essayist. He was a prolific and versatile writer publishing over three dozen books in several genres including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, children's lit ...
. There is also an
Anthony Powell Anthony Dymoke Powell ( ; 21 December 1905 – 28 March 2000) was an English novelist best known for his 12-volume work '' A Dance to the Music of Time'', published between 1951 and 1975. It is on the list of longest novels in English. Powell ...
collection, consisting of the many editions of ''Dance to the Music of Time'', his other novels, a complete run of the Anthony Powell Society Newsletters and its journal, ''Secret Harmonies''. A collection of over 15,000 works of art features public sculpture, prints and drawings, American Impressionism, Aboriginal art, Indian art, world photography, contemporary art, and more. Most of the collection is on view and can be found throughout university buildings on campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon, Traverse City, and Detroit. The Digital Collections database contains a selection of photographs, correspondence, diaries, interviews, and publications from the holdings of the Libraries' Special Collections & University Archives, and other University entities. The Dorothy A. Johnson Collection is a collection on philanthropy, volunteerism, and nonprofit leadership. It is considered to be one of the most comprehensive in the United States and is the only one of its kind in Michigan.


Student life

The Office of Student Life at GVSU is in the Kirkhof Center near the center of the Allendale campus. Its offices are home to the Community Service Learning Center, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Laker Leadership Programs, Major Campus Events and Traditions, Student Organizations, and the Transitions Orientation Program. As of fall 2016, GVSU has over 486 student-run organizations. Student organizations include categories in, but are not limited to, Academic and Professional, Student Life Sports, Cultural, Honorary, Interfaith and Religious, Media, Performing Arts, Service and Advocacy, and Special Interests.


Housing and residential life

Grand Valley State University is home to 29 living centers (residence halls) and three on-campus apartment complexes on its main Allendale campus, and two residence halls on its Pew Grand Rapids campus, totaling 6,068 beds. GVSU also has six individual dining halls on campus for students and faculty. These dining halls are housed in five facilities with five halls being on the Allendale campus and one on the Pew campus.


Greek life

GVSU has 30 fraternities and sororities. As of the winter of 2016, the GVSU fraternity and sorority community consisted of 1,600 undergraduate members, representing approximately 7.8% of the undergraduate population.


Media

GVSU has a variety of media outlets offered to its campuses. The ''
Grand Valley Lanthorn The ''Grand Valley Lanthorn'' is the student-run newspaper for Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. The ''Lanthorn'' is printed twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year (Late August through April). It is ...
'' is the student-run newspaper, published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year. Copies of the paper are free and available at both the Allendale and Grand Rapids campuses in designated newsstands and online. Until the fall of 2006, the paper was only published once per week. 8,000 copies of the paper are published per issue totaling 16,000 copies per week. GVSU has several electronic media outlets including three radio stations and three television stations. The university owns and operates its own
Public Broadcasting Service The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the ...
(PBS)
Public television Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive f ...
station
WGVU-TV WGVU-TV (channel 35) and WGVK (channel 52) are PBS member television stations licensed respectively to Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States, serving West Michigan. The stations are owned by Grand Valley State University and main ...
in Allendale, Michigan and WGVK-TV, its full-time satellite station in
Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...
. In addition, GVSU also operates a
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
(NPR) station in
WGVU-FM WGVU-FM is an NPR member station serving Grand Rapids, Michigan. Owned by Grand Valley State University, it is simulcast in West Michigan. The main broadcast frequency is 88.5 MHz, which is licensed to Allendale, the Grand Rapids suburb that ...
with the same call letters, which feature a mixture of
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
, and news, including local and NPR programming. WCKS ("The Whale") is the student-run radio station, broadcasting over the internet and Tunein. Grand Valley TV (GVTV) is the student-run television station on channel 46.1 on the university cable system, while uploading its content to YouTube.


Music

The music program at Grand Valley State University offers various performing ensembles, including 3 performing bands, an orchestra, several small performance ensembles, and the 230-piece Laker Marching Band and adjunct athletic bands. The Performing Arts Center (PAC) houses numerous rehearsal spaces, classrooms, labs, offices, practice halls, two dance studios, a theatre workshop, and the Louis Armstrong Theatre, along with the new Sherman Van Solkema recital hall. The New Music Ensemble (NME) has released two critically acclaimed CDs, the first a recording of
Steve Reich Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer best known as a pioneer of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, and canons. Reich descr ...
's '' Music for 18 Musicians'', which appeared on the ''Billboard'' Classical Crossover chart, and the second entitled ''In C Remixed'', a remix project of
Terry Riley Terrence Mitchell Riley (born June 24, 1935) is an American composer and performing musician best known as a pioneer of the minimalist music, minimalist school of composition. Influenced by jazz and Indian classical music, his work became notab ...
's
In C ''In C'' is a composition by Terry Riley from 1964. It is one of the most successful works by an American composer and a seminal example of minimal music, minimalism. The score directs any number of musicians to repeat a series of 53 melodic fr ...
, which featured the work of some of the top electronic composers and DJs in the world, including Todd Reynolds,
Michael Lowenstern Michael Lowenstern (born August 23, 1968) is an American musician, composer and educator, specializing in bass clarinet. He is well known for his YouTube channel Earspasm and for his many recordings featuring the bass clarinet as a solo instrument ...
, and Pulitzer prize winner David Lang. The NME performed at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City on November 2, 2009 and previously at the 2007
Bang on a Can Bang on a Can is a multi-faceted contemporary classical music organization based in New York City. It was founded in 1987 by three American composers who remain its artistic directors: Julia Wolfe, David Lang, and Michael Gordon. Called "the c ...
festival. Grand Valley's trumpet ensemble has been a top competitor in the National Trumpet Competition for nearly a decade, placing first in the ensemble division in 2006 and 2008. The ensemble has commissioned four pieces by composer
Erik Morales Erik Isaac Morales Elvira (born September 1, 1976) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2012. He is the first Mexico-born boxer in history to quadruple champion, win world championships in four weight classes, rangin ...
since 2005, two of which went on to become the winning pieces, and one of which is still unpremiered. The trumpet ensemble has performed twice during the
International Trumpet Guild The International Trumpet Guild (ITG) is an international organization of trumpet players. Members include professional and amateur performers, teachers, students, manufacturers, publishers, and others interested in the trumpet. ITG is a nonprof ...
's summer conferences in 2007 and 2009.


Student government

Student government at Grand Valley is formally known as Student Senate. There are 50 student senators that serve on one of seven different committees. Student Senate offices are in the Kirkhof Center on GVSU's Allendale campus.


Sustainability

Sustainability is listed as the seventh of Grand Valley's core values. The institution's Office of Sustainability Practices provides best "practices in administration and campus operations, educational opportunities, student involvement, and community engagement." Notable programs include a
community garden A community garden is a piece of land gardened or cultivated by a group of people individually or collectively. Normally in community gardens, the land is divided into individual plots. Each individual gardener is responsible for their own plot ...
near the Allendale campus that also serves as a laboratory for interdisciplinary learning called the Sustainable Agriculture Project and the Sustainability Reinvestment Fund distributed in the form of mini-grants to students and staff with ideas that can improve the ecological footprint of the campus and community. The university has created a formal climate action plan and set a goal to reduce its 2006 level of greenhouse gas emissions 20% by 2020. The university's sustainability efforts were awarded a "A−" by the Sustainable Endowments Institute for 2011. Grand Valley's overall sustainability grade is the highest amongst the nine Michigan universities that were surveyed and the 28th best in the nation. In other rankings GVSU was placed as high as 16th in the world and tenth in the United States for its sustainability efforts and environment-friendly university management by Universitas Indonesia GreenMetric World University Ranking for 2011. The university is home to eleven Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...
) buildings or building additions. Several more buildings including the new Mary Idema Pew Library are in construction or planning stages to be LEED certified as well. All new construction and major renovations at GVSU must meet LEED standards required by the university. As of 2019 there have been 25 LEED-certified projects completed at Grand Valley. $2.2 million is saved annually on Grand Valley's energy bill through a combination of energy conservation efforts and LEED construction projects. The Student Environmental Coalition or SEC, is the student-run sustainability organization on campus. The mission of the group is "Helping to engage students at Grand Valley's campus to be conscious citizens by promotion of environmental awareness." Additionally, several academic programs offer the study of sustainability. Those housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences include Geography and Sustainable Planning (major and minor) and Natural Resource Management (major and minor). Those housed in the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies include the Liberal Studies major and the Environmental Studies minor. Grand Valley hosted meetings relating to sustainability, including a summit in which various sustainability issues were explored by university officials and local experts in April 2010, and a meeting of the Michigan Great Lakes Wind Council in July 2010 to discuss offshore wind energy generation.


Athletics

The Grand Valley State Lakers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Grand Valley State University. The GVSU Lakers compete at the
NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is the intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environment ...
level and offer 20 varsity sports including 11 for women and 9 for men. The university participates in and is a founding member of the
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. The GLIAC was founded in June 1972. Its eleven member ...
(GLIAC). Grand Valley's varsity athletic teams have won 28 national championships in several sports. GVSU has also won the prestigious National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Directors' Cup for NCAA Division II schools fourteen times: in 2004 thru 2011, 2014 thru 2017, 2019, and 2022. The Lakers also have five second-place finishes in 2002, 2003, 2012, 2013 and 2018. The cup is awarded to the top athletic programs based on overall team national finishes. Grand Valley is the first college east of the Mississippi River to win the Director's Cup for NCAA Division II. The official mascot of Grand Valley State is Louie the Laker. " GVSU Victory!", which is sometimes referred to as "Grand Valley Victory", is the fight song for the Grand Valley State University Lakers.


Notable people


See also

*
List of colleges and universities in Michigan There are ninety-three colleges and universities in the U.S. state of Michigan that are listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. These institutions include eight research universities, five doctoral/profess ...


References


External links

*
Athletics website
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