Grand Valley State University has long been committed to educating incarcerated students. That education now comes with a degree.
Building on its longstanding Community Working Classics and Inside-Out Prison Exchange programs — which served hundreds of students from 2009 to 2020 — GVSU is now offering an accredited, or degree-granting, program at the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility.
The Bellamy Creek Program confers a Bachelor of Science degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration through the School of Community Leadership and Development, offering students the opportunity to prepare for a career in the nonprofit sector or in hospitality and tourism management — sectors that increasingly welcome students with a broad diversity of lived experiences.
“While we may be incarcerated at this moment, we are not inmates. Starting today, we are now students, we are scholars, and we are academics.”
—
Connor McCowan, President, Student Voice Council
Above all, the principles guiding this program are simple and reflect those that drive the university as a whole:
Building on our strong foundation of a liberal education and commitment to teaching excellence, we strive to provide opportunities that integrate theory and practice toward personal transformation and career success.
Furthermore, we strive to foster and sustain a sense of belonging, promote diversity and respect, and address systemic issues that impact outcomes for those who have been historically excluded from higher education.
The Bellamy Creek Program currently serves 20 students.
The first cohort will graduate in spring 2029.
Students will participate in internships in the program's final year.
Interested in supporting the program? We'd love to meet you!
Hey, we'd love to meet you even if you can't support us at this time. Please send us a note whether you are interested in volunteering, visiting, supporting the program financially, or just learning more.
If you're in town, feel free to stop by our office on GVSU's Pew Campus in Grand Rapids!