Brooks College by the Numbers
Inclusiveness is a deeply held Brooks College value, and it can be seen in the demographic data that describe the student populations of our academic majors and minors.
Brooks College majors are more likely than the GVSU average to be first-generation students. In Fall 2013, for example, 58 percent of all Liberal Studies majors, 52 percent of Women and Gender Studies majors, and 55 percent of Religious Studies majors were the first people in their families to attend college, with an overall first-generation student population in Brooks College of 57 percent, as compared to GVSU’s 40 percent.
Students with Brooks College majors also are more likely than the GVSU average to be returning adult students; to take courses at Grand Valley’s regional campuses in Muskegon, Holland, and Traverse City; and to identify as ethnic minorities or multiethnic.
Students minoring in Area Studies, Environmental Studies,Women and Gender Studies, and LGBTQ Studies identify as ethnic minorities or multiethnic at nearly twice the rate of Grand Valley students overall.
These programs are growing and thriving, with increasing diversity and overall increasing numbers of students. The LGBTQ Studies minor, new this year, saw 16 students declare. The Religious Studies minor has grown to 40 declared minors in its first four semesters. And fast-growing Environmental Studies has more than doubled the number of declared minors — more than 100 — since it began four years ago.
All our programs help students to explore culture nationally and internationally, to problem-solve, and to collaborate in interdisciplinary ways. It’s fitting that these programs enroll a diverse group of undergraduate students who bring to the table many different experiences and talents.
