Title:   Associate Dean for Student Success and Advising

Office: B-4-253 MAK
Phone: (616) 331-2495
Fax: (616) 331-3675
Email: [email protected] 

Academic Advising and Student Success

1. Provide direct supervision and support for the Interim Director of the CLAS Academic Advising Center.
2. Provide direct supervision and support for the Director of the CLAS Tutoring and Reading Center.
3. Support the work of the CLAS Voyage as it pertains to Student Success.
4. Support CLAS faculty mentors (advisors).
5. Maintain CLAS web based advising materials, including the Faculty Advising Repository
6. Facilitate the implementation and maintenance of the major-specific Career Guides by Major in collaboration with Career Services.
7. Provide leadership and outreach to facilitate course registration for students who have stopped out, recently returned to GVSU, have yet to register for the next academic year, or who have accumulated a high number of credits but have not yet earned a degree.

CLAS Liaison for Student Academic Services, Policies and Procedures

1. All grade reporting and incomplete grade resolutions
2. Final approval for all grade changes
3. Student registration issues, including the approval of all late adds.
4. Coordinate outreach to CLAS Units as it pertains to the prerequisite override system, prerequisite error reports and waitlist reports.
5. Final approval for all myPath exceptions and updates as it pertains to graduation and degree requirements as well as course substitutions including the Bachelor of Science requirements.
6. Liaise with Vice Provost for Academic Advising and Student Success on possible exceptions to university-level graduation requirements.
7. Liaison with the Admissions Office
8. First point of contact for faculty seeking information on GVSU graduation policies and procedures.
9. Transfer Student Initiatives

Workday Student Implementation Team – CLAS Representative

Student Academic Grievances – Support and Information

Curriculum Change/New Program Implementation Support

Committee Work for CLAS and the University

1. CLAS Student Advisory Committee
2. CLAS Voyage Steering Committee
3. CLAS Voyage Embarking Experience/Learning Communities Team
4. CLAS Gateways to Completion/Gardner Institute Team
5. John Allegrina Scholarship Selection Committee chair
6. Tuition Refund Appeal Committee
7. Associate/Assistant Dean Committee
8. First-year Learning Communities Committee
9. Student Success Network Committee
10. SEMP Taskforce – FTIAC and Transfer Student Teams
11. Workday Student Subject Matter Expert
12. First Year Advising and Registration (Orientation) Planning Committee

Betty is a graduate of Aquinas College with a bachelor’s degree in Communications with a focus on Interpersonal Communications and Advertising and Public Relations. She then completed a master’s degree in Adult and Higher Education at GVSU. Her first professional career was in retail sales and marketing and after 12 years, she made the transition to higher education in 1993 when she accepted a position as a graduation auditor in the Records Office here at Grand Valley State University. She has served in numerous student support positions since starting at GVSU and moved into academic advising in 2001 when she was named the inaugural Director of the SMART Center, an advising center for students majoring in science and mathematics. As GVSU’s student population grew so did the need for a comprehensive advising center for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In Fall 2008, Betty was appointed as the first director of the CLAS Academic Advising Center and served in that role for over 8 years. Again, as services and systems changed in the college and to meet the needs of our students, Betty was appointed as Assistant Dean of Advising and Student Services in Fall 2016 and then Assistant Dean for Student Academic Services and Advising in 2020. Betty is actively involved in new student orientation, transfer initiatives, serves as the first point of contact for students seeking information regarding academic grievances, liaison to unit heads and faculty in matters of student policies and procedures, and continues to the support the efforts of the CLAS Academic Advising Center and the CLAS Tutoring and Reading Center. In 2008, Betty was the first recipient of the university’s Outstanding Academic Advising and Students Services Award, and in 2022, Betty was the recipient of the university’s AP Achievement Award, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an Administrative Professional at GVSU.