![Colleen Bailey stands in a dining hall and talks to parents eating food](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/7871B5E8-D2FA-C540-D5949576422F5A0E/500.jpg)
![Colleen Bailey stands in front of a living center and talks to a police officer](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/7871B637-D01B-6F66-26B3E14B23ADE4B6/500.jpg)
![Colleen Bailey stands in a dorm room and talks to people touring the room](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/7871B683-CCC6-9EC2-766C796820151BC3/500[45098503].jpg)
![Colleen Bailey stands in a residence hall and talks to a family](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/78CE0B0E-A0ED-711D-474F20328920EE16/500.jpg)
![Colleen Bailey stands in a small auditorium and presents information about housing to students and their families](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/78CE0B66-9DCB-2796-8802FD4E12C56FC0/500.jpg)
Colleen Bailey, associate director of housing and residence life, said she and other housing staff members are busy staffing new student orientation, welcoming summer campers, prepping rooms for new occupants, giving housing tours and planning for fall semester move-in. (Amanda Pitts)
![Icon of a dorm building. Colleen Bailey, associate director of housing and residence life](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E409EEF5-E5B1-1971-EC8DA0794CCF1478/500[45098503].jpg)
Moving 6,000 students off campus in April and preparing to house another 6,000 in August is not for the faint of heart.
Colleen Bailey is now in her 20th summer of doing this work and she said she would not have it any other way.
During the spring/summer semester, Bailey manages the daily operations of Housing and Residence Life and plans for fall semester move-in.
"From May to August, our housing staff members are welcoming, planning, preparing and hosting," Bailey said.
Jobs for housing staff include staffing new student orientation, welcoming summer campers, prepping rooms for new occupants, giving housing tours and planning for move-in. Add in the task of hiring and training 120 resident assistants before August.
"We never slow down and there is never a dull moment," Bailey said, adding that many campus departments collaborate to make this transitional period successful, including Facilities Services and the Grand Valley Police Department.
What keeps her going? Meeting new students and families as they move into living centers in late August.
"It's such a transformative day for people. I love it," she said.
![Blue squiggly divider line](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E409EF40-C20A-1D74-AFEEDC772B1B445A/500[45098503].jpg)
![Carl Brown points at a projection on the white board while teaching class](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/83375D84-F4E8-8DA3-A7F4D08F102B4C55/500.jpg)
![A class of students sits listening to a lecture](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/83375DDF-97DE-4C0A-D75D2D28B641B64E/500.jpg)
![Carl Brown teaches class in the arboretum](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/782317CC-E506-4180-BDE1115151FC72FF/500[45098503].jpg)
Carl Brown, associate professor of communications studies, called Grand Valley students 'dreamers who believe in themselves.' He teaches a speech class in the spring/summer semester. (Amanda Pitts)
![Icon of megaphone. Carl Brown, associate professor of communications studies](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E409EF7A-FFAD-0597-F0EEF85607414FCA/500[45098503].jpg)
Carl Brown teaches a speech class and admitted that the condensed spring/summer semester does present some challenges.
"The longer class meetings are a challenge for both the students and me," Brown said. "I tend to incorporate more activities that get us moving and thinking in order to break up the meetings and keep us engaged with the material."
Brown joined Grand Valley's faculty nine years ago.
Regardless of the semester, he said one thing remains constant among students. "Grand Valley students are dreamers who believe in themselves. They are determined," he said.
More than 1,000 different courses (2,690 sections) will be offered during the semester.
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![A man leans forward and sprinkles grass seed on a bare part of ground](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E02D855E-DC1F-ECCD-C0FE63C4ACF93B6A/500.jpg)
![A woman uses a pitch fork to spread mulch](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E02D85BE-A0B8-32D9-8C9FBBF82FE2D649/500.jpg)
![A man rides a red riding lawn mower](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E02D8624-EBC1-0131-2BDA9247CB01BE06/500[45098503].jpg)
![A man waters plants using a hand held sprinkler attachment on a hose](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E02D8689-F9C5-5C1F-63D04993FABFFF65/500.jpg)
![A man leans over pulling weeds](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E02D86DF-EA04-651A-2050800C4B229381/500.jpg)
![A group of grounds crew stands in front of the entrance sign to GVSU Campus](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E02D873A-F796-420F-1A79C1D7FA90A8D4/500[45098503].jpg)
From left are Grounds Department staff members Brian VanFarowe, Todd Meindertsma, Charity Anderson, Steve Snell, Sean Bain, Evan Hartman, Al Scott and Ed Simon. (Lauren Seymour)
![Icon of trimming shears. Ed Simon, director of grounds, Facilities Services](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E409EFFB-0FB5-A868-44D20FC47346DF77/500[45098503].jpg)
It's construction season for Ed Simon and other staff members from the Grounds Department.
The spring/summer semester gives the department time to prepare the university's 1,400-plus acres for fall.
Simon said there are four sub-categories within the department that allow staff members to address specific areas: irrigation, landscaping, athletics and arboriculture.
"Staff can specialize in and gain knowledge in those areas through professional development," he said, adding their specialization works into conversations with other faculty and staff members. "Frequently, our staff will become liaisons for others on campus when they are asked for advice about planting beds, plant choices or lawn care."
The department takes a great deal of pride in maintaining Grand Valley's grounds. "We often remind ourselves of the significance our work has regarding a student’s choice in where they attend college," he said.
Simon's eye for meticulously kept lawns continues at his own home. He said he was trained by his father, who was a stickler for details.
"If I do too much, I’ll hear from my neighbors," he said. "They seem to think I make them look bad, but I would disagree. I just like being outside and keeping busy."
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![Devina drives a golf cart. We see the back of her shirt which reads LAKERS in large letters](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/7BCE9B07-B780-168F-F89037D66407DF89/500.jpg)
![Devina stands at a table with two other students working at orientation and hands out information to a student.](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/7BCE9B5F-B6DE-7801-BBD946B283724CFF/500.jpg)
![Devina Chauhan sits in a golf cart wearing a name badge and sunglasses](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/7BCE9BB5-A592-CDDE-BD98E8A884BA59AB/500[45098503].jpg)
Devina Chauhan is in her second year as an orientation leader. She said her job is to make sure students and their guests 'get to where they need to be.' (Lauren Seymour)
![Icon of pennant. Devina Chauhan, orientation leader](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E409F076-AD24-525A-B2B28C6683EFE299/500[45098503].jpg)
As one of 32 orientation leaders, Davina Chauhan has an important summer job: making sure incoming students and their parents or supporters get to where they need to be.
More than 4,900 new students signed up for orientation sessions, which began in early May and will run through July 25. Orientation is hosted by the Dean of Students and Admissions and Recruitment offices. After a full day of sessions and a resource fair featuring campus departments, students and parents should have most of their questions answered before moving to registration.
Chauhan is a senior international student studying biomedical sciences. She said she did not get a proper orientation because her first year at Grand Valley was in 2020. "I was a COVID-19 orientation student, doing it online from my house in India," she said. "It was difficult."
This marked Chauhan's second year working orientation, a job she said she enjoys because of the interaction with students and their families.
"The students are nervous but excited. They have lots of questions about the living centers," she said.
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![A view through a blue circular burst that fogs and hazes over part of the center image which is Hannah standing at the front of a classroom explaining something](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E10ECE81-EE55-EEB5-E2AD24CFB435776B/500.jpg)
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![Hannah sits at a table in an open working area on campus with her laptop which is covered in stickers](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E10ECF17-EA6C-1245-F6C8E519586C6F15/500[45098503].jpg)
Hannah Cline, a senior who is majoring in studio art, is working on a summer research project with an interdisciplinary team to enhance an interactive application for exploring spherical geometry. (Amanda Pitts)
![Icon of a spherical shape. Hannah Cline, Student Summer Scholar](/gvmagazine/files/img/article/DB7763CB-CF02-975B-B35B2354D00972D6/E409F0F6-F5C1-B8CC-7689810D4557441A/500[45098503].jpg)
Hannah Cline is one of 21 students who are spending their summer deep in research projects with faculty mentors.
Sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, the students and faculty members receive stipends to devote 12 weeks to a project.
Cline, a senior who is majoring in studio art, is working on an interdisciplinary project with Dat Nguyen, a senior majoring in computer science. With their respective faculty mentors, Vinicius Lima and Hans Dulimarta, Cline and Nguyen are contributing their research and talents toward enhancing an interactive application for exploring spherical geometry. The program was written several years ago by mathematics professors David Austin and William Dickinson.
Cline said she enjoys the teamwork that blends coding with design to improve the user experience.
"The website and app are designed for both students and teachers and can be integrated into a curriculum," Cline said.
Dickinson said this project will likely continue past the summer months, when the summer scholars program concludes with a presentation showcase. He likened the experience to what the student scholars will see in the workplace.
"This is a very realistic real-world problem," Dickinson said. "On a team project, you may not see the end product. You could be joining a project at midstream."