President Thomas J. Haas is celebrating his 10th anniversary at Grand Valley. He became the university’s fourth president in 2006 and led Grand Valley through a decade of growth and success.

Grand Valley announced another year of record-breaking enrollment. Records were broken in total number, first-year students, students of color and those living on campus. Total enrollment now stands at 25,460. Grand Valley has been recognized for the last several years by Michigan’s governor and Legislature for its leading performance. The university is in the top three in graduation rates of all public universities in the state and in the top four in retention.

Haas credited Provost Gayle R. Davis and the rest of his experienced cabinet with providing seasoned counsel. He recognized the integral role of faculty and staff and the engagement of a superior Board of Trustees for always pushing Grand Valley to the next level.

“Every single person on the president’s cabinet, some have been here for 30 or more years, brings together the spirit of being a team,” said Haas. “They have enabled me to be as effective as I have been. Our relationship with our faculty is key as well. They’ve embraced planning and creating relevant programs that students want and employers need. And the trustees have been critical in ensuring appropriate oversight for the public good. All of these people have contributed to the success of Grand Valley.”

During his tenure, more than 30 new majors have been established and 2 million square feet have been developed on campus. Grand Valley has become a leader in sustainability with nearly 20 LEED-certified buildings.

John C. Kennedy, chair of the Board of Trustees, said Haas has been an effective and able leader. “Leading a university for 10 years and counting is not common,” Kennedy said. “Tom followed successful presidents at Grand Valley, and he’s been able to put his own mark on the institution. He’s successfully steering us through a time of declining state support for public universities and a decreasing high school population in Michigan.”

Haas said the most rewarding part of his 10 years at Grand Valley has been developing a culture of strategic planning that sets the proper course for the future.

“If we have a plan forward and know the outcomes we want, then we can look for the number and the quality of students we want,” said Haas. “We’re the nation’s smallest, large university because of the relationships we’ve created with our students and with one another.”

The new Holton-Hooker Learning and Living Center provides an opportunity to bring students and faculty together, and is an example of how Grand Valley is student-centered, said Ella Fritzemeier, president of the Student Senate.

Fritzemeier made the remark at a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony August 26, celebrating the opening of the new learning and living center on the Allendale Campus.

She spoke to a crowd of about 300, saying the new building will be her home this year, as she is serving as a resident assistant. “The center’s unique features, like the collaboration areas, will provide a rich interdisciplinary learning experience and will help amplify the development of student success,” she said.

The four-story, 135,000-square-foot building is located on the north side of campus, next to Mackinac Hall. It houses about 500 students in 240 traditional-style bedroom units, and includes three classrooms, a computer lab and three faculty offices. It also includes a game room, outdoor recreational space, study spaces and laundry facilities.

President Emeritus Arend D. Lubbers spoke about the legacy of Earl and Donnalee Holton and Bob and Judy Hooker. Named after lifelong supporters of learning, the Holtons and the Hookers have advocated for the growth of Grand Valley and have inspired others to do the same. All four have served on the Board of Trustees and the Grand Valley University Foundation board.

About 6,300 students are living on the Allendale and Grand Rapids campuses.

“Grand Valley State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble” will now yield search results in iTunes. The ensemble’s first CD, “Under Western Skies” is available in commercial retail stores and through online music outlets.

Directed by Kevin Tutt, professor of music, “Under Western Skies” features newly composed music for trumpet and wind ensembles. The CD not only spotlights the ensembles, but also guest conductor Lowell Graham, retired U.S. Air Force Band commander and conductor, and trumpet soloists Richard Stoelzel and Rex Richardson.

“Under Western Skies” was recorded and produced through the Florida-based recording studio Klavier Music Productions. Danny Phipps, Music and Dance Department chair, stressed the rarity of this kind of experience for undergraduate students.

Students who attended a new orientation program in August learned about the history of neighborhoods on Grand Rapids’ West Side and met longtime residents who live there.

More than 50 students living in Grand Rapids attended Good Neighbor Orientation, held at the Seidman Center on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

The new orientation program invited students who reside on the West Side to learn about the areas in which they live, work and study.

It’s an area where Grand Valley has an increasing presence, said Melissa Baker-Boosamra, associate director for Student Life.

“The neighborhoods that surround campus have been here for a very long time. While students living off campus in rental houses are often temporary residents, the neighborhood is impacted by Grand Valley,” Baker-Boosamra said. “It’s important for students to understand the area’s history, character and how to be a good neighbor.”

Representatives from Westown Collaborative, a group of organizations that supports residents and causes of the community, attended the event, as well as representatives from two neighborhood associations: West Grand Neighborhood Organization and John Ball Area Neighbors. West Grand Rapids includes more than 28,000 residents.

Sergio Cira-Reyes, project director at Westown Collaborative, said the West Side embraces students as residents and wants to better integrate them into the community. “We want longtime residents and students to talk and listen to each other,” he said.

Grand Valley earned a five-year, $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund and expand its TRIO Educational Talent Search program, which serves sixth-12th grade students from Grand Rapids Public Schools.

Sarah Keranen-Lopez, director of TRIO Educational Talent Search, said grant funding for the upcoming academic year totals $345,120 and she anticipates the same amount annually over the five-year grant period. The total $1.7 million grant was the largest awarded to a Michigan university from the Department of Education.

The grant allows the program to expand services to 719 participants from three GRPS middle schools (Burton, Riverside and Westwood) and three high schools (Innovation Central, Ottawa Hills and Union). TRIO Educational Talent Search offers academic and career counseling to students from families with low incomes and whose parents have not earned bachelor’s degrees and prepares them for a successful entry into college.

Teresa Weatherall Neal, superintendent of schools for GRPS, said the district is excited to partner with Grand Valley because the TRIO program is successful. “This is a huge win for GRPS students as we know students who are part of TRIO get better grades, stay in school, and are more likely to graduate and go on to college,” Weatherall Neal said.

For more information about TRIO Educational Talent Search, visit gvsu.edu/ets.

It was an early morning one day in late 2015 when Sean Hamilton, ’16, awoke to a phone call from his former professor, Tim Fisher, who asked, “Is your passport still valid?”

During this conversation, Fisher, associate professor of art and design, invited Hamilton to join him on a trip to Grand Rapids’ city sister of Bielsko Biala, Poland. There, the two would paint a mural in the heart of the city.

“I didn’t hesitate for a second when Tim told me about this opportunity to be an international artist while representing the United States, Michigan, Grand Rapids and Grand Valley,” said Hamilton, who specializes in illustration and founded the Grand Rapids-based design company Cloud N9ne Design.

Realizing that neither of them had previous direct experience painting murals, Fisher and Hamilton enlisted Megan Hamilton, Sean’s wife, on their team. Megan graduated from Grand Valley in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts.

In June, the trio spent two weeks in Bielsko Biala. Fisher was invited to paint the mural by Grand Rapids’ Sister City Committee for Bielsko Biala as part of an initiative created by former mayor George Heartwell. The initiative aims to strengthen connections between Grand Rapids and its sister cities.

After pitching more than 10 different mural ideas to city officials, the final mural depicts a semi-surreal scene of the three artists (or any visitors to the city) being welcomed by Bielsko Biala, represented by the large central bird figure. The work is derived from the French artist Jean Gerard (also known as J.J. Grandville), whose political work supported the early attempts of democracy in Poland in the 1830s.

Fisher said the team wanted the mural to not only represent Poland’s past and beauty, but also its future. “We wanted to emphasize the panoramic quality of the wall as a stage for the continued drama of Polish life and the wonderful welcome we received as we entered their world,” he said.

STUDENT VETERANS
Grand Valley has received gold status from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency for the second year for its commitment to supporting student veterans.

MVAA’s Veteran-Friendly School program recognizes institutions of higher learning for their dedication to student veterans and dependents using GI Bill® and other education benefits. Schools can receive bronze, silver or gold status. The number of student veterans and dependents attending Grand Valley has grown from less than 200 in 2009 to nearly 700 in 2015.

‘BEST BANG FOR A BUCK’
Washington Monthly ranked Grand Valley 26th in the “Best Bang for the Buck — Midwest” category in its 2016 College Guide Magazine.

The ranking was based on several factors including tuition rates, loan repayment, graduation rates and number of first-generation students.

GOVERNOR’S AWARD
The Michigan Cares for Tourism project received the 2016 Governor’s Award for Innovative Tourism Collaboration.

The project is a partnership among Grand Valley and Michigan tourism organizations that brings together Grand Valley students and industry professionals from across the state to help restore Michigan’s historic attractions.

PRINCETON REVIEW
Grand Valley was named one of the country’s most environmentally responsible colleges by the Princeton Review for the seventh year in a row.

The designation marks a commitment to sustainability, based on academic offerings and career preparation for students, as well as campus practices, initiatives and activities.