Grand Valley State University President Thomas J. Haas said today
the university’s accountability Dashboard Report shows Grand Valley
leading other Michigan schools in key performance indicators,
underscoring the university’s academic quality and its commitment to
the state’s economic recovery.
When reviewing the past
10 years of higher education growth in Michigan, Grand Valley is the
top performer. In the last decade, annual enrollment in Michigan’s 15
public universities has increased by more than 25,000. Nearly 6,000 or
23 percent of that increase was at Grand Valley.
The
number of degrees awarded by Michigan’s public universities in that
decade went up by nearly 10,000. Of that number, Grand Valley had the
largest share of increase at 22 percent.
President Haas
presented the report at today’s meeting of the Board of Trustees, the
first for new trustees David Hooker and John C. Kennedy.
“It’s proven that a state with more college graduates is healthier
economically,” Haas said. “Grand Valley is a major partner with the
state, as are all institutions of higher education. We are a huge
piece of the economic picture as Michigan looks to a prosperous future
and a higher quality of life. We have been doing our Accountability
Report for four years in the fall. This dashboard report expands on
that and gives a clear picture of Grand Valley’s proof of performance
when it comes to using resources wisely.”
During the same
period, Grand Valley has kept tuition below the state average even
though it receives the lowest state funding per student. Haas has
testified before state legislative committees, and repeated at today’s
board meeting, that he would reduce tuition by 5 percent if lawmakers
would appropriate the minimum floor funding to Grand Valley that
they’ve agreed in principle to award to each student in Michigan.
“Grand Valley students and their families deserve fair
treatment from the state,” Haas said. “We need a rational and
predictable partnership with Lansing. At Grand Valley, we are doing
everything we can to be efficient, effective and live within our
means.”
Grand Valley’s Dashboard Report and Accountability
Report are available online at www.gvsu.edu/accountability.
DOWNLOADABLE AUDIO
* President Haas said the Dashboard Report shows leaders in Lansing the value and impact Grand Valley has on the state (audio).
* President Haas said the report reinforces the fact that institutions like Grand Valley are key in turning the state around (audio).
* President Haas said the report shows Grand Valley is living within its means (audio).
