National and state data show that Grand Valley State University continues to excel in the areas of graduation rates, alumni working in Michigan and keeping down the cost of a college degree. The university issued its fifth Accountability Report at its November 4 Board of Trustees meeting.
The report has been cited as a national model for universities to prove their return on investment. Grand Valley puts together the report using sourced data that shows Grand Valley attracts students with academic performances in the top tier for the state’s public universities. It shows Grand Valley is efficient, student-centered and a powerful economic engine for Michigan.
Highlights from this year’s report are:
-- Grand Valley’s graduation rate is near the top of the 15 public universities in the state
-- Of recent graduates who are employed, 84 percent are working in Michigan
-- In ten years, Grand Valley’s enrollment has gone up more than 44 percent, with students from all but one county in Michigan
-- Grand Valley’s tuition remains in the bottom half of Michigan’s universities
-- Grand Valley receives the lowest state funding per student of any of Michigan’s public universities
-- Grand Valley has the largest share in the growth of degrees granted in Michigan since 2001
-- The university pumps more than $680 million into the Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties
“It is our responsibility to be accountable to the people of Michigan, and we show year after year that we are,” Thomas J. Haas, president of Grand Valley State University said. “Grand Valley has a reputation for being efficient, and the Accountability Report proves its basis in fact. We attract top students who receive a high-quality education and most often stay in Michigan and give back. We are a model of frugality and sustainability. Our administrative costs have stayed low and our faculty and student successes continue to climb. We’re proud to post the facts online and make them available to everyone.”
The full Accountability Report (PDF) can be viewed at www.gvsu.edu/accountability by clicking on accountability.
Other action by the Board of Trustees included:
• Approval of an annual state appropriation request, asking the
state to increase funding for Grand Valley students from $2,365 to
$3,775 per student. That is the number set by the state Senate as a
minimum funding floor.
• Approval of a capital outlay
budget request and five-year plan for FY 2013, including a request for
funds for a new teaching laboratory building in Allendale that would
increase the number of labs for sciences. The proposed project would
also include student study spaces and faculty offices.
