Record number of students moving on campus

A record-number of students began moving on campus at Grand Valley Monday. Approximately 6,300 students will live on the Allendale and Grand Rapids campuses this year. That figure tops last year's on-campus number by about 150 students.

The students and their families are greeted by hundreds of alumni, faculty and staff members, who give a helping hand during move-in week. President Thomas J. Haas and his wife, Marcia, will serve ice cream to families and new students tomorrow at 11 a.m. by Kleiner Commons. 

That sense of community is only part of what is attracting a record number of first-year students to Grand Valley, as well as the record number living on campus. Haas' 10-year leadership at the university is marked by increased efforts to support students through their graduation in a timely fashion.

"We know that attracting students to campus is just the start," said Haas. "We are committed to offering solid academic degree programs and the necessary support system to help students attain those degrees and graduate in a reasonable period of time. We work hard to optimize advising opportunities for students, we have increased academic support programs, and we are seeing the results in terms of our graduation rates."

The latest national statistics show that Grand Valley has a graduation rate in the top three of the state's 15 public universities, and is in the top four for retaining students from their freshman to sophomore years. Federal data also shows that Grand Valley students are in the top three for paying back student loans, and a bonus for the state is that 85 percent of Grand Valley students begin their careers in Michigan.

The academic year formally gets underway on Friday, August 26, with a Convocation ceremony at 11:30 a.m. in the Fieldhouse on the Allendale Campus. Haas will address faculty and staff members prior to the ceremony at 10 a.m. in Cook-DeWitt Center.