GVSU holds historic virtual Board of Trustees meeting

The Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees held its April 24 meeting virtually because of the "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order in Michigan.

President Philomena V. Mantella said in her opening remarks that during these uncertain times caused by COVID-19, the university continues to lead with its values, putting the health and safety of students and the Grand Valley community first.

"I am filled with admiration for how this community has responded to a global crisis that moved 1.5 billion students across the world to remote learning over 30 days. Grand Valley’s 24,000 learners went remote, undisrupted in just four days," she said.

Mantella said faculty showed their commitment to students by maintaining a continuity of learning and a high level of care during the transition. 

In board action, trustees approved the appointment of B. Donta Truss as the new vice president for Enrollment Development. Truss is currently the senior vice president for Enrollment Management, Students Affairs and Student Success at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania.

Truss will join the university on July 10, moving into the role currently held by Vice President Lynn (Chick) Blue, who has had a remarkable 52-year career with Grand Valley. Blue will be serving as a part-time advisor in the president's office during a transition period. 

Mantella highlighted in her President's Report key decisions made and actions taken by the university as a result of COVID-19, including $9 million from the Federal Cares Act that will go directly to students who are most in need; Project Reach Out, a program to call each student to touch base and help them get connected with resources; and a series of Laker virtual town hall meetings being held to keep the GVSU community informed about the impact of COVID-19 on the university.

She said the university is working toward a robust fall enrollment. 

"We are pushing hard, reaching out and removing barriers that may exist from these conditions impacting our students today," Mantella said. "Our base is solid, our focus is sharpened, our preparation is deep, our fundamental assets are strong. The mission remains unchanged, the modalities of delivery of education have become more varied, the urgency more pronounced and the stakes higher. Michigan will get the Grand Valley talent it needs to address the challenges ahead." 

Other board action:

• The board approved resolutions for the reauthorization of Covenant House Academy Detroit for five years, the reauthorization of Covenant House Academy Grand Rapids for five years and the appointment or reappointment of charter school board members to GVSU-authorized public school academy boards.

• The board approved changing the name of a graduate degree program from Computer Information Systems to Applied Computer Science. When the program was first created, the term Computer Information Systems was selected because it was a generic term that reflected the kinds of broad hands-on computing skills that were delivered. Since that time, Applied Computer Science has become the accepted term for this kind of program.