Mantella encourages faculty, staff to share beauty and joy of Laker family

GRAND RAPIDS — President Philomena V. Mantella, Provost Fatma Mili and the Senior Leadership Team welcomed faculty and staff to the annual Faculty/Staff Picnic on Aug. 23 at the L. William Seidman Center on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

Speaking before the attendees, Mantella said she hoped over the upcoming year they shared and connected with the students, illustrating what makes Grand Valley special.

“During this final stretch week before students start their classes, let’s be sure each of us is sharing the beauty of belonging to the Laker family,” said Mantella. 

“Let’s share the joy of being a community of educators dedicated to the principle of education as a public good and committed to fulfilling our mission with inquiry, innovation, integrity, a global perspective and as an inclusive and equitable community.”

Mili borrowed a phrase from author Rick Antonson — cathedral thinking — to illustrate the important task facing faculty and staff members today. The phrase describes “meaningful work that has a long-lasting outcome and whose goals are not achieved in a lifetime.”

“We are cathedral thinkers and cathedral builders,” said Mili. “When we educate students, we do much more than grant them credentials. We prepare them for a lifetime of impact that goes beyond their own lifetime.”