Strategic Plan for Grand Valley State University
Mission
At Grand Valley State University, we empower
learners in their pursuits,
professions, and purpose. The
university enriches society through excellent teaching, active
scholarship, advancement of equity, and public service.
Vision
Grand Valley State University will prepare globally minded
citizens for the future they face and the communities they
shape. Our community of educators create and employ
innovative approaches to liberal education and professional programs
that center on and prepare students for a lifetime of
continual learning and growth.
Values Statement
Inquiry - Encourage active questioning and problem solving to improve lives and strengthen communities. Building on our strong foundation of a liberal education and commitment to teaching excellence, we strive to provide opportunities that integrate theory and practice towards personal transformation and career success. Active scholarship, creative expression, and relevant co-curricular experiences drive learners toward fulfillment, prosperity, and justice.
Inclusive & Equitable Community - Foster and
sustain a sense of belonging, promote diversity and respect, and
address systemic issues that impact outcomes for those who have been
historically excluded from higher education. Inclusion and equity are
experienced through our physical campuses and in digital environments,
as well as our interpersonal, institutional, and community engagements.
Integrity - Drives us to be accountable to ourselves and to others. Integrity moves us to actively pursue and sustain quality educational experiences rooted in research and evidence, and to be excellent stewards of our communities, resources, and planet.
Planning Process
Since Fall 2019, President Philomena V. Mantella has engaged internal and external stakeholders in Reach Higher Together, an effort to ensure Grand Valley draws on everyone's abilities, talents, and creativity to reach higher together and accelerate our bold vision to activate the full community to lead the change in the fast-changing world of education. On Wednesday, December 4, 2019, President Mantella convened the participants of the Grand Huddle Series, the Grand Survey, and those who contributed their thoughts and ideas via the thought boards located on each campus and in each regional center. The audience consisted of faculty, staff, and students who asked questions and engaged in dialogue with President Mantella, as she reported the findings and feedback garnered from this three-month-long exercise.
In Winter 2021, President Philomena V. Mantella charged an inclusive steering committee with leading the development of the Reach Higher 2025 strategic framework. Tara Bivens, benefits manager, Human Resources; Mark Schaub, dean, Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies; and Janet Winter, associate dean, Kirkhof College of Nursing, were appointed co-leads. The committee included eight representatives from the University Academic Senate, student and staff representatives, presidential fellow appointees, and liaisons to the enrollment, digital, and equity parallel planning efforts. Chris Plouff, interim provost and executive vice president for academic and student affairs, and Jesse Bernal, chief of staff to the president and vice president for Inclusion and Equity, served as executive sponsors.
Reach Higher 2025 represents the complex aspirations of Grand Valley’s faculty, staff, students, and community partners. These stakeholders asked for a plan that respected our foundation while driving toward bold new opportunities. The planning process included 24 steering committee meetings; 18 student, faculty, staff, and alumni huddles; 8,000 engaged stakeholders, which resulted in more than 150,000 total comments received.
The work of the steering committee concluded with the endorsements of the University Academic Senate, Student Senate, and AP Committee in January 2022.