Grand Valley State University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Grand Valley State University

Former names	Grand Valley State College (1960–1973) (1983–1987) Grand Valley State Colleges (1973–1983)
Motto	Educating students to shape their lives, their professions, and their societies.
Type	Public university
Established	1960; 65 years ago (1960)
Academic affiliations	Space-grant
Endowment	$174.9 million (2022)
President	Philomena V. Mantella
Provost	Fatma Mili
Academic staff	1,760
Students	24,406
Undergraduates	19,239
Postgraduates	3,027
Location	Allendale & Grand Rapids , Michigan , United States
Campus	Allendale campus: suburban 1,322 acres (5.35 km2) Robert C. Pew Campus: urban 65 acres (0.26 km2) Health Campus: urban 14.5 acres (0.059 km2)
Colors	Blue, black, white
Nickname	Lakers
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division II – GLIAC
Mascot	Louie the Laker

Grand Valley State University (often called GVSU, GV, or Grand Valley) is a public university in Allendale, Michigan. It started in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. Its main campus is huge, covering 1,322 acres (about 5.35 square kilometers). It's located about 12 miles (19 km) west of Grand Rapids. The university also has campuses in Grand Rapids and Holland, plus smaller centers in other cities like Battle Creek, Detroit, Muskegon, and Traverse City.

As of fall 2021, GVSU has over 24,000 students. These students come from all over Michigan, many other U.S. states, and even other countries. The university employs more than 3,000 people, including professors and staff. Many people who have graduated from GVSU live in all 50 U.S. states and 25 other countries.

GVSU's sports teams are called the Lakers. They compete in NCAA Division II and are part of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). The Lakers have won 28 national championships in their 21 sports!

History of Grand Valley State University

University presidents
President	Years
James Zumberge	1962–1969
Arend Lubbers	1969–2001
Mark Murray	2001–2006
Thomas J. Haas	2006–2019
Philomena V. Mantella	2019–present

How GVSU Started and Grew

In 1958, a study showed that the Grand Rapids area needed a four-year college. A local businessman, Bill Seidman, helped lead the effort to create one. The Michigan Legislature officially started the college the next year. People held a contest to name it, and "Grand Valley State College" was chosen from 2,500 ideas.

Many people, groups, and businesses in West Michigan donated money. They gave $350,000 to buy land and $1,000,000 for building. In 1961, the college chose an 876-acre (3.55 km2) spot in Ottawa County near the Grand River. Building of the first school buildings began in 1962.

University enrollment
Year	Enrollment
1963	225
1965	1,144
1970	3,301
1975	7,340
1980	6,984
1985	7,667
1990	11,726
1995	13,887
2000	18,579
2005	22,565
2010	24,541
2015	25,325
2019	24,033
2021	22,406

First Years of the College

Grand Valley State College welcomed its first 225 students in 1963. The first group of 138 students graduated on June 18, 1967. In the late 1960s, the first dorms were built, along with new academic buildings. One of these was the Zumberge Library, named after the university's first president, James Zumberge.

In the 1970s, Grand Valley organized its school subjects into different colleges. In 1973, the name changed to Grand Valley State Colleges. But in 1983, the "s" was dropped, and it went back to Grand Valley State College.

Becoming a University

In 1987, the Michigan Legislature changed the college's name to Grand Valley State University. This showed that it had grown into a larger, more complete university. In the 1980s and 1990s, new campuses and centers were added in downtown Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Holland, and Traverse City.

By 2004, the university changed its structure again, creating colleges like the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Seidman College of Business. Grand Valley celebrated its first 50 years by raising almost $100 million in donations. This money helped build new places on campus, like the Mary Idema Pew Library.

Recent Growth and New Buildings

After its 50th anniversary, GVSU continued to grow. In 2012, they announced plans for more new buildings, including a biology lab and an addition to the Zumberge Library. They also bought land in Grand Rapids to expand healthcare programs. In 2013, GVSU planned to add to Au Sable Hall and build a new store and dining area for students.

Campuses and Learning Centers

Grand Valley has three main campuses: the biggest one in Allendale and two others nearby. There are also smaller learning centers in Muskegon, Detroit, and Traverse City.

Students, teachers, and staff can ride the local The Rapid buses for free with their GVSU ID card. This makes it easy to get around.

Allendale Campus: The Main Hub

The Allendale campus is the university's main and original location. Most of GVSU's programs are here. It covers 1,322 acres (5.35 km2) next to the Grand River. The campus is split into north and south areas. The main highway, M-45, connects the campus to Lake Michigan to the west and Grand Rapids, Michigan to the east.

All the sports facilities, like Lubbers Stadium and the GVSU Fieldhouse, are on the Allendale campus. You'll also find many cool sculptures here. The campus has 122 classrooms, 144 research labs, and 21 computer labs. The Mary Idema Pew Library is also a big part of this campus. In 2015, the Kindschi Hall of Science, a new science building, opened here.

The Holton-Hooker Learning and Living Center, a dorm for 490 students, opened in 2016. It's a "LEED silver-certified" building, meaning it's designed to be very energy efficient.

Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus

The Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus is 65 acres (0.26 km2) right in downtown Grand Rapids, along the Grand River. It has 11 buildings, including the Richard DeVos Center and the L. William Seidman Center. This campus also has the Beckering Family Carillon Tower, which is a bell tower.

These buildings have 57 classrooms, 78 research labs, and 11 computer labs. The Steelcase Library is also located here. Winter Hall is a dorm often used by graduate students.

Health Campus: For Future Health Workers

The 14.5-acre (0.059 km2) Health Campus is part of the "Medical Mile" area in Grand Rapids. Many of GVSU's health programs are taught here. The Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences (CHS) opened in 2003. Because of growing student numbers, GVSU built the Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall. In 2018, they started building the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health, which is a $70 million addition.

Meijer Campus in Holland

The Meijer Campus opened in 1998 just outside downtown Holland, MI. It was named after the Meijer Family, who generously donated the land. This campus offers continuing education programs in a 30,693 square foot (2,851.5 m2) building. It has 12 classrooms, 2 conference rooms, 3 labs, and 11 offices.

Muskegon Centers

GVSU has three spots in Muskegon:

• The James L. Stevenson Center for Higher Education at Muskegon Community College. It's a partnership with other universities and offers graduate and undergraduate programs.
• The Lake Michigan Center, home to the Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI), which studies water.
• The Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC), which is a special place for showing how to generate electricity using clean, renewable energy.

Traverse City Center

The Traverse City Regional Center started in 1995. It's at the NMC University Center, working with Northwestern Michigan College. This center offers degrees in education, social work, and liberal studies. The GVSU Physician Assistant program also has students at this campus.

Detroit Center

The Detroit Center opened in 2012 when GVSU bought a building next to Comerica Park in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It houses offices for charter schools and a small business development center.

How GVSU is Run

Leadership and Management

Grand Valley State University is managed by a group of eight people called the Board of Trustees. The Governor of Michigan chooses these members, and they serve for eight years. This board picks the university president, makes university rules, and manages the money. The university president then carries out the board's rules.

Money and Funding

GVSU's main budget is $351 million. About $275 million of this comes from student tuition, and $72 million comes from state funding. In 2019, Grand Valley provided $289 million in financial aid to students, including $90 million in scholarships and grants. For the 2013–2014 school year, full-time students received about $13,276 in aid on average.

Campus Safety

The Grand Valley Police Department keeps the Allendale Campus safe. These officers are also deputized by the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department. This means they can handle cases anywhere in Ottawa County, especially in Allendale. They also deal with parking, lost and found items, and community safety. The Allendale Fire Department serves the campus. Students also work for the Department of Public Safety, helping with office work and security.

The Pew Campus Security and Regional Centers handles safety for the Grand Rapids campus and other centers. This team works with the Grand Rapids Police Department and other local police when needed.

Student Government

Students at Grand Valley have a voice through the Student Senate. There are 50 student senators who work on seven different committees. The Student Senate offices are in the Kirkhof Center on the Allendale campus.

Academics and Learning

Grand Valley State University is a large university where most students live on campus. It focuses a lot on undergraduate studies. GVSU offers over 200 areas of study. This includes 82 majors for undergraduate students and 36 graduate programs. Students can earn bachelor's, master's, and even doctoral degrees. In 2012–2013, GVSU awarded 4,448 undergraduate degrees and 1,033 graduate degrees.

Some of the most popular majors in 2021 were:

• Biomedical Sciences
• Health Professions
• Exercise Science
• Marketing
• Psychology
• Nursing
• Finance

In fall 2014, GVSU had 21,636 undergraduate students and 3,458 graduate students. Most of them were on the Allendale campus. The freshman class in fall 2014 had 4,199 students from 80 Michigan counties, 23 states, and 20 countries. About 86% of first-year students live on campus. Over 400 international students from 82 countries were enrolled in fall 2014.

Getting into GVSU

Admissions statistics
2021 entering classChange vs. 2016
Admit rate	91.7 ( +10)
Yield rate	24.2 ( −6.6)
Test scores middle 50%
SAT Total	1010-1230 (among 62% of FTFs)
ACT Composite	21-27 (among 10% of FTFs)

U.S. News & World Report says GVSU's undergraduate admissions are "more selective." For the 2008–2009 school year, GVSU accepted 69% of applicants. For the class entering in Fall 2021, GVSU received 17,163 applications and accepted 15,730 (91.7%). About 3,807 students chose to enroll. The middle 50% of SAT scores for new students was 1010-1230. The middle 50% of ACT scores was 21-27.

Fall First-Time Freshman Statistics

	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
Applicants	17,163	15,415	16,478	17,133	17,509	17,104
Admits	15,730	13,535	13,691	14,178	14,168	13,972
Admit rate	91.7	87.8	83.1	82.8	80.9	81.7
Enrolled	3,807	3,450	3,863	4,312	4,117	4,306
Yield rate	24.2	25.5	28.2	30.4	29.1	30.8
ACT Composite* (out of 36)	21-27 (10%†)	21-27 (30%†)	21-26 (34%†)	21-27 (37%†)	21-26 (53%†)	21-26 (99%†)
SAT Composite* (out of 1600)	1010-1230 (62%†)	1050-1230 (90%†)	1050-1240 (88%†)	1050-1240 (88%†)	1060-1230 (76%†)	—
* middle 50% range † percentage of first-time freshmen who chose to submit

Different Colleges at GVSU

The university has seven colleges where students can earn degrees:

• F.E. Seidman College of Business
• College of Education and Community Innovation
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing
• College of Health Professions
• Kirkhof College of Nursing
• Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies

GVSU also has the Frederik Meijer Honors College. This college offers a more challenging and varied education in a special living-learning environment. It's located in the Glenn A. Niemeyer Learning and Living Center on the Allendale campus.

Study Abroad Programs

The Padnos International Center helps students who want to study abroad. Grand Valley offers over 4,000 study abroad programs. Students can choose from programs connected to GVSU or independent ones.

University Rankings

U.S. university rankings
USNWR National University	228
Washington Monthly National University	136
Forbes	481

U.S. News & World Report ranked Grand Valley third among "Top Public Regional Universities in the Midwest" in 2014. It was also ranked 26th in the "Regional Universities (Midwest) tier 1" category.

US News & World Report also noted that 98 percent of Grand Valley graduates find jobs or continue their education after graduating.

Research at GVSU

GVSU researchers work on many projects. For example, the Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) studies water resources. They look at things like water quality and how land use affects rivers and wetlands. GVSU's Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) received money to test wind energy on Lake Michigan. They use a special buoy to collect data from different spots on the lake.

University Libraries

Library Locations

GVSU has several libraries, and each one has books and resources that fit its location and the programs it serves. Books can be delivered between the different library sites daily.

• Mary Idema Pew Library (Allendale)
• Seidman House (Allendale)
• Steelcase Library (Grand Rapids)
• Frey Foundation Learning Center (Grand Rapids)
• Curriculum Materials Library (Grand Rapids)

What the Libraries Offer

The university libraries are great places for research, group work, and quiet study. They have over 60,000 print and electronic magazines and journals. They also hold more than 1,482,633 books, including over 829,463 e-books.

Special Collections

• Government Resources and Maps: Grand Valley receives many official U.S. government documents.
• Curriculum Materials Library (CML): This library in the DeVos Center has teaching materials for students from preschool to twelfth grade. Education majors can use it to plan lessons and create classroom materials.
• Special Collections & University Archives: Seidman House has rare books, Michigan novels, and special collections like the Harvey Lemmen Collection on Abraham Lincoln. It also has the Young Lords project, which is a large collection of Latino oral histories.
• Art Galleries and Collections: GVSU has over 15,000 pieces of art, including sculptures, prints, and paintings. You can find art by GVSU students, faculty, and famous artists throughout the campuses.
• Digital Collections: This online database has photos, letters, diaries, and interviews from the libraries' special collections.
• Dorothy A. Johnson Collection for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership: This collection focuses on giving back to the community and leading nonprofit groups. It's one of the most complete collections of its kind in the U.S.

New Allendale Campus Library

A new library on the Allendale campus was built from May 2011 to Spring 2013. This $70 million, 140,000 square foot (13,000 m2) building can hold 150,000 books. It also has a special automated system that can store and retrieve 600,000 books. The library is named the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons. The U.S. Department of Energy helped fund the library to make it energy efficient.

Athletics and Sports

The Grand Valley State Lakers are the sports teams of Grand Valley State University. They compete in NCAA Division II and have 21 varsity sports. GVSU is a founding member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). The Lakers have won 28 national championships in various sports!

GVSU has also won the (NACDA) Directors' Cup for NCAA Division II schools fourteen times. This cup is given to the top athletic programs based on how well their teams do nationally. Grand Valley was the first college east of the Mississippi River to win this cup for NCAA Division II.

Mascot

Grand Valley State's official mascot is Louie the Laker.

Fight Song

The university's fight song is "GVSU Victory!", sometimes called "Grand Valley Victory."

Arts and Music

Fine Arts Programs

GVSU has a great art program that is approved by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Students can study things like illustration, graphic design, ceramics, and painting. Art classes are held at the Calder Art Center, named after the artist Alexander Calder. The building also has the Stuart & Barbara Padnos Art Gallery for showing student and professional art.

To get into the GVSU art program, students first show their work. Then, they take basic art classes. After passing a review, they can move on to higher-level art studies and choose a specialty.

Music Programs

The music program at Grand Valley State University offers many performing groups. These include three bands, an orchestra, small performance groups, and the 230-member Laker Marching Band. The Performing Arts Center (PAC) has many practice rooms, classrooms, labs, and two dance studios. It also has the Louis Armstrong Theatre and the new Sherman Van Solkema recital hall. This space is used by music, dance, and theater students.

In 2016, the PAC started renovations that were finished in 2017. These included a new small black box theater, new study areas, and more practice spaces.

New Music Ensemble

The New Music Ensemble (NME), led by Bill Ryan, has released two popular CDs. One was a recording of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians, which appeared on a Billboard chart. The other was In C Remixed, a remix project of Terry Riley's In C. The NME has performed in New York City and at the Bang on a Can festival.

Trumpet Ensemble

Grand Valley's trumpet ensemble, led by Richard Stoelzel, has done very well in the National Trumpet Competition. They won first place in 2006 and 2008. The ensemble has also asked composer Erik Morales to write four pieces for them since 2005.

Student Life

The Office of Student Life at GVSU is in the Kirkhof Center on the Allendale campus. This office helps with community service, Greek life (fraternities and sororities), leadership programs, campus events, student organizations, and new student orientation.

Fraternity and Sorority Life

GVSU has 30 fraternities and sororities. In winter 2016, about 1,600 undergraduate students were part of these groups. This was about 7.8% of the undergraduate student body.

Fraternities

Sororities

Honorary and Professional Groups

Many groups at GVSU recognize students for their achievements or help them prepare for careers. Some examples include:

• Delta Sigma Pi – a professional business fraternity
• Order of Omega – a leadership honor society for Greek life
• Omicron Delta Kappa – a national leadership honor society
• Alpha Phi Omega – a coed service fraternity
• Kappa Kappa Psi – a national honorary band fraternity
• Sigma Alpha Iota – a national music fraternity for women
• Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia – a national music fraternity
• Beta Alpha Psi – an international honor group for finance, accounting, and information systems
• Phi Sigma Pi – a national honor fraternity
• Phi Chi Theta – a professional coed business fraternity
• Alpha Kappa Psi - a professional coed business fraternity

Sustainability Efforts

Grand Valley cares a lot about sustainability, which means protecting the environment. The Office of Sustainability Practices helps the university be more eco-friendly in its operations, education, and community involvement. One cool program is a community garden near the Allendale campus called the Sustainable Agriculture Project. It's a learning lab for students.

The university aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 compared to 2006 levels. GVSU received an "A−" grade for its sustainability efforts in 2011. It was ranked among the best in the nation and even the world for its green practices.

GVSU has eleven buildings or additions that are "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" (LEED) certified. This means they are built to be very energy efficient. All new construction at GVSU must meet LEED standards. As of 2019, 25 LEED-certified projects have been completed. These efforts save GVSU $2.2 million each year on energy bills!

The Student Environmental Coalition (SEC) is a student group focused on sustainability. They work to raise environmental awareness on campus.

GVSU also offers academic programs where students can study sustainability. These include majors and minors in Geography and Sustainable Planning, Natural Resource Management, and Environmental Studies.

Media Outlets

GVSU has several media outlets for its campuses.

The Grand Valley Lanthorn is the student-run newspaper. It's published twice a week during the school year and is free. You can find copies on both the Allendale and Grand Rapids campuses, and read it online. About 16,000 copies are printed each week.

GVSU also has electronic media, including three radio stations and three television stations. The university owns and runs its own Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Public television station, WGVU-TV, and its satellite station, WGVK-TV. GVSU also operates a National Public Radio (NPR) station, WGVU-FM, which plays jazz, blues, and news. WCKS ("The Whale") is the student-run radio station, broadcasting online. Grand Valley TV (GVTV) is the student-run television station, available on campus cable and YouTube.

Student Organizations

As of fall 2016, GVSU had over 486 student-run organizations! These groups cover many interests, like academic subjects, sports, cultural activities, religious groups, media, performing arts, and community service.

Housing and Campus Life

Grand Valley State University has 29 dorms (living centers) and three on-campus apartment complexes on its main Allendale campus. It also has two dorms on its Grand Rapids campus. In total, there are 6,068 beds for students. GVSU also has six dining halls where students and faculty can eat. Many students also have jobs on campus. In 2016–2017, 7,280 students worked on campus and earned an average of $2,261 that year.

Notable People

See also

• List of colleges and universities in Michigan