By Sean Copeland, Contributing Writer
Grand Valley State University has recently received a new round of accolades as the university was named in the Best Colleges in America list by Money magazine. Joining a list of 745 ranked public and private schools, GVSU was one of six Michigan universities to gain a spot in the ranking. GVSU was also named a top school in the nation for student retention, particularly among minorities.
The university, located in Allendale, Michigan, has a total student population of 22,269 with 19,243 undergraduate students and 3,026 graduate students. Of those students, 90 percent received aid. Some of the attractive aspects of the university include a vast amount of study abroad programs, an average class size of 26, over 146 degree programs offered, and a 68 percent graduation rate.
Creating Diversity Initiatives for Student Retention
President Philomena Mantella is Grand Valley’s first female president, a position she has held since 2019. On her belief in why GVSU was named a top school for student retention, Mantella offered some insight.
“I think it’s the wide range of programs, but I also think it’s theway in which we position our programs to be fully accessible to the students we enroll. Thestudy that prompted this article talked about not only the high enrollment rates and completionrates but also the high percentage of students that stay in Michigan, which is about 86 percent,” she said.
“Part of the reason that it really supports our community, and particularly our communities of color, is it really integrates the work experience opportunities within the academic offerings; through experiential learning, internships, co-ops, various ways where students get connected not only with their academic discipline but with the range of opportunities to work within Michigan and within that discipline. About 75 percent of our students do experiential learning as a part of the overall program.” Mantella says there are strong cultural programs like Laker Connections, Black Excellence, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and Laker Familia for the Latinx community. GVSU also has a seal of excellence in its work with Hispanic students. “We are very in tune to forming community within a community, creating support structures, and having a range of cultural programs that seek to create that community environment and connection of belonging.”
Additionally, Mantella says that about 46 percent of new students come from Southeast Michigan, with many of them being students of color. She believes that the school is a nice distance for those who want to go away to school but also want to be a part of Michigan’s second-largest city, Grand Rapids. “It’s a nice blend of urban and suburban. It’s an interesting opportunity for students coming from Southeast Michigan as well”. When asked about the ways that the university prioritizes the safety and unique needs of students of color, Mantella adds that it’s a mindset and a willingness to listen to their micro-communities, whether they are based on culture or shared interest, and by being responsive. Through the years, Grand Valley has had a strong protocol for identifying incidents that happen nationwide and tries to be proactive around its community-based policing, camera technology, and infrastructure. The university also has a Laker Guardian app that allows students to share their safety concerns when walking around campus. It features callbacks, GPS, and other features to support their well-being.
This spring, Grand Valley State University faced its share of criticism and controversy. Reports surfaced of Black students being unsatisfied with the campus experience, citing a lack of visibility in faculty and staff and overall diversity initiatives and representation. According to the university’s most recent enrollment report, African American students made up about 6.4 percent of the university’s population during the Spring/Summer 2024 semester. To combat these issues, a BIPOC task force was put in place to improve the diversity efforts on campus all summer long.
A number of recommendations were made and the results have garnered success with students and the community. One of the more notable changes was at the Office of Minority Affairs, a small office, which gained a director at the beginning of September. Mantella says that longer term initiatives are in place and that they are continuing to work with students who were engaged this summer. Updates will be shared during the fall on the active work from the task force and what’s ahead.
One of the most notable, unique, and creative initiatives that was put in place was a mobile barbershop on campus to make haircuts more accessible to Black and other students of color. Twice a week on Mondays and Tuesdays, the barbershop is available, and through a partnership with several campus departments, students can sign up for a voucher for a free haircut. In exchange for the cut, they’re encouraged to attend an event at the Career Center or engage with the Office of Multicultural Affairs or African and African American Studies programming. With the barbershop, the goal has been for students to not only look good but to feel good and confident when pursuing their educational and career endeavors. This initiative has seen great success among students.
A Top Student Leader
Abdul Ciise is one of the key Black student leaders who is certainly making a name for himself at Grand Valley. He is currently a graduate student at the College of Education and Community Innovation and previously received his bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in Business there as well. Ciise enjoys mentoring students, particularly Black males, helping them along their collegiate journey. Ciise speaks highly of the overall experience at the university and has benefitted from its programs.
“We have incredible faculty and staff here at Grand Valley. I had great teachers who really took the time to understand me as a person. The biggest part in terms of inclusion and my experience here would definitely be the faculty and staff. Over time, I’ve had the opportunity of working in the president’s office as a Graduate Assistant. Everybody really cares when you have an issue, problem, or any struggles that you have. I don’t just view Grand Valley as a place to just get my education, I view it as a family who looks out for one another and genuinely cares about me as a student. I have a lot of mentors,” he said.
“Specifically, for me as a Black male, we have resources for Black male students. I’m a big part of our Black Male Scholars program that’s run by Bobby Springer, Phillip Todd, and originated by Marcus Wright. The willingness that they have to support Black male students in particular has been incredible.” Ciise also shared how Todd sought out conversation with him after randomly seeing him on campus and connected him with the resources he needed to achieve his goals and dreams. Ciise is also involved with the Black Student Union and is an advisor for BLACK (Black Leaders Aspiring For Critical Knowledge). As for off-campus, he is also involved with Men Of Color Read and STEM Greenhouse, an organization that works to expose Black students to STEM career fields. Ciise also helped form the task force this spring, working all summer and was one of the student leaders. The task force sought to help out with inclusive culture training and was a collaboration between students, staff, faculty, and the senior leadership team. Seven different task forces under one large BIPOC task force were formed during the process, with one focusing on including DEI practices within the hiring process. In response to the earlier reports, Ciise also wants to make it clear that support is absolutely present at Grand Valley; it just may not have always been as visible, especially to incoming freshmen. Making the support and resources more accessible and available to students is a top priority for him.
Additionally, Ciise credits Vice President for Enrollment Development and Educational Outreach, B. Donta Truss, for his efforts in increasing student retention and enrollment of students of color. One of the programs started by Truss is the Black Boys and Men National Symposium, which, according to its website, “is focused on creating a vision for equitable transformation throughout the educational pipeline, from K-12 to higher education and beyond.”
For more information on Grand Valley State University’s efforts in minority student retention, visit its website at https://www.gvsu.edu/inclusion.
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