GV holds “Trans Day of Remembrance”

The Grand Valley State University community is rallying together to raise awareness for “Transgender Day of Remembrance” on Nov. 20.

According to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Transgender Day of Remembrance is an annual observance that honors the memory of the transgender people whose “lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.”

Forbes recently reported that 320 Trans people have been killed in the year 2023, according to the Trans Murder Monitoring report. The report focuses on a global scale, as the day of remembrance is considered a national event. According to the survey, over 70% of trans deaths took place in Latin America.

GVSU is working with the Grand Rapids Pride Foundation and the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation to advocate higher awareness for the transgender community through the remembrance event. Collectively, they are hoping to raise more interest in the rights and treatment of the LGBT community and advocate for more support within trans-activism.

Transgender individuals frequently face adversity in regard to their identity. The GVSU community is working to be the most inclusive and supportive as it can be, hosting numerous events and support activities throughout the semester to serve the LGBTQ campus community.

The event will take place at the Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Any students and GVSU community members are welcome and encouraged to attend.

GV admin addresses equity gaps with new U.S. Dept. of Education grant

Grand Valley State University has received a $2.2 million grant awarded to the Center for Experiential Learning in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). GVSU plans to use the grant, awarded from the U.S. Department of Education, to assist campus leadership in addressing gaps in equity and CLAS educational experiences.

The funds are expected to create a more impactful education for students, funding internships and intensive research projects through the CLAS Voyage program, which is set to launch in the 2025 academic year. The funds are available through a five-year period, within which the university expects to build a framework for a higher-quality education.

According to GVNext, the grant will provide funding for multiple initiatives, including:

• “Building a data dashboard that allows faculty members teaching courses that particularly pose challenges to students to quickly identify those issues and seek support on how to keep students on track academically.”
• Hiring faculty within the CLAS Voyage program to lead curriculum, funding faculty’s work to create the coursework students will engage with.
• “Seeding $250,000 for an endowed fund, which must be matched by CLAS and university fundraising efforts, to support student access to hands-on learning. An example of this use might be increasing the number of paid internships available to students.”

The funding aims to create an impact on students’ learning opportunities at the university and create a future in CLAS education that provides hands-on work and integrated research for a deeper, more meaningful experience.