Headline: Recognition

Subhead: GV received the ETC college of the year award, but this recognition wouldn’t have been possible without the students

Grand Valley State University has been recognized as the ‘Educate to Career (ETC) College of the Year 2014’ as of Dec. 2014. GVSU appears 24th on the list, which includes over 1,000 other colleges and universities from across the nation. This is the first time GVSU has received this honor.

It is because of GVSU’s commitment to providing students with a valuable educational foundation that the university has received this award. Other criteria included low student loan default rates and graduates who secure jobs in their field of study after graduation.

According to the 2014-2015 GVSU Accountability Report, students graduating from GVSU have an employment rate in Michigan of 86.3 percent, and 71.5 percent in West Michigan specifically. Also according to the report, the GVSU student loan default rate is only 3.1 percent, the second lowest in Michigan.

Despite these numbers, there are still difficulties due to the unstable future that students face upon graduation. Between student loans and uncertainty in the job market, students have a lot to juggle. GVSU can help to ease the transition through resources such as the career center which provides long-term support.

Although we want to commend GVSU faculty, staff and administrators for making GVSU stand out, we also want to recognize another important (and larger) player: the students. If it was not for the immense student participation in organizations, sports, academics, study abroad and many other programs, GVSU may not have received the ETC award.

GVSU is the first Michigan school to make the ETC lineup. The second is Central Michigan University, which is a college of comparable student enrollment and student organizations. However, GVSU students excel at representing the university in a way that makes GVSU worthy of receiving this competitive award.

Many students, such as those in the chemistry department, are working directly with their professors to research new technological innovations. GVSU students and professors are currently collaborating to find new ways for energy and technology can help power more things for more people.

In addition, a GVSU student teacher recently received a grant from the Council for Exceptional Children that enables her to provide students who have a disability with more resources and opportunities to learn.

These examples showcase GVSU student’s commitment to going above and beyond what is expected. By creating a solid foundation for future generations of college students to attend a school that continues to uphold such ambitious goals and values, we have faith that GVSU will continue to attend to the needs of its students and require the Laker community to uphold high standards.