GRCC sees surge in local enrollment, provides potential growth for GV

Grand Rapids Community College saw an increase of 31 percent in students coming from Grand Rapids Public Schools this semester and a 98 percent increase in dual-enrollment students between 2016 and 2018. The sharp enrollment increase is indicative of Grand Rapids area students pursuing higher education as well as increased enrollment at Grand Valley State University due to the relationship between GRCC and GVSU said Associate Vice President and Director of Admissions Jody Chycinski. 

In the 2016 fall semester, GVSU received 405 transfer students from GRCC, with that number swelling to 431 students during the 2017 fall semester, Chycinski said. Students are able to transfer their credits from GRCC to GVSU through the Michigan Transfer Agreement, which allows students who meet certain requirements to transfer credits to universities in the state. 

For more coverage on increased enrollment in Grand Rapids, visit lanthorn.com. 

Annual Accountability Report highlights university performance, areas of success

Grand Valley State University released its annual Accountability Report at a Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, Nov. 2. The report, which compares GVSU to other Michigan universities as well as its own strategic plan’s goals, cited several areas of success over the past year. 

Noted in the report was first-year enrollment rising by over four percent, making it the largest in GVSU’s history. Of the 95 percent of students who graduated or went to higher education, 86 percent are giving back to Michigan through work or service. 

Compared to other universities in Michigan, GVSU sat top-four in retention rates at 84.5 percent, ranked in the bottom half for cost of tuition and for the seventh year in a row, GVSU earned appropriations from the state based on performance.

To view the full Accountability Report, visit gvsu.edu/accountability. 

Replenish benefits from Battle of the Valleys donation, discusses hunger on campus

Battle of the Valleys, Grand Valley State University’s annual fundraising competition against Saginaw Valley State University, raised over $15,000 for Replenish, GVSU’s on-campus food pantry, this year. Gayle R. Davis Center of Women and Gender Equity Associate Director Sharalle Arnold said that the funds not only benefited the pantry’s goals of being able to provide for students in need, but also gave rise to difficult conversations about hunger in the days following Battle of the Valleys. 

Arnold said that in these highly political times, she encourages students to take action against campus food insecurity. By continuing the conversation that Battle of the Valleys started, Arnold said that students should take that momentum in a state-wide direction.

“Replenish is a temporary fix,” Arnold said. “It is not a long-term solution. It is not the answer to campus food insecurity.”

For more in-depth coverage on campus food insecurity in wake of Battle of the Valleys, visit lanthorn.com