Lighting Project on 48th Avenue Completed

The project to install permanent street lights on 48th Avenue, taken on by Consumers Energy, has been completed as of Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. The lights were installed to increase the safety of Grand Valley State University students living in nearby off-campus apartments after several reported sexual assaults in the fall of 2016.

The project was a joint effort between Consumers Energy, Allendale Charter Township and GVSU and was approved by the township last October. A similar project is expected to begin construction on Pierce Street during the summer of 2017.

GV’s Sustainability Has Total Economic Impact of $250 million

Grand Valley State University’s sustainability initiatives in the area have reached an economic impact of over $250 million in 2015, according to the GVSU Collective Sustainability Initiative Report. The report outlines 11 areas in which GVSU staff and students have contributed to bettering the campus economically, socially and environmentally.

According to the report, GVSU created 2,919 jobs through various construction projects in 2015 and offered more than 200 sustainability courses. Campus Dining also purchased 1 million pounds of food from 54 local farms and suppliers.

GVSU has further committed itself to sustainability by being one of the founding members of the Grand Rapids Community Sustainability Partnership and being a member of the 2030 District, a group dedicated to the goal of decreasing overall energy consumption by 50 percent by 2030.

GV Writing Programs Seek More Linguistic Diversity

Grand Valley State University writing programs will begin promoting linguistic diversity across campus after a January 2016 Teach-In session, which affirmed a student’s right to use their own language and encouraged teachers to recognize the difference between English and the student’s native tongue.

In January 2017, 100 peer advisors from the Speech and Data Inquiry labs, Writing Center and Research Consultant program will attend training sessions about linguistic diversity and contrastive analysis. These sessions will be put on by campus linguistics experts and the staff of the Division of Inclusion and Equity. Training sessions will also be held during the winter semester for professors who teach SWS classes.

The goal of the sessions is to increase inclusion across campus and promote diversity.

GV’s AWRI Named ‘Water Stakeholder of the Year’ 2016

The Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) at GVSU has been named “Water Stakeholder of the Year” by the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council for the year of 2016. The MACC, which functions out of Holland, gives the title to people or groups who make large contributions to helping improve the water of the Macatawa Watershed.

The AWRI was able to work on many aspects of the watershed due to their partnership with Project Clarity, a community initiative for cleaning, restoring and maintaining waters in the Macatawa Watershed.

The AWRI has worked with the Macatawa Watershed for a number of years conducting fish surveys and water quality tests in streams near Lake Macatawa. Several graduate students have also used the area for research projects.