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Welcome to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences! CLAS is the largest of Grand Valley's colleges. Our students choose from more than 50 bachelor degrees (and a growing number of advanced degrees) in the natural and mathematical sciences, the fine arts and humanities, and the social sciences. In fact, all GVSU undergraduates build the foundation for their major studies in general education courses offered by our College. It all starts here.     

GVNext News

composition of tablet, mobile phone and desktop featuring magazine headlines and photo of people in woods, graduate sitting on coastline

Spring issue of GVM debuts immersive digital platform, tells stories of origins

Stories in the spring issue focus on beginnings and are presented on a new digital platform.

Mar 13, 2024

student hugs a dog who is outside in a pen at an animal shelter

Alternative Breaks: Students provide service at organizations across the country

Through Alternative Breaks, student groups traveled across the country on six trips, including one to Ohio's largest no-kill animal shelter.

Mar 12, 2024

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Events

CLAS Faculty Research Colloquium

March 21, 2024 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM

The speakers will be: Médar Serrata  (Modern Languages and Literatures) “Burying the Past: Bones, Ceremonies, and the Memory of Slavery in the Dominican Republic.” Agnieszka...

Adam Sturdivant, Partner at Drew Cooper & Anding

March 26, 2024 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

The Political Science Department invites you to hear from attorney Adam Sturdivent. After graduating from GVSU, Adam began practicing law in Ohio but returned to Grand Rapids in 2008. Come hear about...

Interdisciplinary Panel: Philosophical Perspectives on Mental Illness and Mental Health

March 29, 2024 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Mental illness is receiving more popular and professional attention than ever. Yet beyond an intuitive grasp of what it means to be ‘mentally ill’ or ‘mentally healthy,’ these...

�This is a work for the mothers�: Strategic Maternalism Against the Far Right featuring Lorna Bracewell

April 4, 2024 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Recent debates over public school curricula, including “anti-CRT” initiatives and attacks on “gender ideology,” have led to a reinvigoration of maternalist politics in the United...

GVSU Philosophy Colloquium Series: Confucian Humility in the Analects

April 12, 2024 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

The growing literature on humility in general has sparked interests regarding humility in Confucianism. Scholars such as Jin Li, Sara Rushing, Alexus McLeod and Shun have offered related but distinct...

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Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) Executive Director Search

The Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) — a pioneering research institute located on the shore of Muskegon Lake, an estuary of Lake Michigan — seeks an executive director to continue its traditions of scholarly excellence, enduring impact, and innovative education. With a mission to integrate research, education, and outreach to enhance and preserve freshwater resources, AWRI plays a vital role in addressing a myriad of water-related issues with important implications for the region and the planet. Reporting to the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the largest college at GVSU, the executive director will lead a talented and diverse team of federally funded researchers and serve as a convener and advocate for the institute and its work at the university, community, and national level.

Since its founding nearly 40 years ago, the Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute has been at the forefront of water science scholarship, application, and education. AWRI’s state-of-the-art research infrastructure, explicit and direct engagement with people and place, and its dedication to training the water resources leaders of tomorrow have made it an invaluable resource for West Michigan’s dynamic coastal communities. Over four decades, it has grown into a nationally recognized education and research facility with strong endowments, global scholarly stature, a fleet of research vessels, over 48,000 square feet of dedicated space to conduct its work, and designation as a member of the National Association of Marine Laboratories. AWRI also stands as the only educational institution on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan dedicated to the study of aquatic ecosystems and serves as a key player in providing research opportunities for GVSU graduate and undergraduate students with its well-equipped aquatic science facilities. In the face of ever more visible challenges to ecosystem health and public higher education, the opportunities provided through AWRI make significant contributions to the fostering of healthy ecosystems and economies across the state of Michigan, the Midwest, and beyond.

Working with the provost, dean, scientific advisory board, faculty, staff, and AWRI’s deeply engaged external partners and supporters, the executive director will grow the institute’s standing as a leader in applied water research, training the next generation of aquatic and environmental science professionals to contribute to an emerging blue economy in Muskegon and the state. They will accomplish this by growing the institute’s research portfolio, collaborating across GVSU, maintaining AWRI’s leadership as a community supporter and resource, and expanding its educational offerings to a larger, more diverse group of future water science scholars.

Grand Valley State University has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist the Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute Executive Director Search Committee in its identification and review of candidates. All inquiries, nominations, and applications may be sent in confidence to the Isaacson Miller web site.

AWRI

What is it like to tour with the New Music Ensemble?

video of ensemble in national parks

Geologists studying climate change

How geologists in the field study climate change in South Carolina

Laker Marching Band

Laker Marching Band video

History Professor Louis Moore

History Professor Louis Moore

Locked in Virtual Space

45 Days in a Space Capsule

Professor Tim Evans has emerged from his big adventure at NASA.

The Olosho Ethnobotany Project

The Olosho Ethnobotany Project featuring Professor Hedges


Diversity in Education Endowed Scholarship

Give Today

To assist an undergraduate full-time student of color with the intention of pursuing a career as a teacher, preference will be given to students participating in any existing teacher pipeline partnership programs.

Dean Fred Antczak Endowed Scholarship

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This fund is to benefit students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences who have a financial need.

CLAS Fellowships for Liberal Education in Action

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This fund will provide CLAS students with financial support to allow them to participate in high impact experiences such as research, internships, community-based projects, etc. that might have too much opportunity cost without this support.



Page last modified January 29, 2024