Adult Degree Completion Program Celebrates First Grads!
Several years ago, Terri Rowe decided it was time to finish what she had started nearly 20 years ago: her Bachelors degree. After receiving a flier in the mail and attending an informational meeting with Grand Valley State University faculty and staff, she knew that the Liberal Studies program at the Meijer Campus in Holland would help her reach her goal. She enrolled shortly thereafter. Today, Rowe is a proud alumni of GVSU, having earned her degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in study of the human narrative through literature and psychology. "I chose Liberal studies because it was a way to tie together my previous study interests of psychology and literature into a cohesive degree," Rowe said after graduation.
Rowe's internship helped her round out her emphasis area and further explore her interests. Working with Macatawa Greenway allowed her to work in an environment completely different from her experiences in manufacturing. Although practicum provided her with a entirely new experience, it was a sense of community that really defined her time at the GVSU Meijer Campus:
"I think the best experience to me was how all my liberal studies classes helped create a sense of community...we really were provided with the tools to create online groups, class groups, and groups outside of class. This has been the best educational experience I have had at his level. The faculty and staff really help the students reach their goals. They all have a clear understanding of the obstacles that face non-traditional students."
Right after graduation, Rowe is trying to select from a variety of opportunities: "My degree has helped me gain new insights into my own thought process and helped me with better understanding others'. This will be a great asset no matter what career I pursue---whether moving in a different direction with my current employer or pursuing something in the local film industry. I may also work with non-profits. Currently the film industry is consuming her time." She has recently undertaken a new position as a production assistant with a local film company that creates documentaries and continues to volunteer with local film festivals.
Rowe imparts this wisdom to current and new Liberal Studies students: "Embrace the freedom this program offers you to pursue your interests." Rowe continues to reside in the Holland area. She enjoys watching films, reading, writing, baking, and helping other people reach their goals.
Campus Sustainability Week on the Holland Campus
Come check out the SPARKLE bike that is on display at the Meijer Campus in Holland for Campus Sustainability Week. SPARKLE is using human motion on an exercise bicycle to enhance health and fitness while at the same time producing usable electric energy. The goal of SPARKLE is to create and store useable electric energy while at the same time helping people understand the importance of fitness and health, and renewable energy. You can try out the SPARKLE bike for yourself and watch that as you pedal the light will turn on! You can also get more information on sustainability all this week on the Holland campus. For more information about other campus events please visit www.gvsu.edu/csw.
First Annual Holland Teaching Academy
The Meijer Campus in Holland, in conjunction with the Pew FTLC, offered the first annual Holland Teaching Academy prior to the start of the Fall semester. This three-hour event provided faculty with an opportunity to interact with valuable teaching resources such as the Library, I-tech, ItunesU, the Womens Center, Integrative Learning, and more. Tamara Rossier of the Pew FTLC facilitated two workshops on active learning and encouraging positive student behavior. For information on these resources or to obtain handouts from this event, please contact lisa.miller@gvsu.edu
Ishmael Beah Visits the Meijer Campus in Holland
This year, GVSUs Meijer Campus in Holland had the wonderful opportunity to hear the author of this years Community Reading Project novel, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Ishmael Beah speak on campus. He spoke to a packed audience filled with Grand Valley faculty, staff and students along with many other community members. His moving tale of his life in Sierra Leon and journey to the United States engaged all listeners. After he spoke he answered many of the audiences questions, as well as, had a book signing and engaged with individuals on a more one-on-one basis. The Holland Campus was very lucky to have such an amazing speaker here on campus.
The community Reading Project is held every year and is sponsored by the The College of Interdisciplinary Studies, the Library, and the University Books Store. Keep your eye next year for the naming of the book and remember that 200 free books a year are given out so just make sure you're one of the first to sign up.
Meijer Campus Awarded FTLC Grant
Grand Valley State Universitys Meijer Campus in Holland was awarded the Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center (FTLC) Presidential Teaching Initiative Grant in Winter 2009. According to the FTLC, this grant is designed to enable units or interdisciplinary groups to mount broad, imaginative projects that will result in new or revised curricula and/or pedagogy, with the goal of achieving learning outcomes for their majors as specified in their assessment plans. An interdisciplinary team of faculty and administrators from the Meijer Campus (J. Farris, P. Lane, M. Litherland, A. Masko, L. Miller, J. Miller, M. Peraino, J. Stockdale, and J. Verschaeve) applied for the grant hoping to provide increased resources for faculty teaching in Holland as they develop innovative teaching and learning activities. The award will provide resources for faculty led initiatives such as engaging with the Holland community, incorporating interdisciplinary perspectives, or encouraging learning experience that can be shared by multiple classes.
Dr. Marty Litherland, Director of Regional Campuses, sees value in the impact that the grant will have on all individuals involved. As faculty and students come together to examine life's issues and challenges from multiple perspectives and in the context of the 'real' world, learning goes a level beyond understanding facts, concepts, and principles...it has a richness where learning is experiencing and experiencing is learning.
Any faculty member who teaches at the Meijer Campus in Holland is eligible to receive support for their course(s) in Holland. Dr. Jo Miller has been instrumental in securing the grant and will be working closely with it over the next year. She encourages faculty to apply for resources for any ideas they may have been incubating for years, wishing they had the resources to experiment with any kinds of innovative teaching practices, inside or beyond the classroom. Examples of projects that might be supported are team taught courses, speakers shared by multiple classes, new interdisciplinary courses, service-learning components of courses, courses addressing specific community needs, collaborative projects, etc. In general, course projects that are innovative in nature and provide a rich learning experience for the students are the focus. Faculty members interested in utilizing the grant should contact Dr. Jo Miller at millerj@gvsu.edu.
Student Wins Two Local Scholarships
Stefan Kuipers will have a little more change in his pocket this upcoming fall. The GVSU student recently applied for, and received, $6,000 in local scholarships which he said will be very helpful as he pursues his goal of becoming a Physician Assistant specializing in surgery or emergent care. According to Kuipers, the funds will go directly to his tuition for his senior year as a Biomedical Science major.
Kuipers was awarded the Holland Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary Scholarship and the Kate Garrod Post Education Scholarship awarded by the Holland Womans Literary Club. Each scholarship was worth $3,000. For each scholarship, Stefan wrote a personal narrative and submitted his transcript , along with three letters of recommendations. When asked how he became aware of these scholarship opportunities, Kuipers responded, A friend of mine is a previous winner of the Holland Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary Scholarship and she let me know about this years award. As for the Kate Garrod Post Education Scholarship, Anita Benes from Grand Valleys Meijer Campus works hard to keep students informed about scholarship opportunities and kindly informed me of this scholarship.
Kuipers, who currently works as Unit Tech for Holland Hosptials Emergency Room, has taken several classes at the GVSU Meijer Campus in Holland but often uses the campus for studying purposes. He says, There is always access to computers and the campus is nice and quiet. When he is not studying or working, he enjoys playing golf, hanging out with friends, and sitting in the sun.
TEST HOL Frank Coronado
The success of any University can truly be measured by the character and achievements of its graduates. If the example of Frank Coronado, '03, is any indication, then Grand Valley is certainly living up to its mission.
A firm believer in lifelong education, Coronado earned a bachelors degree in human resource management from GVSU in 2003 after nearly 20 years in the business community working for both large and locally-owned corporations such as Worldcom, Meijer, and Steelcase, Inc. "Through its diversity, GVSU helped prepare me to deal with all types of people that I come in contact with," said Coronado. He is currently the corporate relations manager for Davenport University where he makes business and community connections for students from all walks of life.
"Frank has a true passion for assisting all those that are under served," said Dante Villarreal, '99 & '02, regional director of the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center at GVSU and a member of the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. "He is a true advocate for Hispanic and all businesses, and is always opening doors for entrepreneurs throughout West Michigan."
Coronado is a founding member and currently completing his term as president of the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Tulipanes Latino Art & Film Festival, the Michigan Migrant Legal Assistance Project, and the City of Grand Rapids Civil Service Board, and is the chair for the Holland Chamber of Commerce's Holland First Program. He has recently served as a panelist imparting his wisdom and experience for the City of South Haven's Relating Not Translating: How to Market to U.S. Latinos, and Grand Valley's Hispanic Business Forum.
In recognition of his leadership and involvement in the business and Hispanic communities, Coronado was recently named Businessman of the Year by the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce during their 3rd Annual Awards Banquet.
"It was an honor to win the Hispanic Businessman/Latino of the Year Award," stated Coronado. "The award means a great deal to me. It let me know that the Hispanic community and the community in general appreciate what I am doing to further Hispanics and other minorities in business professions."
Toastmasters International Macatawa Club
Toastmasters International Macatawa Club is now meeting at GVSU's Meijer Campus in Holland. Toastmasters has become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. The nonprofit organization now has nearly 235,000 members in 12,036 clubs in 106 countries, offering a proven - and enjoyable! - way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills. Most Toastmasters meetings are comprised of approximately 20 people who meet weekly for an hour or two. Participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian. There is no instructor; instead, each speech and meeting is critiqued by a member in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved. If you are interested in learning more about toastmasters or joining the group call (616)-738-0044
Whipps Receives Mellow Prize
Judy Whipps, chair of the Department of Liberal Studies and associate professor of philosophy, was awarded the Ila and John Mellow Prize from the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy. The announcement was made at the recent SAAP annual meeting at Michigan State University.
The award recognizes excellence in advancing the American philosophical tradition toward the resolution of current personal, social and political problems. The prize was awarded to Whipps for her paper, "Learn to Earn: A Pragmatist Response to Contemporary Dialogues about Industrial Education."
Whipps said her paper draws from previous theories in a contemporary context.
While extolling the virtues of bringing the texts and methods of the liberal arts into dialogue with one's vocation, caution should be exercised not to merely educate workers to become trapped in lower economic classes. Her paper promoted education and vocation together to enhance personal meaning, enrich and support democracy and promote equality between the economic classes.
Several years ago, Terri Rowe decided it was time to finish what she had started nearly 20 years ago: her Bachelors degree. After receiving a flier in the mail and attending an informational meeting with Grand Valley State University faculty and staff, she knew that the Liberal Studies program at the Meijer Campus in Holland would help her reach her goal. She enrolled shortly thereafter. Today, Rowe is a proud alumni of GVSU, having earned her degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in study of the human narrative through literature and psychology. "I chose Liberal studies because it was a way to tie together my previous study interests of psychology and literature into a cohesive degree," Rowe said after graduation.
Come check out the SPARKLE bike that is on display at the Meijer Campus in Holland for Campus Sustainability Week. SPARKLE is using human motion on an exercise bicycle to enhance health and fitness while at the same time producing usable electric energy. The goal of SPARKLE is to create and store useable electric energy while at the same time helping people understand the importance of fitness and health, and renewable energy. You can try out the SPARKLE bike for yourself and watch that as you pedal the light will turn on! You can also get more information on sustainability all this week on the Holland campus. For more information about other campus events please visit www.gvsu.edu/csw.
The Meijer Campus in Holland, in conjunction with the Pew FTLC, offered the first annual Holland Teaching Academy prior to the start of the Fall semester. This three-hour event provided faculty with an opportunity to interact with valuable teaching resources such as the Library, I-tech, ItunesU, the Womens Center, Integrative Learning, and more. Tamara Rossier of the Pew FTLC facilitated two workshops on active learning and encouraging positive student behavior. For information on these resources or to obtain handouts from this event, please contact lisa.miller@gvsu.edu 
This year, GVSUs Meijer Campus in Holland had the wonderful opportunity to hear the author of this years Community Reading Project novel, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Ishmael Beah speak on campus. He spoke to a packed audience filled with Grand Valley faculty, staff and students along with many other community members. His moving tale of his life in Sierra Leon and journey to the United States engaged all listeners. After he spoke he answered many of the audiences questions, as well as, had a book signing and engaged with individuals on a more one-on-one basis. The Holland Campus was very lucky to have such an amazing speaker here on campus. 
Grand Valley State Universitys Meijer Campus in Holland was awarded the Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center (FTLC) Presidential Teaching Initiative Grant in Winter 2009. According to the FTLC, this grant is designed to enable units or interdisciplinary groups to mount broad, imaginative projects that will result in new or revised curricula and/or pedagogy, with the goal of achieving learning outcomes for their majors as specified in their assessment plans. An interdisciplinary team of faculty and administrators from the Meijer Campus (J. Farris, P. Lane, M. Litherland, A. Masko, L. Miller, J. Miller, M. Peraino, J. Stockdale, and J. Verschaeve) applied for the grant hoping to provide increased resources for faculty teaching in Holland as they develop innovative teaching and learning activities. The award will provide resources for faculty led initiatives such as engaging with the Holland community, incorporating interdisciplinary perspectives, or encouraging learning experience that can be shared by multiple classes. 
Stefan Kuipers will have a little more change in his pocket this upcoming fall. The GVSU student recently applied for, and received, $6,000 in local scholarships which he said will be very helpful as he pursues his goal of becoming a Physician Assistant specializing in surgery or emergent care. According to Kuipers, the funds will go directly to his tuition for his senior year as a Biomedical Science major. 
The success of any University can truly be measured by the character and achievements of its graduates. If the example of Frank Coronado, '03, is any indication, then Grand Valley is certainly living up to its mission. 
Toastmasters International Macatawa Club is now meeting at GVSU's Meijer Campus in Holland. Toastmasters has become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. The nonprofit organization now has nearly 235,000 members in 12,036 clubs in 106 countries, offering a proven - and enjoyable! - way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills. Most Toastmasters meetings are comprised of approximately 20 people who meet weekly for an hour or two. Participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian. There is no instructor; instead, each speech and meeting is critiqued by a member in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved. If you are interested in learning more about toastmasters or joining the group call (616)-738-0044
Judy Whipps, chair of the Department of Liberal Studies and associate professor of philosophy, was awarded the Ila and John Mellow Prize from the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy. The announcement was made at the recent SAAP annual meeting at Michigan State University.