Title:   Assistant Dean for Student Academic Services and Advising

Office: B-4-253 MAK

Phone: (616) 331-2495

Fax: (616) 331-3675

Email:   [email protected] 

• Coordinate CLAS academic advising initiatives to increase student persistence, success, and time to graduation, including registration outreach and support
• Provide administrative assistance and supervision to the leadership of the CLAS Academic Advising Center and the Tutoring and Reading Center
• Coordinate faculty advisor training and development, and maintain the CLAS Faculty Advisor website
• Implementation, utilization and maintenance of Learning and Experiential Major Maps for all programs in CLAS
• Student Academic Grievances – serve as the first point of contact for unit heads, faculty and students when seeking information or clarification regarding student academic appeals and grievances
• Provide direction and assistance to unit heads, faculty and academic advisors for all questions regarding grade reports, grade changes, and the assignment and resolution of incomplete grades.
• First point of contact for unit heads, faculty, academic advisors and students when seeking information on GVSU policies and procedures as they pertain to graduation, degree requirements and student records and registration. This includes review and approval of exceptions to these requirements.
• Provide college-level and university-wide support for transfer student initiatives, including transfer agreements, transfer course equivalencies and liaison with Admissions on transfer recruiting and support
• Provide college-level and university-wide support for new student advising and registration
• Provide oversight for advising and retention initiatives for Exploratory Study students
• Liaison with the Records Office on all CLAS grading, registration issues, late course adds, grade changes, timely incomplete grade resolutions and the prerequisite override and waitlist systems for CLAS
• Liaison with Records to ensure that approved curriculum changes are accurately reflected in myPath/Banner
• First point of contact in CLAS for unit heads, faculty and academic advisors for the Navigate student success platform

Betty is a graduate of Aquinas College with a bachelor’s degree in Communications with a focus on Interpersonal Communications and Advertising and Public Relations. She then completed a master’s degree in Adult and Higher Education at GVSU. Her first professional career was in retail sales and marketing and after 12 years, she made the transition to higher education in 1993 when she accepted a position as a graduation auditor in the Records Office here at Grand Valley State University. She has served in numerous student support positions since starting at GVSU and moved into academic advising in 2001 when she was named the inaugural Director of the SMART Center, an advising center for students majoring in science and mathematics. As GVSU’s student population grew so did the need for a comprehensive advising center for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In Fall 2008, Betty was appointed as the first director of the CLAS Academic Advising Center and served in that role for over 8 years. Again, as services and systems changed in the college and to meet the needs of our students, Betty was appointed as Assistant Dean of Advising and Student Services in Fall 2016 and then Assistant Dean for Student Academic Services and Advising in 2020. Betty is actively involved in new student orientation, transfer initiatives, serves as the first point of contact for students seeking information regarding academic grievances, liaison to unit heads and faculty in matters of student policies and procedures, and continues to the support the efforts of the CLAS Academic Advising Center and the CLAS Tutoring and Reading Center. In 2008, Betty was the first recipient of the university’s Outstanding Academic Advising and Students Services Award, and in 2022, Betty was the recipient of the university’s AP Achievement Award, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an Administrative Professional at GVSU.