Mantella letter: Coming together in support and understanding

February 24, 2025 (Volume 48, Number 12)

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President Philomena V. Mantella

Photo Credit: Kendra Stanley-Mills

As changes in systems and structures that have been an accepted way of life impact higher education, President Philomena V. Mantella shared the following letter with the GVSU community.

From President Mantella: 

We are navigating a time of dynamic change and uncertainty, influenced by numerous recent developments at the federal level. We all have been impacted by its pace, posture and areas of focus, particularly some of our most vulnerable. Although it has only been a few weeks since our last communication, I want to take a moment again to reconnect through today’s Forum and call on the power of our collective strength and resilience that defines our university community. I also want to remind you of the resources we have put in place over the last several months to enhance transparency, conversation and real-time information.

During my address Friday at our public Board of Trustees meeting, I again laid out my clear intention to continue our work in fulfillment of our mission and commitments within Reach Higher 2025. We have, since our founding, adapted wisely to dynamic conditions and been clear in our purpose, and we will do so again even when these circumstances, like they were during the pandemic, are unprecedented. You can read my full report to the Board of Trustees here. Simply stated, GVSU is deeply committed to our values while we remain compliant with the law. Rest assured, we are intently focused on doing everything we can to understand, assess and respond to the very dynamic and disruptive actions coming from federal officials. We have been carefully reviewing the recent “Dear Colleague” letter released from the U.S. Department of Education on February 14 and are working daily with internal and external experts and resources to understand its impact. The American Council on Education (ACE) is a wonderful resource for understanding the various actions coming from the government, including this most recent letter. You can listen here to a recent podcast from ACE for more on the current situation.

We anticipate that the pace and volume of actions coming from the state and federal government, as well as subsequent legal challenges and judicial rulings, will continue to be fast and furious over the coming weeks and months. Vice President and Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer Stacie Behler and Vice President of People, Equity, and Culture Robert Shorty, along with General Counsel Jessica Weare, are holding weekly update calls for all appointing officers and leaders of student and faculty governance to create a space for updates and in service of cascading information effectively. In addition, we have set up a public website to keep our full community updated with information and messaging in real-time. I encourage you to see it as a resource to understand what’s happening and what GVSU is doing to care for our faculty, staff and students. 

Lastly, in January I put in place spaces for conversation with me, Acting Provost Jen Drake and Vice President Shorty, "Insights and Ideas," to enable us to come together in smaller groups for conversations on our points of pride, opportunities to advance and improve and dialogue on matters of importance. Space is still available in the upcoming sessions, including one later this week. Please feel free to register here. We will continue these as long as you have interest. 

Thank you for your steadfast support of our students and each other as we navigate these uncertain times. 

With gratitude and in solidarity,
President Philomena V. Mantella

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