Chycinski leaving, interim Admissions co-directors named

December 7, 2021 (Volume 45, Number 7)
Article by Michele Coffill

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B. Donta Truss, vice president for Enrollment Development and Educational Outreach, named two longtime Admissions staff members as interim co-directors when Jodi Chycinski leaves Grand Valley for another position.

The interim co-directors are Astin Martin and Melanie Retberg. Martin will oversee recruitment of diverse populations and Retberg will oversee the department's operations. Chycinski will soon work at Davenport University as vice president for Admissions and Strategic Partnerships. 

Chycinski, associate vice president and director of Admissions, has worked at Grand Valley for 24 years. When she arrived on campus in 1997 as associate director for Admissions, there were 15,676 students on campus.

Truss said Chycinski helped lead Grand Valley through a period of record enrollment (now 22,406 students) and will leave a mark on GVSU "that will be felt for years to come."

Chycinski said she is most proud of all the Admissions staff members she has worked with over the past 24 years.

"Members of the Admissions team have always been committed to the enrollment work of the university, while also being broadly dedicated to helping prospective students access higher education," she said. "A personal honor was my involvement in the design of the Laker Experience Suite. This space has allowed the Admissions team to meet growing visitor demand and has provided a welcoming, contemporary, GVSU branded space.”

Faculty, staff team to present 'Showcase' recruitment event at high school

Proving the adage that all Grand Valley employees are university ambassadors, multiple campus departments participated in the first "GVSU Showcase" at Innovation Central High School in Grand Rapids.

Joining the Admissions Office were Steve Mattox, professor of geology, and staff members from the Career Center, Student Life, Financial Aid and Laker Academic Success Center. They spoke in mid-November to all seniors. 

Astin Martin, interim co-director of Admissions, said it was the first time this type of recruitment event was brought to a local school.

"The idea behind the showcase is to introduce the GVSU community to local schools in our backyard in a more intimate setting," Martin said. "Our goal is to have faculty, staff and Grand Valley students travel to area high schools to show what being a Laker is truly about."

Jeremy Bissett, a counselor at Innovation Central and GVSU alumnus, said students appreciated the financial aid and admissions sessions, and liked the idea of the Laker Line.

"They liked that Grand Valley has a downtown campus, where they are used to being, but also that they can take a direct bus route to go out to the Allendale Campus, with the comfort of knowing it's not really that far away if they wanted to come back downtown to see friends and family," Bissett said.

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