President's corner

October 17, 2023 (Volume 47, Number 4)

nine people on a football field with blue turf holding their hands out showing the number four

President Philomena V. Mantella, third from right, and other leaders from REP4 are pictured on the Boise State Broncos football field.

President Philomena V. Mantella and other leaders from the REP4 Alliance met in Boise, Idaho, in late September to discuss how to empower even more students.

REP4, which stands for Rapid Education Prototyping for Change, Learners, Community, Equity, is a national alliance founded by GVSU and other universities. It's designed to empower students from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines to take their education into their own hands.

Since its inception in 2021, REP4 programs have engaged more than 850 learners, giving many students an introduction to higher education that they may not have received before.

“We're taking the hard path of transforming organizations, and enabling others to see what we have of value that we can contribute,” Mantella said. “I've never been in a place with a community that starts in a messy space, invites others in, and adapts it in their own institution in just a couple of years."