Purpose

The purpose of the Groundswell Advisory Council (GAC) is to serve in an advisory capacity to the Groundswell Stewardship Initiative (Groundswell). Groundswell is a program in the Center for Educational Partnerships in the College of Education and Community Innovation at Grand Valley State University. 

The GAC makes recommendations regarding Groundswell’s direction and initiatives. The GAC has no governing function within the organization.

Objectives

The primary objective of the GAC is to support the mission, goals, and operations of Groundswell. The GAC will achieve this by:

• Serving on committees within Groundswell
• Advocating on behalf of Groundswell to the community within and outside of Kent and Ottawa County
• Assisting in and securing resources for Groundswell
• Providing and enlisting expertise to support Groundswell initiatives
• Making recommendations to ensure the longevity of the Groundswell program at Grand Valley State University

Membership

The members of the GAC is comprised of elected representatives from Guiding Partner Organizations, Direct Service partners, and staff members of Grand Valley State University who work with Groundswell. 

Chairperson

The Advisory Council Chair facilitates effective functioning of the advisory council meetings with support from the Groundwell staff. Conducting meetings is the prime role of the chair. In addition, the Chair will 

• Assist GVSU/Groundswell staff in preparing meeting agendas  
• Represent the GAC at other meetings as needed
• Be responsible for overseeing the appointment of committee chairs

Vice Chairperson

The Vice Chairperson provides support and assistance to the chair. The vice chair helps the chair guide the GAC in fulfilling its mission and goals. In addition, the vice chair:

• Presides over meetings from which the chair is absent
• Provides support and assistance to the chair in order to achieve the core functions of the council

Secretary

The Secretary provides essential support to build a strong foundation of communication. In conjunction with GVSU/Groundswell staff, the secretary is responsible for:

• Creating minutes for each council meeting and distributing them to the council in advance of the meeting
• Distributing minutes to the Partner Network of Groundswell
• Assuming responsibilities of the chair in absence of the chair and vice chair

Advancement

The Advancement committee will actively seek to generate support, both monetarily and in-kind for Groundswell.  Furthermore, the Advancement committee will:

1. Meet quarterly, will meet additionally when needed
2. Support the annual Groundswell Showcase
3. Support advancement activities

Professional Learning

The Professional Learning (PL) committee will assist in developing and implementing PL experiences for the Groundswell network. Furthermore, the Professional Learning committee will:

1. Meet monthly during the academic year and more if needed to support Professional Learning opportunities
2. Work closely with GVSU/Groundswell staff to publish a PD calendar of offered events for following academic year by April 1st of each year
3. Provide in-person support at the minimum of two (2) Groundswell events per academic year. If the PL is virtual, committee members will provide necessary support identified by GVSU/Groundswell staff.  

In Addition, the Professional Learning Chair will attend Summer Institute whenever possible and/or needed.

Projects

The Projects committee will review and provide feedback for project applications submitted by teachers. Furthermore, the Projects committee will:

1. Meet monthly during the academic year
2. Update the Groundswell Project Rubric when necessary and use it when providing feedback to teachers on their project application
3. Provide recommendations on the project process on an annual basis
4. Attend the annual Groundswell Showcase

Teacher

The Teacher Committee will assist in advising, developing, implementing, and reviewing Groundswell’s goals and objectives to better serve our community of educators. Furthermore, the Teacher committee will: 

1. Meet monthly during the academic year
2. Provide feedback on Pk-12 social climate and advocate on behalf of their peer educators
3. Provide recommendations on the project process and general feedback on the program’s work
4. Support the planning and structural framework of the annual Summer Institute
5. Select the Swell Teacher of the Year 
6. Provide recognition to Groundswell teachers