"I am very thankful for having worked with so many good people at Grand Valley," said Murray. "This is an outstanding university that serves its students well. I am confident that it will continue to build on its successes in the years ahead."
Jessie A. Dalman, chair of the Grand Valley State University Board of Trustees, expressed appreciation for Murray's leadership. "We wish Mark well," said Dalman. "He has been a wonderful leader for Grand Valley. The board wishes he would have stayed longer, but we know this is a great opportunity for him. We are pleased he will be remaining in the area."
Murray is only the third president of Grand Valley State University which was founded in 1960. He became president on July 1, 2001, following a two-decade career in state government and education.
Grand Valley State University attracts more than 22,000 students with high quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities. Grand Valley is the comprehensive regional university for the state's second largest metropolitan area and offers 69 undergraduate and 25 graduate degree programs. It has campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids, and Holland and centers in Muskegon and Traverse City. The university is dedicated to individual student achievement, going beyond the traditional classroom experience, with research opportunities and business partnerships.
The university has experienced more than a 40 percent increase in applications in recent years. This fall, Grand Valley was again named one of America's 100 Best College Buys. This is Grand Valley's 10th consecutive year of being lauded as one of the 100 institutions offering the very highest quality education at the lowest cost. Grand Valley's graduates are routinely among the state's leading performers on professional exams. In the past two years, the university has been recognized with having the best overall sports programs in Division II of the NCAA by earning the Director's Cup.
