Grand Valley State's Honors College named for Meijer

ALLENDALE, Mich.-- Grand Valley State University and the Meijer Family will announce the university’s Honors College will now be named the Frederik Meijer Honors College. The announcement will come at a reception before the Grand Valley University Foundation luncheon October 29 on the Allendale Campus.

Media coverage welcome. Interviews will be available at 11 a.m. in the reading room in the Niemeyer Learning and Living Center on the Allendale Campus. The formal announcement will follow at approximately 11:45 a.m. in the lobby area.

This special event is in honor of the Meijer Foundation’s generosity to Grand Valley and a substantial gift by the Foundation to support the Honors College at the university.

“I’ve always been a strong advocate of higher education and we encouraged our children to go on to college,” said Fred Meijer, chairman emeritus of Meijer Inc. “This university has been a symbol of excellence, not just here in West Michigan but nationwide. Each year, it has brought new opportunities for students. We hope that through this honors college and our support, we have an opportunity to assist young minds and help them achieve their goals. I didn’t have the chance to attend a college, but if this program will create an opportunity for someone, our efforts will have been well-rewarded.”

The Meijer gift to benefit the Honors College is designed to encourage first-generation college students, who are interested in enrolling in the liberal education program, to excel in their fields and also to develop an in-depth understanding of business philosophy that can be applied. The program will offer scholarships, dedicated counseling, undergraduate research, a lecture series, and a faculty member devoted to entrepreneurship.

“Fred Meijer’s support has spanned our history, and now he is helping us reach for new heights,” said Thomas J. Haas, president of Grand Valley State University. “This generous gift for the Frederik Meijer Honors College and its promising students will allow us to offer additional academic rigor and benefits. We will be able to attract a broader range of students to West Michigan and as graduates they will be our future leaders in their communities and vocations. Nearly 90 percent of our recent graduates are employed in Michigan. This gift will no doubt have positive impacts for our entire region.” 

Admission requirements to the Meijer Honors College will include a 3.5 high school grade-point average or higher and an ACT score of 28 or higher.

“Top quality universities are essential for regions to prosper and the Meijer Honors College will enhance Grand Valley’s impact on the community,” said James W.F. Brooks, co-chair of Shaping Our Future, Grand Valley’s comprehensive campaign for capital and endowment needs. “This innovative academic program will provide encouragement to more students to pursue higher education and expand the talent pool available to West Michigan’s businesses.”

Dan DeVos, also a co-chair of Shaping Our Future, said: “The naming of the Frederik Meijer Honors College signals the ongoing growth and promise of this region. This college will now set a new standard designed to encourage first-generation students to be challenged and financially supported with scholarships in an entirely new way. It will combine the excellence in academics with a liberal education foundation.”

The Meijer Honors College enrolls about 900 honors students, 450 of whom live and learn in the Glenn A. Niemeyer Learning and Living Center on the Allendale Campus. Opened by Grand Valley this fall, this state-of-the-art facility gives honors students access to apartment-style living along with six nearby classrooms, two innovative tech-learning labs, and faculty offices. The learning is enhanced by this sense of community and close mentoring relationships with faculty. Grand Valley’s honors classes average 28 or fewer students. There is an elected honors student organization, a peer mentor program and residential networks.

Grand Valley State University attracts nearly 24,000 students with high-quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities. Grand Valley is the comprehensive regional university for Michigan’s second largest metropolitan area and offers 70 undergraduate and 26 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.