President’s Forum: Telling the story behind GVSU’s economic impact

Released in October, a report by GVSU economists revealed the university provides a $3 billion economic impact across West Michigan and the state. For the GVSU community, the next challenge is translating those findings into a message that resonates with students. 

“To change feelings, you don't lead with numbers,” said Paul Isely, who had served as associate dean of the Seidman College of Business and a co-author of the report. “You lead with stories. You have to understand the stories, and they should be grounded in the numbers, but you need to understand the story.”

President Philomena V. Mantella invited Isely to expand on his report’s findings — and how to better communicate Grand Valley’s impact — during a President’s Forum on March 31 at the L. William Seidman Center.

“The importance of coupling the data Paul has provided with the understanding of what our education does and its stories creates a compelling narrative,” Mantella said. “And hopefully that will win the day with our elected officials to really look at deeper investment, in particular in education, but in particular at Grand Valley.”

The report, also authored by Christian Glupker, senior clinical affiliate in the economics department, found a 31-to-1 return on taxpayer investment. It also showed GVSU graduates earn more than $1.4 million over their lifetimes compared to peers with only a high school diploma and that 1 in 20 of all college-educated jobs in Michigan is held by a GVSU graduate. 

A separate study, released by the Upjohn Institute in 2024, showed Grand Valley also led the nation in graduate retention. The institute, a nonpartisan research organization based in Kalamazoo and focused on policy-related issues of employment, found that for every $100,000 spent in state appropriations, GVSU retains nearly five graduates, far outpacing the next Michigan public university and tops in the nation.

Isely said the next step is helping students understand the long-term value of a liberal arts education, particularly in an era shaped by artificial intelligence.

An engineering student, for example, may question the need for liberal arts courses, he said. But those experiences are essential to building adaptable, future-ready skills.

“You start putting a liberal arts education and blending it with professional schools, you get that broader thought process that comes with the liberal education,” Isely said. 

“The reason why they are taking it is they are AI-proofing their job. You’re learning to look at the world through multiple lenses. You're starting to understand something called critical thinking and every business wants us to teach critical thinking."