The purpose of the Laker Connections Student Success Programs  is to help students achieve success at GVSU:

• Students will experience intentional environments that are reaffirming and encouraging of students’ identities.
• Students will be exposed to a variety of co-curricular/learning experiences to support their wholistic development and to provide them skills necessary for college and beyond.
• Students will receive academic support through intentional outreach and partnership with SASC (grades, registering for classes, finding a sense of purpose/passion/area of study).
• Students will feel a sense of belonging; importantly, they will know that faculty/staff care about them and they will be given opportunities to develop meaningful relationships with other students.

Students will…

• See themselves as agents of change with the ability to lead/advocate
• Find opportunities to engage in leadership (broadly defined)
• Find ways to engage in the democratic process and have opportunities to be in dialogue

Students will…

• Feel a sense of agency in their ability to lead
• Understand their strengths/growth areas
• Learn about opportunities to engage in leadership

 Students will…

• Understand the academic rhythm of the year and key milestones
• Connect to academic resources
• Develop confidence in their ability to succeed as a student

 Students will…

• Explore what brings them joy and meaning
• Find pathways to explore career interests
• Develop skills necessary for life after graduation

Register for Asian Student Achievement Program

Friday, January 29, 2021, 6-7 pm – Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration, Korematsu Day

February, 2021 - Black History Month

February, 2021 - Conversations of Color Dialogue Series

Wednesday, February 24, 2021, 6-7 pm - Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration, Slanted: How Asian American Took on the Supreme Court

Saturday, February 27, 2021, 6-8 pm - Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration, Asian New Year Festival

Friday, March 5, 2021, 1-2 pm - Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration, Conversations with Asian Americans in Michigan: Voices from the Midwest Writers

Friday, March 12, 2021, 5-7 pm, R.I.C.E. Conference: Recognizing and Addressing Issues in Our Culture and Education

Thursday, April 22, 2021, 5-6 pm, End of the Year Celebration. Information is forthcoming. 

Register for Black Excellence

• September 4, 2020 - First Friday: Black Lives Matter; Giving black students the space and opportunity to voice their thoughts on the BLM movement.
• September 16, 2020 - BE365: Academic Success/Exam Tips; Allow students to voice their opinions on how successful they think they are at this point.
• October 2, 2020 - First Friday: Hustle Night/Movie Night; A night of fun for all students.
• October 21, 2020 - BE365: Campus & Non-Campus Resources; Provide students with on campus resources such as dining, printers, tutoring, social justice centers, etc.
• November 6, 2020 - First Friday: Virtual Game Day; During this time students will be allowed to take a break and relax from reality as we play different games through Zoom. (Face-to-face interactions varies)
• November 18, 2020 - BE365: Alumni Panel; Discussion with Alumni
• December 4, 2020 - First Friday: Karaoke; During this time, we will allow students to submit song requests and share screens of the YouTube karaoke version.
• December 9, 2020 - BE365: Exam Cram; During this time, we will allow students to voice their opinions on what methods they have been using to keep up with school work. Invite someone from the Tutoring Center to come and share tips on balancing the last part of their semester.

Register for Black Male Scholars

September 24, 5:30-7:30 p.m. – Welcome Back Meeting

October 1, 5:30-7:30 p.m. – Career Fair Prep

October 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m.  – Voting and Civic Engagement

October 29, 5:30-7:30 p.m.  –  Black Lives Matter & Police Brutality

November 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m.  –  Alumni Panel

December 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m.  –  Check-in & Exam Prep

Register for Laker Familia

• February 26, 2021, 12:00-3:00 pm: GVSU & Ferris State University: Latinx Leadership Summit Via Zoom (Registration required)
• March 03 , 2021, 7:30-9:00 pm: Self Care ; in collaboration with Latino Student Union Via Zoom
• March 11, 2021, 12:00-1:00 pm: Lunch & Learn (Location & Topic TBD) (Registration required)
• March 25, 2021, 7:00-8:00 pm: Latinx Advocacy Panel Via Zoom
• April 14, 2021, 7:30-9:00 pm: End of Semester Celebration; in collaboration with Latino Student Union Via Zoom
• April 29, 2021, 7:00-8:30 pm: Latinx Graduation Celebration Via Zoom

Register for the Native Student Success Program

All meetings are held from 5-7PM and will be held virtually and in-person at 2201 KC. Click on meeting date to register.

• September 23, 2020 - Self-Care and Stress Management: Meet Kristy Dayson, a local GVSU Alumni and Little Traverse Bay Bands citizen, who will lead a conversation on increasing our ability to manage stress!
• September 30, 2020 - Cultural Identity and Anishinaabek Leadership: Hunter Genia, graduate of the GVSU MSW program will be discussing Anishinaabe ways of being!
• October 7, 2020 - Midterm Extravaganza: We will be learning more of what GVSU has to offer in academic supports to get us through the MIDTERM season!
• October 14, 2020 - Finding Our Gifts I: This will be the beginning of a two part series on discovering our Creator given gifts, and will include two guest speakers from the Anishinaabe community!
• December 2, 2020 - Academic Support I: We will be discussing how transitions to college life has affected our emotional wellbeing, thinking about solutions, and preparing for finals week!
• Wednesday, February 10, 2021 - Building Resiliency and Community for Native Students
• Tuesday, February 23, 2021 -  Building Resiliency and Community for Native Students
• Tuesday, March 9, 2021 - Building Resiliency and Community for Native Students
• Wednesday, March 10, 2021 - Enhancing the Circle of Health: Dr. Dee Ann Sherwood, Ph.D., MSW, MPA, will lead an informative conversation/workshop on caring for our mental wellbeing and signs of unwellness.   Participants will explore ways of maintaining their mental health and learn warning signs.
• Thursday, March 18, 2021 - Finding Our Gifts II: We will have a special speaker from Mno-Bmadsen, an arm of the Pokagon Tribe.  They will be doing StrengthsFinders with us! 
• Wednesday, March 24, 2021 - Building Resiliency and Community for Native Students