Welcome by Provost and Executive Vice President Fatma Mili

Welcome members of the Board of Trustees, President Mantella, members of the Senior Leadership Team, Deans, distinguished faculty and staff, and of course, to the Class of 2026! I am Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Fatma Mili. Like you, this is my first semester at Grand Valley, and I am excited to join the Laker community. Many of you probably do not know what a Provost is, or does, and that is okay. For your first learning experience tonight, a provost is one who oversees the academic priorities of the university and ensures that you have an exceptional educational experience that supports your growth as a person, and your lifelong development in your professional, civic, and family life.

A university exists to serve you the students who come to us eager to expand your horizons and learn. A university exists thanks to the faculty who dedicate their lives to the education of future generations and who engage in the relentless pursuit of knowledge to the benefit of humanity. I extend my deepest gratitude and appreciation to our faculty who came in large numbers today to enthusiastically welcome you. They will spend the next year getting to know you, supporting you, and walking with you on your learning journey. They are all ready for you. They are Lakers ready. This means that they will interact with you with respect, curiosity, empathy, and the highest possible expectations. You just met Dr. and Professor Felix Ngassa, one of our outstanding chemistry faculty members. Also on the stage we have Dr. and Associate Professor Courtney Karasinski, Director of Speech Language disorders. We have many other faculty who have joined us tonight to celebrate and welcome you to Grand Valley. Faculty, please stand if you are able and meet your newest students.  

You may now be seated. Thank you for all you do.

Tonight, we will illuminate the letters in the GVSU seal to symbolize our commitments to you. These commitments have been formed collectively by the Grand Valley community. These commitments show our dedication to you and are anchored by our values. 

We illuminate the G in the seal to symbolize our commitment to an empowered educational experience. We center you, our students, in everything we do. Each member of our community is a learner, and we are all at different stages in our educational journey. Our faculty are experts in their fields and will commit to helping you discover your passion and will guide and support you along the way. We want you to succeed in your academic pursuits.