Jennifer A. Drake, Ph.D.
Jennifer A. Drake is Provost and Executive Vice President for the Division of Academic Affairs. The Division fosters a vibrant intellectual community to create and deliver exceptional academic and co-curricular programs and services. The Division's work encourages and supports students, faculty, and staff towards achievement of their educational and professional goals, through robust planning, assessment, and improvement processes.
As the chief academic officer, the provost is responsible for articulation of the university's vision of academic distinction; development and administration of academic programs; policies relating to instruction and curriculum; faculty and academic staff appointments and performance assessments; and scholarship and community service initiatives among faculty.
Academic Affairs stands at the heart of our institution’s mission to foster intellectual growth, innovation, and societal impact. This strategic framework presents a collaborative vision for the future, centered on academic excellence, curricular and pedagogical innovation, transformative student experiences, teaching and scholarly activity, and engagement with our communities.
Division of Academic Affairs Final Strategic Framework 2025-2030 (updated November 2025)
The History and Evolution of this Strategic Framework (Summer 2025)
The Academic Affairs Strategic Framework invites us to explore the possibility of a small number of place-based, mission-aligned research Ph.D. programs at Grand Valley as part of growing our commitment to graduate education. Faculty were invited to attend Campus Conversations exploring research Ph.D. Programs at GVSU.
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Grand Valley State University is seeking a dynamic and collaborative academic leader to serve as the next Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Visit this site to learn more.
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Lakers Ready is sent by the Office of the Provost to faculty and staff within the Division of Academic Affairs. To submit an announcement, or to view past issues, visit the Lakers Ready webpage.
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Faculty Awards Convocation will be held February 10, 2026. To view past ceremonies, visit the photo gallery.
GVSU is a member of The Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE). During 2025-26, implementation of post-COACHE recommendations is being led by the Shared Leadership Steering Committee, promoting a culture of effective shared governance.
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A Strategic Plan to Augment Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (SPARCA) is being developed. To learn more, visit the SPARCA webpage.
GVSU began working with Gray DI in Summer 2024 to build a data platform that supports our decision-making about our shared academic portfolio. Visit the GVSU Gray DI site to learn more.