Office of the Provost Staff
Maria C. Cimitile
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2400
Ed Aboufadel
Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2400
Areas of Responsibility
- Faculty personnel policies, equity, issues, and complaints
- Liaison with Executive Committee of the Senate/University Academic Senate
- New buildings, space utilization, classroom improvements; liaison with Facilities and public safety
- Special projects in external community
- Ex-officio to Faculty Personnel Policy Committee
- Ex-officio to Faculty Facilities Planning Advisory Committee
Suzeanne Benet
Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2400
Areas of Responsibility
- Academic Advising Initiatives and Student Success Initiative
- University Undergraduate Student Blueprint for Student Success
- Academic Policies and Standards
- Student and Parent Concerns
- President’s Honor Roll
- Liaison to Enrollment Development, Planning and Assessment for Student Retention, Persistence, and Degree Completion
- Liaison to Statewide LEAP Initiative
- MCAN
- Student Awards Convocation
Bonnie Bowen
Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2288
Areas of Responsibility
- Budget and resource management
- Faculty hires and related budgetary and human resources issues
- Enrollment and course scheduling/capacity management
- Budget Committee of the President’s Cabinet
- Liaison with Business and Finance
- Oversight of CHS academic equipment
- Chair of Academic Technology Advisory Committee
- Ex-officio to Faculty Salary and Budget Committee
Chris Plouff
Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2400
Areas of Responsibility
- Accreditation Liaison Officer to the Higher Learning Commission
- University Accreditation; College, Unit and Program support for accreditation
- University Strategic Planning; College, Division and Unit support for strategic planning
- University Assessment; College, Division and Unit support for assessment of programs, student learning outcomes, student outcomes, faculty outcomes and benchmarking
- Update and maintain strategic planning and assessment websites
- Ex-officio to University Assessment Committee
Ellen Schendel
Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2400
Areas of Responsibility
- Oversight of University curriculum
- Curriculum development initiatives
- Administer distance education initiatives
- Program reviews
- Liaison to General Education Committee, Graduate Council, Records Office, Institutional Marketing, Information Technology
- University Catalog review
- Supervise Director of Design Thinking Initiative
- Ex-officio to University Curriculum Committee
- Ex-officio to Online Education Council
- Ex-officio to New Programs/New Unit Committee
Mary Albrecht
Special Associate to the Provost
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2400
Areas of Responsibility
- Board of Trustees and Academic & Student Affairs Committee – meeting preparation
- Honorary Degree Committee
- Liaison for State-to-State compliance
- Liaison for Digital Measures
- Provost’s Office designee – Laker for a Lifetime Committee
- Ex-officio to AP Committee
Travus Burton
Director of Civic Learning and Community Engagement
3090 J. H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2400
Areas of Responsibility
- Provide university-wide leadership and support for civic learning and community engagement programming, initiatives and infrastructures
- Facilitate the creation of alignment, standards, definitions and promote best practices for community engagement among students, staff and faculty
- Enhance campus culture for civic learning and community engagement to, “educate students to shape their lives, their professions, and their societies.”
- Connect community partners, community members, community needs and community issues with the GVSU community for mutually beneficial collaborative opportunities
- Promote multidisciplinary approaches in teaching, research and service to have a greater impact in the community
- Promote interdisciplinary approaches in teaching, research and service to have a greater impact on our students
- Report on civic learning and community engagement use, outcomes, challenges, opportunities and growth – work with campus faculty, staff and leadership
Taylor Boyd
Assessment Specialist
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2400
Areas of Responsibility
- Supporting assessment, accreditation and strategic planning activities for the Academic & Student Affairs Division
- Working closely with the University Assessment Committee to carry out the division’s assessment work
- Tracking and reporting of GVAssess and GVPlan documentation
- Assisting in the preparation for the upcoming accreditation visit from the Higher Learning Commission
- Tracking faculty qualifications assurance documentation
- Reviewing, writing, and analyzing assessment reporting for various units, departments, and the institution as a whole
- Data collection for university assessment and planning needs
John Berry
Director of the Design Thinking Initiative
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2400
Becki Visser
Executive Assistant to the Provost
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2176
Jan Aussicker
Executive Assistant - Office of the Provost
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2400
Linda Stratton
Executive Assistant - Office of the Provost
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2400
Becky Beechler
Executive Assistant - Office of the Provost and Institutional Analysis
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-8722
Lisa Surman Haight
Executive Assistant - Office of the Provost and Faculty Governance Assistant
1000 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
616-331-2172