April 18 & 23, 2025
Conversations with Provost Jennifer A. Drake

Thanks so much for coming to this conversation today as I know it is a busy time. I am honored and privileged to be able to continue to work with all of you as your provost— to bring continuity to our thoughtful, ambitious and creative work together. While I am keenly aware of the challenges we face in higher education, and the ways those challenges have been amplified in recent weeks, I am optimistic about Grand Valley’s future and excited to be part of our institution’s story.

Since my appointment in August, I have been centering several values-based goals in my leadership of Academic Affairs and my leadership at the institution more broadly, and these will continue to guide my thoughts and actions.

The first is trust-building. Our community has spent a lot of time this year reviewing and processing the COACHE data, which shows us that we need to improve our shared governance processes and improve relationships between faculty and the senior leadership team.

It is also worth noting that the COACHE data reveals several important areas of strength upon which we can build, including departmental collegiality, engagement and leadership; campus facilities; health and retirement benefits; personal and family policies; and clarity around tenure and promotion expectations. We should be proud of the many ways that Grand Valley is a great place to work.

I am hopeful that the workshops we have planned for May—which will bring UAS, ECS, Provost’s Cabinet and SLT together for appreciative inquiry sessions focused on ways we can improve our relationships and our shared governance and communications processes—will result in a co-designed plan of action that will enable us to move forward as a university community.

Finding balance and alignment as a community is more critical than ever, given the many external pressures, and I am personally committed to continuing to help us navigate the trust gap by building my relationships with all parties, sharing my understanding of and respect for the experiences and expertise that all members of our community bring, and engaging in linguistic and cultural translation as needed.

In other words, serving as the connective tissue while we are learning and growing, with the help of others who are adept at navigating liminal spaces.

Effective trust-building requires engaging in regular and transparent communication—my values-based goal #2—and centering authentic collaboration—my values-based goal #3.

I am pleased that Lakers Ready seems to be working as a regular vehicle for communication to the university community from my office, given the over 70% open rate on those biweekly emails. This year we have also intentionally centered communication and collaboration in the work of the Provost’s Cabinet as we build our leadership team culture, and that has shaped how we lead priority initiatives.

For example, we are committed to transparent and equitable access to GVSU data and systems, and Associate Vice Provost Aaron Lowen has convened multiple sessions with deans, associate deans, unit heads, UAS leadership and governance committee chairs for us to learn how to use the Gray DI platform, which will help Academic Affairs develop a shared vision for our portfolio of academic programs, refine our decision-making and planning processes, and keep abreast of current and future trends that impact higher education. Improved planning processes—transparent, collaborative, and strategic—are a priority for me as I come into this role.

Another example is the SPARCA initiative, our acronym for the Strategic Plan to Augment Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity, which we undertook as part of preparing the search for our new Vice Provost for Research and Innovation. College of Health Professions Dean Jeff Potteiger and Assistant Vice Provost of the Graduate School Jen Moore have convened multiple grassroots conversations to gather information and ideas about our strengths, assets, aspirations, and opportunities as we craft a vision and strategy for the role of research, scholarship, and creative activity in Grand Valley’s future even as we remain committed to our teacher-scholar model.

A group of faculty are now evaluating the data collected through the SPARCA process and will draft a white paper for our collective review as part of our Academic Affairs strategic planning process. My goal is for us to design and execute a SPARCA strategy that builds on our institutional strengths and commitments—for example, we could integrate the teacher-scholar model, community engagement, regional economic development, work-based learning, and applied research—while also cultivating an ecosystem that supports different levels and types of research, scholarship, and creative activity across the faculty and student life cycles. I tend to like the both/and. 

As I have been demonstrating in my remarks, my final values-based goal is to enhance our strengths-based planning. I believe that the best way to evolve, to proactively create Grand Valley’s future, is to build on our strengths and assets and core values as we articulate our ambitions and imagine new possibilities.

This is exciting work, and it’s scary. It takes multiple leaps of faith. It takes trust, communication, collaboration, and an understanding of who we have been, who we are, who we are becoming, and who we might become.

My vision for Grand Valley has to be our vision, and we all have to be developing our vision beyond our current lines of sight.

My job as provost is to listen, to inspire, to push a bit, to consider both the data and the people—the head and the heart—to ask ‘What if?” and “Why/why not?,” to ensure our processes are inclusive, to get up in the balcony to see the big picture and to see further ahead (and to bring you up there with me), and to move us (in a timely fashion!) from great thinking to skillful action and successful implementation.

Given my commitment to shared visioning, as I prepared for this talk, I thought I’d look at the data coming in from the strategic planning sessions that divisions, units, offices, and colleges have been holding over the past several months. Because it is critical that we include student voice in our visioning and planning, I started with them.

Students want:

• Enhanced inclusivity and support for diverse identities.
• Improved access to resources and clearer communication regarding available services that support their educational journey.
• Better mental health support and acknowledgment of care for their overall well-being.
• A collaborative learning environment that incorporates real-world applications, community engagement, and experiential learning opportunities.
• Opportunities for flexible learning and holistic grading approaches.
• Increased affordability and support for financial aid processes.

I am struck by our students’ interest in collaborative, real-world, and flexible learning as well as holistic grading. These findings recall a recent comment by Quinten Proctor, the outgoing Student Senate president, that students are confused when we talk about designing programs specifically for adult learners since 1) young adults consider themselves adults and 2) given the cost of an education, the need to work a substantial number of hours, and the entrepreneurial and pragmatic ethos of this generation, young adults seek the same kind of educational flexibility and choice that has traditionally defined so-called adult education. As anyone who has spent any time teaching knows, our students always challenge us to learn and grow, and they are challenging us to continue to think differently about how we design and deliver their educational experiences and accompany them on their journey.

Also, with the help of AI, here is a working vision grounded in YOUR perspectives and values (it’s too long to be a vision statement!). Note the synergies with the student view, as well as the differences:

“Grand Valley will be a leading institution that fosters an inclusive, equitable, and innovative educational environment, empowering diverse learners to thrive in a rapidly changing world. We will prioritize experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, holistic student support, and industry/community engagement, ensuring that all students, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, have access to a quality education. Our commitment to sustainability, health equity, place-based engagement, the integration of technology, and the intersection of liberal education and professional preparation will drive our programs, preparing graduates to meet the evolving demands of the workforce while contributing positively to society. Through collaboration, transparency, adaptability, a commitment to faculty and staff well-being, and a focus on lifelong learning, GVSU will cultivate a vibrant community that values diversity, creativity, the pursuit of knowledge, and contributing to the public good."

There are no surprises here, as we are already working on realizing this vision, which is clearly grounded in our three institutional commitments: An Empowered Educational Experience, A Lifetime of Learning, and A Culture of Educational Equity.

And there is still much good work to do as we travel this road together. Change is a long game.

I can see that we need to keep finding ways to cultivate and nurture our commitment to each other—to being part of a relationship-rich community—in order to be an inclusive workplace where we are all growing and thriving.

I can see that we need to continually fine-tune our academic offerings, developing more agile processes as we move in more multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary directions.

As we engage our industry, community, and alumni partners in curriculum design (which is a way to commit to this beautiful place we call home), and as we think creatively and openly about a range of modalities and credentials that will help us reach new learners of all learner types: FTIACS, transfer students, graduate students, and adult learners, I can see that we are making strong progress to keep our promise that all Grand Valley students will have barrier-free access to multiple high-impact experiential and work-based learning opportunities.  All of this while we keep our promise that all Grand Valley students will graduate equipped with the digital knowledge and skills they will need to navigate the opportunities and challenges of an AI world.

We still need to design the right infrastructure to support these goals, including upskilling ourselves, raising additional funds, and better coordinating and enhancing our relationships with industry and community partners.

I can see that the next several years will be challenging for higher education, and as we navigate these turbulent times, we must remain committed to academic freedom, to scholarly inquiry, to equity and inclusion—core values for me, for this institution, for higher education, and for our democracy.

You may be surprised to know that while we are all Reaching Higher Together, and while our colleges and some units have strategic plans in place or in process, we do not currently have an overarching strategic plan for Academic Affairs. Developing a shared vision and priorities, as well as action steps for Academic Affairs is a central goal for me; creating this map will bring Academic Affairs together and make us stronger, even as we allow our diversity of disciplines and perspectives to thrive as one of our strengths.

This year, I have found ways to make investments in some critical needs, including increasing the tenure-track faculty professional development account to $1200 a year from $900 a year starting in the upcoming fiscal year, and ensuring that all colleges have at least .5 FTE support for marketing, communication, and budget support.

The Academic Affairs planning process began this winter and will continue throughout this calendar year in sync with the Reach Higher Together planning process. We have hired several faculty qualitative researchers to analyze the data that has been gathered through many conversations and engagements this semester, and a team of writers will use that analysis this summer to draft a document outlining a vision, priorities, and possible action steps. I will share an overview of this draft map at the start-up meetings in August, and all Academic Affairs areas will have the opportunity to offer feedback on the full document in September and October with the goal of finalizing our plan, including goals and timelines, by December 2025.

I am excited to be on this journey with you.  Nearly five years ago, I came to Grand Valley because of its mission, vision, and values, and because of you. Despite the challenges of moving across the country during the early months of the pandemic, I have never regretted that decision. This remains a time of transformation in higher education, full of complexity and opportunity, and I continue to believe in our ability to meet the moment. Together, we will keep building our future from our strong foundation, through our shared leadership and action.

As President Mantella wrote in the message she shared with the campus last week: “In these times, hope is not naive; it is necessary. Joy is not a luxury; it is an act of autonomy and courage...Let us stand together, a university of possibility, courage and care.”