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Strategic Plan for General Counsel
Mission
To proactively support the University's vision, mission, values and strategic plan by providing legal counsel, training, risk management, compliance oversight and other assistance to institutional representatives.
Vision
Grand Valley State University demonstrates its commitment to providing an inclusive learning environment where all students can explore new directions, find their niches, and develop skills for life and productive careers. Grand Valley is known for increasingly innovative and outstanding teaching, recognized scholarship, significant community engagement, and excellent stewardship of its resources. Our university inspires and equips students to be active life-long learners and global citizens. Grand Valley strives to be a model public university shaping leaders for success.
Value Statement
EXCELLENCE Grand Valley State University values excellence in
all aspects of its enterprise. Our students' levels of
performance in learning, scholarship, and community service; our
stewardship of resources; our regular assessment and refinement of
instructional and operational processes; and our shared dedication
to excellence compel us to strive for exemplary and responsible
outcomes in all that we do. Within our academic community, we
individually and collectively celebrate our successes and the
difference our commitment to excellence makes to individuals and
communities in West Michigan, the state, the nation, and the world.
INTEGRITY Grand Valley State University values honesty,
fairness, and openness in its actions, transactions, and
communications. Our emphasis on integrity compels us to respect and
teach the fundamental tenets of a liberal education which remain
central to our identity and reputation. We moreover value the
incorporation of ethics into critical thinking and decision making
institution-wide. The value we place on integrity underscores our
intention to be trustworthy, dependable, and adhere to legal and
regulatory requirements; we aspire to set an example for others in
our words and actions. Our stakeholders and the public can count on
Grand Valley to make wise decisions and carry them out transparently
and with fidelity to the university's mission and vision for
its future. As members of the Grand Valley community we hold
ourselves accountable to each other, the institution, and the
broader public that we serve. INQUIRY Grand Valley State
University values inquiry, which encourages the lifelong pursuit of
knowledge to improve the human condition and expand our
understanding of the world. Consistent with our historical
commitment to liberal education, we invest our resources to promote
intellectual growth, creativity, scholarship, and critical thinking
in our students, our faculty and staff, and the communities we
serve. We promote global education and an internationalization of
our curriculum that celebrates and encourages intellectual
exploration, open discourse, and the unfettered expression that
characterizes the academy. We celebrate and promote freedom of
speech as foundational to the creation and dissemination of
knowledge in every discipline. We are committed to learning as a
means of preparing individuals for academic success, meaningful
careers, and exemplary community service.
INCLUSIVENESS Grand Valley State University values all
identities, perspectives, and backgrounds and is dedicated to
incorporating multiple voices and experiences into every aspect of
its operations. We believe that diversity competencies are an
intellectual asset and that a range of thoughtful perspectives and a
commitment to open inquiry strengthens our liberal education
tradition. We recognize that the long-term viability of the
institution depends upon anticipating and meeting the needs of
emerging constituent groups, especially our changing student body.
Therefore, the institution seeks to include, engage, and support
diverse groups of students, faculty and staff members, as well as
community members. Grand Valley is committed to strengthening our
living, learning, and working environment by recognizing and
removing the barriers to full participation and providing a safe,
inclusive, vibrant community for all.
COMMUNITY Grand Valley State University values its connections
to, participation with, and responsibility to local communities,
West Michigan, the state, the nation, and the world. We value the
collaboration of faculty members, staff members, and students with
external partners in addressing mutual interests and community
needs. The university offers the communities it serves resources and
inspiration in their own lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Faculty and
staff members are encouraged to contribute their expertise and
service working in partnership with communities. Students are
encouraged to take part in various service learning and volunteer
opportunities in their communities and abroad. To foster and expand
these community connections, the institution and its members
promote, value, and honor diverse perspectives.
SUSTAINABILITY Grand Valley State University values the guiding
principles of sustainability in helping to meet the current needs of
our faculty members, staff members, and students without
compromising the needs and resources of future generations. We are
committed to working with our community partners to create a
sustainable future for our university, our community, our region,
our state, our nation, and the world. We model applied
sustainability best practices in our campus operations and
administration, education for sustainable development, student
involvement, and community engagement by promoting social
responsibility, practicing fiscal responsibility, and encouraging
environmental stewardship. We provide our students with excellence
in education for sustainable development by imbedding theory,
systems-oriented thinking, and service learning into our curricular
and extracurricular programs.
INNOVATION Grand Valley State University encourages and
appreciates innovation. We value entrepreneurship and integrative
interdisciplinary collaboration that solves local, regional, and
global problems and advances the common good. We strive for the
development of innovative products, systems, and services that
contribute to improvements in the wellbeing of individuals and our
world. We trust that scholarship and the new knowledge it produces
are worthy of our investments in their creation and proliferation.
We manage our resources and structure our university to encourage
new ideas, creativity in all its forms, and novel approaches to
answering the most important and challenging questions of our time.