Building a Safe, Inclusive Campus Community
Our mission is for every student to feel a sense of belonging and connect with peers, faculty and/or staff in meaningful ways. Below are some resources you can check out to help Grand Valley build a safer and thriving campus community.
1. Affinity Groups and Registered Student Organizations
Everyone deserves to feel like they belong at Grand Valley. The Office of Multicultural Affairs has many affinity groups to help students feel at-home at Grand Valley including Asian Student Achievement Program, Black Excellence, Black Male Scholars, Laker Familia, and the Mno'Chigewin: Native Student Success Program. Follow a passion, interest or hobby by joining a student organization or club (or start a new one!). All are great ways to get involved on campus, feel like you belong, and create lifelong friendships.
Looking for resources, support, and community? Visit one of the social justice centers on campus. All four of the centers: The Office of Multicultural Affairs, The Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center, The Gale R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity, and the Peter Secchia Military and Veterans Resource Center can help you find programs that make GVSU feel like home. Come hang out and attend a program!
3.University Counseling Center
In continued efforts to support the health and safety of our campus community, the University Counseling Center (UCC) will be hosting four campus-wide mental health screenings during the 2023 Fall and 2024 Winter semesters. We encourage you to participate, regardless of where you are in your mental health journey. Learn more about the mental health screening days.
4. CARE
If you know a friend, roommate, classmate, or another Laker that is struggling mentally, financially, or physically, submit a CARE referral for them. CARE referrals are reviewed by the University CARE team in the Dean of Students Office to help students succeed in college. The CARE team and relevant departments can follow up with students of concern and help improve their wellbeing.
Have you seen, heard, or experienced an instance when someone has been attacked for their identity? Submit a Campus Climate Report or contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX. Depending on the nature of the report, someone from the Campus Climate Office can reach out to you and offer support, refer you to resources, and coordinate educational outreach.
6. Teach-In
GVSU hosts an annual “Teach-in” where we engage in mutual education among students, faculty and staff to address topics related to inequality and systems of oppression, as well as social justice and liberation. This year's theme is Power, Privilege and Difficult Dialogues – and we hope you will join us by submitting a proposal or by attending. If you want to present a session, but don't have a faculty or staff member to present with, feel free to email the Inclusion and Equity Institute at [email protected] or call us at (616) 331-4111.
We should strive to uphold values of inclusion, integrity, and community at all times, and every one of us can make a difference on campus. Visit the Lakers Keep Lakers Safe website to learn more and take the pledge to participate in building a stronger and healthier GVSU Laker community.