GVSU Downtown Development

[GRDadof3]

GVSU hits highest enrollment

Friday, September 07, 2007

By Nardy Baeza Bickel

The Grand Rapids Press

ALLENDALE TOWNSHIP -- Grand Valley State University is having another record year with its largest enrollment and highest-scoring freshmen class ever.

But the university's success comes as it continues to try to tame growth. It turned away 900 qualified students, making its fall freshman class slightly smaller than last year -- something that has rarely happened in the school's history.

Total enrollment hit 23,464 students this fall -- the 25th straight year of growth -- a 0.7 percent increase over last year.

The freshman class is also the smartest in its history, with an average GPA of 3.6 and an average ACT score of 24. Because of state budget cuts, the school has had to turn away more and more applicants every year because they cannot expand fast enough.

[Rhino6885]

Total enrollment hit 23,464 students this fall

Nearing Division 1 numbers! I remember hearing that GVSU wanted to stay D2 because the facility requirements would require them to raise tuition. Still, it's fun to think about.

[jbr12]

Has any seen the progress of the Honor's College yet? Just kind of curious to see how far along it is...

[NorthCoast]

Has any seen the progress of the Honor's College yet? Just kind of curious to see how far along it is...

They've got 4 concrete towers up...i'm assuming they are the stairwells.

The Kirkhof addition looks like its going to take awhile.

The frame for the new atheltic facility is already up. It's bigger than I thought it would be.

[gvsusean]

They've got 4 concrete towers up...i'm assuming they are the stairwells.

The Kirkhof addition looks like its going to take awhile.

The frame for the new atheltic facility is already up. It's bigger than I thought it would be.

they are actually framing the buildings now.. they look similiar to the dorms that they are by.

[jbr12]

Yeah, the dorms are going to be very similar to existing dorms out there... the 'college' part is going to be the unique, cool building that I'm excited to see go up.

[d8alterego]

Of course the year I graduate they add all these new buildings (including a lab devoted to GIS). Maybe, by the time I get back, they'll have a masters program in GIS. Anyone have some pics of the construction or better pics of the designs?

[GRDadof3]

This will be interesting to see. The Devos Center on Fulton will be expanding on its South end facing Fulton. Not a large expansion, but I'm curious where it will go. Off the library wing, or where that little garden is at the Southeast corner?

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ss....xml&coll=6

Other additions underway (some discussed previously):

# $33 million Honors College, a two-story 40,800-square-foot building with 16 offices, classrooms and labs.

# $18 million sports complex with six-lane indoor track and indoor turf field.

# $32 million in additions and renovations to Mackinac Academic Hall, Padnos Hall and Kirkhof student center.

[d8alterego]

Does anyone have any pics of the developments already under construction? I can understand how it's not a top priority to head out to Allendale for them, but they would be cool!

This will be interesting to see. The Devos Center on Fulton will be expanding on its South end facing Fulton. Not a large expansion, but I'm curious where it will go. Off the library wing, or where that little garden is at the Southeast corner?

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ss....xml&coll=6

Other additions underway (some discussed previously):

# $33 million Honors College, a two-story 40,800-square-foot building with 16 offices, classrooms and labs.

# $18 million sports complex with six-lane indoor track and indoor turf field.

# $32 million in additions and renovations to Mackinac Academic Hall, Padnos Hall and Kirkhof student center.

[MJLO]

being so far away i'm aloud to ask seemingly stupid questions,

1 Will Allendale ever become accustomed to being a college town, will it ever resemble one.

2 Are there anymore plans (Devos center expansion withholding) to expand downtown Grand Rapids? I was told by a GVSU official a couple years ago that they were going to hold off anymore downtown expansions, so as not to damage their relationship with GRCC.

[AlexPKeaton]

1 Will Allendale ever become accustomed to being a college town, will it ever resemble one.

No. To me a college town is walkable because of the high density and students who don't/can't have cars. GVSU has way too much parking.

2 Are there anymore plans (Devos center expansion withholding) to expand downtown Grand Rapids? I was told by a GVSU official a couple years ago that they were going to hold off anymore downtown expansions, so as not to damage their relationship with GRCC.

I think they have some sort of master plan, but I have no idea what sort of timeline they have for completing it. It probably depends on many things including enrollment and demand for downtown classes. GVSU certainly isn't going to abandon Allendale for downtown either.

[mgman]

Nearing Division 1 numbers! I remember hearing that GVSU wanted to stay D2 because the facility requirements would require them to raise tuition. Still, it's fun to think about.

GVSU has long since reached Division 1 numbers and has left Division II in the dust. The average enrollment for a D II school is 3,400 students and there are 7 schools in Division II with higher than 15,000. Meanwhile, DIAA or whatever they want to call it now has average enrollment of 6,828 for undergrads. But I also have heard that lots of people want to stay in DII but that was a few years ago. I do not know if the mood has changed. Eventually it will need to happen though.

DII stats

[Josh]

Does anyone have any pics of the developments already under construction? I can understand how it's not a top priority to head out to Allendale for them, but they would be cool!

I'll see if I can borrow a camera to get some pics soon (hopefully this weekend).

The large 4 story addition to Mackinac is being enclosed (large pre-cast concrete forms being delivered), the addition to Kirkhof is still underway with all the steel in place, and the Honors college in the south end of campus is moving along quickly with several residential and classroom buildings being roofed and enclosed.

[rstravis]

Enrollment has nothing to do with it. It is the number of sports that the college has.

Grand Valley, last I heard, is not interested in having a huge number of sports teams, because the athletic department would not be self-sustaining, meaning that the funds would have to come from elsewhere. There are division 1 schools with lower enrollment than GV, and vice versa.

[jas49503]

Enrollment has nothing to do with it. It is the number of sports that the college has.

Grand Valley, last I heard, is not interested in having a huge number of sports teams, because the athletic department would not be self-sustaining, meaning that the funds would have to come from elsewhere. There are division 1 schools with lower enrollment than GV, and vice versa.

Rice has only about 2500 undergrads. Also the requirements for DI have to do with attendance, stadium capacity and other factors

[NorthCoast]

I don't know what GVSU's next phase of construction will entail but hope it includes a new library, renovation of the Lakes, and some elevated parking structures to reduce the number of surface lots. The Fieldhouse is about due for make-over as well. Don't even get me started on The Meadows...

Edited October 29, 2007 by j3shafer

[suydam]

I don't think GVSU is too big for DII.

Heck, there are DIII schools with larger enrollment than GVSU.

"Today, Division III encompasses institutions with enrollments ranging from 400 to 40,000."

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...agewanted=print

[MJLO]

GVSU could be D1AA if they wanted, a few tweaks and they'd meet the qualifications. I think that'd also garner enough local support to help sustain it more. Tho they have alot of local support now. They've kind of become a dynasty in the division they are now. Big fish, small pond.

[mgman]

I don't think GVSU is too big for DII.

Heck, there are DIII schools with larger enrollment than GVSU.

"Today, Division III encompasses institutions with enrollments ranging from 400 to 40,000."

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...agewanted=print

Division III enrollment numbers vary so much because division III is created for those schools that do not want to give out athletic scholarships. Therefore, both small and large schools with that goal belong to Division III. That is why there is such a large disparity between the large schools and the smaller ones. GVSU could move up, it probably could have moved up years ago when I was there but the coaches and admin. people that I spoke to did not want the larger investment responsibilities and were happy to continue to win in Division II. I cannot blame them but eventually it will become necessary to move to DI in order to bring greater attention to the school.

Even when I was there a new library was sorely needed. It was not worthy of such a great school and I can only hope that funding gets allocated so that it can be enlarged.

[Rhino6885]

Interesting read on why GVSU will probably stay DII for awhile. I never knew that a school is not post season eligible for five years after moving up.

GR Press Article.

[tamias6]

Just wanted to point out that today I saw some construction going on at GVSU's DT campus. I believe there is an office trailer parked along Fulton St. next to the construction site. So it looks like whatever the construction is will be going on for a while. I'm not sure what's going on down there. Maybe a GR UPer with an ear to the ground knows what's up.

[GRDadof3]

Just wanted to point out that today I saw some construction going on at GVSU's DT campus. I believe there is an office trailer parked along Fulton St. next to the construction site. So it looks like whatever the construction is will be going on for a while. I'm not sure what's going on down there. Maybe a GR UPer with an ear to the ground knows what's up.

Yes, on the previous page. Just a small expansion to the Southwest corner of that end of the building:

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.ph...st&p=880548

[twoshort]

Yes, on the previous page. Just a small expansion to the Southwest corner of that end of the building:

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.ph...st&p=880548

The MLive link is dead, what exactly did they do on that SW corner? It looks like they added very little space.

[jbr12]

It was a very small addition. It looks like they just took the facade off, added like 20 feet and built the facade to match what it was...

[CK1]

Just a thought, and absolutely no basis for it other than a whimsical light-bulb moment, but being that I would love to see GVSU multiply its presense downtown exponentially, and chance at all that all of the land acquisition downtown by the the area's big-money people (specifically the Fulton Street property) is being gathered together to put together a huge "legacy" contribution / expansion for GVSU? Yes, a good majority of the schools' buildings downtown grace the names of our generous philanthrapists, but that area could support a whole new campus. The land is likely for future investment purposes, but I'd love to see GVSU be to downtown Grand Rapids what UofM is to Ann Arbor, MSU is to East Lansing, etc., and it would think it could only happen with a base of property this size...