GVSU sees +216% increase in just over 10 years

[gvsusean]

I heard that too but they wouldn't build the library out there. They need something in the center of campus. There aren't any buildings old enough to tear down. Could they renovate the existing?

maybe convert the existing into classrooms and then tear down one of the lake halls, there should be enough room then

[GVLaker06]

I might get slapped for this, but I think if they are going to transition into a more well-known school, they need to change the name. Grand Valley State sounds very "local", especially to out-of-staters.

Think about it if you heard someone say "Ohio River Valley State University", or "Tennessee Valley State University". That, to me, sounds like a small school.

Just a thought.

This was already brought up, and didnt fly very well at Grand Valley with students and staff.

Sunday, January 22, 2006

The Grand Rapids Press

NAME CHANGE I

At least 22,550 have heard of GVSU

Grand Michigan Valley? John Taylor, a Grand Valley State University marketing professor, wonders if the school should study a name change. Taylor lives in Lansing and spent 10 years teaching in Detroit. He believes GVSU, despite having 22,500 students, is misperceived as a small commuter school. "Getting Michigan into the name is something that needs to be researched," Taylor said. GVSU is not easily identified outside the state, he told a presidential-search committee. "I'm not so sure it's necessary," Fred Davison, head of the alumni association, said of a switch. "By good deeds and good works, the brand will sell."

[egrguy]

just dropping "state" makes it sound bigger...

Grand Valley University

[GRDadof3]

GVSU celebrates another record enrollment

The incoming freshman class has an avg GRP of 3.5 and a 23.9 avg ACT.

More than 1/2 the class came from outside the GR/Muskegon/Holland area.

Minority enrollment rose from 10.7% last year to 11.5% this year.

[john_denver]

Just curious if GVSU has any plans/ideas to expand on their downtown DeVos campus? Is there a need?

If so, which direction would make sense? South into the Padnos scrapyards?

[michaelskis]

They keep going like this and they will surpass WMU in no time! Why do they have record enrollment?

[mpchicago]

I know several people here in Chicago who are from both the Detroit area, and from northern Michigan who went to Grand Valley. So I would say the school has definite recognition in all of Michigan.

I can also tell you that I have seen several CTA buses with placards advertising the university. I have to say it was both strange and cool to see those buses running down LaSalle Street adverting Grand Valley. They are obviously trying to reach more prospective students outside of MI.

[GRDadof3]

They keep going like this and they will surpass WMU in no time! Why do they have record enrollment?

That won't be too hard. The article states that Western is down to 25,000 students this year, compared to GVSU's 23,295 this year. I hate to see my alma mater declining, but I don't live in Kzoo.

That's interesting mpchicago. I met a lot of people at Western who were from Chicagoland, and they all said the public universities in Illinois sucked so bad that their parents decided it was worth paying out-of-state tuition (almost double) to go to Western. They were referring to the schools in Bloomington, Champagne-Urbana and Springfield (not everyone can afford Northwestern).

[walker]

just dropping "state" makes it sound bigger...

Grand Valley University

Drop "Valley" too and it sounds grand.

[AlexPKeaton]

I went to GVSU because it seemed nice and tuition is dirt cheap compared to many other state schools. For computer science I really didn't think prestige really mattered. I didn't care for the location or campuses of most other state schools, I don't think I would have been accepted at U of M because I slacked off a lot in high school, and both my brothers went to MSU and I didn't feel like copying them. Oh, and GVSU didn't have any foreign language requirement at the time, which I didn't want to take, though looking back I wish I would have.

Anyway, it is nice to see GVSU tighten admission requirements and gain better recognition.

-nb

[grrwymg]

I went to GVSU because it seemed nice and tuition is dirt cheap compared to many other state schools. For computer science I really didn't think prestige really mattered. I didn't care for the location or campuses of most other state schools, I don't think I would have been accepted at U of M because I slacked off a lot in high school, and both my brothers went to MSU and I didn't feel like copying them. Oh, and GVSU didn't have any foreign language requirement at the time, which I didn't want to take, though looking back I wish I would have.

Anyway, it is nice to see GVSU tighten admission requirements and gain better recognition.

-nb

Geeze, those are about the reasons I went to GVSU too.

A) Cheap tuition + scholarships = no student loans.

B) Close to home.

C) No foreign language requirement

D) CS/IS is pretty much the same no matter where you go.

I'm glad to see GVSU doing so well. It speaks numbers about the region.

[twoshort]

Annual Tuition Comparison (resident incoming freshman 15 credits per semester):

KZoo College: $27054

UofM: $9,724

MSU: $7665

CMU: $7530

Ferris: $7200

GVSU: $6220

WMich: $6176

Eastern: $5835

[NorthCoast]

The University is planning on replacing the library at some point in the next few years. No site has been publically announced to the students nor has any idea of what the new building may look like.

Here is a list of ideas I have contemplated, note I never said they were good ideas:

-Construct a new library on the open space just to the Northwest of Cook Tower on North Campus Dr.

-Replace current library with a new building and call it 'Lake Erie Hall'

-To the SW of Cook Tower construct a new building to replace Cook-DeWitt

-Convert Cook-DeWitt into a university chapel (without any official religious ties)

-Internal and External renovations of Lake Huron, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Mackinaw, and Manitou

-Replace Copeland, Kistler, and Robinson with modern versions.

-Expand the ivy growth on all academic buildings

-Replace Seidman House

-Expand Lubbers Stadium

-Expand the Fieldhouse in C Lots and designate the basketball court/track as "______ Arena"

-Construct new C Lots at site of Tennis Courts

-Move Tennis Courts to site of intermural softball diamonds

-Make the soccer fields look professional

-Construct a new intramural complex on the south side of campus

-Eventually replace all parking lots along Campus Drive and replace with new dorms/buildings and move all lots to the north and south of campus utlizing parking garages(like downtown) and shuttle buses.

[LA Dave]

That won't be too hard. The article states that Western is down to 25,000 students this year, compared to GVSU's 23,295 this year. I hate to see my alma mater declining, but I don't live in Kzoo.

That's interesting mpchicago. I met a lot of people at Western who were from Chicagoland, and they all said the public universities in Illinois sucked so bad that their parents decided it was worth paying out-of-state tuition (almost double) to go to Western. They were referring to the schools in Bloomington, Champagne-Urbana and Springfield (not everyone can afford Northwestern).

That surprises me a little bit. The University of Illinois Champagne-Urbana is one of the great public universities of the United States, I think superior to Michigan State, certainly superior to Wayne State and just a notch below the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). The University of Illinois Chicago is also an up and coming campus, with some very strong programs and a great location (who wants to go to school in a cornfield, anyway?)

I don't know about Southern Illinois or Northern Illinois, but my impression is that they are not marginally worse nor better than Western/Eastern/Central/Northern or GVSU.

And yes, not everyone can afford Northwestern.

I do get the impression that the regional universities are hurting somewhat due to faculty strife (Eastern) or maybe aging facilities. GVSU has the advantage of a sparking new campus and being located in a much more dynamic area.

All that said, I knew tons of people from Chicago at U-M and in fact my dorm was named "Chicago House," one once limited to the sons of the Windy City.

[GRDadof3]

That surprises me a little bit. The University of Illinois Champagne-Urbana is one of the great public universities of the United States, I think superior to Michigan State, certainly superior to Wayne State and just a notch below the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). The University of Illinois Chicago is also an up and coming campus, with some very strong programs and a great location (who wants to go to school in a cornfield, anyway?)

I don't know about Southern Illinois or Northern Illinois, but my impression is that they are not marginally worse nor better than Western/Eastern/Central/Northern or GVSU.

And yes, not everyone can afford Northwestern.

I do get the impression that the regional universities are hurting somewhat due to faculty strife (Eastern) or maybe aging facilities. GVSU has the advantage of a sparking new campus and being located in a much more dynamic area.

All that said, I knew tons of people from Chicago at U-M and in fact my dorm was named "Chicago House," one once limited to the sons of the Windy City.

It wasn't a scientific study by any means, just the "word on the street" amongst my classmates at Western from Illinois.

[LA Dave]

It wasn't a scientific study by any means, just the "word on the street" amongst my classmates at Western from Illinois.

Sure, I understand. Also, I think that Illinois has enhanced its stature quite a bit in the last decade or so.

[CK1]

While it may be cheaper to continue to exand GVSU in Allendale compared to downtown, I do hope (with the help of some generous donors, of course) that the downtown campus continues to expand. Being not too far removed from college, and also having just moved from Ann Arbor back to GR after four years working there, there's something to be said about both a school AND the city it is located in, especially relating to urban campuses. Having more students downtown will only increase the viability and livability of the core of the city.

[tamias6]

Expanding GVSU DT campus would be cake walk. Look at all of the surface lots they could gobble up. We solve two problems. Accomadate GVSU in hip urban style and bring death to more asphalt seas in the core.

[GR8scott]

Expanding GVSU DT campus would be cake walk. Look at all of the surface lots they could gobble up. We solve two problems. Accomadate GVSU in hip urban style and bring death to more asphalt seas in the core.

yeah that would be nice if they did expand a lot more DT, The one problem I've heard about GVSU and a reason I did not even consider it, its in the middle of nowhere. yeah theres a mc donalds and there are more building in allandale, but I hate the fact you have such a drive back to the city to do anything and you really can't walk anywhere off campus because theres a highway and a bunch of country roads and nowhere to walk to

[egrguy]

While it may be cheaper to continue to exand GVSU in Allendale compared to downtown, I do hope (with the help of some generous donors, of course) that the downtown campus continues to expand. Being not too far removed from college, and also having just moved from Ann Arbor back to GR after four years working there, there's something to be said about both a school AND the city it is located in, especially relating to urban campuses. Having more students downtown will only increase the viability and livability of the core of the city.

Im not sure of the timeframe, but wasn't one supporting reason for GVSU's strong growth its decision to expand downtown? If there is fact behind this reasoning, it would only make sense to make their downtown presence even greater.

[AlexPKeaton]

yeah that would be nice if they did expand a lot more DT, The one problem I've heard about GVSU and a reason I did not even consider it, its in the middle of nowhere. yeah theres a mc donalds and there are more building in allandale, but I hate the fact you have such a drive back to the city to do anything and you really can't walk anywhere off campus because theres a highway and a bunch of country roads and nowhere to walk to

And that's why I was one of the first in line to sign up for housing on the downtown campus when it opened. Despite the fact that most of my classes were in Allendale, I got to live downtown and hope a free bus to the Wal-Mart campus.

-nb

[GRDadof3]

Im not sure of the timeframe, but wasn't one supporting reason for GVSU's strong growth its decision to expand downtown? If there is fact behind this reasoning, it would only make sense to make their downtown presence even greater.

They are expanding downtown as we speak. I believe the new engineering expansion is supposed to add another 500 - 600 students.

[suydam]

Annual Tuition Comparison (resident incoming freshman 15 credits per semester):

KZoo College: $27054

UofM: $9,724

MSU: $7665

CMU: $7530

Ferris: $7200

GVSU: $6220

WMich: $6176

Eastern: $5835

Kalamazoo College doesn't belong on that list...it's a private liberal arts school.

If you add Kzoo, you need to add its peers (Albion, Hope, Calvin, Alma are sort of its peers, though from an academic standpoint you really need to go out of state to find peers).

[twoshort]

Kalamazoo College doesn't belong on that list...it's a private liberal arts school.

If you add Kzoo, you need to add its peers (Albion, Hope, Calvin, Alma are sort of its peers, though from an academic standpoint you really need to go out of state to find peers).

It's my list and I'll ad who I like.

(I only put them on there because I thought the tuition was crazy high).

[NorthCoast]

I wonder what kind of expansions and renovations the university has in mind. A school of that size and growing at that rate seems to be in prime position to really tidy things up and do some really positive growth/development on top of their recent accomplishments.

Western's enrollment has been heading the wrong direction for a couple years but they have been building/remodeling a lot; a new Chemistry building, a new Art building, a dorm renovation, and a renovation of Brown Hall.

I guess I'm putting the cart in front of the horse in terms of GVSU but I'm just so eager!