Issue 59 - April 15, 2013 - Grand Valley Lanthorn

Page 1

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MONDAY, APRIL 15

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UAS approves invisibility of cognates BY RYAN JARVI GVL SENIOR REPORTER

Grand Valley State University’s academic senate unanimously approved a motion to remove the visibility of cognate requirements from program descriptions and embed those courses within the regular Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts majors. “What the University Curriculum Committee, and now the university senate, has done was basically to fold those requirements into the major programs,” said Maria Cimitile, assistant vice president of academic affairs. “So no actual requirement was changed, it will just appear differently to the students in order to, hopefully, cause less confusion.” Cognate courses are already required for students to receive their degrees. The change will simply remove the cognate format and establish those required courses as part of the B.S. or B.A. program. For example, the B.A. program in philosophy would require all the same philosophy courses and three semesters of language proficiency it currently requires, but there would be no use of the word ‘cognates’ within that program’s description. The altered program appearance will take effect next fall at the beginning of the new catalog year. “It will be invisible to the student,” Cimitile said. “If you had to take stats for your biology degree, and it was labeled under cognates, now you’ll just see it as part of the regular program requirements.” Currently the B.S. cognates differ from major to major, and Cimitile said there has been more confusion with those requirements than the B.A. cognates, but this change will make it smoother for students overall. Robert Adams, chair of the UCC, said the change to remove cognates from the catalog is a culmination of two years’ work. SEE COGNATES, A2

Robert mathews | GVL

Under construction: Associate Vice President for Facilities Planning James Moyer leads a walk through for media before the grand opening.

GLIMPSE

INTO THE

FUTURE

GVSU | COURTESY

New digs: A rendering of the inside of the new facility.

Sneak Peek event offers students exclusive look at new library BY ANYA ZENTMEYER GVL EDITOR IN CHIEF

W

hen Thomas J. Haas became president of Grand Valley State University nearly seven years ago, the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons seemed like a distant vision. Now, just a few months away from it’s scheduled com-

pletion, the new, $65 million library will open its doors on April 17, giving both returning undergraduates and graduating seniors who have watched the structure spring from the ground a chance to get a sneak peek into GVSU’s new state of the art learning facility. “Now it’s here, and I couldn’t have an opening of the library

without students seeing it first,” Haas said. “Because what we have created here is part of the learning environment that will enable generations of students to be successful in their academic pursuits at Grand Valley State University.” The sneak peek event will be in the spirit of last year’s beam signing event, an effort to bring

together the campus community for an afternoon of music, door prizes and commemoration of one of the largest construction endeavors in GVSU history. “Before students leave to go on their respective summer plans and all of commencement I just thought I was so imporSEE LIBRARY, A2

GV offices to move downtown BY lizzy balboa GVL news editor

The administrators and staff currently occupying the basement of Grand Valley State University’s Zumberge Library are preparing for a temporary move downtown for the 2013-2014 school year. Jim Bachmeier, GVSU vice president for Finance and Administration, said the offices will move out in May 2013 and return in June 2014 as soon as furniture is installed. “This is part of the dominos of a few projects,” Bachmeier said. During the $22,000,000 renovation of Zumberge Library to expand administrative offices, the office staff will temporarily shift into the DeVos Center in the space currently occupied by the Seidman College of Business, which will transition into its new building this summer. “This will allow the relocation of several non-academic employees from several academic buildings,” said James Moyer, associate vice president for Facilities Planning. When the administrators move back to Allendale in 2014, a number of operations—including human resources and accounting, which are currently separated from the other administrative offices in Lake Michigan Hall—will consolidate in Zumberge. Hospitality and Tourism Management will then move from Allendale and the College of Education will leave the Eberhard Center to establish new homes in

the DeVos Center. The school of social work will also expand within DeVos. In Allendale, the shift will allow for growth of academic programs in Lake Michigan Hall, as well as an expansion of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences within Mackinac Hall after Hospitality and Tourism Management offices clear out. Bachmeier said that, in the

It’s always inconvenient to move and move back, but the resulting end project with be an increase in efficiency.

JIM BACHMEIER

VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

end, all the adjustments will provide an opportunity for growth of academic space for health professions, which will expand out of the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences into the Eberhard Center. Moyer said the expansions and transfers should improve work efficiency across the board. “The university has very limited space for faculty and administrative staff,” Moyer said. “There is limited space for graduate as-

sistants and student workers. We have numerous instances where faculty are sharing offices. There are numerous instances where the lack of space affects the progress of students toward the completion of their degree; the situation is particularly acute in the labs.” Bachmeier added that the moves to and from downtown should not hinder the administrators’ work. “It’s always inconvenient to move and move back, but the resulting end project will be an increase (in) efficiency,” he said, adding that the consolidation of offices will allow for more streamlined communication between staff. Bachmeier said he hasn’t heard complaints from employees making the move, but that any griping is probably a result of now having to pay city income taxes. “The university employees affected by the move have participated in the planning of the project and from all indications appear supportive of the relocation and the eventual return to the new and renovated space,” Moyer said, Bachmeier said the employees will maintain and share two offices in the Seidman House while they are located downtown. He added that the administrators will remain “fully accessible,” and that he, personally, will be on the Allendale Campus at least one day each week. The administrators and office staff will retain their current email addresses and phone numbers throughout the transition period. news@lanthorn.com

ARCHIVE | GVL

Moving on: GVSU President Thomas J. Haas and a GVSU student toast each other during a past GradFest event.

Toast with T Haas, GradFest events celebrate April graduates BY rachel cross GVL assistant news

Grand Valley State University will be honoring and recognizing graduates crossing the stage at the April 27 commencement ceremony with GradFest and a toast with President Thomas J. Haas. The toast, tomorrow from 6-8 p.m., will be on the second floor of Eberhard Center, located at Pew Campus in downtown Grand Rapids, and is part of the university’s larger Laker for a Lifetime initative. Jarrett Martus, telephone outreach program manager at GVSU, is responsible for parts of this Laker for a Lifetime initiative. Martus said at the toast with Haas, students who are walking at commencement in April will have the opportunity to network with fellow students,

university officials and GVSU alumni. He added that Haas and Student Senate President Jack Iott will contribute brief remarks, as well as a toast to the graduating students. Students will also be given commemorative champagne flutes, and there will be a cash bar and complimentary hors d’oeuvres. “This toast is a celebration of students’ accomplishments at Grand Valley as they transition into a new relationship as alumni,” Martus said. “Our graduating students will not want to miss this inaugural toast with T.Haas. We hope this will be a great first time event that will continue as an event for our graduating students.” GradFest events will be held on April 15 and 16 in the KirkSEE GRADUATEs, A2


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