The Grand Valley State University Fieldhouse served as the backdrop for the investiture ceremony. More than 200 faculty and staff members joined students for the inauguration of Dr. Philomena V. Mantella. Presidents Emeritus Arend D. Lubbers, Mark Murray and Thomas J. Haas offered remarks.
Dr. Mantella is the university’s fifth president and first woman to serve as its leader in its 60-year history. In her 20-plus minute address, Mantella made clear her vision for the future.
“We must reimagine education to serve all who would benefit. We need educational trail blazers who create new possibilities to widen and broaden the university’s reach. We need educational entrepreneurs who will smile with a knowing nod because they have experimented and won, or experimented and learned. We will answer the call to reimagine the choreography of learning from the one-size-fits-all, assembly line approach, to one that meets students where they are, how they learn, and what they need. We will keep education affordable. Grand Valley remains an incredible value for tuition in the lower-third of Michigan public universities, and among the lowest in the nation. We will support students as they realize their dreams, as they build their futures over a lifetime. And all along the way we’ll enable inclusive prosperity.”
Dr. Mantella explained it will take the entire Grand Valley community to co-author what she calls “Chapter Five.”
Patrick Center, WGVU News.