EXPANSION OF LEARNING
Grand Valley’s Regional Campuses at the Heart of Omni
STORY BY BRIAN VERNELLIS
Introduced in February, 博天堂官方大学的Omni计划利用其不断扩大的地区校园和社区大学合作伙伴网络，为今天的成年领导人提供可访问性和灵活性，以平衡他们的生活和工作承诺.
大学’GVSU的区域网络意味着全州的学习者都可以接受GVSU的教育, whether they are in Detroit, 特拉弗斯城, 巴特尔克里克, 杰克逊或多瓦尼亚克. 这可以通过GVSU与众多社区学院的深入合作来实现, including Northwestern Michigan College, 杰克逊的大学, Southwestern Michigan College, Kellogg Community College and more. 通过这种方式，大峡谷为全州的学生形成了一个响应网络.
“Omni is going to be a leader in this space through this collaborative model, responding to community needs as they come and pivoting as needed,阿尔·希夫利特说, director of Southwest Michigan. “We’re expanding our reach to respond to the community’s needs.”
博天堂官方泛光灯 将解决密歇根州经济未来的一个明显的统计数据——拥有高等教育学位和证书的成年人短缺. 密歇根报告2.5 million adults lack post-secondary degrees.
At her State of the State address in 2019, 政府. Gretchen Whitmer unveiled her “60乘30” plan, 针对密歇根州成年人的技能差距，目标是到2030年，60%的成年人获得高等教育学位或技能培训.
“我们从当地选民和合作伙伴那里听到的是，学生们正在寻找一种更多的混合模式，可以同时获得在线和面对面的课程.”
Shannon Owen, director of Northern Michigan programs
In 2024, 51.1% of Michigan’s adult population have reached that milestone, rising from 50.5% in 2021, when the national average was 53.7%.
Shifflett and Shannon Owen, director of Northern Michigan, believe Grand Valley’s approach is unlike other programs around the nation. 欧文说，大峡谷在该州的存在加强了Omni的信誉和使命.
“我们从当地选民和合作伙伴那里听到的是，学生们正在寻找一种更多的混合模式，可以同时获得在线和面对面的课程,欧文说. “They want to establish a community and want to have some in-person components. 这种混合模式不仅帮助他们与其他潜在或潜在的学生建立联系, but it also helps the students with accountability.”
四月底, 多瓦吉亚克的西南密歇根学院成为最近与博天堂官方泛光灯签约的社区学院合作伙伴. Building on their associate degree from SMC, 学生可以在密歇根西南部生活和工作的同时继续他们的教育，并在格兰德山谷大学攻读学士学位. 凯洛格社区学院也在深化与GVSU的合作关系，为巴特克里克居民提供学术课程.
At SMC, 博天堂官方泛光灯 will offer the bachelor’s of applied science. SMC校区将开设专业创新与领导力和商科专业.
“For an adult who's already in the workforce, 博天堂官方泛光灯将给他们提供向上的机会，给他们在目前的职业生涯中提升的机会，甚至可能选择一个不同的轨迹,希夫莱特说.
“In a way, we’re giving these students and communities hope. With having an educational partner, and with us intertwined within the economic development of our communities, we’re also giving a bigger voice for new industry, and building a talent pipeline for attracting that new industry as well.”
Q&A:卡拉·凡·达姆
STORY BY MICHELE COFFILL / PHOTO BY AMANDA PITTS
来自Grand Valley的Omni旨在帮助密歇根州的成年人通过大学提供他们所需的教育——从继续教育到课程和学位课程——来促进他们的博天堂官方网页’s regional network of campuses. 卡拉·范·达姆, chief executive of Omni, 谁负责建立这些网络并领导团队向学习者提供这些课程. She called 博天堂官方泛光灯 a ”了解你住在哪里” 并表示，大峡谷是这种独特的混合学习平台的完美机构.
Why did leaders at Grand Valley want to build Omni?
Grand Valley is a public university with a mission to serve the public good. When you look across the state at our regional network of campuses, we can offer programs that will serve Michigan residents. It’很明显，我们州需要更多的学生来提升他们的教育水平, and for many that means a four-year degree.
就我个人而言, 有机会回到密歇根州，在我们州进行深入的投资，这是非常令人兴奋和丰富的.
How many Michiganders do not have a college degree?
Michigan ranks toward the bottom of all states in the number of residents who do not have a bachelor's degree; there are 2.5 million adults without post-secondary credentials. Through a program like 博天堂官方泛光灯, we're helping to meet 政府. 格雷琴Whitmer的 ”60乘30” 到2030年，60%的成年人拥有高等教育学位或技能培训.
How will 博天堂官方泛光灯 work?
我们的区域校园和网络将有助于消除上大学的障碍. While online programs are important for access, this approach is not a ”let’s put all our academic programs online” 程序类型. 我们知道有工作的成年人说过，当他们在教室里时，他们想念面对面的关系. 我们将扩大我们的网络，并提供在线和基于地点的服务和项目.
I like to call it 了解你住在哪里.
博天堂官方泛光灯还包括我们的继续教育项目，帮助学习者提高技能, 重新学习和调整, 如果他们需要的话. 这也意味着我们要不断与行业合作伙伴保持联系，了解他们对人才储备的需求.
Community colleges will be key to ramping up 博天堂官方泛光灯, correct?
Yes, this deepens our relationships with our community college partners. 学生们在这些校园里有宾至如归的感觉，并且已经认识了教职员工. We will build on our partners’ programs.
我们的区域项目将与当地的劳动力市场和行业保持一致. We want to help students leverage their community college experiences. It's all about getting more people to go to college and to be successful.
Can you give an example of how this will work?
杰克逊的大学 is a good example. Our initial partnership is in nursing, 我们在添加 allied health sciences, 作为通往塞德曼商学院(Seidman College of Business)工商管理普通学士学位的桥梁，该学位将于今年秋季开始在网上推出.
Will Grand Valley need to hire more faculty to teach these classes?
是的，我们将与大学合作，在地区校园雇佣当地的教员. 在很多情况下, 这些教师将是社区学院现有的有资格教授学士学位的教师.
Will all regional campuses have the same footprint and programming?
We see three different models for our regional footprints. First, each region will have an anchor campus. For instance, 巴特尔克里克 serves as the anchor campus in Southwest Michigan. 第二个, 这将由该地区较小地点的工作人员和教师在该地点提供节目的网络加以补充. In Southwest Michigan, 这两个地点分别位于杰克逊学院的杰克逊校区和西南密歇根学院的多瓦尼亚克校区. 最后, 会有一些地方，我们没有固定的工作人员或现场编程, 但我们将轮换地区工作人员，以支持寻求转学到GVSU的学生.
What excites you about helping adult learners advance their education?
I taught my first group of adult learners 25 years ago. They have so much lived experience that they bring to the classroom. 他们非常积极，因为他们必须重新安排很多事情的优先级:全职工作, supporting their families, while still finding time for classwork.
How will this program stand out from other programs for adult learners?
It's a very relationship-driven approach. Relationships are the essence of Grand Valley; they are our heart and soul. 博天堂官方泛光灯 will be successful because it is grounded in that exact ethos.
