SVSU TODAY

Week of September 16, 2024

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For the 9th consecutive year, Saginaw Valley State University has been named a Great College to Work For®. The 2024 recognition places the university in good company; 75 colleges and universities have earned the Great College to Work For designation this year. Recognized institutions were officially announced in a special insert in today’s (Sept. 20) issue of “The Chronicle of Higher Education.” Recognized schools are also listed at GreatCollegesList.com on the GreatCollegesProgram.com website.

More new students are attending Saginaw Valley State University this fall, relative to recent prior years.

The number of incoming freshmen rose from 1,292 last year to 1,365 this fall, an increase of 5.6 percent. SVSU saw a nearly 9 percent increase in the number of new transfer students, as 347 students transferred into SVSU, relative to 319 the year before.

LaDonna Jones enrolled at SVSU as an incoming freshman this fall. The elementary education major from Saginaw also chose to reside on campus in SVSU’s award-winning residence halls.

“I chose SVSU because it’s close to home, and I feel comfortable and familiar with the school,” she said.

Overall, there are 6,822 students enrolled at SVSU for the 2024 fall semester, compared to 6,889 last year.

SVSU’s retention rate increased, as well; 77.2 percent of the 2023 freshman class returned for their second year, returning to the rate previously reached prior to disruptions associated with COVID-19.

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) recently recognized Saginaw Valley State University for its nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that fostered high levels of student voter engagement in the 2022 midterm elections. SVSU received four awards:

These honors reflect the university’s commitment to ensuring that nonpartisan democratic engagement is a defining feature of campus life. At SVSU, the nonpartisan Cardinals Vote initiative connects students with opportunities to engage in the democratic system.

SVSU’s campus alert system is used to report critical incidents, severe weather threats or campus delays/closures due to inclement weather.

SVSU partners with Rave Mobile Safety to provide emergency notifications. All students, faculty, adjunct faculty and employees (including ARAMARK and Barnes & Noble) are automatically enrolled in the system with their SVSU email address. We encourage you to add additional contact methods, including your direct office extension, personal email and mobile phone.

Adding and deleting contact information is simple and only takes a few minutes. Go to www.getrave.com/login/svsu and log in with your SVSU username and password (the same username and password for e-mail and other SVSU services).

SVSU will hold a COVID and flu vaccination clinic on Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Campus Recreation Center.

There is no charge for students, even without health insurance, as long as they show their student ID.

Community members are welcome to attend this clinic.

If you need a little encouragement to get up and move, Gena Guerin, assistant professor of kinesiology, has launched an eight-week walking program, which will conclude on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Now in its second week, the program has attracted 175 walkers. Participants receive encouraging emails throughout the week to keep them motivated, and they report their distance walked at the end of each week. During the first week, participants logged 2,020 miles! 

On Wednesday, Oct. 30, a 5k walk will mark the end of this eight-week program. Another walking program will be announced at a later date.

Even though the program has begun, faculty and staff are welcome to sign up.

SVSU track and field standout Cheyenne Nesbitt has been named the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Nesbitt finished her remarkable career with a wide range of honors and awards, including 10 NCAA D2 National Championships and 17 All-America awards.

If you have suggestions, comments or something to share with us, please e-mail svsutoday@svsu.edu

SVSU does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical impairment, disability or veteran status in the provision of education, employment and other services.