Liberal Studies Commons^™

Laker Lifelong Learners, Maria Beelen, Nicholas Herbert, Melissa Knox, Tony Laduca, Nikhil Watsa

Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

The H.I.V.E, Ellerie Ambrose, Adam Hummel, Ashley Koltz, Christopher Lopez, Christian Miller

Undergraduate Research

Design Thinking is a methodology used by designers, deep thinkers, and problem solvers alike to brainstorm solutions for issues big and small. To truly embrace the methodology and achieve great results, users must dive into the problem they are solving with an open mind and desire for change. This compilation walks through our group’s semester long journey of solving one problem: What is the role of a satellite campus in a community? We were able to apply this question to the Grand Valley State University Meijer campus located in Holland, Michigan. This process yields a variety of results that are …

Multi-Generational Design Thinking School, Kyle Mcdowell, Payton Mills, Joseph Seder, Nichole Sloan, Hannah Fernando, Andrew Hereza

Undergraduate Research

Every great story is full of interesting characters, and one of those characters is always the hero. In each and every story, that hero wants something. Our hero is the GVSU Meijer Campus in Holland, Michigan, but as it is now, that hero is weak, lonely, and not flourishing. Our hero wants to be relevant for the Holland community, but it needs to overcome underutilization to get there. However, what makes a story great is not the resolution; rather, it is the transformation of the hero. Join us in our journey as we design thinkers work to transform the identity …

The S.S. Holland: “Setting Sail Towards Scholarly Success”, Gina Cellentani, Gabby Johnson, Darby Reynaert, Cameron Timmer, Cordell Zachary

Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Sprout: A Little Footprint With A Big Impact, Emily Grochowalski, Jordan Mccroskey, Katrina Genzink, Levi Mains, Nathan Hull

Undergraduate Research

This Innovation Portfolio is designed to walk the reader through the essential steps our team took to address the issue of the under-utilization of the Meijer Holland Campus in the fall of 2016. As a satellite campus of Grand Valley State University, the Meijer Holland Campus seeks to engage its local community in a more sustained and in-depth way. This brief begins by introducing the reader to the historical and situational context of the Holland campus, followed by a map displaying the stakeholders involved. Through talking with a number of those stakeholders, we gained valuable insights that were grouped together …

Impact Analysis Of The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, Richard A. Campbell

Senior Projects

The United States patent system is crucial in protecting our intellectual property and strengthening our position in the world economy. The U.S. Constitution specifically empowers Congress to issue patents in order to “promote the progress of science and useful arts.” This research paper explores how The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) has impacted independent inventors and small businesses in the United States. In this study, I used secondary analysis of existing research and statistical data from the United States Patent Trademark Office (USPTO) to examine this issue as it pertains to economic competitiveness (creativity and innovation), job creation / reduction, …

Designing Shelter: Responding To Issues Of Homelessness In Grand Rapids Through Design Thinking, Mari Behovitz, Mariella Impellizzeri, Brandon Aho, Cody Gallagher

Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Collaborative Platforms For Community Building: Responding To Issues Of Homelessness In Grand Rapids Through Design Thinking, Logan Knoper, Ryan Samosiuk, Marc Lehman, Haley Wanic, Michelle Lo Piccolo

Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Innovating Against Assumptions: Responding To Issues Of Homelessness In Grand Rapids Through Design Thinking, Terrell Couch, Hannah Klein, Lucas Kohlmeyer, Sami Klann, Sage Hyatt

Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Community Kindness Walls: Responding To Issues Of Homelessness In Grand Rapids Through Design Thinking, Katrina Kore, Hector Garcia, Tim Beardslee, Jeffrey Hess, Cameron Saghaiepour, Megan Steenwyk

Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Dialogues That Dig Deeper: Surfacing The Multiple Faces Of Homelessness In Grand Rapids, Mi (Report One), Lauren Maher, Sarah Bennett, Cameron Costa, Ryan Fookes, Jason Matthews, Erica Clark, Aleaha Lorimer

Undergraduate Research

This Community dialogue was designed to discover what homeless individuals need, in terms of services and assistance, to prevent the perpetuating cycle of homelessness itself. After the discussion, our team hopes service organizations in Grand Rapids will take our findings into consideration in their efforts towards designing and implementing programs around homelessness.

Dialogues That Dig Deeper: Surfacing The Multiple Faces Of Homelessness In Grand Rapids, Mi (Report Two), Leah Marshall, Annie Taccolini, Joshua Fields, Faith Boyd, Caleb Brinson, Jessica Tharnish, Adi Sahitolli, Jeff Bradford

Undergraduate Research

This community dialogue was designed to identify current gaps in responses to homelessness in Grand Rapids as well as options for addressing those gaps. Given the feedback received, this report focuses on (1) mentorship programs similar to the aftercare program at Dégagé, (2) facilitated housing, and (3) ideas for fostering social connectedness.

Through primary and secondary research as well as an analysis of our dialogue, our team was able to identify key areas of need in the fight for consistent, stable housing. Below you will find an outline of those ideas, more theoretical research on the subject, and data on …

Dialogues That Dig Deeper: Surfacing The Multiple Faces Of Homelessness In Grand Rapids, Mi (Report Three), Chad Cleypool, Dallas Davis, Mara Kavieff, Chelsea Ortiz, Cassie Pataro, Ian Thompson, Morgan Vincent

Undergraduate Research

This community dialogue was designed to identify a wide-range of solutions, consider tradeoffs, prioritize options, and begin implementation efforts. We wanted to discover any possible areas of need for individuals experiencing homelessness that are not currently being addressed by the programs available. In order to accomplish this, we held a community dialogue at Dégagé and elicited responses from patrons, volunteers, and staff.

The results will be shared with Dégagé Ministries, Seeds of Promise, other local nonprofit leaders/experts, and this report will also be openly publishedso anyone interested can access the lessons learned.

Adapting The Past To Improve The Future, Noah Fettig

Senior Projects

Though the trend of greenhouse gas emission is declining, the equivalent of 6,870 million metric tons of CO₂ was emitted in the United States in 2014.[1] About one quarter of this pollution is emitted by the transportation sector.[2] Instead of waiting for the next technological development in transportation to provide us with clean vehicles, what if we could adopt past transportation systems to reduce our emissions and increase future sustainability? This study explores the idea of adopting intra- and inter-urban electric rail and a people’s car to reduce the annual U.S. transportation emissions using historical examples, the …

Re-Examining The Use Of Behavioral Assessment Tools For Employee Selection, Jennifer Orme

Senior Projects

The use of behavioral assessment tools, in the hiring process, has become a common practice for many private and public employers with the goal of finding the right fit for their organization and reducing employee turnover. This study re-examines the use of behavioral assessment tools for employee selection. Through secondary analysis, and evaluating the hiring data of a local municipality who uses these tools as part of their hiring process, I was able to determine the effectiveness of behavioral assessments in candidate selection. Although behavioral assessment tools can add great value to an organization, their low validity and unsupported claims …

Examining Employee Engagement To Predict Retention Rates, Jacob Morris

Senior Projects

The 21^st Century brings many changes to the workplace. Organizations today are starting to focus more energy on engaging and retaining employees. An interdisciplinary approach through a secondary analysis was used to understand the correlation between employee engagements; retention and the ways engagement surveys can be administered. The findings suggest a correlation between employee engagement and retention rates. This study also discusses engagement survey format. However, of the study show engagement is not segment specific but rather it is company specific. In addition, this study does not examine ways organizations communicate the findings of engagement surveys to employees.

Eliminating Silos In Regionally Distributed Organizations To Encourage Knowledge Sharing, Todd H. Talsma

Senior Projects

This study explores silos and their effects on knowledge sharing in business. When a business has functional areas working in isolation, knowledge is not shared amongst the entire organization. This study uses secondary analysis research to explore how silos are created in business and how collaborative leadership has the ability to counteract the effects these silos have on knowledge sharing. The findings show the need for leadership to work toward creating a collaborative culture in which team members are empowered. Organizations, which implement a collaborative culture require leaders who are willing to empower other team members. The scope of this …

Transforming Discourse: Interdisciplinary Critique, The University, And The Academic Study Of Religion, Brent A. Smith

Funded Articles

In the book Interdisciplinarity, Joe Moran traced the rise of interdisciplinarity as an inherently transformative approach to the gathering and ordering of knowledge in the modern university. Interdisciplinarity challenges the university as an epistemological project by historicizing it as a context for knowledge production. The academic study of religion arose in this setting and has developed within the intellectual forces—the lines of inquiry and allegiances to certain discourses and ways of organizing knowledge—that marked the modern university. Over the past few decades, the concept of “religion” has been historicized and scholars have argued over whether the “sacred” is in …

Design Thinking Accelerated Leadership: Transforming Self, Transforming Community, Danielle L. Lake, Michael E. Ricco, Judy D. Whipps

Funded Articles

Higher education institutions are continually seeking to recruit nontraditional adult students yet struggle at the same time to meet their needs effectively. The following case study offers strategies to address this situation by documenting the pedagogical design and initial outcomes of an interdisciplinary, nineteen-month leadership-themed liberal studies undergraduate degree completion program at Grand Valley State University. As an innovative, accelerated, hybrid cohort model, it incorporates a wide range of high-impact practices focused on developing the skills leaders use and employers require. The curriculum integrates practices from motivational and experiential learning, community-based learning, and design thinking to scaffold students' learning across …

Project Summary And Developmental Programs For Ishew, Lindsey Lequia, Dallas Rohraff

Honors Projects

On a seemingly normal day during my study abroad in Ghana, we noticed that the sun was shining in a sky that seemed to have no clouds. We were taking a trip to visit the water source of a community that contained nearly 1,000 people. Although it amazed us to think that that many people were fetching water each day from a river, we understood that others do not have access to the purified, city water that we are fortunate to have at home. When we pulled into the community, the reality of their lifestyle contrasted with what we had …