Grand Valley State University receives 2025 Excellence in Mental Health and Well-Being Award
The recognition comes via Insight Into Academia magazine, which has bestowed this award upon 70 institutions across the country.
Grand Valley State University is one of 70 recipients of the 2025 Excellence in Mental Health and Well-Being Award from Insight Into Academia magazine. The recipients of this year’s awards have all portrayed innovative initiatives to improve students’ mental health. The full list of recipients will be available in the September 2025 Insight Into Academia issue.
According to an article on Grand Valley State University’s website, university president Philomena V. Mantella is quoted as saying of the university’s overall wellbeing, “The health and well-being of our Laker family is a priority for our university and we’re proud to be recognized for the work we’ve done building a people-centered culture. We continually hear from our faculty, staff and students of the importance of this work and are always looking to provide even greater support in these areas.”
Among the initiatives the university has undertaken to ensure a supportive environment for the campus community are its signing of the Okanagan Charter, which, according to its website, “calls on post-secondary schools to embed health into all aspects of campus culture and to lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally.” By participating in this venture, the university has sought to become proactive about student wellbeing and mental health.
Additionally, beginning in the Fall 2025 semester, the university’s Campus Health Center will transition into a self-operating healthcare center. According to a university newsletter article about this transition, Edward Jones II, director of the Center for Health and Well-being, said that the change will be for the better of the center and the students it serves: "We will have the ability to shape our care.”
With this change, the Campus Health Center will call on community partners to supplement the work of the Grand Valley State University employees who will provide students with their primary care. These partnerships include HealthBar, which will provide telehealth services, Health Net of West Michigan, which will provide care management services, and Ottawa Pathways for Better Health will assist with insurance access for students.
Amber Roberts, who serves as the director of the University Counseling Center and Alcohol and Other Drugs Services, said, "Our team of licensed professional mental health clinicians specializes in college student mental health and is deeply committed to the well-being of GVSU students. Our clinicians engage in ongoing training to continuously enhance their skills in clinical care, prevention and education, crisis response, and the training of future counselors."
Speaking generally of the ways the university provides students and the campus community as a whole with opportunities for health and wellness, Kate Harmon, who serves as the assistant vice president for Student Affairs, Well-being and Inclusion, said, "With the Grand River running through both the City and Valley campuses, plus the Valley’s beautiful tree canopy, Lakers enjoy the proven mental health benefits of nature.”
For more information about Grand Valley State University, visit the school’s website.