Pride and Community
Strategic Goal
Striving to share our proud story, Ferris will provide members with empowering experiences and partnerships.
Pride and Community Initiative 1
Share our founders’ emphasis on opportunity and excellence.
Action Steps
PC 1.1
Identify key initiatives that have the greatest impact on improving our overall brand and reputation.
PC 1.2
Develop and initiate an awareness campaign that informs a diverse array of students and community members on the benefits of a Ferris education.
PC 1.3
Develop a sustainable program to ignite pride and excitement among internal (students, alumni, faculty, and staff) and external (community, prospective students) communities.
PC 1.4
Other initiatives and programs related to the Strategic Goal.
Progress and Updates
Signs of Success
- In partnership with the national agency, a comprehensive brand campaign is launched in Fall 2019.
- A unifying and sustainable Ferris Pride Campaign has been developed by Fall 2020.
- Successfully launched the Ferris Forward brand platform, which has been well received and utilized by all internal and external audiences.
- Expanded digital marketing, direct mail initiatives and tracking analytics, accounting for the impact of COVID-19 and changing market conditions, to drive stronger emphasis on prospective student applications and yield ROI.
- Launched a newly designed ferris.edu homepage to align it with Ferris Forward branding and improve user experience. Initiating a collaborative plan to transition all other college, department and office webpage content to the new design in the next 15 -18 months with an emphasis on enhancing prospective student content.
- Completed a collaborative effort (UA&M, Athletics, Admin & Finance) to conduct an RFP for a new trademark and licensing vendor. This is the first such RFP in 20+ years. A new vendor was selected to notably improve quality, sales, and overall revenue from our trademark/licensing activities.
- Launched a comprehensive pride initiative that celebrated the University’s 135th Anniversary, promoted special pride-related mailings and swag giveaways, recognized achievements of various University departments and student organizations, and partnered with the local Pioneer newspaper to promote articles and ads touting successful town/gown collaborations and honoring key local volunteers.
- Significantly expanded the number of University news stories published while strengthening audience reach and active engagement with related social media and video promotions.
- The Alumni Association collaborated with many campus partners to offer a wide range of virtual events to celebrate HOMEcoming 2020 from Sept. 26 through Oct. 3. More than 600 alumni and friends celebrated Ferris pride not only on campus, but from all across the states and even into Canada. Activities and events ranged from on-line webinars, photo and cooking competitions to the most popular event, a virtual 5k with nearly 400 participants.
- The College of Health Professions and College of Pharmacy established the Central Michigan Recovery and Education Network through a $1M HRSA grant to address substance use disorder/opioid use disorder in the surrounding region including Mecosta, Osceola, and Newaygo counties.
- UA&M
- Successful marketing and media promotion of the Ferris Launch Initiative.
- Published and promoted Fall 2020 Ferris Magazine content that dealt directly and sensitively with Black Lives Matter movement-related activities on-campus and by alumni.
- Exceptional media coverage and social media engagement associated with major announcements including the Center for Virtual Learning, multiple major academic grants received/implemented and numerous academic program rankings, and several new key external partnerships such as MindFire and CooperVision.
- Received approval from the Board of Trustees to partner with KMA Design to implement
a campus wayfinding and signage master plan that will create a navigation and identity
system that is more logical, user-friendly and aptly branded to enhance the visitor
experience and improve the safe movement and flow of vehicles and pedestrians. Implementation
included Board approved funding for the first of three priority recommendations for
the University’s main campus in Big Rapids. Priority one implementation will include:
- Replacing primary vehicular directional signs for the most traveled routes and major destinations,
- Overhauling the University’s parking lot identification system, investing in new, larger building identification signs for the key visitor destinations, Replacing street blade signs, and
- Adding branding elements to the gateways of major pedestrian crosswalks
- In collaboration with team members from Communications, the Fed Galleries/UICA, Facilities and Faculty, the KCAD Division of Student Success created a physical space to honor Helen Miller Kendall, the founder of Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University. Mrs. Kendall was the wife of David Wolcott Kendall, the college’s namesake (a design legend in the furniture design industry). This new space is called the Helen Miller Kendall Welcome Center, where visitors will not only be welcomed to campus - visitors will be able to view a selection of imagery including alumni success stories, student engagement/campus life activities (curricular and co-curricular), and a designated wall space featuring David Wolcott Kendall. Mrs. Kendall envisioned a school where individuals could hone their technical skills and grow their creativity. The Helen Miller Kendall Welcome Center honors Mrs. Kendall and her vision.
- In collaboration with KCAD, UICA launched the KCAD Design Academy, an initiative that provides Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) students with vital opportunities to explore the world of design and the design process firsthand through hands-on learning experiences guided by KCAD faculty members and local design professionals. All Design Academy classes are free to GRPS Students thanks to the generosity of Steelcase and the Grand Rapids Public School Foundation.
- The College of Pharmacy is employing the teacher-scholar model, where dissemination of research and scholarly activity impact the brand and reputation of Ferris State. In FY22, 25 faculty published 47 scholarly works in 34 different professional, peer-reviewed, high impact scientific journals and textbooks. Faculty delivered 76 platform, podium and poster presentations at regional, national and international conferences.
Pride and Community Initiative 2
Better utilize alumni as ambassadors to our constituents, partners, and the world.
Action Steps
PC 2.1
Dedicate physical and virtual space to highlight accomplishments of alumni.
PC 2.2
Coordinate an Alumni Speaker Series for both University-wide and program-specific initiatives.
PC 2.3
Adopt a comprehensive alumni relations strategy that facilitates the relationships between alumni and their key University homes, including programs, colleges, athletic teams, and student organizations, and empowers our alumni to serve as recruiters, leveraging their geographic reach.
PC 2.4
Other initiatives and programs related to the Strategic Goal.
Progress and Updates
Signs of Success
- Prominent recognition of alumni is in development, both virtually and in at least one physical campus space, by Fall 2019.
- Develop an annual alumni speaking series by Fall 2020.
- Alumni become more visible and active in campus life, participating more widely on campus and in recruitment activities.
- Student Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion, and University Advancement and Marketing are creating a wall display that includes pictures and biographies of notable alumni from the Ferris Institute years. Located on the first level of the David L. Eisler Center, the wall should be available for viewing in Summer 2021.
- Established the Alumni Ambassador program, which has grown to more than 35 alumni volunteers in key states across the US to assist the University with engaging alumni and assisting with recruiting and retaining students from their geographic areas.
- More than 220 alumni participated in “Make A Difference Day” on Oct. 24, a national day of service encouraging volunteerism. The Alumni Association encouraged members of the Bulldog community to participate virtually throughout the country by helping neighbors clean their yards, organizing pop can drives and paying it forward in fast food lines.
- UA&M
- Physical space in the CSS lobby visually highlights prominent alumni success stories.
- A distinguished Ferris Institute Alumni history display wall is being completed in the David L. Eisler Center.
- The Alumni Association, with the help of our Ambassadors, marketed 59 in-person or virtual events this fiscal year.
- Established the Alumni Ambassador program, which has grown to more than 35 alumni volunteers in key states across the US, to assist the University with engaging alumni and assisting with recruiting and retaining students from their geographic areas.
- More than 220 alumni participated in “Make A Difference Day” on Oct. 24, a national day of service encouraging volunteerism. The Alumni Association encouraged members of the Bulldog community to participate virtually throughout the country by helping neighbors clean their yards, organizing pop can drives and paying it forward in fast food lines.
- KCAD
- Beyond KCAD Speaker Series: The KCAD Senate Visiting Artist Committee (VAC) developed and implemented the BEYOND KCAD Virtual Speaker Series during the 2020-2021 academic year. In response to the ongoing health concerns related to COVID-19 this series was presented virtually. The series paired recent KCAD alumni with established practitioners and thinkers from various design and art fields. These speakers offered their perspectives on pertinent issues that both inspire and challenge their practice. Each talk was 30 minutes allowing for additional time for questions and discussion. Three virtual events took place during the Spring 2021 semester. The KCAD VAC committee is planning to continue this series for the 2021 -2022 academic year and hopes to kick the series off in the fall semester to all more opportunities for more alumni and industry professionals to connect with students.
- Alumni Survey: Typically, each fall KCAD shares a communication with alumni asking for their support to continue to grow the college’s General Scholarship Fund. In response, to the economic and political climate and impact of COVID-19 KCAD decided to reach out to alumni to connect with them and solicit their feedback to help guide future engagement efforts. This survey asked general questions related to updating the alumni Millennium record in addition to engagement related questions. The college received over 600 responses and is now in the process of reviewing this data to inform follow up efforts and planning for engagement opportunities during the 2021-2022 academic year.
- Alumni Association
- As Dec. 31, 2021, the Alumni Association had tracked engagement with more than 35,800 alumni for FY ’22. This total puts the Association and University ahead of our glide path goal for the year, and likely ahead of pace to exceed the total goal of engaging 40,000 alumni or more annually by 2024.
- The Alumni Association distributed “Bulldog Alumni, Bulldog Employee” banners to all interested FSU alumni working at Ferris State University. Alumni are encouraged to proudly display these banners in classrooms, offices or other high visibility areas.
- Virtual programs, hosted by Alumni Ambassadors, connected with 268 alumni participants and more than 1,243 engagements via social media.
- Pharmacy
- Pharmacy alumni are actively engaged with the Alumni Advisory Board and the College Strategic Planning Task Force, including many thought leaders in the profession.
- Sports Communication graduate Travis Hicks, a presenter for WSYM FOX 47 in Lansing, opens Ferris State University’s Sports Speaker Series in October 2022. https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/archive/2022/october/hicks.htm
- On Friday, Nov. 4, 2023 alumna Dana King was the keynote speaker for the 2022 Ferris Foundation for Excellence Benefit.https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/archive/2022/october/benefit.htm
- Capturing the splendor of Michigan’s geological formations was as much an opportunity as an assignment for Ferris State University Television and Digital Media Production students and faculty, who collaborated on a recent production of “Mystic Michigan.” Mark Jager, of Hersey, a 1994 Journalism alumnus, hosts the video series. A premiere screening took place recently on the Ferris campus. https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/archive/2023/january/mystic.htm
- Collaboration between a Ferris State University researcher, campus departments and
the state of Michigan has inventor Dr. Daniel Taylor’s Protoconch ™ adaptor now bearing
a United States patent, only the third in the university’s history as sole assignee.
This achievement represents a significant step toward the device’s commercialization,
meant to benefit young people with visual and hearing issues.
Taylor, the newly-named dean of the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University, began his research in Fall 2018 and gained technical support from Ferris' Product Design Engineering Technology program in developing the Protoconch. In particular, alumna Jaclyn Vander Ploeg did formative work on the prototype in her senior project, and shares recognition with Taylor in the patent language as an inventor. https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/archive/2023/april/patent.htm
Pride and Community Initiative 3
Identify, create, and pursue opportunities that strengthen student-focused partnerships with local communities.
Action Steps
PC 3.1
Create a team to identify opportunities to support Ferris-linked educational opportunities for students in high school and other institutions.
PC 3.2
Assign regional liaisons to help strengthen local partnerships and University growth opportunities.
PC 3.3
Build on civic and social engagement opportunities throughout Big Rapids, Grand Rapids, and West Michigan, including open dialogues with community leaders and organizations on issues that will strengthen and build relationships between students, local governments, businesses, educational affiliates, and civic organizations.
PC 3.4
Deepen internship collaborations with surrounding communities and professional organizations that create meaningful opportunities for students, including those with international status.
PC 3.5
Create a Community/Student Leader Roundtable.
PC 3.6
Other initiatives and programs related to the Strategic Goal.
Progress and Updates
Signs of Success
- Regional liaisons have been identified by Fall 2020.
- A list of current and potential community and educational partnerships is completed and in use for planning by Fall 2020.
- The Ferris component of Plaza Roosevelt is completed and operational by Fall 2023.
- New community internship collaborations have been developed by Spring 2020.
- A Community/Student Leader Roundtable is in operation by Fall 2020.
- Ferris is participating with Michigan Works! West Central, West Shore Community College, Mecosta-Osceola Intermediate School District’s Meceola Tech, and 14 additional training, employer, and economic development partners to submit a MiLEAP grant application. This proposal, if awarded, will create a Regional Consortia to increase collaboration in the creation and expansion of education and training programs to accelerate opportunities for students by preparing them for high-skill, high-wage and in-demand careers within our local communities.
- Corporate and Professional Development offers customized, non-credit trainings utilizing multiple Ferris colleges to meet the needs of industry clients. Clients include international, regional, and governmental organizations. Some trainings are customized to meet specific client needs, while others utilize an open enrollment approach to meet broader training needs across industries. Trainings often build upon past offerings, leading to stackable credentials.
- Extended and International Operations (EIO) established two new partnerships to strengthen our programs and provide opportunities for students throughout Michigan. Board approval for the following sites was obtained in 2020 and implementation of programming is underway: Kalamazoo Community College, Kalamazoo, MI; Lake Michigan College, Benton Harbor, MI.
- Pharmacy
- A survey was distributed to all external pharmacy preceptors with 130 preceptors responding to the survey. Action items are being identified based on the results of the survey.
- College of Pharmacy established research and practice site collaborations with external partners including: MSU, GVSU, Univ. of Michigan, Wayne State Univ., Van Andel Institute, Metro Health-Michigan West, University of Finland.
- A continuing professional development session entitled, “Interprofessional Practice Models and Precepting Interprofessional Learners,” was developed for the 2020 FSU College of Pharmacy Preceptor Development Conference (June 2020).
- College of Pharmacy faculty created an APPE readiness plan and policy to ensure student success while engaging with stakeholders at community practice sites.
- In Fall 2021, students in the Kendall College of Art and Design Master of Architecture program’s Urban Collaborative Studio partnered with the owners of the Four Star Theatre, a once-thriving but now-vacant building in the center of Grand Rapids’ Burton Heights district. In the first phase of this collaboration, the students built a temporary installation on the building’s Division Ave. façade called “The Sharing Wall.
- The Honors Program restarted its annual “Days of Service and Learning” series after a one year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 160 students participated in 13 community projects, facilitated by 15 upper-class Honors students in Fall 2021. Approximately 75 Latino alumni, current students, Promesa Summer Success Alumni, and prospective students from community-based organizations were welcomed to the Bulldog Familia Asada during Bulldog Beginnings in Fall 2021.
- The Sports Communication program, through the engagement of students in Sports Careers RSO and Special Olympics College Club, host a fall exhibition poly (floor) hockey match between Ferris State Men's Hockey and Area 5 Special Olympics Michigan athletes. A highlight of the spring semester is the Heart to Heart Hand in Hand basketball game where Ferris State Men's and Women's Basketball teams combine with Area 5 basketball players to play an exhibition game, with the event marketed and managed by the Sports Comm classes. The relationship between Sports Comm and Special Olympics over the last ten+ years earned the Special Olympics Unified Champion School banner that hangs in the Student Recreation Center.
- The College of Pharmacy faculty are engaging in nearly 14,000 hours of direct patient care annually at community partner sites across the State of Michigan.
- KCAD and FSU eSports Production partnered to sponsor the 2022 Confluence Maker Expo event in September 2022. Faculty and students at KCAD designed and fabricated trophies and medallions for the collegiate and high school competition winners. KCAD also hosted a booth at the day-long event, located in the Grand Rapids Studio Park, where we were able to share and demonstrate some of the technologies KCAD students and faculty use to support their creative process and education at the college. The experience included live demonstrations with a community audience consisting of high school students, youth, and parents who were in attendance to learn more about innovation and technology. The initiative also included a short interview on Wood TV 8 where faculty from FSU and KCAD was able to talk about the initiative and promote the brand to the regional audience.
- KCAD has been working with the Career Tech Centers in Ottawa and Muskegon Counties to identify opportunities to offer an after-school design thinking-focused dual enrollment course at the tech centers. This strategy will make the course more accessible to students from every district within the county.
- KCAD has been working with the Career Tech Centers in Ottawa and Muskegon Counties to identify opportunities to offer an after-school design thinking-focused dual enrollment course at the tech centers. This strategy will make the course more accessible to students from every district within the county.
- In what is being called a “Comprehensive Partnership,” Ferris State University and Crystal Mountain signed a first-of-its-kind agreement that provides a broad range of career exploration, employment and internship options for students, and training opportunities for employees. https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/archive/2023/april/partnership.htm
- 2023 ALSAME Latino Youth Conference offered Ferris campus experience, post-secondary education engagement and encouragement.https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/archive/2023/may/alsame.htm
Highlights and Achievements
- The Ferris Alumni association created a webpage featuring past and present Ferris Bulldogs offering support to one another during the Covid-19 crisis.
- Student Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion, and University Advancement and Marketing are creating a wall display that includes pictures and biographies of notable alumni from the Ferris Institute years. Located on the first level of the David L. Eisler Center, the wall should be available for viewing in Summer 2021.
- Corporate and Professional Development offers customized, non-credit trainings utilizing multiple Ferris colleges to meet the needs of industry clients. Clients include international, regional, and governmental organizations. Some trainings are customized to meet specific client needs, while others utilize an open enrollment approach to meet broader training needs across industries. Trainings often build upon past offerings, leading to stackable credentials.
- Extended and International Operations (EIO) established two new partnerships to strengthen our programs and provide opportunities for students throughout Michigan. Board approval for the following sites was obtained in 2020 and implementation of programming is underway: Kalamazoo Community College, Kalamazoo, MI; Lake Michigan College, Benton Harbor, MI.
- Physical space in the CSS lobby visually highlights prominent alumni success stories.
- A distinguished Ferris Institute Alumni history display wall is being completed in the David L. Eisler Center.
- Beyond KCAD Speaker Series: The KCAD Senate Visiting Artist Committee (VAC) developed and implemented the BEYOND KCAD Virtual Speaker Series during the 2020-2021 academic year.
- More than 220 alumni participated in “Make A Difference Day” on Oct. 24, 2021, a national day of service encouraging volunteerism.
- College of Pharmacy established research and practice site collaborations with external partners including: MSU, GVSU, Univ. of Michigan, Wayne State Univ., Van Andel Institute, Metro Health-Michigan West, University of Finland.
- Received approval from the Board of Trustees to partner with KMA Design to implement
a campus wayfinding and signage master plan that will create a navigation and identity
system that is more logical, user-friendly and aptly branded to enhance the visitor
experience and improve the safe movement and flow of vehicles and pedestrians. Implementation
included Board approved funding for the first of three priority recommendations for
the University’s main campus in Big Rapids. Priority one implementation will include:
- Replacing primary vehicular directional signs for the most traveled routes and major destinations,
- Overhauling the University’s parking lot identification system, investing in new, larger building identification signs for the key visitor destinations, Replacing street blade signs, and
- Adding branding elements to the gateways of major pedestrian crosswalks
- The Honors Program restarted its annual “Days of Service and Learning” series after a one year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 160 students participated in 13 community projects, facilitated by 15 upper-class Honors students in Fall 2021. Approximately 75 Latino alumni, current students, Promesa Summer Success Alumni, and prospective students from community-based organizations were welcomed to the Bulldog Familia Asada during Bulldog Beginnings in Fall 2021.
- As of Dec. 31, 2021, the Alumni Association had tracked engagement with more than 35,800 alumni for FY ’22. This total puts the Association and University ahead of our glide path-goal for the year, and likely ahead of pace to exceed the total goal of engaging 40,000 alumni or more annually by 2024.
- The Sports Communication program, through the engagement of students in Sports Careers RSO and Special Olympics College Club, host a fall exhibition poly (floor) hockey match between Ferris State Men's Hockey and Area 5 Special Olympics Michigan athletes. A highlight of the spring semester is the Heart to Heart Hand in Hand basketball game where Ferris State Men's and Women's Basketball teams combine with Area 5 basketball players to play an exhibition game, with the event marketed and managed by the Sports Comm classes. The relationship between Sports Comm and Special Olympics over the last ten+ years earned the Special Olympics Unified Champion School banner that hangs in the Student Recreation Center.
- In collaboration with KCAD, UICA launched the KCAD Design Academy, an initiative that provides Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) students with vital opportunities to explore the world of design and the design process firsthand through hands-on learning experiences guided by KCAD faculty members and local design professionals. All Design Academy classes are free to GRPS Students thanks to the generosity of Steelcase and the Grand Rapids Public School Foundation.
- The College of Pharmacy is employing the teacher-scholar model, where dissemination of research and scholarly activity impact the brand and reputation of Ferris State. In FY22, 25 faculty published 47 scholarly works in 34 different professional, peer-reviewed, high impact scientific journals and textbooks. Faculty delivered 76 platform, podium and poster presentations at regional, national and international conferences.
- KCAD and FSU eSports Production partnered to sponsor the 2022 Confluence Maker Expo event in September 2022. Faculty and students at KCAD designed and fabricated trophies and medallions for the collegiate and high school competition winners. KCAD also hosted a booth at the day-long event, located in the Grand Rapids Studio Park, where we were able to share and demonstrate some of the technologies KCAD students and faculty use to support their creative process and education at the college. The experience included live demonstrations with a community audience consisting of high school students, youth, and parents who were in attendance to learn more about innovation and technology. The initiative also included a short interview on Wood TV 8 where faculty from FSU and KCAD was able to talk about the initiative and promote the brand to the regional audience.
- Sports Communication graduate Travis Hicks, a presenter for WSYM FOX 47 in Lansing, opens Ferris State University’s Sports Speaker Series in October 2022.
-
On Friday, Nov. 4, 2023 alumna Dana King was the keynote speaker for the 2022 Ferris Foundation for Excellence Benefit.
- Capturing the splendor of Michigan’s geological formations was as much an opportunity as an assignment for Ferris State University Television and Digital Media Production students and faculty, who collaborated on a recent production of “Mystic Michigan.” Mark Jager, of Hersey, a 1994 Journalism alumnus, hosts the video series. A premiere screening took place recently on the Ferris campus.
- Collaboration between a Ferris State University researcher, campus departments and the state of Michigan has inventor Dr. Daniel Taylor’s Protoconch ™ adaptor now bearing a United States patent, only the third in the university’s history as sole assignee. This achievement represents a significant step toward the device’s commercialization, meant to benefit young people with visual and hearing issues.
- KCAD has been working with the Career Tech Centers in Ottawa and Muskegon Counties to identify opportunities to offer an after-school design thinking-focused dual enrollment course at the tech centers. This strategy will make the course more accessible to students from every district within the county.
- In what is being called a “Comprehensive Partnership,” Ferris State University and Crystal Mountain signed a first-of-its-kind agreement that provides a broad range of career exploration, employment and internship options for students, and training opportunities for employees.