Accidents and injuries become more frequent to student-athletes or those involved in physically demanding studies. Grand Valley State University Dance major, Haley Rosendale’s recent injury experience caused her to question how students access healthcare services. Due to conflicts with accessibility to healthcare services, many students feel stranded when it comes to addressing injuries that are urgent but don’t necessarily require a trip to the emergency room.

Rosendale said she sustained a minor injury while in dance class which caused her to experience enough pain to leave class early and seek care at GVSU’s Injury Care Clinic. Although she was present within the clinic’s posted hours both online and physically at the clinic, the door was locked and the lights were off. 

After she was unable to visit the Injury Care center, Rosendale went to the Campus Health Center, which was also unable to see her. This caused her to delay seeking care for her injury until the next day, when Rosendale had to leave campus to meet with a third-party healthcare provider because GVSU’s resources were not available. 

“I wish the injury care clinic was open for better hours. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays is tough because that is the prime time for classes, and I know that I am in class at those times, so if I do get injured, I am unable to get to that clinic,” Rosendale said. “I also wish there was a resource where the injury care clinic could update their hours depending on the day, and how busy they are (or) how long the wait is going to be.”

Many students can identify with these issues, as the afternoon time slots when majority of campus health resources are open are some of the most high-traffic times around campus. Rosendale feels the Injury Care Clinic is a valuable opportunity for students’ healthcare, but not an accessible resource.

“The injury care clinic is free, so not having that resource and having to go someplace off campus and spending money sucks,” Rosendale said.

For students who sustain injuries outside of movement based classes, such as students involved in recreational sports or those who participate in evening recreational activities, the Injury Care Clinic and Campus Health Center’s hours of operation are closed after 5 p.m. This puts students who have experienced issues similar to Rosendale scrambling to find a solution, or delaying their care until campus resources are open the next day.

Senior dance major Clare Meteer, however, feels that though the ICC’s hours are limited she has had good experience with accessing its resources during open hours.

“They are only open in the afternoons but they are always open when I have gone,” Meteer said. “Sometimes they have to close early or something but they are very good at posting the changes in advance on their website and in the fieldhouse.”

Many students are advocating for improvement of campus health resources to avoid these issues. For Rosendale, GVSU’s limited campus health resources draws attention to the resource gaps between sports and science related fields versus arts on campus. 

“The dance department though definitely does not have even close to the same amount of resources as athletics does. Dancers still get injured, but we have to wait to get help when athletes can get help right away from their athletic trainer,” Rosendale said. “I definitely think having someone, for example, an athletic trainer, could have helped in that instance (event of the injury) and maybe reduced the pain I was in.” 

Senior dance major Carly O’Donohue has used the Injury Care Clinic’s resources on multiple occasions. O’Donohue was experiencing a calf injury about two years ago and was frequently in and out of the clinic. She said her experience was somewhat helpful, though she felt she should have been transferred from the clinic to a physical therapy sooner than she had been.

“Two years ago when I had a lot of my calf problems, I couldn’t, like, jump (at all and) standing and sitting would hurt,” O’Donohue said. “I was there (at the ICC) all the time, I had appointments twice a week and I was there for so long and like they should’ve recommended me to a (specialized) physical therapy place earlier than they did, so that was more like kind of annoying and like put off my recovery.”

However, O’Donohue recently went back to the ICC for a shoulder injury and had a positive experience.

“When I was having issues with my shoulder earlier this year I just went there and they gave me exercises and TheraBand (exercises) to do,” O’Donohue said. “Like that helped but I just did like most of that on my own.”

Meteer said she has had many positive experiences at the ICC, though she wished more students were aware of the resources available and that the clinic had longer operating hours.

“The physical therapists have been amazing in understanding my injuries and giving me the support I need. The PT that is most often there encourages me to come back as often as I need and is always very kind,” Meteer said. “I love that this service is at no additional cost to students and I wish more students knew about it because I have found it very beneficial.”

O’Donohue, Meteer and Rosendale were able to identify with the importance of injury care and treatment available to students. With the current resources for student healthcare on campus, students can take proactive steps to plan for their care in the event of injury. Becoming familiar with available resources both at GVSU and near campus will help identify immediate options in the event of inevitable illness or injury.

The GVSU Health Hub has shared a list of nearby healthcare clinics, urgent cares, emergency rooms and pharmacies as a guide for students to use when campus resources cannot properly address their needs, and even outlined which bus routes will take students to which locations. However, it should be noted that the GVSU Family Health Center will be permanently closing its doors on Nov. 30. The center announced this in a callout on their website, the expanding resources available to students in downtown Grand Rapids making their services more obsolete. 

While all ailments may not require urgent, emergent or medical attention at all, it is important for students to know they can count on the resources available to them in the event they need them.

Smolka’s journey to success started in the depths of poverty navigating homeless shelters and foster families while relying on government aid to survive.

“My mom actually was 15 years old when she had me, and it just kind of started a wild life,” Smolka said. “So by the time I was actually about 11 years old, I stopped going to school, started working full time and our family was traveling with the fair.” 

Smolka shared he was bringing home $1,000 every 10 days at this time, which he used to support himself as well as his brother and sister. After doing this for two years, Smolka’s grandparents finally decided enough was enough and took in Smolka and his family. 

“When I moved in with them, I kinda got to see life from the other side. So I started to have dreams,” Smolka said. “My first dream was I’m going to make it to the NBA, and you know, a six-foot kid who’s not that fast, that’s probably not gonna happen. My grandma always told me, ‘You’ve got to have a plan B.’” 

When he began to develop his plan B, Smolka learned what a college education could provide him with. He explored options by talking to friends and family members about what they liked about their careers and how they got there. This motivated him to begin pursuing his education at GVSU by improving his academic performance in high school. 

Once at GVSU, Smolka broadened his horizons and continuously improved himself as he further refined what his “plan B” meant to him. Through exploration, he eventually decided to pursue a career in supply chain management. 

“I was just taking advantage of everything GV had to offer, so whether that was going to extracurricular events or going to professor’s office hours and just talking with them because I really didn’t know for sure where I was gonna go or where my career is gonna go,” Smolka said.

This practice would eventually pay off for Smolka at the end of his education with the acquisition of an internship with JR Automation through a connection with one of his former professors. 

“My education was super well balanced. So when I got (to the internship), I really knew what to look for, and what questions to ask, which really led me to my next jobs,” Smolka said. “I now run a department, and I am teaching other people the same stuff I learned at GV. You hear people all the time (say) ‘so when am I ever gonna use this in the real world?’ It’s like, yeah, you’d be surprised, actually, you will use this stuff later in life.” 

In more recent years, Smolka has focused on repaying his success back into the Grand Rapids communities through the acquisition of rental properties. What started as a different way to invest, turned into an effort to help college students and recent graduates get on their feet. 

“I hear these horror stories all the time where people get their rent raised on them. They have a one-bedroom apartment, and it’s like $1,800 a month, but when they moved in, it was $1200,” Smolka said. “It’s all people who kind of need a little bit of help, or are starting their lives. I’ve helped three of them with budgets, and I’ve helped them get jobs. My biggest motivator in life is just positively influencing people.” 

Smolka said he is always willing to meet with members of the GVSU community who may be seeking advice and guidance on personal finance, resilience and continuing education. 

The event description explains that tensions quickly rise in many school board meetings across the U.S., frequently turning what is intended to be a civil conversation into “shouting matches” and “threats of violence.” As this escalation often goes hand in hand with the political polarization of communities, the discourse symposium seeks to examine how to engage in productive dialogue and show respect for all voices.

During the panel discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to hear remarks from four educational professionals with ties to GVSU as well as Endowed Professor of Civil Discourse and former Michigan school superintendent Gregory Warsen. Individuals can take the ideas they learned from the panel by participating in moderated roundtable discussions with eight to nine other participants. 

“(Conversations have) really progressed from healthy disagreement to, you know, death threats. It’s issues like that (which) certainly motivated me to apply for the position but that’s also, I think, some of the motivation for the symposium itself,” Warsen said. “There’s got to be a better way and there is a better way, and that’s really what we want to put on display, November 16.”

Panelists will include the retired superintendent of Forest Hills Public Schools Dan Behm, Treasurer Rick Dernberger of the Ottawa County Board of Education, Taylor Preparatory Academy Dean Dominique Rickett and Grandville High School teacher Alexia Youngman. Warsen will be moderating the panel.

“There’s plenty of research and literature on disagreeing well and what that looks like,” Warsen said. “Hopefully symposiums like this kind of put some of that work on display so people get a sense of what that can look like.”

The Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse is also a member of the Listen First Coalition. This program works to bridge together traditionally polarized groups of individuals by encouraging them to listen and understand each other to find common ground. By doing so, the initiative seeks to increase social cohesion, promote identification and solve common challenges. 

“These issues are so charged right now because education and schooling is so politicized,” said Lisa Perhamus the Director of Civil Discourse Center. “I really think there’s a need to have this symposium and to have this conversation in a way that’s sort of structured and constructive to show all of us that it’s possible.”

The symposium is projected to have one of the largest audiences yet, with around 200 attendees currently RSVP’d for Thursday night. Previous years’ events have also been well-attended, providing an opportunity for insightful conversations about art, science, and current events. 

“​​The mission of the (Civil Discourse) Center is to engage people in difficult yet necessary conversations with the goal of increasing mutual understanding and deepening community,” Perhamus said. “We envision an inclusive set of communities where multiple perspectives are welcome, and every person feels respected and a sense of belonging. So, in this symposium, we’re going to be bringing a lot of different people together.” 

For GVSU students currently taking integrative studies or honors courses, the event is approved for INT 100, INT 201, and HNR 201 credit. The symposium is free and open to the general public, but individuals must register to attend. Light refreshments will be provided before the talk begins.

Witness to the accident Carly O’Donohue was on her way home from Halloween celebrations with friends when she heard a loud noise. 

“At first I thought it was a gunshot or a firework, but when I didn’t hear anyone scream or any lights in the sky, I thought a car backfired because I could see smoke,” O’Donohue said. “We made it to the bus stop, and there were other people there and they asked us about the noise and we were discussing what we thought it was when one of my friends said she looked on the bus app and the bus was stopped at the stop before us still, which was unusual because it should have been to us by that point.” 

Little to their knowledge at the time, O’Donohue and her friends would not be catching the 85 that evening, as it remained at the scene of the accident. 

“Another group of people were walking from the direction of the previous bus stop and said that it was the bus that got into the accident,” O’Donohue said. “So, we found another ride home and left since the bus was not going to be coming anytime soon.” 

The accident and the resulting backups left many people waiting at stops in anticipation for its arrival that would not come on schedule. Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department responded to the event and assisted with clearing the roadway. Any injuries to vehicle occupants remain unconfirmed at this time. 

Unfortunately, this is not the first accident that has occurred with a bus serving the GVSU community. It only last year when a rapid bus was involved in a separate collision on Lake Michigan Drive, resulting in non-life-threatening injuries for two vehicle occupants.  

The Rapid, the Grand Rapids public transportation system, takes such occurrences seriously, ensuring their drivers are receiving training to prevent such adverse events. 

“Daily life and travel can involve certain risks to passengers and transit employees alike, therefore, making your ride as safe and secure as possible is The Rapid’s number one priority,” according to The Rapid’s policy. 

The incident highlights the importance of bus safety, especially in areas with a high concentration of public transportation users, such as GVSU’s campus. In the 2023 Existing and Future Conditions Report from The Rapid, Routes 12, 15 and the Laker Line are among the top performing and highly used routes. The report named the “highest activity stops are typically located on the GVSU Campus” with Laker Line as the line with the most monthly riders, recording about 89,234 riders per month in 2022.Other popular lines around the university, like route 9 (32,484 riders a month) and Route 37 (30,8000 riders a month), made the top 5 most popular lines. Survey results from 2019 report nearly 50% of students using the bus as their primary means of transportation in 2019. Of these students surveyed, only 54% rated bus drivers in terms of skill and safety as good or better. 

To report an incident involving the Rapid or receive further information regarding safety procedures, please follow the provided link.

Jackson originally developed the idea while taking part in the GVSU McNair Scholar’s Program where she demonstrated interest in how the divorce of parents affects children. She continues her work into the fall semester, where she is now completing the requirements for independent study and research credits on the subject. 

Jackson’s project is being overseen by Sociology Department Faculty member Anna Hammersmith, Ph.D., who specializes in the sociology of families. 

“I’m very interested in divorce. So it was a natural fit for me to sort of help steer the project, but it’s all her work, and it’s very impressive,” Hammersmith said. “We know a lot about how divorce affects kids, but a lot of that research is like 10 or 20 years old at this point. I think her research is important because we haven’t really reevaluated how divorce affects kids in this sort of 2020s era.”

Hammersmith has served as a mentor for several student researchers through her affiliation with the GVSU Center for Undergraduate Scholar Engagement. She said she enjoys assisting students with navigating all of the small considerations that go into developing a well-planned research project. 

“Whenever I work with students, I see my role as helping make sure the research question makes sense for what they actually want to answer,” Hammersmith said. “This summer we mapped out (Jackson’s) whole project with all of the different variables, and then used that from a research question, and then also decided like, okay, so you have this research question, how can you realistically answer it within the timeframe that you have.”

There are several qualifying measures students must take to conduct research at GVSU besides finding a mentor and developing a thesis. In order to conduct human research, scholars must gain approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB), which acts to ensure the basic rights and welfare of participants. 

Jackson’s study required her to draft a research proposal indicating the participants she would be seeking, the questions she would be asking, and how she would support them throughout the study. Additionally, she had to disclose any compensation participants would receive for partaking in the study. 

IRB approval often results in several rounds of submissions, making it a time-consuming process. Hammersmith mentions it’s not uncommon for the board to ask for additional information or reformatting certain information necessitating resubmission of the proposal. 

“(Jackson) did a lot at work, but part of my role is first answering their questions but also championing her by saying things like, ‘This is totally normal to have this bounce back a few times. You’re learning how to do this. It’s your first time like it’s not going to be you submit it and they approve it right away,’” Hammersmith said.

Jackson received IRB approval after one month of discussion and suggestions from the board. She began recruiting and interviewing participants at the beginning of the fall semester. 

Jackson is still actively seeking students between the ages of 18-22 who have experienced the divorce of a parent before the age of 16 to participate in her project. Those interested in participating will be asked to partake in a 20-45 minute interview and will be compensated with a gift card. Interested students can sign up for consideration in the study by filling out a brief survey.

Campus resource centers like the Knowledge Market and Fred Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors are now implementing these tools into their daily practices. Student workers are being trained how to utilize these tools to promote student success and academic honesty. 

“Right now, there’s a mix of trepidation and resignation, but I have seen more faculty starting to look for ways to incorporate AI, particularly ChatGPT, into their assignments. I really like this trend because it shows the students we are on their side,” said GVSU English, Writing and African American Studies Librarian Mary Ruge. “We aren’t trying to hide resources or forbid them from using it but helping them understand how to use it. Like most technology, there are digital literacy concerns, but that’s where we, as faculty, can step in and teach them how to get the most from it.”

Faculty members like Ruge will continue to have conversations about AI’s place in the classroom and academic support systems as its’ use spreads. This is, in part, is why the Fred Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors has created a new policy for working with AI assisted tools. The new policy places individual faculty preference first.  

“I understand the fear that students might use tech like ChatGPT to plagiarize, but we can’t let the fear of what ChatGPT might be used for overshadow the benefits it can provide to students involved in the research process,” Ruge said. “I am proud that the GVSU faculty I have spoken with aren’t outright condemning ChatGPT, but are making efforts to learn how to use it. It really shows that our faculty is student-focused and, themselves, willing to evolve and meet the students where they’re at.” 

GVSU’s Department of Writing advises students to “use AI critically and cautiously” and “cite all interactions with AI.” The writing center is working towards creating a citation guide to reflect this in Chicago, MLA and APA styles. 

The Knowledge Market is also training their employees on effective and responsible use of AI. Knowledge Market Director Jennifer Torreano said student workers are capable of helping students fact check AI generated information. 

“When AI gives information with no citation—or worse, a hallucinated citation—research consultants can help students find credible information on the topic. The information found may confirm or dispute what an AI tool has stated. Regardless, research consultants can help students document these credible sources using whatever style is required for the class,” Torreano said. 

For students and faculty interested in learning more about how AI can be integrated into their lives, Torreano suggests attending a workshop entitled “Ethical and Effective Use of Artificial Intelligence” on Oct. 26. This is a part of the larger event series called Level Up Your Tech Skills co-hosted by the Knowledge Market’s Digital Creator Lab and Tech Showcase.

“I don’t think anyone knows how AI will be used in education in the future. The technology is brand new, and we are all still evaluating its possibilities and pitfalls,” Torreano said. “These things will also change as AI evolves, so I expect the conversation to continue for many years.”

All GVSU students with junior standing are able to register for this class for the winter semester. Frederik Meijer Honors College students can also fulfill their community engagement requirements through the successful completion of the gen-ed issues course.

The course is taught by Gregory Warsen, Ph.D., faculty in the GVSU College of Education and Community Innovation. Warren is part of the Educational Leadership and Counseling Department and Educational Leadership Graduate Program Director within the college. 

Warsen is the current and fifth Endowed Professor of Civil Discourse at the GVSU Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse. Every two years, the Padnos/Sarosik Center invites applicants for the Endowed Professor of Civil Discourse position. Whoever is chosen for the Endowed Professor position then has the opportunity to develop a course and symposium to examine contemporary issues and diverse perspectives. 

The class Warsen designed examines the role of discourse in social issues. Students can expect to learn about communication tools, diverse perspectives and collaboration. Warsen will be directing this course in harmony with his experience in education. 

“I think one of the challenges facing society today and certainly public education is not that people disagree, that’s fine, but the question becomes, how are people disagreeing,” Warsen said. “Part of what motivated me to apply to be the Endowed Professor was that I just saw all this polarization in the public education space and it’s like, we’re having a hard enough time finding teachers and administrators, let’s not add to the problem by having folks worry about going into environments that are just going to be that heated.”

Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge they have gained in this course in a culminating final titled “The Curiosity Project.” Students will be required to identify their opinion on an issue and discuss it with a handful of individuals who have an opposing viewpoint. Warsen intends for students to engage in these conversations in a healthy, productive and curious way in order to better understand the opposing side. 

“(Civil Discourse work is) not really about changing somebody’s mind, so much as it’s about getting to an understanding of how a person got to where they are on a given issue,” Warsen said. “The result of The Curiosity Project may be a shift in the student’s opinion based on the experience of completing the assignment. Or it may be that position is reinforced and really either is okay.” 

Warsen hopes students will be able to carry the ability to listen and understand a variety of opinions into their future professions after completing the course. Warsen said discourse tools are useful for students because it’s “pretty hard to get into a profession where there aren’t going to be a wide variety of different viewpoints.”

“Solid leaders in a variety of different fields are often those folks that can lead with their ears,” Warsen said. “A really good leader is going to ask really good questions as opposed to just saying, ‘Here’s the vision I think we should do, and let’s go with that’ kind of thing.”

The “Civil Discourse–Bridging Divides Through Dialogue” has several open spots for enrollment in the winter semester and will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. 

Courts must use “the individual’s name, the designated salutation or personal pronouns or other respectful means that is not inconsistent with the individual’s designated salutation or personal pronouns when addressing, referring to or identifying the party or attorney, either orally or in writing” as specified in the order.

Any judge or party not withholding the new addendum could raise “delicate questions about judicial impartiality” and further imply that irresponsible conduct by judges erodes public confidence, as stated in the order. Failure to adhere to an individual’s expressed identifying pronouns, or addressing that individual in another manner that is still considered respectful, would violate the Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 2(B), a state equivalent of Canon 2(A) of the federal Code of Conduct for United States Judges.

Furthermore, any judge found to be prejudiced or that can be proven to have a serious risk of actual bias would be grounds for disqualification, and deemed in violation of Rule 2.003 (C1A and B) of Michigan Court Rules Chapter 2, Civil Procedure.

The new rule was passed in a 5-2 vote on Sept. 27, with Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement and Justices Richard Bernstein, Megan Cavanaugh, Elizabeth Welch and Kyra Bolden expressing their support. 

“In order to be fair and impartial, courts, as the face of the third branch of government, must conduct business in a way that does not give the appearance of misgendering individuals, intentionally or otherwise,” Welch writes in the order. “A primary goal of this change is to ensure that the judiciary operates in a manner that is objectively respectful of the individual identity and personal pronouns of the members of the public that we serve, regardless of the subjective viewpoints of individuals working within the court system.” 

This update is in concordance with the Hate Crimes Bill, House Bill 4474, passed by the Michigan House of Representatives in July. The bill was formed in an attempt to outline what constitutes a hate crime in Michigan and the punishments that should proceed with such crimes. However, nowhere in the bill does it explicitly state the misuse of pronouns as a crime. Although misgendering individuals could be considered rude, it is far from a prosecutable offense.

The new order plainly states the court may use “other means of respectful address,” such as referring to an individual by last name or party designation (i.e. “plaintiff”), and does not require judges to use a pronoun.

“What this amendment does is require judges who are provided with pronouns identified by a party or attorney to refrain from using non-designated pronouns when using pronouns to refer to those individuals during legal proceedings,” Justice Bolden said in concurrence with the amendment, citing the conclusion of federal case Garrett v. Ceballos. “Judges must also accept limits on their freedoms as part of their privilege to serve on the bench, for the betterment of the courts, and to uphold other policies.”

Carrie Buist, Associate Professor of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Legal Studies at Grand Valley State University said the order helps to better demonstrate a further commitment to justice in the legal system. 

“Language is constantly changing, and our institutions must reflect that change, especially if those institutions are supposed to be rooted in the concept of justice,” Buist said. “Regardless of personal opinion, our criminal legal system must represent everyone.” 

Though many people showed support for the pronoun policy, the change was not entirely well received. Some people claim the amendment forces the court to take sides in what dissenting Michigan Supreme Court Justice Brian Zahra called a “social debate.”

“Some believe that the use of preferred pronouns is simply a matter of courtesy and that those who oppose it are stubborn, perhaps even bigoted. Others, however, believe they should not be compelled, especially under oath and or in conflict with their deeply held religious beliefs, to affirm a person’s preferred pronouns that are inconsistent with the biological gender on that person’s birth certificate. All told, this is a fluid political debate into which our judicial branch of state government should not wade, let alone dive headfirst and claim to have resolved,” Zahra wrote in the court documents. 

Michigan is the first state to formally require constituents in judicial and legal fields to use preferred pronouns. This significant milestone could have a monumental impact on promoting inclusivity for all individuals. 

“Changes such as this can facilitate and foster inclusion for marginalized populations who often have a history of injustice in the system,” Buist said. “Speaking to the issue of names and pronouns in general, transgender folks experience disproportionately high rates of suicide and suicide ideation, depression and more– research continues to show us that using one’s preferred names and pronouns quite literally saves lives.” 

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After weeks of deliberation, the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners reached a decision about the budget for the Ottawa County Department of Health for the upcoming fiscal year. While the meeting was happening, the Chair Commissioner Joe Moss electronically served Health Officer Adeline Hambley’s legal team notification of his filing for her removal. 

During the seven-hour session that lasted until nearly 1 a.m. on Sept. 27, county representatives spent over two hours listening to residents’ opinions on the budget cuts. Many of these commenters came directly from a community rally against the cuts which occurred outside the health department prior to the meeting.

The final budget passed several hours later in a 7-to-3 vote, a figure $1.6 million lower than the initial general fund request from the health department of $6.4 million.  

With the finalization of the budget, the culmination of efforts from the health department’s administration and the community to save the health department’s funding were felled, leaving Hambley trying to salvage the department’s programming while legally defending her own position. 

Hambley filed a lawsuit against county commissioners after they voted last January to demote her to Interim Health Officer and hire Jamestown resident Nathanial Kelly for the position. The court of appeals case to determine Hambley’s role as the interim or official Health Officer is set to occur Oct. 11. 

Commissioners Board Chairman Moss and now Vice-Chair Sylvia Rhodea are founding members of the “far-right fundamentalist group” Ottawa Impact that formed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic after they “unsuccessfully sued the previous board and county health officer over COVID-19 mitigation mandates in 2020 and 2021,” according to the Holland Sentinel. 

As Commissioner Moss sat in the public forum Tuesday night, his legal representation, David Kallman of Kallman Legal Group, informed Hambley’s legal team of Moss’s intention to move forward with her removal from her position in court. 

“Commission Chair Moss plans to file the Notice and Changes with the County Clerk at 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 28th. I wanted to reach out and see if there is any interest from your client to resolve all of her disputes amicably with one global resolution where parties can go their separate ways,” according to Kallman’s communication with Sarah Riley Howard of Pinsky Smith. 

Riley Howard told Kallman her client has no interest in coming to a mediation that would ultimately result in Hambley’s resignation. 

“(The county commission has) made very clear that basically a resolution in their mind is her quitting, and not being the health officer, and that’s what she’s not willing to do,” Howard said. “She has bent over backwards in my opinion, and worked pretty hard to compromise with them and give them the benefit of her experience. They have not wanted her there since day one. They’ve wanted to fire her and replace her with their own candidate, which is not how the health officer works under state law.” 

Hambley feels there is no room for compromise with the board of commissioners, especially when that compromise would sacrifice necessary services for the community, affecting her ability to uphold her duty to the community as health officer under the law. She feels the commissioners would also not want to “find middle ground” with her, either, based on previous social media posts from Moss.

“There’s matching requirements and all these things in the budget that we work with fiscal to develop earlier in the year and we put into our system in May and so there isn’t a lot left that we’re able to compromise on,” Hambley told the Lanthorn. “We’re already at that bottom line. And ultimately, if they’re asking to compromise in a way that makes me not in compliance with the requirements of the law or statute, as I’m required, then it’s not a compromise that can be made.” 

As for what the laws and procedures look like, Howard elaborates that the county commissioners must prove that Hambley demonstrated incompetence, misconduct, or failure to perform duties under due process of law to justify her removal. 

In the filing, Moss claims Hambley fits this criteria, “making false representations about the budgetary scenarios, falsely claiming she was not included in the budget process, failing to cooperate in the budget process, and making false claims that encouraged and caused confusion, anxiety, fear and panic in the community.”

Moss’s accusation against Hambley were made following several public comments and media postings from Hambley regarding the commission. Following her posts, the administration terminated her access to the department’s media accounts.

However, Hambley indicated in a press release response to the budget approval she believes much of the data provided by Commissioner Moss is inaccurate. She explained the county is downplaying the severity of the budget cuts by taking credit for other city incomes they are not inherently providing to the health department. 

The health department is anticipating around $507,100,000 more coming from the state for essential services, which Hambley states the county commissioners are including in their claims of financial contribution. However, the commissioners office only contributes the money allocated to the general fund directly to the health department, and the funds received from the state for essential operation should not be included because it is an unfair characterization. 

The chart published within Hambley’s response shows the exact amount of money in the general fund dating back to 2001, and is hardly the second highest of all time, as Commissioner Moss claimed. Howard said Hambley aimed to first speak with the commissioners privately, however, traditional means were not “getting very far” which lead her to speak out via social media and other means.

“She (Hambley) tried really hard at the beginning of her tenure with this county commission in January, to give them information about budget things they’d want to keep in mind. But she didn’t get a lot of response from them and then they hacked up her budget so she decided she had to go to the public directly and report this,” Howard said.

Hambley said the programs that will take the largest hit from the lack of funding are the health education and nutrition programs, receiving almost a 50 percent cut from last year. Hambley said in many cases, these are resources that could be utilized by GVSU students and student organizations. 

For example, the Suicide Prevention Coalition provides resources for suicide prevention and education that students may utilize. Other areas students might experience the effects of the limited budget include various community trainings, and limited hours or closing health department locations. 

The depleted general fund forces the health department to find outside grants to support some programs. Hambley expresses concern for this due to previous incidents in which the commissioners board declined sources for funding because they didn’t agree with the programming those funds will be allocated to support such as immunization, family planning or STD prevention. 

“When they (the commissioners) don’t believe that those things should exist or don’t believe in the science behind them it makes it a challenge to even attempt to find external funding or to maintain some of that programming,” Hambley said to the Lanthorn. “That’s concerning, what that means for public health and for our community (especially with the health department’s presence) forbidden at places or events that (the commissioners) personally don’t agree with. That is not good governance, and that’s not how public health should work.”

Previously, commissioners have expressed scrutiny for the health department’s involvement in some programming among GVSU and the surrounding community, specifically regarding sex education on campus and LGBTQ health.

Hambley claims the commissioners have targeted many of her efforts as health officer since early January, stating their “revenge politics” cause a negative impact on the community’s overall health care. She worries the commissioners’ political views could step on the overall health needs of the community. 

“The people in our community that end up paying the price for, sort of, the political machinations or retaliation, the revenge politics that are occurring here are the most marginalized in our community,” Hambley said. “Those are the people that are usually the least able to advocate for themselves, to have a strong voice.”

Hambley said her role as the health department officer shouldn’t be jeopardized because of the board’s political agenda. She defends her position as something that is not political and by law is based entirely on serving the health needs of the community.

“I shouldn’t be susceptible to the politics of whatever the board has. It should be valid for science and good solid public health principles and doing what’s best for the community to protect the community,” Hambley said.

Hambley’s removal hearing is set to occur Oct. 19. In light of this, her legal representation has since filed an emergency motion to expedite the case with the court of appeals, pending a final decision. 

Hambley advocates for a strong public health officer in Ottawa County. Not only is it in the “best interest for compliance with the law” but it’s also important to have a health officer that “follows good science” and “good health practices” for the well-being of the community, she says.

“They have a duty requirement under the law and the authority granted to do what’s right to best protect the health environment of the community, even if you know that is not in agreement with the majority board population or a majority board opinion,” Hambley said.

“Recently, faculty and staff members have notified our office about several instances in which their direct deposit accounts have been compromised. This may include student employees,” read the warning from Human Resources. 

The notice urged employees to review their direct deposit information in myBanner to ensure it is still correct. Likewise, it also recommended employees contact the payroll department or IT services if changes were made to the employee’s account without their knowledge. 

“Payroll recommends that if an employee receives an email stating that their direct deposit has been changed, and they did not make the change via Self Service Banner, to please contact payroll immediately,” said Brenda Sain, GVSU’s Payroll Manager. 

Payroll diversion scams are a newer form of fraud in the United States. It occurs when cybercriminals steal employee’s personal information, such as name and contact information, and use it to make changes to their direct deposit account. Often, this causes the destination of the deposit to be rewired from the employee’s account to the scammer’s account. Come payday, employers believe they are paying their employees, but are unknowingly lining the pockets of internet criminals. 

“Usually if an account is compromised the account owner is unaware until fraudulent activity occurs,” said Assistant Director of Public Safety Leah Heaton. “Checking bank accounts frequently to make sure there are no suspicious charges is definitely helpful. If using direct deposit when getting a receipt from an employer, check your bank account to make sure the money arrived. It’s much easier to find a discrepancy right away than months later.” 

Having a paycheck stolen without their knowledge can be a nightmare for many employees. Heaton said there are many ways that community members can protect their hard-earned money. 

“Having multiple security layers to accounts such as Duo Mobile, can help to prevent anyone else from getting access to your accounts. The secondary layer of protection has the owner provide a code or click on verification that they are trying to access the account in question,” Heaton said. 

Often, payroll diversion scams come in the form of phishing: the action of scammers impersonating trusted entities such as banks or insurance companies, primarily through emails or messages, in order to get victims to reveal their personal information. 

“Do not give anyone your password or account username,” Heaton said. “If you receive a suspicious email or even an email you may think is legitimate, verify any links you are being asked to click on. The GVSU IT website has great examples of phishing emails and tools to avoid becoming a victim of these email scams.”

Likewise, if a student or faculty member suspects they have received a phishing email at their university address, it is recommended that the message be forwarded to GVSU’s IT department.  

If a GVSU community member has found discrepancies in their direct deposit account, Heaton advises taking action and contacting GVSU’s payroll team.

“If you think one of your accounts has been compromised, I would suggest contacting your bank, credit card companies, or credit report agency to either freeze accounts or put alerts on accounts for any suspicious activity,” Heaton said. “If you are looking for a criminal investigation, contact your local police department.”