Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) is a public university located in University Center, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1963 as Saginaw Valley College and is the most recently created public university in Michigan. The university’s campus spans 748 acres (303 hectares) and is situated in Kochville Township, about 5.5 miles (8.9 kilometers) north of downtown Saginaw, Michigan. SVSU provides more than 100 academic programs for undergraduate and graduate students across its five colleges. The main campus in University Center has approximately 8,500 students.
History
Higher education in the Saginaw Valley region began with the founding of Bay City Junior College in 1922. This college was later replaced by Delta College in 1961, but the area still did not have a four-year college. Saginaw Valley College was created as a private school in November 1963 and became a state-supported institution in 1965. The name changed to Saginaw Valley State College in 1974 and to Saginaw Valley State University in 1987.
In 1955, community leaders in the Saginaw Valley met to discuss creating a local college. The next year, a group of 300 people suggested building a two-year college that could later become a four-year college. Voters approved the idea for Delta College in 1958, and it opened in 1961.
In 1963, legal papers were created for Saginaw Valley College, which was first called Delta Senior University. The state gave Saginaw Valley College a charter as a private, four-year liberal arts school. Samuel D. Marble, who was president of Delta College, became president of Saginaw Valley College in 1964. After four months, he left Delta College. The first class of 119 students completed two years at Delta College and then moved to Saginaw Valley College. The first graduation ceremony happened in 1966 at a church in Midland for 10 students. A permanent campus for Saginaw Valley College was chosen in Kochville Township in 1966, and classes moved there the next year. Construction began on Wickes Hall in the late summer of 1966. Saginaw Valley College received full approval from the North Central Association in April 1970. The college’s sports teams were first called the Redbirds, but later changed to Cardinals after two coaches saw a decoration with a cardinal at a golf tournament in Kentucky. In 1972, the Cardinals joined the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and in 1974, Frank "Muddy" Waters became the college’s first football coach.
In 1974, the name changed to Saginaw Valley State College. That same year, Samuel D. Marble resigned as president. He had also led Delta College and Wilmington College in Ohio. He was named president emeritus, and a lecture hall in Wickes Hall was named after him. In November 1974, Jack M. Ryder became president of the college. A report in 1977 suggested combining Saginaw Valley State College and Delta College for better efficiency, but the idea did not work. In 1980, Saginaw Valley State College received approval for master’s degree programs. That year, two Japanese students visited the college, starting a growing international student program. A fire in 1985 destroyed financial records and other important documents. In 1987, the college became home to the works of sculptor Marshall M. Fredericks.
On November 5, 1987, Saginaw Valley State College became Saginaw Valley State University. Jack Ryder left his position as president in 1989, and Eric R. Gilbertson took over. An off-campus location opened in Cass City in 1991. In 2000, George W. Bush visited the Ryder Center before the presidential election. The annual Battle of the Valleys, a fundraising competition with Grand Valley State University, started in 2003. In 2009, SVSU alumnus Tony Ceccacci was the lead flight director for a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, and an SVSU pennant was sent to space on the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The pennant is now displayed in Pioneer Hall. In 2013, President Gilbertson announced his plan to retire when his replacement was found.
In 2014, Ming Chuan University, the first Asian university to be approved in the United States, opened a campus in Gilbertson Hall.
In 2015, Saginaw Valley State University applied to the Carnegie Foundation for a Community Engagement Classification. To qualify, schools must show examples of how they work with the community. This classification lasts for 10 years.
Samuel Davey Marble was president of Saginaw Valley College from March 23, 1964, to January 14, 1974. He had also been the first president of Delta College from 1958 to 1964. A lecture hall in Wickes Hall was named after him, and two scholarships were created in his honor: the Gladys and Samuel Marble Graduate Business Scholarship Fund in 1997 and the Samuel Marble Memorial Scholarship in 1990 for transfer students from Delta.
Jack McBride Ryder was president of Saginaw Valley State College and later Saginaw Valley State University from November 1, 1974, to June 30, 1989. He helped build Brown Hall, the Zahnow Library, the science building, and the Ryder Center. He also helped raise money for Pioneer Hall, the Arbury Fine Arts Center, the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, and Wickes Stadium. Because of his leadership, Saginaw Valley State College, Grand Valley State College, Ferris State College, and Lake Superior State College became universities through a law signed on November 4, 1987. Ryder was named a president emeritus in 1991.
Eric R. Gilbertson became president of Saginaw Valley State University on August 29, 1989, and served the longest time in the university’s history. During his time as president, the university’s money fund grew 20 times, the campus size tripled, and enrollment nearly doubled. Gilbertson was a former president of Johnson State College in Vermont and worked at Ohio State University. He announced his plan to retire in 2013 when his replacement was chosen.
Donald Bachand became Saginaw Valley State University’s fourth president on February 17, 2014, and was officially installed on June 22.
George Grant Jr. became Saginaw Valley State University’s fifth president on January 1, 2023. He previously worked as chancellor of Penn State Berks and spent 24 years at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, including 12 years as dean of the College of Community and Public Service.
Academics
Saginaw Valley State University is considered "selective" by U.S. News & World Report. For the Class of 2025 (enrolling in Fall 2021), SVSU received 5,878 applications and accepted 4,577 (77.9%), with 1,336 students starting classes. The middle 50% range of SAT scores for students who began classes was 970–1160. The middle 50% range of ACT composite scores was 18.5–25.
The College of Arts and Behavioral Sciences is the oldest of the university’s five colleges.
The Scott L. Carmona College of Business is approved by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Named after Scott L. Carmona, a 1981 graduate and owner of Sunrise National Distributors Inc., the college is growing with a 38,500-square-foot addition expected to open in 2020.
SVSU offers programs to train teachers, programs for teachers to learn new skills, and programs to help teachers renew their qualifications or get new certifications.
The Crystal M. Lange College of Health and Human Services is named for the founder of the College of Nursing, who led the college for 20 years.
The College of Science, Engineering, and Technology offers academic programs in science, engineering, and technology subjects.
Saginaw Valley’s most popular undergraduate majors, based on 2021 graduates, were:
Saginaw Valley State University received approval from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association as a school that grants bachelor’s degrees in 1970. In 1980, the commission approved the university to also grant master’s degrees. These approvals have continued without interruption since the original approval. SVSU also has ten programs that have received special approvals.
Campus
Wickes Hall is named for Harvey Randall Wickes. It serves as the main place where the school is managed.
Brown Hall is named for Maurice E. Brown. It contains offices for teachers and classrooms.
The Melvin J. Zahnow Library has more than 200,000 printed books and over 400,000 items that are not printed.
The Arbury Fine Arts Center is named for Ned and Dorothy Arbury. It has classrooms and other spaces for fine arts, including the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum.
The Herbert Dow Doan Science Building is named after Herbert Dow Doan. It has classrooms, offices for teachers, teaching labs, research labs, and a Starbucks.
Curtiss Hall is named for Charles B. Curtiss, a long-time member of the Board of Control. Groening Commons, the large atrium inside Curtiss Hall, is named for William A. Groening. Curtiss Hall houses the theater for Performing Arts and Rhea Miller Recital Hall, as well as the Scott L. Carmona College of Business. Malcolm Field The
Pioneer Hall, the home of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, was completed in 1978 and recently underwent a large renovation. It has a green certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the first building in mid-Michigan to be recognized for this.
Eric R. Gilbertson Hall is home to the College of Education and other classes and departments, including the James A. Barcia Center for Public Policy and Service. Originally named the Regional Education Center, the building was renamed in 2014 after the university's third president. Ming Chuan University's Michigan Campus is located in this building.
Bachand Hall (formerly known as the Health & Human Services building) is home to the Crystal M. Lange College of Health and Human Services. The building uses the largest aqua-thermal heating and cooling system in the state of Michigan, which saves over 35% on energy costs.
The Doan Center houses the Marketplace at Doan, the main dining hall, and the Student Center, which contains several student-related activities. It is named for Leland I. Doan.
The Ryder Center for Health & Physical Education is the main athletic building on campus and also houses classrooms. It is named for Jack McBride Ryder.
The Covenant MedExpress is a $2.6 million clinic open to SVSU students and the public. It is part of a partnership with Covenant Healthcare and has X-ray and lab facilities.
(In order of construction)
• First year suites A-E
• First year suites F and G
• MJ Brandimore House (formerly known as Living Center North)
• Living Center South
• University Village
• Pine Grove
• Living Center Southwest
Administration
The university is led by the Board of Control, a group created by the Michigan Constitution and state laws. This board has eight members chosen by the Governor of Michigan, and each member serves for eight years. The university is considered part of the state government, which means it does not have to pay federal income tax.
Athletics
Saginaw Valley State University has 18 college teams that compete at the NCAA Division II level as part of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). The university's teams compete in these sports:
The Junior Varsity football program began in 1974. Varsity football and the marching band both started in 1975. The school's song is called "Cardinal Fight," and it was written by Thomas Root.
The Men's Ice Hockey team won back-to-back national championships in 2009 and 2010.
Student newspaper
The Saginaw Valley Journal is the unofficial campus newspaper of Saginaw Valley State University. It is one of the few campus newspapers in the United States that operate for profit. The Journal began publication on March 18, 2009. In 2013, it was bought by Blackhurst Campbell LLC, which later renamed itself The Saginaw Valley Journal Limited Liability Company.
The Valley Vanguard is the official campus newspaper. It has been in operation since 1967.
Cultural exchange
The university has a partnership with Shikoku University in Tokushima, Japan, for an exchange program.
Notable alumni
- James A. Barcia, elected official
- Matt Black, professional football player
- Rob Callaway, professional football player
- Meera Chopra, actress in Indian films from southern India
- John DiGiorgio, professional football player
- Nicole Franzel, television personality
- David R. Gilmour, U.S. Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea
- Gail Goestenkors, college basketball coach
- Sue Guevara, college basketball coach
- Jeff Heath, professional football player
- Todd Herremans, professional football player
- Khalid bin Ali Al Humaidan, director of Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Directorate
- Jeff Janis, professional football player
- Jonathon Jennings, professional football player
- Lamar King, professional football player
- Matt Koleszar, state representative
- Matt LaFleur, professional football coach
- Dej Loaf, rapper and singer
- Ruvell Martin, professional football player
- Glenn Martinez, professional football player
- Eugene Marve, professional football player
- Suzy Merchant, college basketball coach
- Bill O'Neill, professional ten-pin bowler
- Jennifer Schomaker, scientist
- Paul Spicer, professional football player
- Bart Stupak, elected official
- Cale Wassermann, college soccer coach