News
News items about Community Engagement at SVSU, which can include service learning, internships, community-based research, community service, global collaboration and distinctive programs. For a complete list of News, please go to the Newsroom. To submit an item, please contact JJ Boehm, director of media and community relations, at ext. 4055
April 17, 2026
SVSU to partner with St. Clair County Community College to expand access to higher education
Saginaw Valley State University and St. Clair County Community College, located in Port Huron, are joining forces to expand opportunity to residents throughout the Thumb and Southeast Michigan.
April 15, 2026
Robots return: SVSU to host FIRST® Robotics state championship
Robots are returning to Saginaw Valley State University for the eighth year. SVSU will host the FIRST® in Michigan state championship beginning Thursday, April 16, and running through Saturday, April 18.
April 14, 2026
SVSU Theatre Department presents modern adaptation of classic
The Saginaw Valley State University Department of Theatre will present “Little Women … Now,” a contemporary adaptation of the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott, April 15-19 in the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts.
April 3, 2026
SVSU to host ‘Writing the Constitution’ event
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union … .” Many Americans recognize the opening words to the Constitution of the United States, but fewer may know much about the document that expresses the fundamental framework of our system of government.
March 31, 2026
SVSU to host NPR ‘Hidden Brain’ creator, host Shankar Vedantam
Saginaw Valley State University will welcome Shankar Vedantam, host and creator of NPR’s “Hidden Brain,” as part of the 2025-26 University Lecture Season.
February 24, 2026
Theodore Roethke Poetry & Arts Festival set for March 20-25
A slate of poetry readings, musical performances and arts events will take place across Saginaw March 20-25 as Saginaw Valley State University presents the Theodore Roethke Poetry & Arts Festival, a triennial tribute to Saginaw’s Pulitzer Prize–winning poet.
February 20, 2026
SVSU community engagement activities earn national recognition
A tradition of involving students in research, fieldwork and service learning has earned Saginaw Valley State University the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement (CE) Classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education.
February 19, 2026
African American food, culture at center of SVSU’s “A Taste of Soul”
Soul food classics like catfish, black-eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, and peach cobbler are on the menu for Saginaw Valley State University’s annual “A Taste of Soul.”
January 9, 2026
Community leaders to receive Drum Major Award at MLK Regional Celebration
Four dedicated community leaders from Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties will be honored with the 2026 Drum Major Award for Community Service. Nicole Luczak, Jennifer Vannette, and Jack and Janet Nash will be recognized during the 17th Annual Great Lakes Bay Region Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Thursday, Jan. 22.
December 11, 2025
Cynt Marshall, former CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, to deliver keynote at MLK Jr. Regional Celebration
The Great Lakes Bay Region will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the annual Great Lakes Bay Region Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at 7 p.m. in the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts inside Curtiss Hall at Saginaw Valley State University.
December 4, 2025
SVSU welcomes 2025-26 Gerstacker Fellowship cohort
Saginaw Valley State University introduced 10 K-12 education leaders from across Michigan as the newest members of the Gerstacker Fellowship Program during the program’s annual symposium at SVSU in November.
November 18, 2025
Renowned pianist Kathryn Brown to perform at SVSU, lead Piano Day
Internationally acclaimed pianist Kathryn Brown, Head of the Keyboard Division at the Cleveland Institute of Music, will feature the Rhea Miller Concert Series at Saginaw Valley State University on Friday, Nov. 21. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.
November 11, 2025
Michigan journalist wins SVSU literature award
Author John Gallagher, a veteran journalist who spent 32 years with the Detroit Free Press, has been awarded Saginaw Valley State University’s 2025-2026 Stuart D. and Vernice M. Gross Award for Literature for his memoir “Rust Belt Reporter.” The award is part of SVSU’s community-minded commitment to recognize exceptional publications within Michigan.
November 10, 2025
SVSU celebrates International Education Week
Saginaw Valley State University has long fostered global connections, establishing partnerships with universities around the world, engaging in faculty exchanges, and promoting and facilitating study-abroad opportunities for domestic and international students.
November 3, 2025
Bug out with SVSU’s Insect-A-Palooza
Bugs take center stage at Saginaw Valley State University on Saturday, Nov. 8, when visitors can get a close-up look at the tiny creatures that make a big impact on our world.