After the death of Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, Glenn McIntosh, Grizzlies Together in Grief (G2G) arrived on campus to provide Oakland University students with a grief support group. Created during the Fall 2025 semester, G2G aims to establish itself as an accessible and low-stakes resource for students seeking support during bereavement periods.
Red Douglas, a graduate student and G2G president, first pitched the idea for the peer group as he considered the factors that can affect retention on college campuses.
“I remember I was sitting in a class and the question prompted was, ‘What are some reasons students would drop out?’” Douglas said. “I was just waiting for somebody to state the obvious, which is a bereavement event—you know, somebody you love dies. It’s very hard to stay enrolled and focused when students go through a life event like that.”
G2G stands in contrast to other bereavement resources on campus as it focuses on peer support, camaraderie and a casual environment, without the formalities of therapy or bereavement forms. Douglas envisioned the group as a place where students and community members could talk and process grief in the company of others who understood their situation.
“It’s not like somebody has more knowledge than the next person; we’re all equal,” Douglas said. “You don’t sit across the table; we sit next to each other. It’s just lower stakes and peers can talk freely without thinking that someone’s recording or this person’s taking notes on us, or this person’s going to judge me.”
The project was consolidated after McIntosh’s death, something that prompted Douglas — who was also grieving the passing of his grandfather — and other e-board members to take action to support the OU community.
“Glenn died and to be honest, the next day, I went and found Jean Ann to give her a hug and was like, ‘let’s get this grief group going this semester.’” Douglas said. “He passed on a Wednesday, I think by Friday, we were registering and trying to get the peer grief group running, because I just knew there would be a demand. He was so close with so many students.”
Coming together with more students at a time of loss, Douglas added Maggie Quinn to the G2G e-board to expand the group’s outreach. Quinn explained she hopes to make students feel welcomed and supported as they navigate their losses.
“Both Red and I had attended Vice President Glenn McIntosh’s funeral earlier [that] day and were discussing our experiences at the funeral when Red changed the subject and asked if I would be interested in joining the e-board,” Quinn, G2G PR manager, said. “Students should not have to suffer in silence and we want to help students who may be going through difficult circumstances but might not have the support to help cope with it.”
However, grief is not limited to death, but rather is the loss of something one has grown attached to, Douglas explained.
“Grief is simply the phenomenon of having an attachment towards something and that thing being gone,” Douglas said. “People can grieve a parental divorce, or the loss of a job. In fact, older adults grieve the loss of their independence. You can even grieve an injury that puts you out of your favorite sport.”
Their first meeting, dedicated to McIntosh, will be hosted at Room 128 of the OC, on Dec. 5, in collaboration with Active Minds — a mental health awareness student organization. A grief cafe, a grief walking group and an Earth Day initiative are also in the works to bring creative ways to navigate loss at OU.
“Grief is a complicated process,” Quinn said. “I hope that this group will make the experience less taboo and more normalized so that people can find the strength to continue amidst adversity and tough times they may be facing.”
If you or anyone you know is experiencing grief, the Counseling Center and UWill are available for professional help. The Bereavement Leave Request is also available for students who need time to process a loss.
