TRiO program participants help Ronald McDonald House residents

The TRiO Student Support Services Program participated in a baking event for the Ronald McDonald House here in Grand Rapids this past Saturday February 16th.

The Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan serves families of children and youth who are receiving inpatient or outpatient medical treatment in the Grand Rapids community. Guest families are provided with affordable housing, meals, transportation, and a variety of amenities and services.

There are 17 rooms available for families to stay in and are all currently occupied, with approximately ten families on the waiting list.

Our student volunteers: Breanna Cook, Victoria Vitales-Lanuza, Carly Misech, Shanita Jackson, E Yasmine Walton-Durst, and Tam Bui, along with staff members Anna Maria Clark and Maggie M-Spruit enjoyed Saturday morning baking chocolate chip cookies, cheesecake brownies and apple crisp.

A priceless gift of time and talent that is so special to the families that stay at the Ronald McDonald House.

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Terri Tilford-Tillman announces marriage

Dr. Terri Burt from the Counseling and Career Services Department was recently married. She celebrates a new marriage with her husband, Roosevelt, and 5 new children. Her new name is Dr. Terri Tilford-Tillman. (Tilford is her maiden name.)

Adjusted hours for service areas

The service areas have adjusted hours during the upcoming weeks.

During the week of December 17 to 21, 2012, and January 2 to 4, 2013, Cashiers, Counseling & Career Center, Enrollment Center, Financial Aid, Student Life and Conduct, and the Testing (Assessment) Center will close at 5 p.m.

The service areas will offer extended hours from January 7 to 10 and 14 to 17, 2013, to serve students. For a complete list of offices and hours, click here.

Raider Salute to Anna Maria Clark

 

GRCC students during a campus visit to Michigan State University.

TRiO Student Support Services would like to give a Raider Salute to Anna Maria Clark for the great job she did organizing campus visits to Grand Valley State and Michigan State universities.

 

She worked diligently with each school to provide the students with the opportunity to gain the information they needed to transfer smoothly to their four-year schools.

Thank you, Anna, for all you do!

Disability Awareness Month Quiz Winner Is…

Danielle Nyland from the Lakeshore Campus!

Danielle has won a $10 gift card to Arts and Bevs Restaurant. A big thanks to Secchia Institute of Culinary Education for their support of increasing awareness about disability on our campus. 

Disability Support Services will continue to bring you tips to increase your disability awareness throughout the school year.

Congratulations To Newlyweds Ryan & Katie (Geeseman) Hughes

 Katie Hughes, of the Counseling & Career Center, was married on May 20, 2012 to Ryan Hughes in Cadillac MI.   They had an outdoor wedding, followed by a reception at Fox Hills Center in Cadillac.  The couple was surrounded by many family, friends & co-workers for their wedding day – including GRCC alumni of the International Student Organization that Katie has remained close to over the last 14 years.

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Photos: TRiO Student Support Services October Events

TRiO Student Support Services held a welcome back Halloween party for their students on Tuesday Oct 23, 2012, and a MICUP Poster Presentation the next day. Students who presented their posters on the 24th also presented them at the Summer 2012 MICUP Program (Michigan College/University partnership) at Michigan Technological University to exhibit their research posters.

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Photos From Transfer Fair

The Counseling and Career Center held its the annual Fall College Transfer Fair on October 24, 2012 – a great opportunity for students to learn more about the transfer schools they intend to transfer to or to help students find a transfer school.

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Disability Support Services presents National Disability Awareness Month

The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990 and was amended in 2008 (ADAAA.)  The Act protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination that may occur as a result of misconceptions, attitudinal barriers, and/or failure to provide appropriate accommodations, auxiliary aids, or services.  Obligations of colleges and universities are outlined under Title 2 of the ADA.

ADA definition of disability: Having a record of or being regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life.
Source: Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12102(2)

Major life activities include: caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.
Source: 42 U.S.C. § 12102 (as amended by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008)

Breakdown of specific reported disabilities in the US (source: U.S. Census 2000).

-9.3 million reported having a sensory disability involving sight or hearing.
-21.2 million reported having a disability that limits their ability to engage in basic physical activity such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying.
-12.4 million reported having a physical, mental or emotional condition that makes it difficult to learn, remember or concentrate.
-18.2 million reported their disability makes it difficult to venture outside the home.

People with disabilities constitute the nation’s largest minority group, and the only group any of us can become a member of at any time.  (Source: 2009 Disability Funders Network)

Next week: A chance to test your knowledge and win an Arts and Bevs gift certificate courtesy of Secchia Institute of Culinary Arts.

A Tool to Help Students Stay on Track to Graduate With My Degree Path – Coming 10/15/12

Have your students ever wondered:

• What classes do I still need to graduate?
• What if I change my major?
• How do I plan what courses to take next semester?

Introducing, a tool to help students stay on a clear path to graduation!  Starting October 15 – they will be able to log into their Online Student Center accounts and access this tool.  Explore. Plan. Learn. Graduate.

My Degree Path is a web-based tool designed to help you stay on a clear path to graduation.   It enables you and your advisor to review your coursework – past, present, and future – and evaluate which degree requirements you have completed and which remain to be completed.

How does My Degree Path work?
For students, My Degree Path will:

• Provide real-time advice, 24/7 for students
• Outline a path to graduation for a specific GRCC program
• Allows for the creation of semester by semester degree plan
• Provides self-service capabilities
• Allows exploration of other GRCC programs (what if)
• Allows direct access to multiple related services and advice

More information available at grcc.edu/MyDegreePath

A Tool to Help Students Stay on Track to Graduate With My Degree Path – Coming 10/15/12

Have your students ever wondered:

• What classes do I still need to graduate?
• What if I change my major?
• How do I plan what courses to take next semester?

Introducing, a tool to help students stay on a clear path to graduation!  Starting October 15 – they will be able to log into their Online Student Center accounts and access this tool.  Explore. Plan. Learn. Graduate.

My Degree Path is a web-based tool designed to help you stay on a clear path to graduation.   It enables you and your advisor to review your coursework – past, present, and future – and evaluate which degree requirements you have completed and which remain to be completed.

How does My Degree Path work?
For students, My Degree Path will:

• Provide real-time advice, 24/7 for students
• Outline a path to graduation for a specific GRCC program
• Allows for the creation of semester by semester degree plan
• Provides self-service capabilities
• Allows exploration of other GRCC programs (what if)
• Allows direct access to multiple related services and advice

More information available at grcc.edu/MyDegreePath

Career Decision-Making Opportunities for Students

Do your students need help with career direction or skills in finding and keeping a job?  If the answer to either question is yes, GRCC offers two classes to help!

• CLS 101 is a one credit course focusing on career decision-making. This course is offered in a two day format during the Fall semester.
• CLS 105 is a two credit course which assists students in the development of successful employment search strategies for today’s competitive and changing job market. This class starts October 17.

For more information on the course descriptions go here.  To enroll in these courses, direct students to their online student center at www.grcc.edu/onlinecenter

GRCC TRiO and Student Support Services Students at 2012 MICUP-MI-LSAMP Program – Photos

Whitney Harper, Anna Maria Clark, Ronnie Lane, Leonardo Beiler, Levon, Cimmonian, Kyle O’Connor, Mike Grimes, Ashima Chhabra, Travis Slooter, Raymond Gant, and Prof. Leigh Klienert

Nine TRiO/Student Support Services students participated in the Summer 2012 MICUP/MI-LSAMP Program this year. It’s the 10th summer of a very successful partnership and students excelled not only in the classroom but also in their research internships.

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The MICUP/MI-LSAMP Program is a partnership with Michigan Technological University that provides students with an opportunity for a seven-week summer research internship – where the students will work closely with a faculty/mentor assisting in their research, take a class, and receive comprehensive academic advising and tutoring – all within an expense paid, residential campus experience.

This year Professors Leigh Kleinert and Jennifer Batten attended the annual MICUP Partners Meeting. We were also joined by GRCC MICUP Alumn Mike Grimes who transferred to Michigan Tech after completing the MICUP program and is pursuing and Computer Science Degree.

For questions on the MICUP/MI-LSAMP program contact Anna Maria Clark in the TRiO/Student Support Services Program @ 616/234-4150.

Welcome New ESP Langston Gant to Campus

GRCC ESPs would like to welcome Langston Gant to the college. Langston is the new Counseling Services Coordinator in the Counseling and Career Center. He worked as a student employee in Counseling before his graduation from GRCC in 2007. Langston then transferred to Northwood University where he graduated with his BBA in December 2011.

In his spare time Langston likes to play bass guitar and spend quality time with his fantastic girlfriend and his family. Originally from Big Rapids, Michigan, Langston hopes to one day become a college professor like many of his wonderful professors here at GRCC.

Welcome Langston!

Counseling Winter 2012 IDEA Newsletter

The Winter 2012 edition of the IDEA (Imagine Develop Explore Achieve) newsletter from GRCC’s Counseling Advising & Retention Services Department is now available.  It contains an array of information about how students can be successful as well as resources and workshop offerings from Counseling.  Read the full publication here (.pdf).