Professional assistance available for Innovation Challenge student entrants

The October 15 deadline for Round 1 entries into the Innovation Challenge competition is fast approaching. Many of our students are innovative and have fresh viewpoints that are very valuable. They just need a little help communicating their ideas.

The Innovation Challenge Team has scheduled a special Innovation Challenge session Tuesday – especially for students – where they can get personal advice from Bill Fluharty, Design and Innovation Consultant from the Keller Future Center,  on their idea, the development of their idea or  the presentation of their idea.

The session is open from 3 – 4 PM on Tuesday, Oct. 11 in room 316 Main.

This year’s challenge is: How might GRCC reduce the need for and use of on-campus parking by 50% by 2015?

Please encourage students to give their ideas a chance. Remind them of this special opportunity – and remind them that they could win up to $3,000 for their idea!

New Administrator Code of Ethics Policy

GRCC has a new Administrator Code of Ethics policy Effective October 4, 2011.  Here are the important details:

• Applies to all administrators, Vice Presidents and President.
• Patterned after Faculty Code of Ethics previously adopted by the Academic Governing Council.
• The Code is aspirational, educational and regulatory.
• The Code addresses administrators’ responsibilities to guard the institution’s academic mission and to serve as good stewards of the College’s resources.

The full text of the policy is available here. (.doc)

ESPs welcome Erica Manning

GRCC ESPs would like to welcome Erica Manning to the college.  Erica is the new Financial Aid Specialist in Financial Aid after having been a student worker in the office for two years. She plans on transferring to Kendall College of Art & Design for Art History next fall and also plans on getting a degree in Gastronomy. She has a baking addiction (cookies, cakes, cupcakes, etc.) that she will gladly share with anyone and everyone. Erica also enjoys old musicals and anything vintage.  Welcome Erica!

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Think Pink!

Think Pink!  Visit The Raider Grille, Quiet Café and The Sneden Café to make a difference during October,  National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Food Services has collaborated with General Mills and the Local American Cancer Society to raise money for a great cause!

Ways that you can make a difference in the community:

1. Purchase Weekly Pink Specials at The Raider Grille; Quiet Café & Sneden Café.  Proceeds from each item sold will be donated to our local American Cancer Society to help defer costs associated with Cancer treatments!

Pink Specials at The Raider Grille, Quiet Café & Sneden Café:

Week #1:   Pink Velvet Cupcakes

Week #2:  Pink Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Week #3:  Pink Big as Your Head Cookies

Week #4   Pink Rice Crispy Treats

2. Buy Bracelets – They are only $1.00 and proceeds will be donated to the Hope Lodge of Grand Rapids.

3. Save the pink lids from your Yoplait yogurt purchases – for each pink lid collected, General Mills will donate $.10 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure

GRCC Library among 75 early adopters of new Sierra Services Platform

An annoucement was released today by California-based Innovative that a total of 75 library organizations, representing over 300 individual libraries, have entered into agreements to be partners in or early implementers of the Sierra Services Platform. GRCC is among these leaders.

Sierra development is currently focused on the new staff application interface, new features such as role-based workflows, third-party reporting options, and the open services architecture that is the foundation on which Sierra is built.

Innovative is working hard to ensure that the transition to Sierra will be as smooth as possible. For libraries using other ILS systems, Innovative’s professional services team will design, deploy, and scale a solution that fits the specific needs of the library, including new services and training programs tailored to the new functionality of Sierra. Sierra’s beta launch is scheduled for late 2011.