Learning Opportunities from Staff Development 3/26/12-4/5/12

What’s on your mind? Your thoughts and input are vital to the organizational improvement of GRCC. Please consider joining the group discussion being held this afternoon and facilitated by MaryBeth Beighley, which will identify areas in need of process improvement to increase organizational effectiveness.

Putting Input into Action
Mon March 26, 2012 | 2-4:00 PM | MPR SCC

We need your input so that we can take action! You are invited to participate in this focus group, discuss identified areas of concern, and provide ideas and input for organizational improvement. The PACE and SOS data is compiled into areas of improvement and strengths based on the highest rated and lowest rated items in four areas, institutional structure, supervisor relationship, team work and student focus. The focus groups provide general feedback and suggestions for improvement. Based on focus group feedback, an executive summary is presented to leadership to use for decision-making and process improvement purposes. Upon completing this session, participants will: Understand the Purpose of the PACE and SOS surveys, discover the results of the PACE survey, broken down by employee groups, division, and ethnicity, provide specific action items for improving organizational effectiveness, in areas identified through the PACE and SOS surveys.

GroupWise 8: Customization
Wed March 28, 2012 | 9:00-10:30 AM | 351 Main

GroupWise 8 offers innovations that will improve nearly every aspect of the way you organize and communicate. In this class you will learn how to fully customize the Home View to design and lay out the content that matters most to you. You will also learn effective tips on using tasks to keep track of all of your “to-dos” in our ever-growing busy world. Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to: Customize the Home ViewCreate and Prioritize TasksChange email messages to TasksColor-code email messages

Defusing Rude Behavior
Thurs April 5, 2012 | 2:00-4:00 PM | 129 Main

It can be difficult to know how to react when you are confronted with rude behavior. This course examines a number of cases of rude behavior and provides participants with effective tactics to responding in these situations.

Project Management 101
Thurs April 5, 2012 | 9:00-11:00 AM | 129 Main

Basic processes for project management are examined, including assembling a team, defining project objectives and scope, identifying and communicating with stakeholders, creating a timeline, delegating responsibilities, monitoring progress, and examining indicators of process effectiveness and accomplishment of objectives. Tools for project management are provided.

Grand Rapids City Planning Director Suzanne Schulz on Land Use and Sustainability – Video

Courtesy of GRCC’s Media Technologies department, this presentation by Suzanne Schulz about land use planning, zoning ordinances and their impact on sustainability is now available on Youtube:

Thank you to Officer Robin Kritzman for Visiting the Preschool

Friday, March 23 Officer Robin visited the Dino Room at the GRCC Lab Preschool. The Dino Room is a classroom of 3 to 4 year old children. She began her visit by sharing the tools on her belt. The children had a lot of questions and comments about the different tools that she uses. Officer Robin also read the story Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann. As she was leaving she showed the children the flashing lights on her vehicle. We are excited for her to visit us again.

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!

GRCC in the News – 3/26/12

Jaguars make consolation final
BY CHAD DARE | Commercial-News | March 24, 2012

DANVILLE — A basketball team’s bench is kind of like a supporting cast in a movie.They are not expected to be the main characters, but their roles can be very valuable. And that has definitely been the case for the 2012 Danville Area Community College men’s basketball during its postseason run. On Friday afternoon, Nyree Robinson had a big part in the Jaguars 62-54 win over the Grand Rapids Community College Raiders in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament at the Mary Miller Gymnasium. (More)

Alma Men’s Tennis loses close match to GRCC but comes back to defeat Defiance 8-1 on Saturday
Posted: Sat, March 24th, 2012 at 10:54PM | Alma College News

The men’s tennis team split a double-header in Ohio on Saturday. The team opened with the day with a tight 5-4 to loss to Grand Rapids Community College before bouncing back with an 8-1 win over host Defiance.  (More)

Grand Rapids boxer becomes father, West Michigan Golden Gloves champion in the same week
Published: Friday, March 23, 2012, 11:04 PM | Grand Rapids Press

WYOMING – It was a week of big news for Kingdamon Antoine. On Monday, the 19-year-old Grand Rapids Community College freshman found out he was a father of a four-month-old son, Christian Scurry.  (More)

Poor shooting ends GRCC basketball team’s run in national tournament
Published: Friday, March 23, 2012, 6:28 PM | Grand Rapids Press

DANVILLE, IL. — The run ended for the Grand Rapids Community College men’s basketball team in the consolation bracket of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Tournament.  (More)

Dark comedy ‘Ampersand’ debuts at Actors Theatre, raises questions of cloning, relationships (review)
Published: Friday, March 23, 2012, 1:15 PM | Grand Rapids Press

If you could clone your mate, and breed out their most striking flaws (as in, not the sort of cute, quirky little things), would you? And would you actually love them more without their darker aspects? Talk about ‘for better or for worse.’ The world premiere of “Ampersand,” a twisted yet often hilarious play, written by Seattle playwright Vincent Delaney, ponders these questions and more in a shining, visually compelling production by Actors’ Theatre, premiering Thursday night at Spectrum Theater.  (More)

Free college program for HS students – Wyoming Public Schools partnering with GRCC
Friday, 23 Mar 2012, 7:37 PM EDT | WOOD TV

WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) – Wyoming Public Schools will announce their partnership with GRCC to offer a free middle college program for their students starting this fall. It’s a partnership that has been worked on for more than a year and will allow students enrolled in Wyoming Public Schools to either graduate with an associate arts degree or if they go for their fifth year, they can go into a specialized program at GRCC.  (More)

9/11 widow who created organization to help Afghan women to speak at GRCC on Monday
Published: Friday, March 23, 2012, 3:58 PM | Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Susan Retik’s grief was still fresh from losing her husband in the 9/11 terrorist attacks when she first had the idea. […] On Monday, Retik, 44, will share her story at the Spectrum Theater at Grand Rapids Community College. Her discussion, which runs from 7:30-9:30 p.m., is free and open to the public.  (More)

Going Green for Spring With Blackboard

At GRCC, the Distance Learning and Instructional Technologies Department is focused on encouraging and promoting the use of “green” technologies.

Here are just a few ways that you can use technology such as Blackboard to reduce your carbon footprint and to create instruction that is sustainable, conserves resources, reduces waste, and overall minimizes the impact on the environment.  (More Info)

Race Ethnicity and Identity Conference Events for 3/26/12

Monday, March 26th

The Myth of the Post-Racial Society
10:00-11:30 a.m. | Professor Cedric Williams, GRCC

Idlewild’s Rapture: Race, Power, and Culture in America’s ”Black Eden”
3:00-4:30 p.m. | Professor Robert Hendershot, Ph.D, GRCC

Beyond the 11th: The Power of Humanity
7:30-9:00 p.m. | Keynote: Susan Retik: Co-Founder of Beyond the 11th | Location: Spectrum Theatre

Beyond the 11th is a non-profit organization that provides support to widows in Afghanistan who have been affl icted by war, terrorism & oppression.