GRCC In the News, 2-4-13

Winter semester enrollment down at Grand Rapids Community College

February 1, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Enrollment at Grand Rapids Community College fell by 2.3 percent this semester, a decrease administrators attribute to an improving economy that has caused some residents to pursue a job rather than an education.

Internet pleas help reunite Good Samaritan who lost his keys, woman who appreciated good deed

February 3, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI It took a broken down van on a cold night, a kind stranger and a dropped set of keys along a Grand Rapids highway to remind Julie Spahn that people are good.

… Spahn, a Rockford mother of three, was stranded about 8:30 p.m. Jan. 24 on U.S. 131 near Leonard Street. She had just finished teaching a writing class at Grand Rapids Community College and was on her way home when the alternator inside her 20-year-old full size conversion van broke. Her battery died. Her emergency flashers did not work.

Spectrum Health creates job shadow program as early recruiting tool

February 2, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Emina Selmic is set on becoming a doctor.

Her determination only deepened Friday, Feb. 1, after the Grand Rapids Community College student completed a Job Shadow Day in Spectrum Health’s surgery unit.

Reaching New Heights with Safety Training

February 2013; windsystemsmag.com

In 2010 Safety Technology USA joined forces with Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) to become the first United States training center to offer the globally recognized Safety Technology safety certification program for the Wind Energy Industry.

Since this training was initially established the U.S. wind energy sector has continued to expand at a rapid rate with an impressive 51,630MW of cumulative wind capacity, and more than 40,000 turbines. Therefore the call for global standardized safety training is becoming more and more relevant.

 

 

 

‘Family Works’ Appeal launches

What is the GRCC “Family Works” Appeal?

The Appeal is an annual program to give faculty and staff the opportunity to support student success by investing in scholarship support through the GRCC Foundation. Remember, every gift is important —– and your participation is what counts! Watch your email for more information.

Video: the latest from GRCC TV on YouTube

“GRCC Dental Clinic/Nitrous Oxide Analgesia”

Steward Edward White Hall Symposium on Contemporary Issues focuses on gun violence

A joint project between the Psychology Department, Social Sciences Department and the Criminal Justice Department has been developed titled: The Stewart Edward White Hall Symposium on Contemporary Issues: Gun Violence in America. This will be held in Room 108 Sneden Hall, DeVos Campus on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday nights, February 11 through 13, 2013, at 7:00pm – 9:00pm. Light refreshments will be included on the Monday night session.

Please make your students and community aware of this event and help us get the word out.

Top 10 NBC Videos watched in Blackboard for January

In the month of January there were 1,255 visits to the NBC video archives in Blackboard with over 2,900 video minutes watched!

The following videos were the top 10 viewed in the month of January at GRCC:

• “The Pros and Cons of Gun Control”
• “Who Talks More, Men or Women?”
• “Mr. Rogers: ‘You Are Special'”
• “Studies Show Social Relationships Impact”
• “Health Kids Hooked on Electronics”
• “Mom and Dad, R U Listening?”
• “Teachers Brace for Layoffs, Bigger Class Sizes”
• “The Last Days of Martin Luther King, Jr.”
• “Feeding the Hungry Via the World Wide Web”
• “Common Errors: Accept vs. Except”

Interested in using NBC video in your Blackboard course? Here is a video tutorial that includes instructions on how to easily add accessible video into Blackboard.

Crane to be set up on south side of College Park Plaza

Equipment will be placed on College Park Plaza’s roof on February 11 and 12, 2013, in preparation for the arrival of the crane. The crane will be set up on the south side of the building in the Saint Mark’s Parking Lot.

Other renovation updates:

• Fireproofing patch work of the steel and metal deck is scheduled to be completed this week.
• Installation of the HW process piping continues on the second and third floors.
• Electrical rough-ins and conduit installation continues in the south mechanical chase, lower mechanical room and the fourth floor.
• Dry-wall, metal stud, and patch work for some walls continues on the third floor; work on the second floor will begin this week.
• The mechanical contractor is installing new ductwork on the second and third floors.
• Fire Suppression piping has been installed on the fifth floor.
• The concrete mechanical pads and chiller separation pad have been placed on the penthouse level.

Diversity Lecture Series presents journalist LZ Granderson

LZ Granderson

LZ Granderson, journalist, commentator and sports writer, will discuss “Dare You to Move” on February 13 as part of GRCC’s Diversity Lecture Series.

Mr. Granderson writes a weekly column for CNN.com, and is a senior writer and columnist for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. He is a contributor to ESPN’s “Sports Center,” “Outside the Lines” and “First Take.” This former Detroit gang member rose to be selected a Hechinger Fellow at Columbia University. His commentary reaches well beyond the world of athletics tackling subjects such as use of the N-word in the black community, the presence of gays in the locker room, and the truths and lies of reverse racism. Prior to joining ESPN, Mr. Granderson was a sports columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Grand Rapids Press.

His free lecture starts at 7 p.m. at Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain St. NE. ASL interpretation will be provided. On-campus parking is available for $3 with a discount pass. For more information,  call (616) 234-3390

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FROM STAFF DEVELOPMENT FOR THE WEEK OF FEB. 4-8

Please register online at http://cms.grcc.edu/currentlearning  or call Staff Development at ext. 4285 for any of the opportunities listed below.

Drupal Basics Refresher

Tue Feb. 5, 2013

11 AM – 12 PM

351 Main

In this refresher course, participants will review to navigation in the Drupal system, understand and use content types, and edit existing content. A new feature – creating tables – will be introduced. Instruction on compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act will also be covered.

Learning Objectives:

• Drupal navigation Edit Department Content type
• Edit Generic content type
• Edit bio information
• Create and edit tables (new!)
• ADA Compliance for web content.

 

Effective Facilitation Skills (Part 1 of 2)

Tue Feb. 5, 2013

11:30 AM – 1:30 PM

122 LRC

Skills for promoting learning through self-discovery are explored. Principles of adult learning and competencies of effective facilitators are discussed. Best practices for facilitating learning in groups will be explored.  Part 2 will be presented on Wed Feb. 20, 2013 from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM in Room 122 LRC.

 

Nonverbal Communication

Wed Feb. 6, 2013

1-3 PM

103 Sneden

People communicate with more than words. Other means of communication include movement, posture, gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, tone of voice, and use of space and time. Participants will learn how to control their nonverbal communications to make their communications more effective.

 

Brown Bag Lunch-Except for Six

Wed Feb. 6, 2013

11:30 AM – 1:30 PM

168 ATC

Bring your lunch and join us for part of the ‘Successful Aging’ video series presented by the GRCC Older Learner Center. This documentary is intended for the children and caregivers of aging parents and family members. The documentary was made in 2007 by dedicated hospice volunteers who wanted a better way to discuss end-of-life care. The film is an effort to change how we view the end-of-life. Michigan documentarian Matt Burnell directed the film which tells the stories of three individuals and their families facing challenges at the end of life. The film captures the poignancy of the end-of-life experience and dignity of these unique individuals. Award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has said of the film, “This is a heart-felt and important film that takes a subject that most of us would rather ignore and humanizes it. From the dedicated doctors and caregivers to the heroic patients, this is the story of what will happen to all of us.”

 

International Students & Staff

Thu Feb. 7, 2013

1-2:30 PM

107C Kirkhof Center, GVSU Allendale campus

Complete title: “Working with International Students, Faculty & Staff.” This interactive session will include current international students as well as an overview to better serve the international student population at GVSU and GRCC. This session will be presented by Kate Stoetzner, GVSU Director of International Student and Scholar Services.