Academic Testing Center to be closed on Saturdays during summer

The Academic Testing Center will be closed on Saturdays for the summer and will reopen September 14, 2013.

Architectural and Mechanical Design Student Wins $40,000 Scholarship to Lawrence Technological University

Andrew Bifulco won the Best of Show in the Motor City mixed-media arts competition. It was an arts competition sponsored by Lawrence Technological University. The muse for the competition was founded upon Detroit’s classic nickname, and challenged aspiring artists, designers, and architects to deconstruct, challenge, expand, contract and otherwise reposition this well-worn phrase.

The following is an excerpt from Andrew’s artist statement: “This piece represents the idea that perhaps cutting edge technology and sexy new designs are not the answer to Detroit’s troubling situation. Many residents have started urban community farms. There is a growing culture of cycling enthusiasts and makers of handmade and artisanal goods. “Spirit” suggests that perhaps the future of Detroit is one which will be low tech. Nature has been taking back the city as if the ground is consuming what sprung up decades ago.”

The award is $10,000 annually renewable for four years ($40,000 total) to a Lawrence Tech program. Andrew will be taking the Integrated Design Studio offered by Lawrence Technological University at GRCC next fall. This studio is offered in conjunction with the Architectural Design Associate degree offered by GRCC. After taking the Integrated Design Studio and the completing Architectural Design Associate degree Andrew will transfer with Junior status at Lawrence Tech to complete the Master of Architecture program in Southfield.

GRCC In the News, 4-25-13

GRCC service learning projects up for $5,250 in awards

April 25, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Grand Rapids Community College will honor several community learning projects that saw students partner with businesses and nonprofits and to further their education.

Six inducted into Comstock High School’s fourth Athletic Hall of Fame class

April 24, 2013; MLive

KALAMAZOO, MI — Comstock High School inducted six new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony Saturday night at Western Michigan University’s Fetzer Center.

… Dave Warmack Class of 1966

Dave Warmack earned 9 varsity letters in football, baseball and track during his time in Comstock. He was a 4-year starter on the varsity football team and earned all conference status his junior and senior year. He had a remarkable batting average in baseball his senior year at .455. After high school, Dave took his football talents to Grand Rapids Community College and was a 2-way starter at FB and LB.

Blackboard Expands Support for Retention Efforts with Early Warning Analytics

April 24, 2013; prnewswire.com

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Blackboard Inc. has unveiled a new release of its flagship learning management system (LMS) that includes a tool to help instructors identify and engage at-risk students based on course activity patterns that correlate with student success. The feature makes it easier for instructors with limited time to find effective ways to improve student retention and outcomes.

… “Effectively tracking student performance and proactively taking action on at-risk students are challenges for instructors,” said Eric Kunnen , director of distance learning and instructional technologies at Grand Rapids Community College. “Improving student retention is an institutional priority and tools like the Retention Center empower faculty to easily identify and intervene to support student success.”

Great(er) Grand Rapids Garbage Tour

April 23, 2013; Grand Rapids Business Journal

Find out where your garbage goes! The Garbage Tour takes you on a five and a half hour educational journey of the main facilities in Kent County that deal with post-consumer waste, i.e., garbage.

Grand Rapids area dining guide: downtown

April 25, 2013; MLive

We appreciate MLive.com and Grand Rapids Press readers’ help to make our Dining Guide the best it can be. Please share the latest restaurant openings and closings with us at grentertainment@mlive.com. Menu offerings and hours periodically change, so please call the restaurant first if you don’t want surprises.

… The Heritage Restaurant Located in the Applied Technology Center at Grand Rapids Community College, this dining spot offers hands-on experience for culinary students as well as an exceptional menu. Open during selected times September through mid-April and for lunch May-June. 151 Fountain St. NE, 234-3700, www.grcc.edu/heritage. $-$$$

You are invited to a Dot Voting Fair!

The purpose of this Fair is to review the recommendations for improvement from the Michigan Quality Leadership feedback team and help us prioritize the list.

The sessions are scheduled for two hours but it will only take you about 30 minutes to participate. And because its during the lunch hour, we are providing lunch and a candy buffet!

To make it as convenient at possible, we are scheduling two sessions:

• Monday, April 29 from 11:30 to 1:30pm in the Sneden Multipurpose Room.
• Tuesday, April 30 from 11:30 to 1:30pm in the Student Center Multipurpose Room.

YOU ONLY NEED TO ATTEND ONE SESSION! They are exactly the same.

Please RSVP by calling Lakenya at x4040. Please remember to indicate which day or location you are attending.

Raider Salutes from Campus Activities

Campus Activities would like to share a personal thank you and Raider Salute to all the staff and faculty who helped make our Finals Relaxer event a success:

•  The creative dining staff were instrumental with their catering services. Campus Activities realized they were going to run out of hot dogs within the first hour, and Daniel Zehr and his staff went above and beyond to help. In less than one hour, they shopped, prepared and delivered an extra 200 hot dogs to the event.
•  Susan Goeman, assistant events director at the Fieldhouse, was also a tremendous amount of help. She noticed Campus Activities staff were in desperate need of additional assistance with the Slushie machines and she came to the rescue.
•  The Ford Fieldhouse facilities staff as well as the electricians helped prepare the venue and assisted the vendors with their setup needs.
•  The Media Department was also very supportive and provided TVs and other technology equipment.

The event brought in approximately 400 to 500 students.

 

Raider Salute to IT Department

Stacey Herrick, from the Psychology Department, has a Raider Salute for IT: A very special thank you to Chad Senna and the IT team for fixing up my computer for me so quickly. Your work is always greatly appreciated!

Teachers can earn continuing education credits with online classes

Grand Rapids Community College offers Michigan teachers and educational professionals the opportunity to earn state continuing education clock hours online
through a partnership with Cengage Learning’s Ed2Go.

Sharpen your skills, or learn new ones any time of the day or night. You can complete any course entirely from your home or office. Earn state continuing education clock hours online with our instructor-facilitated online courses specifically designed for teachers!  Choose from more than 45 courses already approved by the state!

To register, click here.

GRCC offers Wind Safety, Tower courses

GRCC’s one-day course in Advanced Wind Safety Training: Specialist Hub Rescue covers procedures to perform specialty rescues within the hub of a wind turbine and how to traverse equipment in the nacelle safely with a casualty. It is designed to be elected concurrently with the two-day training program. The course runs 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 22, 2013, at Tassell M-TEC. To register, click here.

In the two-day Competent Climber and Tower Rescue course, students will use state-of-the-art equipment and techniques while learning procedures to safely climb and work at heights. Students will also learn a variety of rescues procedures. The practical experience acquired through this training builds trust in
fall arrest systems and instills confidence in the potential rescuer’s abilities. The course runs 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 20 and 21. To register, click here.

 

Learning opportunities from Staff Development

For the twelfth year we are pleased to offer a unique form of professional development for GRCC employees.

This work has grown out of the Formation work of Dr. Parker J. Palmer, noted educational leader and author, and builds upon a decade of Formation work at GRCC for leaders, faculty, and staff. In addition, Grand Rapids Community College is part of a network of colleges, health care organizations, K-12 districts, philanthropic organizations, law firms, government agencies, and community leaders engaged in this form of deep professional development. More info on the national work can be found at the Center for Courage and Renewal and Richland Colleges Center for Renewal and Wholeness in Higher Education.

For three days, GRCC faculty and staff are invited to step away from their daily work activities to consider the personal and professional questions of working at the college. The themes and questions to consider Include:

• Why were you called to this work?
• What is the intention of your work?
• How do you stay renewed in your role?

These retreats offer a safe space to pose questions, seek answers, examine motives, and explore new ideas about the most important work we do at the college. The goal is to help those who work at GRCC sustain and renew their passion, enthusiasm, and commitment to the students, their colleagues, the college, and the communities they serve.

In this retreat, skilled facilitators help create a quiet, focused, and disciplined space in which participants can pause and reflect on their own beliefs about working at the college. In large group, small group, and solitary settings, we will explore the intersection of our personal and professional lives, making use of stories from our own journeys, and insights from poets, storytellers, and various wisdom traditions. These retreats strive to develop a deeper understanding of how your role at the college intersects with who you are as a person.

Grounded in reflective practice, these retreats have sufficient research based evidence supporting a positive impact on the development of employees and their organization(s).

Introduction to Formation Retreat:

Begins at 5:00 PM Wed, June 19, 2013 and ends with lunch on Fri, June 21, 2013

Location: The Gilchrist Retreat Center near Three Rivers, MI  http://www.fetzer.org/gilchrist/

This retreat is for any Faculty or Staff member who HAS NOT PARTICIPATED in a previous Formation Retreat.

Continuing Formation Retreat:

Begins at 5:00 PM Sunday June 16, 2013 and ends with lunch on Tuesday June 18, 2013.

Location: The Gilchrist Retreat Center near Three Rivers, MI  http://www.fetzer.org/gilchrist/

This retreat is for any Faculty or Staff member who HAS PARTICIPATED in a previous Formation Retreat, and would like to revisit the experience.

You can register for either retreat at http://cms.grcc.edu/currentlearning  or call Staff Development at 616.234.4285. If you have questions about the retreat, feel free to email Frank Conner at fconner@grcc.edu, call him at 616.234.3612, or contact Judy Jankowski at jjankows@grcc.edu or call her at 616.234.4409.

Participation is open to all GRCC employees and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. We can only accommodate 10 participants per retreat, so make certain to enroll early if you are interested. Participants must commit to all three days of the series. The cost of this event is covered by Staff Development.

Exam Cram for Winter 2013 Semester

Yes, it’s time for Exam Cram!  What is Exam Cram? Think extended quiet study hours in the library, smiling tutors and librarians, along with beverages and snacks to keep study strength up and stress levels down!

* Faculty and staff, please share this news with students.

Spring 2013 Exam Cram will be held:

• Sat. 4/27/2013 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
• Sun. 4/28/2012 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Exam Cram is co-sponsored by Academic Support, Campus Activities and Library & Learning Commons. There will be librarians and tutors in multiple subject areas available during Exam Cram hours.  Please park in the Bostwick (Main) parking lot. No registration required.  Tutoring subjects may be limited.  See our SubjectGuide for more information on this event!