GRCC In the News, 7-9-13

Time is the enemy: Why GRCC is looking to accelerated courses to reduce remedial education

July 8, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Speed just might be Grand Rapids Community College’s biggest ally as it looks to reduce stubbornly high failure rates in remedial classes.

A new summer program known as Fast Track condenses what used to be semester-long remedial classes into a three-week period, creating an opportunity for students to move directly into college-level courses in the fall.

Colleges, Kent County school districts work to curb number of students in remediation

July 8, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — As colleges struggle to bring low-performing high school graduates to college readiness — in some cases nearly 47 percent of tuition-paying students require remedial courses — local leaders at both levels are working to resolve the problem with a simple but often overlooked approach.

… Gorman during the 2012-13 school year met with provosts from Grand Rapids Community College and Ferris State, Davenport and Grand Valley State universities about aligning secondary learning demands to match with higher education expectations.

Database: See how many recent graduates from your district are taking remedial classes at GRCC

July 8, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Each year, a significant number of high school graduates who attend Grand Rapids Community College must take remedial courses, which don’t count toward graduation and cover concepts students were supposed to learn in high school.

Dig In: Monica’s Gourmet Cookies now available in Kalamazoo grocery stores

July 8, 2013; MLive

KALAMAZOO, MI — When customers walk inside the Harding’s Friendly Market at West Main and Drake, it’s gotten much harder to keep their hands out of the cookie jar.

… “It’s been a whirlwind for me,” said owner Monica Mitidieri, a former caterer and graduate of GRCC’s Secchia Institute of Culinary Education. “The last two years have been surreal.”

Change Ups: Gilda’s Club GR selects new president

July 7, 2013; Grand Rapids Business Journal

… EDUCATION: Debra Bailey has been elected to the Grand Rapids Community College board of trustees.

Attention: GRCC Faculty, Staff, Administration and Students

GRCC Experiential Learning has partnered with Schools of Hope to bring trainings to GRCC. Schools of Hope is a reading program at area elementary schools. Once you have gone through the training and also passed a background check, Schools of Hope: United Way will partner you up with a school and child/children to work with each week. What an awesome opportunity to give back to our community and also help in the educational processes in our community. By giving back, we can help a child learn how to read, become a better reader, help in building comprehension skills and language skills, help a student be more successful at school in all areas of their curriculum, and it is one more person telling a child that they are awesome and smart.

Start serving our community and make a difference!

When: Friday September 20 starting at 12:00 (plan on 2 hours to get orientation and back ground paper work completed)

Where: Science Building Room 138

Who should attend:

1. GRCC Faculty interested in integrating Academic Service Learning into their classes using Schools of Hope.
2. GRCC Faculty wanting to make a difference in the community and help a child become a better reader.
3. GRCC students wanting or needing to do an Academic Service Learning Project for their class/classes.
4. GRCC staff wanting to make a difference in the community and help a child become a better reader.
5. GRCC Administration wanting to give back to our community and support area educational processes.

Please contact and RSVP to:

Melanie Schiele Gady
Wellness Professor
Experiential Learning Team/Service Learning Task Team
mschiele@grcc.edu
616-234-3430

Who Cares? Why Bother? 2013

The English Department is celebrating GRCC’s 99th year by hosting the third “Who Cares? Why Bother? Real Writing for Real People,” October 23-24, 2013. Do you write as a part of your job at GRCC? How is writing a valuable part of your job?

Please join us in this celebration of writing by filling out the “Who Cares? Why Bother?”registration form and show our students that writing is important in all fields.  Represent the many ways we use writing at GRCC.

We want you to join us!  Please respond by Friday, August 2. Questions?  Want to submit your registration form? Email Nora Neill at nneill@grcc.edu

Information session on medical assistant program set for July 15

GRCC’s Medical Assistant program will prepare you to perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep health practitioner offices and clinics running smoothly. It combines classroom lecture, group activity, simulation learning and a competency-based externship experience. You will be prepared to take the medical assistant national certification exam through American Medical Technologists. Classes start July 22, 2013.

Learn more at a free information session at noon July 15. For details, click here.