Five New Screening Committee Training Sessions Added

Staff Development has added five new GRCC Screening Committee Training sessions to its schedule of Learning Opportunities:

• Friday Sept. 13, 2013 from 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM in Room 103 Sneden
• Friday Sept. 20, 2013 from 3-5:30 PM in Room 103 Sneden
• Friday Sept. 27, 2013 from 2-4:30 PM in Room 124 ATC
• Friday Oct. 11, 2013 from 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM in Room 103 Sneden
• Friday Oct. 18, 2013 from 3-5:30 PM in Room 103 Sneden

If you are scheduled to sit on a hiring committee or would like to be considered, you must attend training prior to serving. Please register online at http://www.grcc.edu/staffdevelopment/currentlearningopportunitiesregistration or call Staff Development at 234-4285.

 

Welcome, Mia Berens!

Max and Mia.

Human Resources is happy to announce the birth of Mia Isabella Berens to Jessica Berens! Mia was born on August 27th; she was 8 pounds, 3 ounces. The whole family is doing great, and Max adores his new little sister!

STAFF DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCES INTRODUCTION SESSION

Co-Curricular Coaching for All Employees

Wed Sept. 18, 2013

9-11:00 AM

Room 118 ATC

THIS IS AN INTRODUCTION SESSION FOR THE SEMESTER LONG SERIES WHICH RUNS FROM SEPT. 26, 2013 THROUGH April 25, 2014:

There are formal and informal opportunities for employees to coach students and help them reach their academic goals. This course prepares employees for coaching opportunities by working with them through a student success coaching experience. Participants will serve as a success coaches for the fall, winter, and summer semesters, spend time with others who coaches, and integrate the service into their current job duties. Participants will work with other areas of the college to find a student to work with for the 2013 – 2014 academic year (i.e. Trio Program, counseling office, ABO, and College Success Center). This course introduces and sees employees through coaching strategies, behaviors, and actions needed to help students succeed. This course establishes the college’s support for employees who serve as success coaches.

Learning Objectives:

1. Distinguish differences between coaching and mentoring

2. Define and demonstrate social boundaries and cultural competencies between success coach and student

3. Communicate with other coaches, begin building a coaching network

4. Use college LMS systems (currently Blackboard) to support communication

5. Understand time management, modeling, and professional development as they relate to college success coaching

6. Understand the community college students’ need for soft skill development (the complete collection of our social, communication, and self-management behaviors) i.e. GRCC’s Institutional Learning Outcomes click here or copy and paste the following URL into your browser: http://grcc.edu/instructionalsupportandinterdisciplinarystudies/curriculum/curriculummodel0

Facilitated by: Professor Mursalata Muhammad

Please register online at http://www.grcc.edu/staffdevelopment/currentlearningopportunitiesregistration or call Staff Development at ext. 4285.

 

GRCC In the News, 9-9-13

Why GRCC students are creating a sugar ribbon capable of stretching 200 feet

Sept. 6, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – It started as an experiment.

But Chef Gilles Renusson’s sugar ribbon pull assignment, first attempted in 2009, has since turned into an annual event at Grand Rapids Community College.

Raeuf Roushangar:
Accomplishing much with little

9/6/13 msutoday

“‘My only request is that he doesn’t mention his religion in school,’ the principal told my mother. I was just starting first grade, standing beside my mother at the time, and while I didn’t understand, I just did what I was told.”

… He eventually found his way to Grand Rapids Community College where he got a tutoring job.

“In my life, I always find people who believe in me,” Roushangar said. “The people in charge of the tutoring service at the college believed in me.”

Meet Portage Public Safety’s newest police officers and firefighter, sworn in Friday

Sept. 6, 2013; MLive

PORTAGE, MI –When the newest Portage Public Safety officers were sworn in Friday, Chief Richard White gave each of them a coin to represent their commitment to integrity and a code of ethics.

… Ashley Lubberts, police officer: Lubberts attended Rockford High School, before attending Cornerstone University on a volleyball scholarship. She attended the police academy at Grand Rapids Community College. She is engaged to Benjamin Hoekstra.

State Reps. Dillon, Brinks take week-long SNAP Food Stamp Challenge

Sept. 7, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — For a week, state Reps. Brandon Dillon and Winnie Brinks will attempt to walk in the shoes of those who struggle to put food on the table each day.

(Article doesn’t mention it, but Dillon is a GRCC graduate.)

Inside Track: Gillespie’s crowning achievement: businesses supporting each other

Sept. 6, 2013; Grand Rapids Business Journal

His legal name is Thomas Gillespie, but that’s not who he really is.

… After prison, Gillespie went back to work at his father’s business, Gillespie Funeral Services, 1865 Eastern Ave. SE, where he now helps run the marketing and public relations aspects of the company. He took some classes at Grand Rapids Community College, he said, but it was his interactions with local African-American business owners and leaders that led to his journey into the business world.

MICHIGAN BRIEFS: Mercantile-Firstbank merger creates ‘formidable’ rival

Sept. 8, 2013; Crain’s Detroit Business

… Muskegon Community College plans to move part of its campus to downtown Muskegon as part of a $24 million proposal approved by the MCC board of trustees last month, MiBiz reported. The measure calls for a new creative arts facility, additions to the college’s science and gymnasium/health center and another building to be built downtown, if voters approve.

Many midsized cities have used campuses for development, MCC President Dale Nesbary said, pointing to Grand Rapids Community College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Lansing Community College as examples of schools that have moved parts or all of their campuses into urban areas.

Photos from Chef Renusson’s sugar pull

Chef Gilles Renusson had lots of help in his attempt to stretch a pulled sugar ribbon up the Fountain Street hill. This year’s length: 210 feet. Last year, the ribbon reached 275 feet!

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Sneden Staff Parking

In an effort to help us manage the increased volume of students parking in the Sneden Parking structure, we are asking/reminding all staff that park in the Sneden lot to first use up all available RESERVED parking spaces. There are 47 spaces under the parking structure that are reserved for employees and an additional 6 in the upper east corner of the lot near the Lettinga House. (Not all of the reserved signs specify “GRCC Employee” but that is what they are reserved for.) We will be adding 10 reserved signs near Mable Engle for those that work in that area or must attend a meeting in that building. It is understood that there may be times when all the reserved spaces are full with employee cars, and employees will need to park in the public spaces, but considering students can not park in the reserved spaces without receiving a parking citation we would like to make every effort to free up those open space for our students. Thank you for your assistance.

Rain cancels some of Welcome Week activities for September 9

Due to weather conditions, the inflatables and other activities have been canceled for today. Elephant Ears will still be distributed on the Dr. Juan Olivarez Student Plaza (Bostwick Commons) from 11-2.

Schedule for the rest of the week:

Tuesday, September 10th

Club Day

Giant Yard Games

Root Beer Pong

Elephant Ears

Wednesday, September 11th

Club Day

Giant Yard Games

Root Beer Pong

Ice Cream

Thursday, September 12th

Large Inflatables

Snacks and refreshments

Dunk Tank (participants listed below)

Time	Participant	Position
11:00-11:15	Raynard Ross	Associate Dean, Student Success & Retention
11:15-11:30	Raynard Ross	Associate Dean, Student Success & Retention
11:30-11:45	Scott Merlo	Lieutenant, Campus Police
11:45-12:00	Scott Merlo	Lieutenant, Campus Police
12:00-12:15	Rebecca Whitman	Chief, Campus Police
12:15-12:30	Rebecca Whitman	Chief, Campus Police
12:30-12:45	Dr. Steven Ender	President
12:45-1:00	Dr. Steven Ender	President
1:00-1:15	Sara Dorer	Director, Student Life and Conduct
1:15-1:30	Sara Dorer	Director, Student Life and Conduct
1:30-1:45	Jennifer Klutts	Assistant Athletic Director
1:45-2:00	Dr. Jeremy Osborn	Director, Center for Teaching Excellence

GRCC trains GE technicians

While you were all enjoying your weekend, the GRCC Wind Training Team was training GE technicians in Saginaw. That’s trainer Joel Mast. It was a beautiful day!

New preschool music class!

GRCC Arts Outreach music program is offering a general music class for 3 and 4 year olds on Fridays at 1pm in the Music Center starting September 20, 2013.

“Tiny Twinklers” is a class designed for pre-school aged children who are ready for a group activity, but not quite ready to begin a musical instrument.Students and their parents are introduced to foundational music skills in a fun and engaging way. These skills develop naturally into the Suzuki repertoire that is a part of any instrument in the Suzuki Method family. Included is the opportunity to explore some of the different instruments in an orchestra.

The class will be held on Fridays 1:00-1:45 pm on Sept.20-Nov. 22 (10 sessions) in the GRCC Music Center.  Cost is $100. Please email grccao@gmail.com or visit the website for more info.

Know an ArtPrize artist with GRCC connections?

Do you know about an ArtPrize artist with a GRCC connection? An alumni? A current student? An employee?

Email commdept@grcc.edu and tell us about the connection and where they’re showing. We plan to feature GRCC-connected artists on our Facebook page and in GRCC Today.

 

Home energy program offered

Have you ever thought about energy efficiency in terms of a process of doing more with less?  Are you interested in saving money by using less energy in your home?  All faculty and staff of GRCC are eligible for an exciting energy efficiency program that will guide you in assessing where your home is wasting energy, what energy-saving measures are available to help you save energy, finding  energy- saving rebates that you may qualify for, and how to access to unsecured financing options to achieve optimal energy savings.

WMEAC Home Energy Program will be on campus to provide you with information on how you can be a part of this great opportunity and to start taking advantage of energy saving measures to help you save money and promote sustainability!  Please join us in Room 103 Sneden Hall on Wednesday, October 16^th from 12:00 – 1:00 pm for a quick information session. More information about WMEAC can be found at https://wmeac.org/sustainable-communities/home-energy-programs/

This session is open to all Staff and Faculty at GRCC. Registration is available online through Staff Development at http://www.grcc.edu/staffdevelopment/currentlearningopportunitiesregistration or by calling 234-4285.

Policy highlights

Contracting Authority Policy (new)

• Ensures that contracts that obligate College time or resources receive appropriate review and are signed by appropriate College officials.

• Defines contracts to include: MOUs, affiliation agreements, clinical agreements, leases, partnership agreements, articulation agreements

• Only the President, EBCO or their designees may sign contracts.
• Purchasing agreements that do not obligate the College beyond the current fiscal year and do not have renewal provisions may be signed by the BCO without prior review and approval.
• The Executive Director of Purchasing may request review of agreements that contain unusual or complex terms and conditions.

• Establishes a process and timeline for contract review by general counsel and appropriate EBCO.