GRCC to host Community Conversation

Want to know how you can help set Michigan’s agenda for 2014 and beyond? GRCC is teaming up with the Center for Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank, to host a Community Conversation.

Students, faculty, staff — the entire community — are invited to participate in the event, which runs from 5-6:30 p.m. Nov. 6 in Sneden Hall.

During this discussion, we will learn more about many of the key issues affecting our state today, and we’ll be able to share our priorities for Michigan’s future. In November 2014, we choose our next governor, all 38 state senators and all 110 members of the state House. The Center for Michigan plans to take the priorities shared in this discussion, and more than 150 others around the state, and amplify them to the candidates.

Discussion topics will include:

  • how you feel about Michigan today.
  • education.
  • economy and prosperity.
  • quality of life.
  • public money priorities.

To learn more about the Center for Michigan, click here. To RSVP for the Nov. 6 conversation, contact Kathy Mullins at 234-3908 or kmullins@grcc.edu.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT ADDRESSES CHRONIC HEALTH ISSUE

Direct medical expenses for employees with diabetes are 2.3 times higher than those without this serious disease. Diabetes care costs on average $6,650 per year. Extra costs due to increased absenteeism and decreased productivity can be an additional two to three times higher than the direct medical expenses themselves. This Diabetes Prevention Series from the Kent County Health Department is intended to help employees begin reducing their risk of pre-diabetes and diabetes. The workshops will be taught by a Registered Dietitian and a Public Health Educator from the Kent County Health Department. This series offers practical actions employees can take to have a brighter, healthier future without diabetes.

Making healthy lifestyle changes can help prevent diabetes. This course, created by the Michigan Department of Community Health and based on the National Diabetes Prevention Program, empowers students to set their own goals and make change happen. Participants will learn how food choices and exercise can help reduce blood sugar and the risk of diabetes and its complications. Individuals with or without a pre-diabetes diagnosis will benefit.

Learning Objectives: Providing education in the following core areas:

  • Setup goals
  • Physical activity
  • Food choices
  • Maintaining your health

Lesson 1: 

“Getting Started With Diabetes Prevention”

Thu Jan 16, 2014 from 12-1:30 PM in Room 125/127 CSC

Lesson 2:

“Making the Most of Your Food Choices”

Thu Feb 13, 2014 from 12-1:30 PM in Room 125/127 CSC

Lesson 3:

“Keep Moving!”

Thu Mar 13, 2014 from 12-1:30 PM in Room 125/127 CSC

Lesson 4:

“Taking Charge of What’s Around You”

Thu Apr 10, 2014 from 12-1:30 PM in Room 125/127 CSC

Lesson 5:

“Keep it Going!”

Thu May 8, 2014 from 12-1:30 PM in Room 125/127 CSC

Participants will experience optimum benefit if all 5 lessons in the series are attended.

Open to all GRCC Staff and Faculty. Please register online at http://www.grcc.edu/staffdevelopment/currentlearningopportunitiesregistration or call Staff Development at ext. 4285 for assistance.

GRCC In the News, 10-22-13

Residents urge GRCC to defund Actors Theatre following recent performance featuring male nudity

Oct. 21, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A recent play at Grand Rapids Community College featuring nudity was a topic of controversy at Monday’s board meeting, as opponents of the production questioned whether the college should defund the group that staged the performance.

College sports roundup: Napoleon High School graduate leads Spring Arbor University men’s golf to title in blustery conditions

Oct. 21, 2013; MLive

JACKSON, MI — Cody Lysher picked up his second medalist trophy of his young collegiate career in the Jackson College Invitational and led the Cougars to their second win of the fall season. Lysher fired 1-over 73 in cold and blowing conditions at The Grande Golf Club to pace Spring Arbor to a team score of 311.

Grand Rapids College tied SAU, but the championship went to Spring Arbor based on fifth golfers scores. Host Jackson College was third, 10 strokes back at 321.

RaiderCard makes changes

Beginning October 31, 2013, a new and improved RaiderCard tab on Blackboard (bb.grcc.edu) will be available to GRCC students and staff. With this interface, users will be able to view two years of their transaction history and activate and deactivate their RaiderCard.

A FREE mobile app will be available to users with an iPhone, iPod touch, or Android phone. The mobile app will allow users to check their RaiderCard balance, look up transaction history and make deposits easily from their mobile devices.

Information on how to download the app will be available at raidercard.grcc.edu on October 31,2013.

Fitness challenge logs 39,550,185 steps

This is the LAST week of the GRCC fitness challenge and you people are so amazing! Since September 3, we have walked 39,550,186 steps, burned around 1,779,758 calories and lost around 509 pounds.

We have a new winner for the “walk 10,000 steps 10 out of 14 days” challenge. There were 35 of you fantastic people who walked at least 10,000 steps in 10 out of 14 days! Congratulations to Brenda Spratling for being our winner!

Transfer fair includes more than 38 schools

Transfer Fair

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

1 pm to 5 pm
Student Community Center

The Counseling and Career Center is sponsoring the annual College Transfer Fair this week. This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about the transfer schools they intend to transfer to or to help students find a transfer school. Students can pick up catalogs, applications and information about scholarships. There will be over 38 schools participating in this event.

Who Cares? Why Bother? Real Writing for Real People: Wednesday, October 23 and Thursday, October 24

At this event, you will learn how writing relates to your future career, goals and interests. The workshop presenters come from a variety of backgrounds, and you will walk away with knowledge and tools that support your professional and academic success.

Everyone is welcome to participate in this learning experience. All workshops are free and held in the Applied Technology Center (ATC) on GRCC’s main campus.

Wednesday, October 23

8-9am—Szymon Machajewski, “Lapidary Style of Writing in the Age of Information,” ATC 124

8-9am—Jennifer Batten, “Technical Writing at all Stages of a Writing Career in the Sciences,” ATC 120

10-11am—Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood, “Journalism Today,” ATC 124

11:15-12:15pm—Paul Krieger, “How I Turned One Good Idea Into a Book Series,” ATC 120

11:15-12:15pm—Virginia VanderVeen, Danielle Thurber-DeGroot and Tim Schilling, “Writing Expectations at Four-Year Institutions,” ATC 124

12:30-1:30pm—Klaas Kwant and Noah DeSmit, “Turning Ideas Into Scripts Into Video,” ATC 120

12:30-1:30pm—Phil Mowers, “What Do Lawyers Do?” ATC 168

12:30-1:30pm—Bree Gannon, James Setchfield Jr. and Chelsie Toering, “The Skill of Giving Feedback,” ATC 124

2-3pm—Ronald Orent, “The Pen is Mightier Than the Stethoscope,” ATC 168

2-3pm—Eric Williams, “Writing is the Difference!!” ATC 124

2-3pm—Dillon Carr, “Writing in the Social Sciences,” ATC 120

3:15-4:15pm—Brian Morris, “Writing and the Professional Musician/Creating from Source,” ATC 124

3:30-4:30pm—Emily Bazelon, Diversity Lecture Series Presenter, “Sticks and Stones,” ATC 168

7pm—Emily Bazelon, “Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy,” Fountain Street Church

Thursday, October 24

8-9am—Bethann Talsma, “Spending Time Too Proofread and Edit You’re Writing, $100; Protecting ur Image, Priceless!” ATC 124

10-11am—John Rumery, “Everything Communicates,” ATC 120

10-11am—Tom Terrill, Kibichii Chelilim, Corinne Cozzaglio and Rachel Bickford, “Writing Expectations at Four-Year Institutions,” ATC 124

11:15-12:15pm—Maryann Lesert, “Writing and Activism,” ATC 124

12:30-1:30pm—Joanne Catania, “Is Being a Police Officer More Guts and Glory or Pen and Paper?” ATC 120

12:30-1:30pm—Kathleen Owens, “How to Use Language to Avoid Stereotypes and Create an Inclusive Community,” ATC 124

2-3pm—Susan Williams and Dr. Robert Hendershot, “‘But This Isn’t an English Class!’: How and Why We Write in History Courses,” ATC 120

2-3pm—Nikki Banks, “Who Cares? Why Bother? The Impact of Excellent Writing Skills in the Field of Criminal Justice,” ATC 124

3:15-4:15pm—Marne Apolo, “Expressive Journaling,” ATC 124

3:15-4:15pm—Moss Ingram, “DNA Test Your Writing,” ATC 120

7pm—Creative Writing Reading, ATC 168