GRCC In the News, 12-20-13

GRCC graduate describes how training program helped him land computer technician job

Dec. 19, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – As an employee of Personal Business Systems in Grandville, Nico Tipton spends his days doing what he loves — working with computers.

Tipton, a computer technician at the small business, located on Chicago Drive, said he landed the job thanks to a training program he recently completed at Grand Rapids Community College.

GRCC to showcase career, educational opportunities for high school musicians

Dec. 18, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Grand Rapids Community College is opening its campus to high school students interested in music next month for an event known as High School Music Fiesta.

Young musicians to work with GRCC faculty, students in first High School Music Fiesta

Dec. 19, 2013; News International

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — High school students who are ready to take their music to the next level will learn about exciting career options and get college-level instruction this January at Grand Rapids Community College Music Departments first music honors day.

Changes to policies

A summary of recent changes to several college policies:

Summary of Changes to Policy 3.5 Tobacco Free Environment

• Updated title to reference Tobacco and E-Cigarette Free
• Updated to include medical marijuana
• Updated to include e-cigarettes
• Added definitions for medical marijuana and e-cigarettes
• Struck outdated term “Learning Academy”
• Struck information related to tobacco free card distribution
• Struck the word “tobacco” to refer to the policy being inclusive of more than tobacco

11.3 Professional and Institutional Memberships

• III.           Add and any applicable employee reimbursement to last sentence
• VIII.        Change to Vice President for Finance and Administration
• IX.           Change NA to None
• X.            Change personal to personnel in the last sentence
• XI.           Delete Professional
• XIII.        Add Updated December 2013
• XIV.        Change to December 2018

12.7 State of Michigan Capital Outlay Request Process

Committee proposes to eliminate this policy as it is no longer necessary and the College does not have official policies for many of our other required state/federal submissions.

TRiO/SSS collects books for Cook Library Center

The TRiO/Student Support Program would like to thank all the amazing staff and faculty who helped us make the One Book – One Cook Library Scholar program a success!!!!

Thank-you, you’re awesome and truly made this a special holiday for the Cook Library Scholars – who will be enjoying some happy reading time!!!!   Rosario Montes-Sutton, Sara Dorer, Lynnae Selberg, Jennifer Batten, Paul Phifer, Katie Hughes, Terri Tillman, Molly Maczka, Emily Nisley, Pat Missad, Liz Tyrell, Anne Sherman, Karen Murphy, Bill Faber, Seth King York, Jill Woller-Sullivan, Angela Long, Jennifer Keessen, Teri Dilworth, Sarah Rose, Casey Cornelius, Andre Fields, Magdalena Montes-Spruit, Nicole Marshall, Ron Ralya, Tom Neils, Langston Gant, and Whitney Harper.

The Cook Library Center – located on Grandville Avenue SW – focuses on the intellectual development of children and adults. After-school programs include homework help, computer usage, mind-expanding games such as chess and Scrabble, storytelling events, and field trips to cultural institutions, colleges, and universities.

Cook Library Scholars is designed to engage families as it prepares youth in the Grandville Avenue neighborhood to achieve academic success and to serve as future leaders. The year-round program offers after-school and summer support in reading, writing and math, along with a mentorship program, arts education, leadership and life skills training, and other enrichment activities.

If you want to learn about the Cook Library – go to: http://gaah.org/cooklibraryscholars

GRCC In the News, 12-19-13

College notes: Grand Rapids’ Duke Mondy leads nation in steals with Oakland basketball

Dec. 18, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Duke Mondy swears he didn’t know how many steals he had against Michigan State.

… Mondy said he tries to keep up with how Catholic Central is doing in sports and keeps in contact with his former coach T.J. Carnegie, who now coaches the men’s basketball team at Grand Rapids Community College.

Google Glass Added to GRCC Digital Initiative

One of the goals of the GRCC Digital Initiative is “to provide faculty and students with access to emerging and innovative technological resources that extend, improve, and enhance teaching and learning.” To that end, DLIT has joined the Google Glass Explorer program.

Go to http://www.grcc.edu/googleglass to see resources and communications about the progress of the project. DLIT is currently field testing the device and considering how the augmented reality functions and growing number of apps can benefit teaching and learning at GRCC.

Don’t be surprised if you see one of us wearing Google Glass at an upcoming event. If you do spot us, don’t be shy. We would love to let you try them on and see what they can do!

A special thanks to Jose Mora and Jeremy Osborn for making this project a reality!

GRCC In the News, 12-18-13

Community college degrees are in demand

Dec. 17, 2013; MLive (reprint of Bridge magazine article)

To see the difference between yesterday’s skilled-trade career and today’s, Michael Hansen offers what’s happening at BOSS Products, a snowplow manufacturer in Iron Mountain.

… “What (students are) asking for is in three or four current areas: Business, nursing, culinary and computer information systems. Those four have great interest,” said Fiona Hert, dean of the School of Workforce Development at Grand Rapids Community College. But there’s also a series of skills employers want punctuality, a team player, critical thinking, flexibility. And these, she and others added, are the ones that will take students furthest in their careers.

Bay College will be part of Career Jump Start program

Dec. 18, 2013; up.secondwavemedia.com

Bay College in Escanaba is going to be one of ten Michigan community colleges that will be part of the Career Jump Start Program, designed to link students with career training opportunities.

… The others are located at Alpena Community College, Delta College, Grand Rapids Community College, Jackson College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Lansing Community College, Mott Community College, North Central Michigan College and The Workforce Intelligence Network.

Set your email and voicemail holiday message

As you prepare for the break, remember to set your voicemail message and email auto reply to let everyone know that the college will be closed.

As you know, GRCC will close for the semester break from 5 p.m. December 20, 2013, through January 1, 2014. The college will reopen for regular business hours on Thursday, January 2. All GRCC campuses will be closed during this period. Students will be able to access college information online but will not be able to access information in person, or by phone, until campus offices reopen on January 2.

Office Depot Holiday Delivery Schedule

Below is the Office Depot Holiday Schedule. Please note the following dates, as deliveries will not be made on the dates we are closed. PLEASE ALSO NOTE: If an order is placed on a date that our delivery centers are closed, they will not deliver the next open business day. It will be PICKED on the next open business day and delivered on your next scheduled delivery date. It’s never too soon to inform your end-users and have them mark their calendars!! 🙂 Have a great holiday season!!

Christmas:

All Delivery Centers work on 12/23 for 12/24 delivery.

All DC’s are closed on 12/24 and 12/25.

Orders placed on 12/24 and 12/25 will be picked on 12/26

and delivered on 12/27.

New Year’s:

All Delivery Centers work Tuesday 12/31 for Thursday 1/2 Delivery

GRCC In the News, 12-17-13

Community college degrees in demand

Dec. 16, 2013; Bridge magazine

To see the difference between yesterday’s skilled-trade career and today’s, Michael Hansen offers what’s happening at BOSS Products, a snowplow manufacturer in Iron Mountain.

… “What (students are) asking for is in three or four current areas: Business, nursing, culinary and computer information systems. Those four have great interest,” said Fiona Hert, dean of the School of Workforce Development at Grand Rapids Community College. But there’s also a series of skills employers want — punctuality, a team player, critical thinking, flexibility. And these, she and others added, are the ones that will take students furthest in their careers.

Jared Rodriguez speaks to literacy advocacy

Dec. 16, 2013; therapidian.org

Jared Rodriguez, new Advisory Council co-chairperson to the Community Literacy Initiative (CLI), has a rich background of advocacy work in Grand Rapids and in the state of Michigan. Most recently, he founded and served as President of the West Michigan Policy Forum before launching the Calder Group earlier this year.

… Our greatest strength is the sincere interest in impacting positive change for all citizens. I’m a firm believer that our greatest natural resource is our people and building coalitions through collaborative thinking/doing is a major part of our community culture. Our short-term need is to develop a comprehensive community asset inventory and engage community, business and education-focused organizations (including CLI, the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, Community Schools, Talent2025, First Steps, Aquinas College, GRCC, etc.), touching literacy in a non-duplicative effort.

Local athletes compete at collegiate level

Dec. 17, 2013; Cadillac News

… Delta College sophomore forward Austin Marine (Pine River H.S.) scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds in the Pioneers’ 78-63 men’s basketball loss to Grand Rapids Community College on Wednesday.

 

Tassell M-TEC hosts holiday breakfast for companies

This morning, bright and early, the faculty and staff of the Tassell M-TEC welcomed more than 50 companies to an appreciation breakfast. Many of the attendees represent employers who hire our Job Training Students and serve on various Advisory Committees. Many tours were given and breakfast was enjoyed. Thanks to everyone at the Tassell M-TEC for helping make this event such a huge success!

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Tickets available for ‘Venus in Fur’

Three more chances to see the Actors’ production of VENUS IN FUR by David Ives. December 19 – 21 at 8pm. Call 234-3946 or visit www.atgr.org for tickets.

Here’s what retiree Kathleen Owens said about the play:

I saw Venus in Fur last night at Actors’ Theatre. It was phenomenal and if you get a chance to see it you won’t regret it! Yes, it is an adult story, but full of humor and wonderful actors and direction. As Shelly Urbane says in her director’s notes, “we are also giving weight…to the wonderful power struggles that make us human, that make us dynamic.”

Preschool makes most of snowy weather

The Bear Room at GRCC’s Lab Preschool is enjoying the snow and sunshine!

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Important change to GroupWise

Beginning Thursday, January 2nd 2014, the GRCC staff and faculty email (GroupWise) will use the same user-name and password used to login to campus computers and Blackboard.

What this means to you:

Passwords for the following will be the same on Jan 2, 2014:

• Blackboard
• Network login ( the way you login to campus computers)
• GroupWise email
• Wireless
• iMageNow
• Mobile devices

What you need to be aware of:

• GroupWise Client (the one installed on your office computers) and Web (mail.grcc.edu) will use the same user-name and password
• If you already setup your GroupWise password as your network login password, nothing will change. They will be the same.
• Password for GroupWise, Blackboard, and Network will expire after 120 Days
• Password can be reset off campus by going to grcc.edu/password OR on a campus computer by using the following: Username — lookup, Password —  lookup

One less password to worry about in the New Year. If you have any questions regarding this, please call the IT Customer Support Help Desk at 234-HELP (4357).

Thank you for your understanding.

Raider Salute for food pantry donations

From Evan Macklin, of Student Life:

I wanted to personally send a Raider Salute to all of you that donated to the GRCC Food Pantry this morning and throughout the year.

As I mentioned at the breakfast, your giving has inspired others to give. That’s what community is all about! I am glad to be apart of the GRCC community.

Happy holidays everybody!

GRCC In the News, 12-16-13

Black graduation rates: Michigan colleges aim to reverse poor academic history

Dec. 15, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Micah Rupert had butterflies in his stomach.

It was his first day of class at Grand Rapids Community College, and Rupert, 20, was excited to be starting school, a path he hopes will lead to a career in computer networking.

Database: Search graduation rates by race, gender at Michigan colleges from 2007-2011

Dec. 15, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Graduation rates at Michigan’s colleges and universities show significant gaps remain among black men and the overall student body.

Schools throughout West Michigan, including Grand Rapids Community College, are working to reduce those gaps through programs that offer assistance to black men. And while, to some extent, those programs are helping, more work needs to be done, officials say.

Grand Rapids Community College awards certificates of completion

Dec. 13, 2013; The Holland Sentinel

Grand Rapids, Mich. — Students in Grand Rapids Community College’s job training programs will receive certificates of completion at GRCC’s job training winter graduation on Dec. 19.

Program to promote training for high-demand jobs

Dec. 14, 2013; East Village Magazine

Mott Community College (MCC) has announced a new partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and a network of community colleges around the state that will promote training opportunities for in-demand careers to Michigan high school students.

… The regional career liaisons will be housed at Alpena Community College, Bay de Noc Community College, Delta College, Grand Rapids Community College, Jackson College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Lansing Community College, Mott Community College, North Central Michigan College and The Workforce Intelligence Network.

High-End Homes: For $2,700 a month, condo lets you sample downtown’s lush life

Dec. 14, 2013; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Living in a downtown condominium puts you within walking distance of restaurants, theaters, concerts, sports events and a developing retail scene.

… This unit offers 11 6-foot-high windows that overlook Veterans Park, the Civic Theater, the downtown skyline and the backside of Fountain Street Church. Also nearby are the Grand Rapids Public Library and Grand Rapids Community College.