Daily Archives: May 30, 2014

GRCC In the News, 5-30-14

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Michigan governor highlights shortage of skilled workers at business policy conference

May 30, 2014; clickondetroit.com

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. – Michigan can gain a competitive edge over other states by filling a skills gap that leads to good jobs going unfilled because of a lack of qualified candidates, Gov. Rick Snyder said Thursday.

… A similar program is Grand Rapids Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership.

Sarah Waller: The Tech Center’s Iron Chef

May 30, 2014; schoolnewsnetwork.org (Kent Intermediate School District newsletter)

Kent ISD, MI — Let it be said here and now OK, so written here and now that the raspberry patch in my back yard cannot grow fast enough, and I have a diminutive warrior of a teaching chef to blame.

… Sarah (Waller) learned from among the best, beginning with instructors with the award-winning culinary program at Grand Rapids Community College, where she enrolled in 2001.

Campaign launched to spread the word about free preschool in Kent County

May 29, 2014; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – If your child will be age 3 or 4 by Wednesday, Oct. 1, Kent County educators and children’s advocates want you to apply for free preschool through either through the Great Start Readiness Program, Head Start or private scholarships.

… Free preschool partners in Kent County include Great Start Readiness Programs, which is sponsored by Grand Rapids Public Schools, David D. Hunting YMCA, Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative, Grand Rapids Ellington Academy of Arts and Technology, Head Start, Hope Academy, and Grand Rapids Community College. More partners will be added in June 2014.

Grand Rapids’ downtown housing market has reached ‘a point of critical mass,’ report concludes

May 29, 2014; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Grand Rapids downtown apartment market has reached a point of critical mass that is likely to attract new investors and new developers, a Chicago-based commercial real estate firm concluded in a report published this week.

… One exception was the Lofts at 5 Lyon, a former office building that has been converted to student housing. Rents in the building near Grand Rapids Community College are at $2.31 per square foot the most expensive in the downtown market, thanks to the owners ability get $2,480 a month for a 4-bedroom apartment.

Silver Line bus to start running in August

May 29, 2014; WOOD TV

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The new Silver Line bus system will start running to downtown Grand Rapids a matter of months.

… Thirty-four stops have been set up on the Silver Line route, four of which are still under construction. The bus route will run down Division Avenue and then loop by Mercy Health Saint Mary, the community college and the Medical Mile; along Monroe Avenue downtown; and then around to The Rapid central station off Grandville Avenue SW.

Incoming Volleyball Class Named to PrepVolleyball.coms Top 100

May 29, 2014; cmuchippewas.com

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — PrepVolleyball.com has included Central Michigan’s 2014 recruiting class in its national Top 100.

… The Chippewas will also benefit in the back row as 5-11 junior Nicole Czehowski transfers from Grand Rapids Community College, where she played on the Raiders National Junior College Athletic Association Division II National Championship team in 2012.

 

Internet Explorer 10 now available for office computers

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Internet Explorer 10 is now available for staff and faculty to install. Please follow the steps below to complete the installation. Note that this installation will require your computer to restart.

1) Launch the Application Explorer from the desktop or from Start > All Programs > Novell ZENworks > ZENworks Application Window

2) Double-Click on Internet Explorer 10 (a window will appear saying “Internet Explorer 10 Installation Notice / System Restart is Required.) Click OK

3) Once the installation has completed, another window will appear to restart the computer. Click Yes to restart computer. Internet Explorer will not work until a restart has been performed.

June & July Staff Development Offerings

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As we near the end of the 2013-14 fiscal year, Staff Development is winding down its offerings. If you still need professional development hours, please take a minute to check out the June and July workshops shown below. All of our workshops are open to GRCC staff and any faculty member (full-time or adjunct). You can click on individual events to see details, and also register online at http://www.grcc.edu/staffdevelopment/currentlearningopportunitiesregistration.

Powerful Presentation Skills – ONE SEAT LEFT

Part 1 – Tue June 3 from 9-11:00 AM in Room 118, Calkins Science Center

Part 2 – Tue June 10 from 9-11:00 AM in Room 118, Calkins Science Center

When speaking before a group, do you have “executive presence”? Are you able to persuade people to take action, change their attitudes, and buy a product? If you want to polish your presentation skills, this seminar will help you fine-tune your speaking skills.

Participants will learn how to organize their thoughts in a concise manner, use effective platform skills to deliver an impactful presentation and control nerves.

FMLA – What’s in it for you?

Tue June 10 from 9-10:00 AM in Room 234, Student Center (multi-purpose room)

Wed July 23 from 3-4:00 PM in Room 203 Sneden

Have you ever wondered what the Family Medical Leave Act is all about? Have you ever wondered if you or one of your employee’s had a “qualifying event” but were afraid to ask? In this session you will learn the various ins and outs of FMLA, intermittent FMLA, and the GRCC FMLA policy. You will also learn what a qualifying event is for you or an immediate family member and what is covered while you are on leave.

Unintentional Bias in the Hiring Process

Tue June 10 from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM in Room 213 Sneden

Numerous studies show that our unconscious is dictating our decisions. These unconscious decisions impact our business decisions. The biases we carry may not be limited to visible differences but may extend to other assumptions and associations such as the way a person speaks (tone, volume, and accent) or prior personal knowledge or acquaintance.

In The Unintentional Bias in the Hiring Process workshop, participants will:

  • Examine common language and tools for processing unintentional bias situations in the hiring process
  • Review our Unintentional Bias in the Hiring Process video
  • Practice common language and process tools in small group activities

MACRAO Agreement Ending Summer of 2014

Wed June 11 from 2-3:00 PM in Room 139, Calkins Science Center

Thu July 17 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM location TBD

The current MACRAO agreement that helps students transfer from Michigan community colleges to Michigan four year institutions is starting a sunset process in fall 2014. This session will answer the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY and HOW and will provide implementation details of the new Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) that will take MACRAO’s place at GRCC.

All faculty and staff are welcome to attend this session to:

  • learn about the new MTA
  • understand how the MTA will be implemented at GRCC
  • learn where to find MTA resources at GRCC
  • have your questions answered

Boundaries in the Workplace

Thu June 12 from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM in Room 213 Sneden

How do you know WHERE to draw the line in relationships, roles and responsibilities? Participants will begin to address this issue by exploring methods of respecting and protecting other’s boundaries in the workplace.

Objectives for the session include:

  • Define boundaries in regards to job responsibilities and interpersonal boundaries
  • Determine the importance of boundary setting
  • Help others to understand their boundaries

Strength Training 101

Wed June 18 from 10:30-11:30 AM in Room 140, Calkins Science Center

Let’s pump some iron! No really, we can all benefit from lifting weights, but how can we do it correctly, efficiently and with minimal time involved? Learn the benefits and basics of strength training as well as a sample of two in-home programs to implement immediately!

P&C Bank Lunch & Learn –Women & Retirement

Thu June 19 from 12-1:00 PM in Room 016, Administration Building

Part of the PNC Bank ‘Community Development Banking Lunch & Learn’ series. Have you thought about the unique challenges women face when it comes to planning for retirement? Join presenters Andrew Zeno, Certified Financial Planner and Financial Advisor, and Dewey Doyle, Financial Specialist, both from PNC Investments, to discuss specific retirement issues for women. PNC Bank will be providing a complimentary lunch to all attending this presentation.

Feedback Fundamentals

Part 1 – Fri June 20 from 9-11:00 AM in Room 203 Sneden

Part 2 – Fri June 27 from 9-11:00 AM in Room 203 Sneden

When sharing feedback is part of an organization’s culture, it is an effective business tool that reaches across all levels.

In this course, individual performers learn how to effectively deliver both positive and developmental feedback. They also learn how to be receptive to feedback and to listen to accurately understand the speaker’s intended message.

In the workplace, these skills help them to optimize and sustain their own and their coworkers’ performance. Practice makes perfect, and we’ll do plenty of it in this session!

P&C Bank Lunch & Learn –Five Threats to Your Retirement

Wed June 23 from 12-1:00 PM in Room 016 Administration Building

Part of the PNC Bank ‘Community Development Banking Lunch & Learn’ series: This workshop identifies five main threats to a successful retirement. These threats are not new, but they’re more pressing because of current trends. We believe that once you know the risks, you can prepare for them. Presenters Andrew Zeno, Certified Financial Planner and Financial Advisor, and Dewey Doyle, Financial Specialist, both from PNC Investments, can help you confidently prepare for the retirement you envision. PNC Bank will be providing a complimentary lunch to all attending this presentation.