GRCC In the News, 8-22-17

LCC ranked near bottom of WalletHub’s best and worst community colleges for 2017

Aug. 21, 2017; WLNS

LANSING, MI (WLNS) — Paying for college can be expensive, but local community colleges offer an alternative by letting students spend less for their education.

… Here’s how some of the schools in Michigan fared:

… Grand Rapids Community College 660

Board holds swearing-in ceremony for Carlos Sanchez

Carlos Sanchez was ceremonially sworn in as a new Board of Trustees member at the Monday meeting.

Policies updated

The following policies have been updated or added and recently approved:

June 2017 Policy Meeting

6.14 Family Medical Leave Act

• Section X.E.1 – added the following verbiage at the end of the section:

Employees (CEBA, Meet & Confer, APSS, Campus Police) who do not return to work and have used leave banks that are advanced will be responsible for reimbursing the College all unearned leave banks.

6.20 Criminal Background Checks

• Policy statement revised for clarification. The statement is more inclusive and represents all of the groups who participate in background checks.
• Policy owner is now Executive Director of Human Resources.
• Added reference to volunteers in several sections.
• Added reference to out-of-state background checks.
  • Out-of-state background checks are conducted as needed. Separate HR procedures apply for any person denied as a result of the check.
• Added a section within procedures for current employees who may be convicted of a crime.
  • If a current employee is convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, they must report conviction to the Exec Director of Human Resources.

Note:  We do not conduct random checks on current employees.  This new section in procedures helps to confirm that we are doing everything we can to keep our campus safe for students and our employees.

• Added a section within procedures for inviting former employees and guests with known criminal backgrounds to campus for events or speaking opportunities.
  • As stated in this section, it is not our intention to complete a check on all guests, but we do have a duty to keep our campus safe and will review concerns with appropriate campus leaders.

11.22 Economic Development Participation

• Section X.  Added C. – which allows us to consider not recommending “opting out” of new or expanded tax capture districts where there is an opportunity to participate in a gain-sharing agreement of at least 10% of the district’s tax-increment proceeds.

(NEW) 10.6 Withdrawal and Return of Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) Funds

• Department of Defense is requiring that our institution have a return of funds policy available for students to view regarding return of Federal Tuition Assistance.

14.13 Communicable Diseases

• Updates names of relevant documents and website links
• Updates contact titles
• Updates the language to specifically include students, as well as employees
• Provides specificity on reporting responsibilities for both students and employees
• Updates the authoritative sources for reporting guidelines
• Clarifies role of the Health & Safety sub-team
• Clarifies persons responsible for external communication

12.9 Facility and Ground Use

• Added “and Ground Use” to policy name
• Expanded reason for policy to include guidance on use of building and grounds
• Entities affected by policy – Added GRCC Athletics and GRCC Student Life Organizations
• Scheduling hierarchy – Added Athletics and Student Life Organizations
• Fees – added (c) – External/third party involvement, and the extent to which the event and any related revenues/fees are managed by the third party
• Added under X. Procedures:

When in the best interest of GRCC, the President or his/her designee may approve exceptions to procedures, fees, or requests for waivers, on a non-precedent-setting basis.

The College reserves the right to cancel any event for circumstances beyond its control and/or reasonable cause, or deny and make additional restrictions when in the best interest of the College.

For more information, visit the policy website.

 

Governor, U.S. Secretary of Labor visit GRCC

U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta joined Gov. Rick Snyder at Grand Rapids Community College on Monday, where they discussed the importance of apprenticeships before touring the third and fourth floors of the college’s Peter and Pat Cook Academic Hall. The visit comes as part of a series of tours that Snyder and Acosta are conducting focused on manufacturing and medical apprenticeships.

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