GRCC In the News, 8-30-17

GRCC names recipients of 2017 Excellence in Education Awards

Aug. 29, 2017; La Prensa

GRAND RAPIDS, Aug. 28, 2017 — Grand Rapids Community College is honoring three employees who have gone above and beyond in making meaningful connections with their students.

$1.5M FEMA grant to fund more Kalamazoo public safety officers

Aug. 29, 2017; MLive

KALAMAZOO, MI — A $1.5 million grant will allow the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety to hire 12 full-time officers.

… Recruits are hired by KDPS and then sent to a police academy either at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kellogg Community College, Grand Rapids Community College or Grand Valley State University.

Magna, KraussMaffei help push college program forward

Aug. 28, 2017; Plastics News

Rochester, Mich. — As Mark Richardson has talked to more and more companies about how they’re working to attack the skills gap, he hears about homegrown programs.

… Richardson said the program will partner with existing two-year programs to help create a funnel of students that want to continue their education. The list of potential partners currently includes Schoolcraft College, Mott Community College, Grand Rapids Community College and Bay Mills Community College — all Michigan schools. He has also spoken to representatives from Ferris State University, the state’s biggest plastics program.

Undocumented: One immigrant’s story of life under DACA

Aug. 29, 2017; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – At 8 years old, Kevin Vazquez did not know what it meant to live in the shadows.

… Vazquez, a recent Grand Rapids Community College graduate, will be working on a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications at Western Michigan University this fall.

Former Grand Rapids Community College Football Player Makes NFL Debut

Aug. 28, 2017; WGRD FM

Grand Rapids Community College’s football program was discontinued in January of 2012, but before it ended, it had three former players who have a played in the NFL.  One of these athletes, Nick Truesdell, made his NFL debut on Sunday night with the Minnesota Vikings.

Policies updated

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

Revised Policy – effective August 28, 2017

Note:  This policy was expedited as changes were necessary to be in compliance with current federal regulations for financial aid.

10.5 Student Refund Policy

• D: Refund appeals: Added 70% drop deadline to qualify to apply for tuition and fee refund.
• E: Transcript: Added clarification that instead of wiping classes off transcript when appeal is granted, classes will remain on transcript with a “W” grade.

For more information, visit the policy website.

 

Registration for Involvement Day still open

Involvement Day is a traditional event that the Campus Activities Board sponsors during Welcome Week. This year, the event will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 6, from 11 a.m. -2 p.m. We ask student organizations and departments to set up a table along the Juan Olivarez Student Plaza to promote their organization and department. This allows new and returning students to engage with student leaders and departments, which, in turn, creates connections that last for a lifetime.

If you are interested in registering your department or organization, please RSVP via OrgSync. Deadline to register is Sept. 1. Faculty and ataff can access OrgSync with their GRCC user name and password.

Culinary students to meet chef Rick Bayless

Rick Bayless

Culinary students will meet with award-winning chef and author Rick Bayless on Aug. 31 before he speaks at a dinner to benefit scholarships for the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education.

Bayless has written nine best-selling cookbooks, including Mexico — One Plate at a Time, which was named James Beard Best International Cookbook of the Year in 2001. Most of his award-winning restaurants – including Toplobampo, the 2017 Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurant – are in Chicago.

In 2003, he and his staff established the Frontera Farmer Foundation, which has awarded almost 200 grants totaling nearly $2 million in support of small Midwestern farms. In 2007, he and his team started the Frontera Scholarship, which supports a Mexican-American from the Chicago school district who plans to study culinary arts. Bayless has won many awards for his humanitarian efforts, including the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest decoration bestowed on foreigners whose work has benefitted Mexico and its people.

The GRCC Foundation and retirement community Beacon Hill at Eastgate are co-hosting a dinner that will feature remarks by Bayless and a panel discussion with chefs Tim England, Adam Watts Jay Sharkey, Austin Gresham, Andrew Eggert, Keith Bryant and Doug Orr, and winemaker Nancie Oxley. Proceeds will fund culinary scholarships.