Highlighting staff who help our students

Always remember, at GRCC, you are surrounded by people who want you to be successful and are ready to walk with you on your educational pathway. We are here to help!

Meet Hannah Kragt. She’s a student ambassador working in GRCC’s Enrollment Center.

Hannah is able to answer questions about the registration process, tell you about the neat things on campus and connect you with resources and experts to get you ready to go. Hannah is completing her freshman year at GRCC, and is working towards a double major in communications and business.

“At the beginning of my college experience I was unsure of what I wanted to study and major in,” she said. “Here at GRCC I was able to explore potential career paths and things that interested me – like photography. I’ve also had a lot of fun meeting new people, making friends and creating connections.”

Hannah knows finding textbooks can be a challenge. More and more professors are able to use open educational resources – free online textbooks – to make college more accessible and affordable.

You can learn more about free textbooks at grcc.edu/OER. To rent or buy textbooks from the GRCC Bookstore, find your class schedule with the four-digit class section numbers. Then, visit the bookstore online at grcc.edu/Bookstore, or in-person in the Student Center on the main campus at 122 Lyon Street, Grand Rapids. If you have any questions throughout the year feel free to reach out to Hannah or other ambassadors. You can schedule an appointment on the GRCC webpage at: https://www.grcc.edu/students/orientation/meet-ambassador

COVID Response: Vaccine availability for GRCC students, employees

GRCC is partnering with the Urban Church Center and Spectrum Health as part of the “Shot of Love” campaign to provide COVID vaccines for GRCC employees, students and their families on Thursday, April 15.

If you have not yet been able to obtain the safe and effective COVID vaccine, this is a great opportunity to make your appointment and get vaccinated this week!  

This will be the Pfizer two-dose vaccine, which is approved for those age 16 and older. To reserve your vaccine and make an appointment, please call the number below by Tuesday, April 13.

The process to reserve your COVID vaccine appointment is:

1. Call the remediation line, 616.391.9031  
2. Tell them you are from GRCC and are calling to make a vaccine appointment. Please provide the following code when calling: GRCCVOL2021.
3. These vaccines will be available at the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic, DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave. in Grand Rapids.

GRCC Nursing faculty and students will be volunteering at the clinic on Thursday, April 15 to assist with the effort!

If Thursday doesn’t work for you, they will attempt to schedule you for another day this week!

Grant opportunities: National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is sponsoring several grants to support faculty and staff in their efforts to assist GRCC students in achieving a postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Please read the following summaries and email Kim Squiers (kimsquiers@grcc.edu) and Lisa Dopke (ldopke@grcc.edu) in the GRCC Grants Department for more information.

Racial Equity in STEM Education
Deadlines: July 13, 2021 and October 12, 2021

Persistent racial injustices and inequalities in the United States have led to renewed concern and interest in addressing systemic racism. The NSF seeks to support bold and transformative projects addressing systemic racism in STEM. Proposals should advance racial equity in STEM education and workforce development through research (both fundamental and applied) and practice. Competitive proposals will clearly demonstrate how the project advances racial equity and addresses systemic racism.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
Deadline: August 25, 2021

The REU program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program.

Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education and Human Resources (IUSE: EHR)
Deadline: Winter 2021-2022 (specific date depends on the track and level pursued)

IUSE: EHR supports projects that bring recent advances in STEM knowledge into undergraduate education, that adapt, improve, and incorporate evidence-based practices into STEM teaching and learning, and that lay the groundwork for institutional improvement in STEM education. The IUSE: EHR program promotes (1) Engaged Student Learning: the development, testing, and use of teaching practices and curricular innovations that will engage students and improve learning, persistence, and retention in STEM, and (2) Institutional and Community Transformation: the transformation of colleges and universities to implement and sustain highly effective STEM teaching and learning. All projects must: demonstrate a strong rationale for project objectives or incorporate and build on educational practices that are demonstrably effective; contribute to the development of exemplary undergraduate STEM education; add to the body of knowledge about what works in undergraduate STEM education; and measure project progress and achievement of project goals.

Advancing Innovation and Impact in Undergraduate STEM Education at Two-year Institutions of Higher Education
Deadline: May 2, 2022

NSF seeks to support research, development, implementation, and assessment to improve STEM education at two-year colleges. NSF encourages bold, potentially transformative projects that address immediate challenges facing STEM education at two-year colleges and/or anticipate new structures and functions of the STEM learning and teaching enterprise. This program is a targeted approach for advancing innovative and evidence-based practices in undergraduate STEM education at two-year colleges. It also seeks to support systemic approaches to advance inclusive and equitable STEM education practices.

Tech Tips: Do you have too many USB plugs but not enough ports on your laptop?

Use a USB Port Hub! A USB port hub is a small adapter that has several extra USB ports -typically 3-7. It’s an easy way to expand the number of available USB ports on your computer. Simply plug the hub into your laptop’s USB port and voilà – you now have more ports for such things as flash drives, wireless mouse or keyboard. 

For more information and helpful tips, please visit the IT Customer Support Portal or contact the IT Customer Support Desk.

If you have a suggestion or a Technology Tip you think can be useful, you can submit them by emailing techtips@grcc.edu 

Aging Gracefully learning opportunity

Are you curious (or concerned) about the aging process? 

Participants in the Aging Gracefully course will gain knowledge about the physiological, neurological and mental-emotional aspects of aging, become familiar with resources in Grand Rapids designed to assist us as we age, and have opportunities to share the challenges of managing this phase of life.

On April 28, 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m., we will gather via Zoom to enjoy this session facilitated by Pat Latus, educational consultant. Register via the Professional Development tile in your Online Center account.