First Lady Jill Biden praises GRCC’s leadership in helping students, community gain access to COVID-19 vaccine

First Lady Jill Biden praised Grand Rapids Community College’s leadership in helping students and community members get vaccinated against COVID-19 during a tour of a campus pop-up clinic on Thursday.

Dr. Biden highlighted partnerships between federal pharmacy partners and community colleges in a national vaccination effort. Rite Aid staff administered vaccines at the pop-up clinic, and had enough doses on hand to assist up to 100 students, employees and community members.

Dr. Biden called community colleges “special places” and thanked GRCC President Bill Pink for the college’s role in removing obstacles to people getting the vaccines.

“We can see how far we’ve come during this really difficult time,” she said. “So many people have told me they are finally feeling hopeful and optimistic again. Families are returning to work and to school. Businesses are reopening. And we’re getting back to the things we missed for so long — hugging the people we love, catching up with friends face-to-face, and seeing our friends’ and families’ smiles.”

Dr. Biden, who teaches at a community college, met Rite Aid staff members, and spoke with people who had just received their shots. She arrived with U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer, who joined her on the tour, along with Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss.

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GRCC Employee Learning Needs Survey – your input is requested

At GRCC, learning is life – from our students to our employees, learning is the essence of what we do and who we are.

As an employee of GRCC, your learning needs and interests are very important.  Professional and personal growth is vital to employee engagement, performance, and overall job satisfaction. Your voice is essential to this process.

Planning for the next academic year HR learning opportunity schedule has already begun and we want to hear from all employees. Please take a few moments of your time to complete this short survey. 

GRCC employee learning needs survey

We are grateful for your feedback and ultimately want to cater our learning opportunity curriculum to meet your needs. Although we can’t implement every idea, (is underwater basket-weaving even a thing? 😊 ) we appreciate that you are communicating how we can best support you.

Thank you for being responsive to this request. Please complete by Friday June 4.

For questions, more information, or comments — please contact angelasalinas@grcc.edu

Tech Tip: How to add PowerPoint slides to your Lightboard video

Earlier this week we shared with you a video on how to use the Lightboard system located in Media Technologies. In today’s Tech Tip, Jim, from IT Media, expands on that to show you some ways to add some extra pizazz to your videos by incorporating PowerPoint slides. Both videos are included below and we highly recommend watching the Lightboard Basics first if you haven’t already.

How To Use the Lightboard- Basics

How To Use The Lightboard – Using PowerPoint Slides

For more information and helpful tips, please visit the IT Customer Support Portal or contact the IT Customer Support Desk at x4357.

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

First Lady Jill Biden to tour GRCC’s pop-up community vaccination clinic

Photo by Office of the First Lady

Grand Rapids Community College is hosting a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Thursday, May 27, welcoming First Lady Jill Biden, who is highlighting partnerships between federal pharmacy partners and community colleges.

The walk-in clinic is open to the public, with vaccinations available between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. at GRCC’s Administration Building, 415 E. Fulton Street. Dr. Biden, a community college professor, will tour the GRCC vaccination clinic and meet some residents getting their shots.

“We’re proud to welcome the first lady to GRCC, and deeply appreciate her support for community colleges and for vaccinating our community members,” GRCC President Bill Pink said. “Community colleges will play a vital role as our region emerges from the pandemic. This pop-up vaccination clinic is one more example of how GRCC and partnerships make West Michigan stronger.”

Additional information about the GRCC clinic and registration is here: grcc.edu/coronavirus-information/covid19-campus-protocols/popup-vaccination-clinic

GRCC Nursing students recently administered shots into the arms of students, campus employees, and others as part of the Shot of Love campaign, a partnership with Urban Church Leadership Center and Spectrum Health.

Pink said the vaccines are an additional layer of protection, one of several tools used in GRCC’s ongoing efforts to keep students, faculty, staff and community members safe with an eye toward a more familiar fall semester.

All COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States have been deemed as safe and effective. Additional information about the vaccines is available at cdc.gov/coronavirus/vaccines.

Five GRCC athletic teams participated in national tournaments, shined in a year marked by challenges

Five Grand Rapids Community College athletic teams participated in national tournaments this season, reflecting hard work, talent, and determination in overcoming challenges created by the pandemic.

Three GRCC teams finished in the top 10 nationally, with the golf team falling just shy. The college also celebrated five student-athletes earning All-American honors, including a Player of the Year. Three coaches were named Coach of the Year.

“I’m proud of our student-athletes, who this year faced challenges we never could have imagined,” GRCC Interim Athletic Director David Selmon said. “We made student success and safety a priority. Seasons were delayed and abbreviated, and we made safety a priority. Everyone pulled together to compete, and demonstrated our GRCC programs are among the best in the nation.”

The women’s cross-country team finished fourth in the nation, with Audrey Meyering earning National Junior College Athletic Association and Coaches Association All-American honors, and Kiah Becker earning Coaches Association All-America honors.

The men’s cross-country team claimed ninth place in the nation, with Josh Kipkoech earned First-Team All-American honors.

Former Coach Matt Sicilia was named Coach of the Year by both the MCCAA and the NJCAA Region 12.

The volleyball team’s season was delayed for months and shortened due to the pandemic, the program continued to be successful.

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Thank-you note from Kathy Schoen – Library Specialist-DD/ILL

I want to thank my GRCC family and friends for your thoughts, prayers, emails, notes, and meals to carry me through the passing of my father.  Your kindness goes a long way in comforting me during my loss; your heartfelt caring means the world to me.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting me during this painful time.  Your caring words give me warmth and peace.

-Kathy

New HR web page information

Human Resources as a new resource to assist employees as they start to think about retirement.

Please see our new Ready to Retire Guide for more information.

Today: Courageous Conversation to look at community policing

Join us for a Courageous Conversation on the topic of Community Policing: Bridging the Gap, provided by CAP 3.2. 

As our community discusses how to begin taking action to bridge the gap between police officers and marginalized communities, this Courageous Conversation will provide a space to ask questions and discuss how community policing can assist in these efforts. We look forward to you being courageous and joining this conversation. 

The discussion will be led by Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Payne, GRCC Police Chief Rebecca Whitman and Jermaine Reese, director of GRCC’s Police and Corrections academies.

Date: May 25, 2021

Time: Noon

Zoom Meeting ID: 939 4274 4715

Zoom Link: https://grcc.zoom.us/j/93942744715

Tech Tip: Preview of the Lightboard Room

Would you like to make a fun and engaging video for you students or a hosted event? We have the perfect solution for you! In this video, Jim, from IT Media, will introduce you to the lightboard room and how you can access this resource.

How To Use the Lightboard

For more information and helpful tips, please visit the IT Customer Support Portal or contact the IT Customer Support Desk at x4357.

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

Walking & Wellness Challenge going strong

Our participants are awesome – in just two short weeks (we started this year’s challenge on May 10) we have completed over 4.6 million steps, which is equivalent to over 2300 miles, 88 marathons, over 100 trips from the US East Coast to the West Coast. Wow!! And we’re only just getting started!!

Join us for fun, friendship, and wellness this summer! Participants can join the Challenge anytime! This year we’re going all summer long – 16 weeks! Each week brings something new and exciting to do and explore!

The Google Community (now Currents) page is back up and running again as well. Participants are enjoying sharing photos of summer adventures, walking trail recommendations, encouragement, and just some happy, smiling faces!

Please register to participate via this Google registration form. 

For questions or more information, please email angelasalinas@grcc.edu

The Language Arts Lab (LA.TUTORLAB) is open on Sundays

Staff and faculty, please pass the information below on to our students.

Not able to make it into the lab during our weekly drop-in hours? Stop in (virtually) on Sundays 6pm-8pm to work with someone on your reading and writing work! To get connected, simply click on our Zoom link.

Reach out to Maria McKee with any questions or if you have trouble getting connected at mariamckee@grcc.edu or (616) 234-4244

Courageous Conversation to look at community policing

Join us for a Courageous Conversation on the topic of Community Policing: Bridging the Gap, provided by CAP 3.2. 

As our community discusses how to begin taking action to bridge the gap between police officers and marginalized communities, this Courageous Conversation will provide a space to ask questions and discuss how community policing can assist in these efforts. We look forward to you being courageous and joining this conversation. 

The discussion will be led by Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Payne, GRCC Police Chief Rebecca Whitman and Jermaine Reese, director of GRCC’s Police and Corrections academies.

Date: May 25, 2021

Time: Noon

Zoom Meeting ID: 939 4274 4715

Zoom Link: https://grcc.zoom.us/j/93942744715

GRCC Employee Learning Needs Survey – your input is requested

At GRCC, learning is life – from our students to our employees, learning is the essence of what we do and who we are.

As an employee of GRCC, your learning needs and interests are very important.  Professional and personal growth is vital to employee engagement, performance, and overall job satisfaction. Your voice is essential to this process.

Planning for the next academic year HR learning opportunity schedule has already begun and we want to hear from all employees. Please take a few moments of your time to complete this short survey. 

GRCC employee learning needs survey

We are grateful for your feedback and ultimately want to cater our learning opportunity curriculum to meet your needs. Although we can’t implement every idea, (is underwater basket-weaving even a thing? 😊 ) we appreciate that you are communicating how we can best support you.

Thank you for being responsive to this request. Please complete by Friday June 4.

For questions, more information, or comments — please contact angelasalinas@grcc.edu

Tech Tip: How can I tell if an email is Spam or Phishing?

Here at GRCC, the protection of our staff, faculty and student’s personal and financial information is one of utmost importance and it is our goal to make sure that information is always secure. One way to make sure that information stays safe is to keep our end users knowledgeable of online threats. As GRCC’s first line of defense against unwarranted phishing and malware, here are some ways to help to keep yours and the college’s information safe.

• Do not click on links in emails unless you are certain what the link is. Malicious emails can come from a trusted person’s account if their credentials have been compromised. Just because you know the person, does not mean it is safe. Stay cautious everywhere online, especially in communications where the sender can be spoofed. To verify the validity of a link, hover over it. The full link will display in the bottom left hand corner of your email. Read through it carefully to see if the address appears correct. If you believe you may have clicked on a phishy link by mistake, please contact GRCC’s IT Customer Support immediately at (616) 234-4357.
  
  
• Do not open unsolicited attachments in emails. If you are not expecting an invoice or document, call the sender to ensure they actually sent it to you, and it is not coming from someone impersonating them. If you believe you may have opened a suspicious attachment by mistake, please contact GRCC’s IT Customer Support immediately at (616) 234-4357.

• Use extra caution with emails sent from other school districts. We recognize that there are many emails coming in from other districts this time of year due to student transfers.  Please be extremely cautious when opening any attachments or links found in those emails.

• If you would like to report a phishing email you can click on the kabob (three vertical dots) in the upper right-hand corner of the opened email and select Report phishing.

For more information and helpful tips, please visit the IT Customer Support Portal or contact the IT Customer Support Desk at x4357

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

CTE June Newsletter

The June CTE Newsletter is now available!

Highlights include:

• Meet the new adjunct faculty liaison
• Summer Teaching and Learning Institute preview; registration opens June 21
• Courageous conversations continue next week
• Looking for a video to use in your course? Check our streaming guide
• Summer antiracist educator series
• Become a mentor as your college service next year
• Impact grants are available
• Keep up with teaching and learning space renovations
• Follow the DLIT podcast, Speaking of Teaching

Connect with the Center for Teaching Excellence

• Follow us on Twitter
• Subscribe to our Youtube Channel
• Follow us on Facebook