Complimentary registration for Cultural Competence Institute [CCI]

The Provost and Office of Instructional Support have partnered to offer full-time faculty and staff free registration to the 2022 Cultural Competence Institute.

Please contact LaKenya Gissendanner at [ lgissend@grcc.edu ] to sign up for this opportunity by March 31.

This year’s CCI will focus on interweaving principles of equity into the strategic planning process. 

We will convene in virtual format on Friday, April 8, from 8:30 am to 11:30 am (EST).

Listed below is an outline of the three-hour session:

8:30 am to 9:15 am  
-Organizational triumphs when equity is critical to the strategic plan
-The ‘business case’ for embedding equity into the strategic plan
-How equity drives the institutional mission, values, purpose)
 

9:15 am to 10:00 am
-Fostering faculty engagement and leadership
-Action-centered practices faculty can adopt to embed equity
-Best practices in faculty and administration partnerships  
 
10:10 am to 11:15 am
-Key steps: How do we get there?

Learn from the Best: GRCC alumni, Chef-Professor Bob Schultz continues the tradition of excellence in culinary arts

Chef Bob Schultz believes the strength of GRCC’s Secchia Institute for Culinary education comes from the expertise and the camaraderie of culinary arts faculty and staff.

“Working together is much easier and successful when a department has the same end goals in mind,” he said.

Chef Schultz brings over 25 years of teaching experience to his team, as well as several degrees focused on excellence in teaching culinary arts classes. He earned an Associate Degree of Applied Arts and Sciences in Culinary Arts from GRCC, a bachelor’s degree in Business from Davenport University, and a master’s degree from Ferris State University in Career and Tech Education. Students can work with Chef Schultz when they take CA 114 International Foods, CA 115 Table Service, CA 180 Co-Op/Internship class, CA 160 Ice Carving, CA 209 Principles of Food Science, or CA 200 Hospitality Management.

Chef Schultz has excelled as a culinary arts faculty member at GRCC because of the college’s commitment to supporting faculty in their professional development.

“I have capitalized in my teaching profession thanks to the commitment from the college supporting me as I earned various degrees and certifications,” he said. “Teaching in the culinary field has always been a career goal. I have been teaching here at GRCC for over 25 years and my goal has always been to bring something to our students that culinary students can’t get from any other culinary school in the United States. Hence my tenacity for knowledge.”

Chef Schultz inspires passion in his students when he focuses on their success by making sure they grasp important concepts no matter their learning style, by diversifying the delivery of the material using different platforms.

Excellence in teaching is a main tenant of Chef Schultz’s career as he continues the work of the Chef-Professors that came before him at GRCC.

“My heroes are the chefs that helped establish our culinary program and its reputation,” he said. “It is because of their work, dedication, and sometimes sheer tenacity to the culinary craft that inspires me. In following their example, I am doing my part to help students fuel their passion for the culinary arts.”

Sixth-annual African-American Male Achievement Conference will be a day of learning, inspiration for high school students

The sixth-annual African-American Male Achievement Conference will be a day of inspiration, learning, sharing and caring for our male students in ninth through 12 grades.

The conference, offered virtually this year, will focus on school achievement, graduation, college, choices, careers and becoming a positive young man in the community and world. The theme is “Challenges, Choices, and Change.”

The conference is planned for 9 a.m. through 11:30 p.m. March 28. While offered virtually, there are times for localized breakout sessions.

The event is a collaboration between Urban League of Western Michigan, Grand Rapids Public Schools, GRCC, Grand Valley State University, and the City of Grand Rapids.

Organizers aim to convene more than 1,000 African-American young men from West Michigan secondary schools and engage them in workshops and other activities in which they will be affirmed, dared to dream about their futures, and reminded of their potential greatness.

Offering the conference virtually prevents the participants from being together in one space, but does allow each site to tailor the conference to its unique needs.

Registration is available at a link here. Questions about the event can be answered by Parris McMurray at mcmurrayp@grps.org and Rhondo Cooper at CooperR@grps.org.

GRCC In the News 03/11/2022

Snapshots

3/10/22 Community College Daily (American Association of Community Colleges)

… Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer visited Grand Rapids Community College on March 7, touring automotive technology labs and talking about auto insurance refund checks headed to car owners this spring. It is Whitmer’s fifth visit to GRCC since becoming governor in 2019. (Photo: GRCC)

GRCC, GVSU partner with Amazon’s Career Choice program to help employees earn degrees, career skills

3/10/22 secondwavemedia.com

More and more companies are finding ways to provide free or affordable ways for employees to earn degrees and gain skills so they can grow their careers. 

Locally, a good example is Amazon’s new partnership with Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University through Amazon’s Career Choice program, which provides Amazon’s hourly employees access to credits for transfer or degrees and career-focused certificates.

 ‘It’s still needed’: Chef bringing taste of Vietnam to GR

3/10/22 WOOD TV

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A personal chef is getting ready to bring the Vietnamese dining experience to downtown Grand Rapids.

… (Phong) Nguyen came to America in 2012 after he says he picked Grand Valley State University out of a book as a place to study. He learned English at GVSU, got an associate’s degree in culinary arts at Grand Rapids Community College and a bachelor’s degree at Ferris State University. Until now, he has worked as a personal chef.

Deadline approaching: Over $1,000,000 in scholarships available to students from the GRCC Foundation

Please share and encourage the students you teach and support to complete the GRCC Scholarship application.

They can fill out a single application to be considered for over three hundred scholarships!

These scholarships can provide them with free money to help cover 2022-23 GRCC tuition, books and fees. 

Students should apply for GRCC scholarships on our  Scholarships webpage.

The priority deadline is March 15, 2022. In order to maximize scholarship opportunities, students should also complete a 2022-23 FAFSA.