Nominations open for 39th Annual GIANT Awards

Nominations are open for the 39th Annual GIANT Awards, scheduled to be presented Oct. 1, 2022.

The GRCC Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is accepting nominations for several awards and scholarships, including the distinguished GIANT among GIANTs honor. The deadline is Wednesday, June 22.

Grand Rapids Community College since 1983 has hosted the annual awards recognizing African-American people and organizations for their exceptional contributions in shaping the history and quality of life in Grand Rapids.

Each award is named after a community pillar that has demonstrated excellence and is a perpetual memorial to those notable contributions.

Honorees are scheduled to be announced in July. Ticket sales and sponsorships open on Aug. 12.

Please visit tinyurl.com/GIANTawards to nominate members of the community. For additional questions, contact Erin Mieskowski at ODEI@grcc.edu.

Retirement celebration for Jeff Danner

Please plan on celebrating Jeff Danner’s retirement from GRCC at an open house from 3:30 -5:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 1. 

The event will be held in the Applied Technology Center rooms 122/124.

My GRCC Story: Ron Moore collects a degree he didn’t realize he earned 20 years ago

At 48, Ron Moore has a good life: A loving wife, a supportive family and a thriving photography studio in Holland. But something always gnawed at him.

“I never finished up my associate degree,” said Moore, who studied photography 20 years ago at Grand Rapids Community College. “They added some new requirements to the degree program. At that time, I was already working full time as a photographer and I was getting married. The degree just got back-burnered.”

He began married life with his wife, Jennifer, and her son, Sam. Moore worked as a photographer’s assistant for several more years before opening his own business, Photo Op Studio, in 2005.

Still, it gnawed at him.

Fast-forward two decades to March. On a whim, Moore stopped by the new GRCC Lakeshore Campus in Holland to see just how many credits he still needed to earn his degree.

Academic Advisor Kristie Kozub, who happened to be Moore’s classmate at West Ottawa High School, delivered the happy news on the spot.

“Apparently, I had been sitting on 62 credits for almost 20 years,” Moore said. “Kristie explained I already had enough credits to graduate and could have done it a long time ago. It was crazy.”

On April 29, Moore donned his blue cap and gown, walked across the stage at GRCC’s commencement and happily accepted his long-awaited diploma.

“My mom is alive and healthy, and I wanted her to see me walk. But I also wanted to do it for myself because it’s important to finish what you start,” he said.

“It took a lot of discipline back then going to college and working my butt off full-time. But that discipline helped sculpt me into the person I am today – and I’m proud of that.”

This story was reported by Beth McKenna. Photo by Steve Jessmore.

New hours for GRCC Bookstore next week

The GRCC Bookstore is adjusting its hours for next week. It will be closed on Monday, May 30 for the Memorial Day holiday.

It will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 31 through June 3.

GRCC In the News 05/24/2022

Ohlen Bond leads DeWitt in Diamond Classic opener on mound, in the box

5/24/22 Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING – Ohlen Bond felt right at home on the mound for DeWitt in Monday’s Diamond Classic opener against Pewamo-Westphalia.

… “I’m trying to extend my career going to Grand Rapids Community College and hopefully here (Michigan State University) one day,” Bond said. “It’s a dream of mine and it felt like a dream pitching here tonight, it felt good.”

Chief Information Officer (CIO) finalist

The first Chief Information Officer (CIO) finalist will visit campus this Tuesday, May 24.  The candidate will meet with various groups across campus with a public forum at 2:45 p.m. in the ATC auditorium. 

The candidate will present on the use of Cloud storage and cyber security.  If your schedule permits please feel free to attend the presentation in person. 

The presentation will also be live-streamed at CIO Candidate #1.

2022 Excellence in Education Award nomination deadline extended until Friday, June 3

The deadline for nominations for the full-time faculty, adjunct and staff Excellence in Education Awards has been extended until Friday, June 3, 2022.  Please consider nominating a deserving faculty, adjunct or staff member.

The Excellence in Education Award was established in 1989 to honor an individual Grand Rapids Community College employee for their contributions to the College, higher education and the community. In 2000, the award was expanded to provide recognition in the form of a staff award and a separate full-time faculty award. In 2010, an additional award was added for an exemplary adjunct faculty member.

Recipients of the full-time faculty, adjunct and staff award each receive $1,000, and a $1,000 contribution to the GRCC Foundation is made in the recipient’s name.

The application has gone online which makes the entire process faster and easier.

Start HERE and select either Full Time Faculty, Adjunct, or Staff. 

Questions?
Faculty & Adjunct: Email the Provost Office at provost@grcc.edu
Staff: Email Angela Salinas at angelasalinas@grcctoday

Thank you for taking the time to nominate a deserving member of the GRCC family for these awards.

25th Annual Wege Speaker Series

The 25th Annual Wege Speaker Series will take place on Thursday, May 26 at 4 p.m.  

This year’s lecturer will be Dr. Beverly Wright, award-winning environmental justice scholar, advocate, author, civic leader, and professor.

She is the founder and executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice in New Orleans.

Please register by May 25, 2022, at: wegespeaker2022.eventbrite.com

Internet Explorer- End of life

Beginning June 15, 2022, Microsoft will be retiring Internet Explorer.

If you are still using Internet Explorer as your default browser, please switch to another browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge.

We have a helpful knowledge base article to assist you.

Any applications or sites that are traditionally only accessible in Internet Explorer can be opened in Microsoft Edge using the Compatibility Mode feature. 

If you use Internet Explorer for linking documents, you may now use any browser to complete this function. 

If you have any questions about this change, we encourage you to reach out to the IT Support Desk at 616-234-4357 or by visiting our Customer Support Portal at supportdesk.grcc.edu to submit a ticket.