ArtPrize cultivates competition and world records
8/1/22 The Lanthorn (Grand Valley State University student newspaper)
In a little over a month both Grand Rapids, Michigan and the Grand Valley State University community will conclude the summer with the city’s biennial ArtPrize competition. This contest brings artists from all over the world to Grand Rapids where they get to present their artistic passions in whatever medium they choose.
… (Christina) Hindley, Canadian native and current Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) student is working on a paper quilling project in which she will display almost 14,000 paper-quilled hearts at Art Prize in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most paper quilled hearts on display.
The Role of a Chief DEI Officer at the Community College
August 2022 League for Innovation in the Community College
Ensuring that different voices are heard with equal weight across a college campus can be difficult, but well worth the effort. Arguably, from their inception in the early 1900s, community colleges were intentionally created for the purpose of diversifying the higher education student body; offering inclusivity to those who previously did not have the socioeconomic stature to attend an institution of higher education; and providing learning spaces that were deemed fair, accessible, and equitable (Nevarez & Wood, 2010; Ratcliff, 1986). The word “intentionally,” however, can be used as a scapegoat for institutions, excusing certain actions because the intention was good or came from an honest space.
… Far too often, the expectation is for a Chief DEI Officer to single-handedly undo decades of practice and policies and evoke radical structural change (Asare, 2019; Jones & Padamsee, 2021; Paikeday, 2021). When they sit at the leadership table, however, officers often find that that their job description is the only one that includes the concept of equity, which can be translated as them being only person in the room invested in the work. Dr. McNeely Cobham (Personal communication, January 19, 2022), Chief DEI Officer at Grand Rapids Community College, says that every vice president position at a college should have the word equity included in their job description, as it primes everyone to listen and engage with an equity-centered focus. Williams and Wade-Golden (2008) found that, “no officer alone can singularly direct campus-diversity efforts; collaboration is essential” (para. 7)
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