Teaching, Learning, and Distance Education (TLDE) News

Midwest Institute for International-Intercultural Education

Did you know that GRCC is a member of the Midwest Institute for International-Intercultural Education?  The Midwest Institute for International-Intercultural Education (MIIIE) is a self-funded consortium of two-year colleges.

Its primary mission is to provide curriculum and professional development by organizing workshops, conferences, and funding for college projects.  Visit MIIE’s website to learn more information about their events and learning materials.  To access the learning materials, contact Sheila Jones to obtain the GRCC member access code.

On Monday, December 5, MIIE is hosting its first Zoom-based Book discussion ofLeading with Dignity by Donna Hicks.  The discussion will take place from 7:00-9:30pm (Eastern Time) and will feature the following: 

• Summary and critique of the book by Holly Norton (University of Northwestern Ohio, serving at the reviewer-facilitator) for 30-45 minutes.
• Video interview of the author by Badri Rao for 55 minutes.
• Facilitation of group discussion for 50-60 minutes by Holly Norton.

If you are interested in participating in the book discussion, please fill out this application and email it to Theo Sypris, Director of MIIIE, at: tsypris@kvcc.edu. 

Featured Upcoming Workshops/Events and Reminders:

1. Tips and Tricks Fall 2022 – Thursday, 11/3 – 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Hyflex
2. 1st Year Assessment of Student Learning Training – Friday, 11/4 – 1:00  to 2:00 p.m. in Person – 315 RJF Hall
3. Managing the Grading Load – Thursday, 11/10 – 12:00  to 1:00 p.m. – Hyflex
4. Instructional Design Charrette – Wednesday, 11/16 – 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. – Hyflex

Please visit CTE’s Calendar and Programming webpage for the current listing of all Fall 2022 Professional Development opportunities being offered by TLDE!

My Story Started at GRCC: Jacki Fuller gained skills to become director of nursing at Spectrum Health Hospitals Rehabilitation and Nursing Center

Jacki Fuller credits GRCC for the nursing skills she uses every day and for helping her develop a trait that’s equally essential: leadership.

As director of nursing at Spectrum Health Hospitals Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, she oversees care for 140 patients and supervises a staff of about 150, including registered and licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, nurse managers, nurse supervisors, doctors, case managers, a nurse educator, and a specialist in infection prevention.

Start at GRCC and go anywhere. Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC gave them the education and opportunity to be successful.

Fuller appreciates the leadership classes she took at GRCC.

“Being a leader is incredibly multifaceted, especially in the world of nursing,” she said. 

The hands-on training through clinicals and the simulation labs prepared her for patient care, but it was the Nursing Program’s work in the community that had a special impact.

“I was able to see real health issues and disparities that people in my own community are facing,” Fuller said. “Being able to contribute to improving those issues as a nursing student was impactful in my journey.”

A trip to Costa Rica with her cohort in the Associate Degree Nursing program is a favorite memory.

“This was eye opening!” she said. “It was incredible to see how the people in Costa Rica live and what little access to health care they have. Our time volunteering made a huge difference in their lives.”

Fuller graduated with her associate degree in Nursing in 2016, after first earning her Licensed Practical Nurse certification in 2013. She had worked with Spectrum Health during a clinical rotation and knew she wanted to build a career there.

“I worked as a bedside nurse for a few years while also going back to GRCC for my ADN,” she said. “During this time, I was offered a position as a nurse supervisor. I continued in the nurse supervisor role for two years and then moved into a nurse manager role. I recently moved from the nurse manager role into the director of nursing role.”

Fuller, who completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing last year through Capella University and plans to complete her master’s there in December, leans on what she learned at GRCC every day.

“GRCC is a great size,” she said. “They have the tools and resources to provide a quality education but also aren’t so large that I felt like a number. I truly felt like I was valued, and my success was important.”

Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply.

GRCC cross country teams finish second in NJCAA Region XII, MCCA Championships

The men’s and women’s nationally ranked Grand Rapids Community College cross country teams both punched their tickets to the national tournament after a runner-up finish at the MCCAA/NJCAA Region XII Championships on Saturday.

Lansing Community College, ranked No. 1 in both the women’s and men’s national poll, ran away with both victories, but GRCC finished well ahead of the third-place teams in each race. Southwestern Michigan College was third in the women’s race, and St. Clair County Community College in the men’s competition.

After a GRCC record-setting performance in her last meet, All-American Kaylee Scott led the No. 4-ranked women’s team with a time of 19:35, 25 seconds behind the winner Olivia Vanderway of Lansing. She was fourth overall out of 80 competitors.

Fellow All-American Audrey Meyering finished in eighth place with a time of 19:58. Rose Meyer was 11th overall with a time of 20:11. All three Raiders earned All-MCCAA and All-Region honors for their performances.

Women’s coach Sharon Becker said she is “satisfied with some solid performances and amazed and thrilled with some others performances!”

“Kaylee finishing in top five was super cool for her- she ran a great, steady, strong race today!” Becker said. “I’m so proud of Audrey and Rose for their strength, resilience and perseverance to power through to the very end. Today was a huge step to the progress we plan to pay off and finalize on Nov. 12!” Becker said. “The Raiders are not done yet. They have more to accomplish and look forward to the privilege and opportunity at the National Tournament in Florida!

GRCC’s men’s team, ranked No. 7 in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll, was led by the first time this season by 2021 All-American Coleman Clark, who ran the race in 26:35.

Freshman Mason Kolhoff ran 26:41 finishing in sixth place, while Andrew Periard and Dan Kehoe both broke 28 minutes finishing in a respective 17th and 18th place.

Clark and Kolhoff both earned All-Region and All-MCCAA honors, while Periard and Kehoe earned All-MCCAA honors with their performances.

Men’s team coach Rob Hyde said he is “super proud” of his team.

“Yes, we did not beat Lansing but it is the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, and we’ve gotten closer and closer to it,” Hyde said. “We broke up the top group like we’ve never had before and our guys coming behind them are getting closer and closer. My guys are bummed that the times are slow, but every single person in this race had a slower time. That’s cross country. We were ahead of teams by larger margins than ever before. So overall, we are still moving in the right direction with one more race to go.”

Both teams will have two weeks off to prepare for the National Championships, which will take place Nov. 12 in Tallahassee, Fla.  

MCCAA champs! GRCC volleyball team earns sixth-straight title with victories over Lake Michigan College, Mott Community College

The Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team won its sixth-straight Michigan Community College Athletic Association Tournament championship with back-to-back wins on Saturday, including a five-set thriller in the championship match.

“Our staff was extremely proud of how our kids represented our school and the new MCCAA North Division of our conference” Coach Chip Will said. “To defeat the West and East champions was a great way to prepare for the regionals next weekend. Both our opponents pushed us to get better each set and grow under some pressure situations. Another goal was met for our season with two more big goals to still achieve.”

After winning the 12th conference title in program history, GRCC qualified for the MCCAA Tournament to first battle Lake Michigan College, the champions from the Western Conference. GRCC dominated, winning 25-6, 25-15, 25-13.

GRCC played nearly flawlessly, committing only one reception error and one service error while hitting a superb .369, the team’s second best this season.

Audrey Torres had 12 kills, while hitting a career-high .524 while teammate Eliza Thelen had 11 kills and hit .500.

In the championship against the host school, Mott Community College, the GRCC grinded out a 15-12 fifth set win to beat the Eastern Conference champions for the second straight year.

After dropping set one 26-24, the GRCC regained control of the match, taking the next two sets 25-21 and 25-16. But the Bears responded with a 25-21 win to force a final set. GRCC led by as many as seven points, and Thelen finished off with her 21st kill of the match.

Torres led the team again with 22 kills while hitting .300, while Karissa Ferry bested her career high by five with 16 kills and Audrey Gower picked up her 800th career dig.

On the day, Shannon Russell totaled 92 assists, 21 digs and five kills, including a killer B in the fifth set.

GRCC now awaits their opening match opponent in next week’s Region XII-Great Lakes B Tournament.  They will play against the winner of Schoolcraft College and Southwestern Michigan College on Thursday Nov. 3 at 6 p.m.   

GRCC In the News 10/31/2022

GRCC auto program sees high demand for mechanics

10/28/22 WOOD TV

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Mechanics are in high demand in West Michigan as the industry continues to face challenges from a global parts shortage.

The Grand Rapids Community College Auto Technology Program is the biggest trainer of technicians in West Michigan and almost every person who completes the program finds a position in the industry.

How GRCC supports their student veterans

10/28/22 “eightWest”

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) – As we approach veterans day, we’ll be taking a look at organizations and events that support veterans in our community. Grand Rapids Community College is now a gold level college, reflecting their commitment to student veterans.

 GRCC nets 6th-straight MCCAA volleyball championship

10/29/22 FOX 17

FLINT, Mich. — Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) is celebrating its volleyball team’s sixth-straight MCCAA Tournament championship!

Interview: Ron Jenkins and Avery Mills of CINDERELLA at Lionheart Productions

10/30/22 Broadway World Michigan

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella opens at the Grant Fine Arts Center this week, bringing back Lion Heart Productions’ first large-cast musical since Mamma Mia! In 2019. The show is running 2 weekends, through November 12th, and is the new Broadway adaptation of the classic musical. This contemporary take on the classic tale features Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago”. Broadway World Michigan had a chance to speak with Director Ron Jenkins and one of the show’s stars, Avery Mills playing Ella, about the delightful holiday comedy. Enjoy our chat and their fun answers to get you excited for the performance tonight and in the coming weeks!

… Avery Mills: I grew up all over West Michigan in Spring Lake, Grand Haven, and graduated from Zeeland. After that, I moved to Grand Rapids where I went to GRCC for Vocal Performance and studied under some really incredible teachers. I just moved back to Grand Rapids after living in Nagoya, Japan for three years. I miss it terribly, but I am so glad to be able to do theatre again!! I have been doing theatre locally since I graduated from High School. There are too many shows to list – but I have worked in Hamilton, Holland Civic Theatre, West Michigan Savoyards, and Master Arts Theatre. As well as a handful of shows when I was attending GRCC. My most recent shows have mostly been performing Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta with the West Michigan Savoyards. My last role was Mabel in Pirates of Penzance. It’s a group I hold near and dear to my heart!

GRCC Foundation celebrating Dr. Juan R. Olivarez and Mary Olivarez for their service to the college and community at Scholarfest

The Grand Rapids Community College Foundation is honoring Dr. Juan Olivarez and Mary Olivarez for their service to the college and community in this year’s Scholarfest.

Scholarfest is an annual event celebrating GRCC’s philanthropic leaders and highlighting achievements of faculty, staff and students. Proceeds support GRCC scholarships.

The event is planned for 6-8 p.m. on Nov. 1. It will be the first event in the Secchia Piazza, located in the Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St. NE in Grand Rapids.

Tickets are available here.

The GRCC Foundation awarded more than $1.4 million in scholarships last year and supported students in other ways as the community was affected by the pandemic.

“Juan and Mary are such an important part of our campus community, and their service extends throughout West Michigan,” said Dr. Kathryn Mullins, executive director of the GRCC Foundation and vice president for College Advancement. “Honoring them allows us to salute their service, and also inspire the next generations of GRCC students and those who help them be successful.”

As GRCC’s eighth president, Juan Olivarez forged community partnerships and increased educational opportunities for underserved populations.

The son of migrant workers from Benavides, Texas, he was the first Hispanic president of any Michigan college or university.

Dr. Olivarez was an educator in the Grand Rapids Public Schools for more than 20 years before becoming GRCC’s Dean of Institutional Research in 1991.

After retiring from GRCC in 2008, Olivarez became president and CEO of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. He was named Aquinas College’s seventh president in 2011, retiring in 2017. He was a distinguished scholar in residence for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Grand Valley State University’s Dorothy Johnson Center for Philanthropy between 2018 and 2021.

Dr. Olivarez continues to be an important part of GRCC, serving as interim president while the college searches for a new president.

Mary Olivarez is equally committed to education, spending 24 years with Grand Rapids Public Schools, teaching kindergarten and early childhood education, and working with students with multiple impairments. 

The Secchia Piazza is the newest addition to the GRCC Main Campus and connected to the renovated Heritage restaurant. Supported by donations by former Ambassador Peter Secchia and his family, the Secchia Piazza provides opportunities for students in the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education and tells the story of the program’s global reach.

Get some pronoun practice

Photo by Devin Kira Murphy licensed CC BY-NC 2.0

Still struggling with singular ‘they/them’ pronouns? Let us help you.

Whether you know it or not, we guarantee you interact with non-binary people who use these pronouns. 

Come learn some best practices, share your concerns, ask questions, and get some hands-on practice with us in a brave space.

It’s not about ideology; it’s about creating a supportive and safe environment for our students and peers. 

We hope to see you there on November 2!

Register for this “Using They, Them, Their Pronouns” session via the Professional Development tile of your Online Center account. 

Multi-Factor Authentication for students on November 1

IT recently announced that we will be launching Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on student MyGRCC accounts starting Tuesday, November 1.

What does this mean?

Starting November 1, students will be prompted to authenticate through MFA in the same way as faculty and staff.

Students signing into their MyGRCC account off campus or from a personal device on campus will be prompted for a one-time passcode sent to their email address or phone.

Here is what can be expected:

We are working to make this change as easy as possible for everyone.

Reminders are being sent out to students encouraging them to log into their MyGRCC portal and verify they have the correct phone number and email address through these steps.

For those working closely and assisting students, please follow these instructions or you can watch this quick video. 

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns at our IT Support Portal or by calling (616) 234-4357.