The Dean of Business & Industry screening committee invites the campus community to attend the candidate presentation. This interview was rescheduled from Wednesday, February 22.
Candidate 2: Thursday, March 2 from 11 a.m. to Noon.
The presentation is available in-person and live streamed. We encourage anyone who can attend in person to join us in ATC 168 (Auditorium).
I am excited to say that we have been getting the word out–this semester has seen a significant increase in student use of the food pantry!
Fall 22 semester had a total of 333 visits from students, an average of 28 students a week. As of last week (week 7 of the Winter 23 semester,) we have had a total of 282 students visit with an average of 40 students a week.
This could not have been done without the care and support of the community.
With that in mind, we are looking for additional assistance and want to open up the opportunity to volunteer at the pantry. With increased pantry use, we have had larger orders to unload on Tuesdays and need a Thursday restock to ensure there is adequate amounts of food on the shelves.
If this is something you or your team would be interested in, please take a look at the sign up sheet. Training and guidance will be provided. We would love to have you join us, and please share the word!
If you have any questions, please reach out to me! I would be happy to chat.
Best,
Rebecca Lubbers / rebeccalubbers1@grcc.edu
Human Resources is working to re-establish a Meet & Confer Advisory Group. We are looking for volunteers who would be interested in participating. Ideally the group will be composed of six to eight Meet & Confer employees who represent the broad divisions and levels within this employee group. Meetings will be led by Human Resources once per semester.
We would like volunteers to help for up to three years. The goal of this group is to provide feedback on employment related topics such as; update to the handbook, benefits consortium participation, and discussion of other topics to be considered by administration.
Please reach out to Christine Coon (christinecoon@grcc.edu) or Luanne Wedge (lwedge@grcc.edu) in Human Resources by Friday, March 17 if you’re interested in volunteering.
As a mom, Cassandra Tiensivu knows actions speak louder than words.
So instead of just telling her young daughters about the importance of a college degree, the Comstock Park mother showed them and enrolled at Grand Rapids Community College herself.
“I understand how hard it is for young people to follow the advice of someone who doesn’t put their money where their mouth is, so that’s when I decided to apply to GRCC and get myself a degree,” said Tiensivu, an honor roll student who’s pursuing a General Studies degree.
Her daughters, now 21 and 18 years old, literally followed in her footsteps: Sabrina is in her second year at GRCC studying Business Administration and Juliana is a freshman in the college’s Math, Science and Engineering Academic Pathway.
Tiensivu, now 43, married soon after high school and never attended college, instead working as a stay-at-home mom after her daughters were born. Several years after her divorce, she enrolled at GRCC in 2016.
“Part of the reason I went back to school was because I wanted to instill the importance of college and a career so they wouldn’t be in the same position that I found myself,” she said. “I felt like the luckiest person in the world when I got my acceptance letter from GRCC.”
When it was time for each daughter to start classes, Mom stepped up as their personal tour guide.
“I was so proud to show them where everything was on campus,” Cassandra Tiensivu said. “If I hadn’t been a student myself, I don’t think I’d be able to assist them with the transition as well as I have.”
Although she began at GRCC as a full-time student, Tiensivu’s class load flexes when her family needs more of her time.
“In 2018, Sabrina was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and I took a year off school to be there for her,” she said. “Thankfully, she beat the cancer and is doing great.”
Balancing classes, homework, household and “mom stuff” isn’t always easy.
This semester, Tiensivu took a break from classes to focus on Celestial Kittens, a new company she started featuring space-themed felines she designed. Her product line includes stickers and stuffed toys, with a children’s book and fashion accessories on the way.
“I would like to be self-sufficient with my own business and still be able to pursue other things,” she said.
After exploring several academic fields through the years, Tiensivu is just nine credits away from an associate degree in general studies. She hopes to soon attain GRCC degrees in Pre-Art and Pre-Business before heading to a university and becoming a paleontologist.
“I know it’s taken me a long time to get a degree but I’m going to get there eventually … I’m not giving up,” Tiensivu said.
For now, she enjoys the time with her daughters, carpooling to GRCC with her youngest, eating lunch on campus at Quiet Cafe, and watching all three of their career aspirations come to life.
And her daughters are still watching and learning.
“I think it’s awesome that Mom is going back to school,” Sabrina Tiensivu said. “When I see Mom study, all I can think of is how hardworking and dedicated she is.”
This story was reported by Beth McKenna.
Yesterday, a group from the GRCC Older Learners fitness classes ventured out to see a movie together.
It was so much fun that they will be scheduling one movie “field trip” per quarter. If you are interested, let us know!
I’m interested in offerings through the GRCC Older Learners program.
Grand Rapids Times publisher, late arts icon honored at 40th annual GIANT Awards
2/27/23 MLive
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The creators of the annual GIANT Awards that celebrate the contributions African American community leaders had in shaping the history, culture and quality of life in Grand Rapids were honored Saturday night.
… (Patricia) Pulliam has made two careers shining a light on minority issues and concerns as a publisher and professor at Grand Rapids Community College, which hosted the ceremony at DeVos Place.
Grand Rapids Times publisher honored by college as community ‘giant’
2/27/23 Grand Rapids Business Journal
A longtime educator and magazine editor was recognized for her decades of service to West Michigan.
Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) on Saturday celebrated 40 years of its Giant Awards, recognizing Patricia Pulliam with the first ever Giant Legacy Award for her impact in West Michigan.
Women Crafting the Beverage Industry in Grand Rapids
2/27/23 Experience Grand Rapids
USA Today has recognized Grand Rapids as the Craft Beverage Capital of America. We want to recognize some of the women who helped us get there. Their leadership has helped Grand Rapids stand out from the pack of other craft beverage destinations – and has inspired more local women to pursue their own careers in breweries, distilleries, cideries and wineries across the area.
… The couple (Callee and Levi Knoll) met at Grand Rapids’ Secchia Institute for Culinary Education, where Callee was enrolled in the Culinary Arts program, with the goal of becoming a personal private chef. But after graduation, the Knolls decided instead to work on something together, and channeled their 30 years of combined foodservice experience into planning their own restaurant-brewery.
(This article also mentions GRCC alum Mitch Ermatinger.)
Wednesday, March 1
Good People Make Mistakes
Friday, March 10
Vicarious Trauma
Tuesday, March 14
Active Shooter Response Training
Wednesday, March 15
How To Get It Wrong
Thursday, March 16
Raising Awareness of Mental Health in the Workplace
Tuesday, March 21 & Wednesday, March 22
Mental Health First Aid
Tuesday, March 21
How Do I Pack For FMLA Leave?
Thursday, March 23
GRCC Accounts Explained
Friday, March 24
Mindfulness Made Simple
Monday, March 27
Addressing Employee Conduct Concerns – Roadmap for Leaders
Wednesday, March 29
Value of the Intergenerational Workplace
Thursday, March 30
Show Me The Money
For session descriptions, times, formats and locations, please visit the Professional Development tile in your Online Center account.
The GRCC Online Store is open once again!
We are actively stocking our shelves with all kinds of great equipment. The Online Store sells replaced computer equipment and more back to the community at hugely discounted pricing.
Head to the link below to see what’s in stock.
New walk-in store area opening Feb. 22!
The Online Store now has a store front located on Devos Campus, Sneden Hall, Room 115. We will be doing a soft opening for all GRCC students and employees on Feb. 22, 2023. The store will be open from 12pm-5pm.
Come shop in person or just stop in to say hello.
The priority deadline is approaching quickly, and students get busy, so please remind 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 2023-24 GRCC tuition, books and fees.
Students should apply for GRCC scholarships on our Scholarships webpage.
The priority deadline is March 15, 2023. In order to maximize scholarship opportunities, students should also complete a 2023-24 FAFSA.
GRCC’s Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) met on Friday, February 24, from 9 a.m. to Noon. Here is a recap of the meeting.
SLT Operations – Team members heard an update on the following:
Student Alliance at GRCC Presentation:
Achieving the Dream (ATD) – 2023 DREAM Convening Takeaways:
Closing Remarks – The following announcements were shared at the close of the meeting:
Meeting link:
If you were unable to attend Friday’s SLT meeting and would like to watch the recording, please click here. You can also view the SLT February 24th presentation slides here.
Next Steps:
Friday’s SLT events also included another meeting with the new Strategic Goal leads. If you are interested in volunteering to serve on any of the potential Strategic Initiatives (SIs) and/or College Action Projects (CAPs) aligned with the five Strategic Goals, please let the SLT Executive Team know by sending an email to SLTExec@grcc.edu.
Please contact Sheila Jones, sheilajones@grcc.edu, if you have any questions about SLT meetings or how you can get involved with SLT initiatives.
About the Strategic Leadership Team: The purpose of the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) is to provide a forum that enables a wide variety of college constituency groups the opportunity to provide input into the present and future direction of the College. This team will guide the development and on-going implementation of our strategic plan, review benchmarking data, study budget realities and offer recommendations for budget priorities. SLT’s membership includes over 90 representatives of the college community. Please visit this page to learn more about SLT.
TLDE Pop-up Connect & Relaxation Stations: We’re coming to you this week!
As we continue to mark the midpoint of the semester/end of the first seven weeks with grading, projects, and preparation for spring break, we want to help you connect and relax! TLDE will be sponsoring “pop up” connection and relaxation stations this Wednesday, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. and Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Look for us in the following locations: RJF Third Floor, Science Building First Floor, White Hall Second Floor, ATC Second Floor, and Lakeshore Campus.
Please welcome Justin Vogelar, our new Distance Education Specialist!
We are excited to announce that Justin Vogelar is joining our department! Justin begins his new role as TLDE’s Distance Education Specialist on Monday, February 27. You may know Justin from his previous position as a GRCC Instructional Technology Customer Support Technician. Justin was also featured in a Workforce Wednesday post sharing his experience as a student in our Computer Support Technician Job Training program. Justin will bring all of this knowledge and experience to his new role in supporting GRCC faculty and staff by providing Learning Management System (LMS) instruction and first-line support. Justin will also help TLDE develop and deliver training and training materials to faculty and staff in the use of GRCC’s LMS and other learning technologies. Please join us in welcoming Justin to TLDE and stop by our offices in 373 RJF to say hello!
Adjunct Recognition Event: Survey Reminder
Our adjunct faculty members received a survey invitation in their inboxes last week. If you have not already done so, please complete the survey, found here, before March 17. Your feedback is essential as we continue to plan a Winter 2023 Adjunct Faculty Recognition event!
Reminder: Blackboard Ultra Base Navigation
On Saturday, May 6, from 9 to 11 a.m., GRCC IT will be updating Blackboard to incorporate the new Ultra Base Navigation. This new navigation has a sleek, modern look and feel, and will save you time with simpler workflows and easier access to important information. Learn more on the Blackboard Ultra Base Navigation Transition Hub.
Featured Upcoming Workshops/Events/Information:
Please visit CTE’s Calendar and Programming webpage for the current listing of all Winter 2023 Professional Development opportunities being offered by TLDE!
Please join us for Mary Hofstra’s Retirement Party!
When: Thursday, March 2 from 3:30 – 5:30
Where: In the atrium at the Tassell MTEC
Come and celebrate Mary’s retirement and thank her for her years of service!
Sabbatical applications for the 2023-24 academic year are due to the Provost office by Thursday, March 9.
If you’re a full-time faculty member with at least six years of service, consider applying for a sabbatical.
Please visit the webpage for full details, including the online application and rubric.
If you have any questions, contact the Provost office at provost@grcc.edu.
Wednesday, March 1
Good People Make Mistakes
Friday, March 10
Vicarious Trauma
Tuesday, March 14
Active Shooter Response Training
Wednesday, March 15
How To Get It Wrong
Thursday, March 16
Raising Awareness of Mental Health in the Workplace
Tuesday, March 21 & Wednesday, March 22
Mental Health First Aid
Tuesday, March 21
How Do I Pack For FMLA Leave?
Thursday, March 23
GRCC Accounts Explained
Friday, March 24
Mindfulness Made Simple
Monday, March 27
Addressing Employee Conduct Concerns – Roadmap for Leaders
Wednesday, March 29
Value of the Intergenerational Workplace
Thursday, March 30
Show Me The Money
For session descriptions, times, formats and locations, please visit the Professional Development tile in your Online Center account.
You can view a colleagues GRCC extension by hovering over their name in Google Products. When you hover over their name a window will appear showing their GRCC email as well as the assigned extension. If no extension is displayed, it is likely they do not have an assigned extension.
View Phone Extensions in Google
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
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