Category Archives: Strategic Planning

SLT Profile: New Employee Orientation

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The New Employee Orientation (NEO) team oversees the on-boarding of all newly hired employees via a traveling orientation. This process allows the new employee to receive tours of both the Main and DeVos Campus, while meeting employees from various departments. The on-boarding process is guided by the college’s desire to integrate new employees into our culture, and to create a firm foundation of knowledge about our mission, vision, and values.
Within the last year, we have implemented an enhanced mentorship program in which new employees are paired with a current employee to use as a resource for college information and orientation throughout their first year. Through the program, mentors also disseminate information about the college, and its various departments and functions, through monthly spotlight communications.

One goal of the NEO team is to implement a process for introducing new employees to campus via a short, but interesting, biography delivered via campus-wide communications. Excerpts will include a photograph of the new employee so others will know who to look for to introduce themselves.

The team is comprised of Nicole Dekker, Christine Coon, and Laura Caulk from Human Resources; Tony Myers from Campus Police; and Rachel Bower and Kelly Webber from IT.

SLT Profile: College Accessibility Team

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GRCC’s College Accessibility Team (CAT) team formed in 2016 as part of our accessibility efforts on campus. The CAT is a cross-college team including representatives from faculty, IT, facilities, administration, DSS and others.

Team members include:

  •   Lina Blair, Student Life and Conduct
  •   Cathy Kubiak and Jessica Berens, Human Resources
  •   Dave Anderson, Nathan Hamilton, and Simon Kittok, Information Technology
  •   Dave Selmon, Academic Outreach
  •   Don VanOeveren and Katie Vandermeer, Computer Information Systems
  •   Lori Cook, Enrollment Center
  •  Jim Vandokkumburg, Facilities
  •  Leah Nixon, Communications
  •  Kimberly DeVries and Deven Swanigan, General Counsel
  •  Misty McClure-Anderson, President’s Office
  •  Rebecca Allington, Disability Support Services
  •  Sarah Rose, Occupational Support
  •  Scott Mattson, Job Training
  •  Steven Putt, Library and Learning Commons
  •  Victoria Janowiak, Finance and Administration
  •  William Faber and  Meegan Willi, Center for Teaching Excellence

This team is tasked with monitoring accessibility concerns and progress across campus and reporting those issues back to the cross-college group. The team communicates about potential areas of improvement and has collaborated on improving some of these areas.

The team has discussed and suggested improvements on methods for tracking accessibility concerns, routing of accessibility questions, and website improvements to aid in directing those who have questions. Various areas who work directly with accessibility, like facilities and DSS, often provide updates on their work so the team can help spread the message about progress and improvements.

Last year the team facilitated a community member’s request for a ramp near the Ford Field House; through the CAT, this request was forwarded to facilities, who examined the feasibility of the request and ultimately had the ramp constructed in response. Communicating this request through the CAT enabled the broader team to see the process, provide input, and spread the word about the improvement.

The team also discusses big-picture concepts related to college goals, including several conversations about universal design, the idea that an area be accessible to anyone as is, without having to institute specific accommodations. Last winter the team took a trip to the new Mary Free Bed YMCA to view the universal design concept of their building. After the tour, representatives from the developers came to visit our team to discuss how to incorporate universal design into our long-term facility planning.

Any questions or suggestions for the CAT can be directed to Kimberly DeVries, Director of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, at (616) 234-2120 or kimberlydevries1@grcc.edu. We are always happy to accept input on topics. You can also contact us if you are interested in joining our work!

SLT Profile: Health and Safety

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The Health and Safety team is a relatively new cross-college team, which was started following a college-sponsored risk-management audit.

Team members include:

  • Vicki Janowiak, Operational Planning
  • Jim Peterson, Financial Services & Risk Management
  • Jeff Danner, School of Workforce Development
  • Dan Groh, Physical Sciences
  • Maria Herrera-Belmares, Human Resources
  • Mansfield Matthewson, Purchasing
  • Scott Martin, Facilities
  • Rick Vanderveen, Ford Fieldhouse
  • Becky Whitman, GRCC Campus Police
  • Nick Pinckney, Manufacturing
  • Dawn Zuidgeest-Craft, Nursing
  • Infection Control Officer Kelli Fedder, Dental

As a result of the audit, the Risk Management Oversight team was established, and the Health and Safety team was formed as a sub-team of the Risk Management Oversight Team to:

  • Assess health and safety needs.
  • Update policies and procedures.
  • Promote and monitor compliance and community responsibility.

The first major effort of the team was to update the Hazard Communication Policy. The team is now working on long overdue updates to the Chemical Hygiene and Lab Safety Policy and plan, and the Bloodborne Pathogens and Exposure Control Policy and plan. Future work will include completing the Communicable Disease Policy, and then taking the four policies to the college policy committee for approval.

Work in 2017-18 will also include:

  • Implementing procedures and reporting requirements for each of the policies.
  • Providing information online.
  • Establishing review and monitoring process.

SLT Profile: Curriculum Operations Support Team

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Curriculum operations support team members share a common goal of supporting the work of faculty and staff in order to offer quality courses and programs to GRCC students.

The team oversees the alignment, coordination, and/or implementation of curriculum operations, including the catalog and course and program development, revision and review. They also support all curriculum-related college action projects, department action plans and teaching and learning quality model reports.

Membership represents all of the offices that support student degree completion through curriculum development:

  • Sheila Jones, Katie Daniels, Matthew Novakoski and Debbie Dewent, Instructional Support
  • Valerie Butterfield, Registrar
  • Lynnae Selberg, Counseling and Career Center
  • Jennifer Batten and Chris Johnston, School of Arts and Sciences
  • Amy Koning, Julie Parks and Pam Miller, School of Workforce Development
  • Raynard Ross, Student Success and Retention Services
  • Eric Mullen, Enrollment Management and Financial Aid
  • Paul Doane, Financial Aid and Scholarships

In the past year the team implemented the following policies:

  • Substitutions and Waivers.
  • Graduation Requirements.
  • Industry Recognized Credentials and Test Credit.
  • Challenge Exams and PLA.

The team also assisted with the development of:

  • The 2017-18 GRCC college catalog.
  • A process for accelerated program development.
  • The revision of the curriculum model policy.
  • The curricular aspects of the guided pathways initiative.

Throughout the next year this team plans to continue to:

  • Implement curriculum-related policies as they are revised and approved through the academic governing council.
  • Support the guided pathways initiative.
  • Identify ways to ensure the smooth operations of curriculum processes.

SLT Profile: Clery Compliance

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The GRCC Clery Compliance Committee includes:

  • Chief Rebecca Whitman, GRCC Police Department
  • Clery Compliance Officer Robin Kritzman, GRCC Police Department
  • Cathy Kubiak,  Human Resourses
  • Billy Firn, Atheltics
  • Kathy Keating, General Counsel
  • Michael Shavey, Study Abroad
  • Eric Mullen, Enrollment Management and Financial Aid
  • Laurie Chesley, Provost
  • Jennifer Batten, Tina Hoxie, Dan Clark, Pam Miller, John Cowles, Tracy Hilty and David Selmon, Academic and Student Affairs
  • Lina Blair, Student Conduct
  • Jim Peterson, Risk Management
  • Kimberly Devries, Title IX

This committee is charged with ensuring GRCC students and employees receive all available information and resources required by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, more commonly known as the Clery Act.

One of the ways GRCC meets our obligations is through the Annual Security Report and the Daily Crime Log, available online and in print at the GRCC Police Department, 25 Lyon St. NE.

The Clery Act is a federal law that requires colleges to report specific crimes that occur on campus, private property adjacent to campus, and on other non-campus properties as well as school safety policies. The Clery Act also requires schools to send timely warnings and or emergency notifications when there are known risks to our campus community.

“On March 7, 2013 the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA) was signed into law. VAWA includes amendments to the Clery Act. These changes require institutions to disclose statistics, policies, and programs related to dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking among other changes.” (The Handbook for Campus Safety and Security)

GRCC has a plethora of Clery Act compliance responsibilities which are housed in several departments on campus. The Clery Compliance Committee identifies the college departments which have a responsibility for some area relating to the Clery Act. The team then collaborates with those departments to update related policies, processes and procedures.

In the past year, this committee has:

  • Introduced the Clery Act as the responsibility of the college as a whole, and not one specific department.
  • Created subcommittees for sections of the college’s annual security report to place an emphasis on accurate policies and procedures, updated maps and other details.
  • Identified and confirmed Campus Security Authorities (CSA’s) and coordinated the completion of CSA online training.

The committee’s goals include ongoing education on annual Clery Act requirement updates, and facilitating a comprehensive program review which will be performed by D. Stafford and Associates. This review, specifically the gaps identified, will be the committee’s focus in the coming year.

SLT Profile: Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program Team

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The Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program team monitors, evaluates and makes recommendations for improvement to the Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program (DAAPP) that is developed and implemented for students and employees.

Members include:

  • Tina Hoxie, Student Affairs
  • Jessica Berens, Human Resources
  • Becky Whitman, Campus Police
  • Lynnell Talbert, Criminal Justice
  • Emily Nisley, Assoc. Professor/Counselor
  • Ann Isackson and Paul Doane, Financial Aid
  • Ryan Nausieda, Enrollment Center
  • Donna Kragt and Bruce Morrison, Institutional Research
  • Lina Blair and Jonathan Blackwell,  Student Life
  • Kimberly DeVries, General Counsel
  • Raynard Ross, Student Success & Retention Services
  • William Firn, Interim Athletic Director

In the past year the this team has:

  • Submitted an annual report to Cabinet for input and approval.
  • Evaluated the prevention program, making recommendations for changes.
  • Incorporated Title IX changes, policy review, and implementation staff
    online training.
  • Offered programming during Welcome Week each semester and during and winter semester.
  • Emailed compliance notifications to all registered students and employees.
  • Coordinated student awareness programming
  • Conducted Student-Athlete Orientation with coach participation.

In the coming year they plan to:

  • Improve the awareness and training for employees through feedback.
  • Improve the notification open rate for students.
  • Increase the awareness of program offerings for students through an online solution and existing departmental programs.

Strategic Leadership Team wants YOUR Feedback

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The Strategic Leadership Team at GRCC is in the beginning stages of putting together a new Strategic Plan for 2014-2017. As part of our process, we are collecting data from a variety of stakeholder groups asking the question “What do you believe are the most important issues GRCC must address in the next strategic plan?” Please take a few minutes to give us your ideas.

Click here to submit your thoughts. 

Updates on College Action Projects

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At the January 25, 2013, meeting of the Strategic Leadership Team, updates were provided for three current College Action Projects:

2.1.2 – Implement Achieving the Dream initiatives to increase the persistence, completion and transfer rates of at-risk students. (John Cowles – Champion)

5.2.1 – Strengthen the recruitment and hiring process so to attract highly qualified, highly diverse full-time and adjunct faculty. (Cathy Wilson – Champion)

5.3.4- Promote data based decision-making including the implementation of a data warehouse. (Kevin O’Halla – Champion)

College Action Project Update From the Strategic Leadership Team

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Last Friday, September 21, updates for the following three College Action Projects were provided to the Strategic Leadership Team:

  • 1.2.1 Continue and complete the Programs of Study initiative to map curriculum between high school and college in all academic areas (Full Report Here)
  • 2.1.1 Implement the College Success Program for developmental students (Full Report Here)
  • 2.2.1 Expand the distance learning program (course offerings, quality, accreditation, and faculty certification) (Full Report Here)