About the Lakeshore Campus

Beginnings

Grand Rapids Community College started, in 1989, as a partnership to conduct selective general education, evening courses at the OAISD Careerline Technical Center . In 1998, area businesses partnered with the college and the state in a new initiative that sought guidance and funds for technical training for high-demand occupations. In the fall of 2000, our Lakeshore community celebrated the opening of the Patrick A. Thompson Michigan Technical Education Center (M- TEC ) .

In 2005, we received authorization by the North Central Accrediting Agency (NCA) to offer associate degrees, i.e.: Business Management, Management and Supervision, Industrial Maintenance Technology; certificates in Welding, Tooling and Manufacturing, and Industrial Technology; and the Michigan Association of College Registrars and Admissions Office (MACRO) transfer agreement: www.macrao.org

Distributive Campus

In 2006, a new partnership was established with West Ottawa School District to offer evening courses at their brand new North High School facility. By this time, we began to see the reality of a Lakeshore Campus as a “distributive campus” concept: meeting the needs of our lakeshore communities by using different site locations.

In 2007, GVSU Meijer Campus and GRCC Lakeshore Campus formed a partnership to initiate an adult completion program for a particular academic target group: individuals that are 24 + in age and that had some college work in their past, but never completed a degree program. GRCC and GVSU offer courses and services at the Meijer Campus that aid adult students in completing a Bachelor Degree in Liberal Studies. The collaboration allows for many access entry points and a seamless student support service. Courses for this program began Fall 2008.

The most recent initiative by GRCC Lakeshore Campus is a partnership with Jubilee Ministries to utilize a portion of their renovated Midtown Center for the purpose of offering Developmental Education courses, English as a Second Language courses, and Continuing Education Health Care programs. This initiative is being generously supported with financial contributions by area businesses. The Midtown Center adds to the “distributive campus” strategy and brings us to five Lakeshore Campus facilities that are offering courses and support services for our lakeshore community residents.

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Updated on 23-APR-09
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