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Achieving the Dream: October 2024

Achieving the Dream Updates  Learn more about the Achieving the Dream (AtD) Network at achievingthedream.org/our-work/ Upcoming Events:  Redesign for Results: Leveraging Shortened Terms for Student Success October 11th, 2024 11:30-2:30 E.T. $149/attendee*  * 10% discount for groups of 3 or more Centering the Student Experience on Holistic Supports and Academic Advising October 21st, 2024 1:00 - 2:00 E.T. , free for network colleges Developing Emergent AI practices to Prepare for the Transformed World and Workplace  November 4, 2024 1:00 - 2:00 E.T., free for network colleges AI Workshop Series: Strengthening College and Career Exploration in Dual Enrollment November 20th, 2024 1:00 - 3:00 E.T.  $149/webinar DREAM 2025 conference  February 18-21, 2025, Philadelphia, PA $795 before December 31, 2024 and $925 after December 31 2024-2025 Goals: Pursue status as an Achieving the Dream Leader College Establish an AtD Advisory Team on Campus Create a process for nominating a GRCC Student to be a DREAM Scholar at the 2026 annual DREAM conference   Questions?  Amanda: amandakruzona@grcc.edu   Jason: jasonvinson@grcc.edu   Kaelee: kaeleesteffens@grcc.edu

Unlock your future at GRCC's fall open houses

October 2, 2024 Take the first step toward the future you’ve dreamed of by completing the Grand Rapids Community College enrollment process during two upcoming open houses. Join us from  10 a.m. to noon October 5 at the Lakeshore Campus , 12335 James St. in Holland. You’re also invited to attend an open house from  9 a.m. to noon Oct. 19 at GRCC’s Main Campus in the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse , 111 Lyon St. NE., in Grand Rapids.  Staff at the open houses will guide prospective students through the complete enrollment process. Topics include: GRCC’s 12 academic pathways and more than 150 degree options. Steps to applying at GRCC. How to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA. Financial aid opportunities. Resources and student services available at GRCC’s campuses. Registration is encouraged but not required. Sign up today at  grcc.edu/openhouse . This story was reported by Amy Soper.

Making Strides Walking Event and GRCC Exercise is Medicine Team

Join the GRCC Exercise is Medicine Team at the FREE American Cancer Society Making Strides of West Michigan Walking Event October 19, 2024  Support our GRCC community and families. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a celebration of courage and hope, a movement uniting community to end breast cancer as we know it, for everyone. For three decades, these 3- to 5-mile non-competitive walks have collectively grown into the nation’s largest and most impactful breast cancer movement – providing a supportive community for courageous breast cancer survivors and metastatic breast cancer thrivers, caregivers and families alike. Event starts at 8 AM Walk starts at 10 AM Location: Calder Plaza 300 Monroe Ave SW Grand Rapids, MI  Registration at:   Join Making Strides   Exercise is Medicine video:  Moving Through Cancer Exercise Is Medicine is for all people living with and beyond cancer according to the  American College of Sports Medicine , the  American Cancer Society , the  American Physical Therapy Association , and the  American Society of Clinical Oncology . Exercise benefits during treatment include improved: Fatigue Quality of life Physical function Body composition Anxiety Depression Sleep Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema The American College of Sports Medicine’s Moving Through Cancer initiative offers  an educational booklet  that is also available  in Spanish , as well as a  program directory  to find exercise programs appropriate for survivors near you. The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids has a Live Strong Program supporting cancer patients. More at  https://www.ymca.org/what-we-do/healthy-living/fitness/livestrong    

GRCC's Giving Day

We’re just one week away from GRCC’s inaugural Giving Day! This is your chance to make a meaningful impact by supporting our students. Mark your calendar for October 10, and join us for a 24-hour celebration of generosity, community, and GRCC pride . What is Giving Day? It’s a 24-hour celebration on October 10, where faculty, staff, alumni and friends of GRCC unite with a common goal: to make a lasting impact on the lives of our students. This special day embodies our shared pride in GRCC and our commitment to helping current and future students succeed. Your Participation in Giving Day Will: Provide scholarships support to students to help remove financial barriers. Provide emergency grant assistance for students in need.  Provide financial support to keep the GRCC food pantry stocked. How You Can Make a Difference: Make a Gift:  Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to building brighter futures for our students. Join the effort early! You can make your gift today by visiting  grcc.edu/givingday . Spread the Word:  Help us build momentum! Share this message and our social media posts with your network, and invite them to join in this meaningful cause. Together, we can make GRCC’s first Giving Day a huge success and help create brighter futures for our students. Thank you for being part of this incredible effort! If you have any questions about Giving Day, please reach out to Jenna Mencarelli at  jennamencarelli@grcc.edu  

Important Title IX reminder: Supporting pregnant and parenting students

As a reminder as the new school year gets underway, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex - including pregnancy and parental status - in educational programs and activities that receive federal funding.  If a student shares with you that they are pregnant, you are obligated under Title IX to provide the contact information for the Title IX Coordinator to the student. The Title IX Coordinator will be able to help with coordinating reasonable modifications and addressing other needs related to these areas. More information regarding pregnancy and parenting at GRCC can be found here:  Pregnant, Parenting and Childcare Resources . If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please contact the Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator, Lisa Thomas, at 616-234-4999 or  titleix@grcc.edu .

GRCC Recognized for excellence in student voter registration and turnout during the 2022 midterm elections

Oct. 1, 2024 The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) recognized GRCC for its nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that fostered high levels of student voter engagement in the 2022 midterm elections. We received the following: Inclusion on ALL IN’s inaugural list of Top Campuses by 2022 Voter Turnout for Community Colleges. A Gold Seal from ALL IN based on your 2022 campus voting rate from your National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) report from Tufts University! The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. We were recognized alongside more than 500 campuses using data from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) out of Tufts University, which found that colleges and universities had the second-highest voter turnout among students in a midterm election since NSLVE began measuring this data. View the full list of campus award winners . “The ALL IN Awards were created to celebrate nonpartisan democratic engagement and the outstanding campus voter registration and turnout rates achieved by our ALL IN campuses. Ahead of the 2024 elections, ALL IN campuses are ready to build on the momentum from 2022 to ensure their communities are ready to make an even bigger impact this fall,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “ALL IN is proud to celebrate and honor top-performing campuses who demonstrate that nonpartisan student voter engagement is possible and effective.” More than 1,060 institutions enrolling more than 10 million students participate in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, which supports colleges and universities in achieving excellence in nonpartisan student voter engagement. Learn how campuses can join ALL IN .

Technology Notification: Archival and deletion of Blackboard courses

Technology Notification : Information Technology would like to remind faculty of the upcoming archival and deletion process for Blackboard Learn courses. As we approach the scheduled removal of Summer 2022 term courses on Thursday, October 3, 2024, we would like to emphasize the critical importance of maintaining course data. Timely adherence to archival procedures ensures the integrity of our educational resources, compliance with storage constraints, and seamless access for both instructors and students. For transparency purposes, the information below outlines the various timelines we adhere to.  Archival Timeline : Term courses within Blackboard Learn are available to instructors for two years after the semester in which they were taught. Upon the conclusion of a term, courses older than two years are archived and removed from Blackboard Learn. The offline archives are retained for an additional two years. Please note, if any existing courses in Blackboard contain links/references to Summer 2022 courses, those links will no longer function, as those courses and their content will be removed. Permanent Deletion: All Blackboard Learn courses that have been archived offline for more than two years will be permanently deleted. Instructors can request a restore of the course within the first two years of archival. Course Restore Request: To request a course restore, please refer to this knowledge base article . Additionally, instructors can manually create their own archive/exports at any time. For more information on archiving and exporting, please refer to this knowledge base article . Courses not associated with a term, such as templates, portfolios, master course shells, training and orientation courses, and any individual or departmental courses used for accreditation, are not subject to the standard archival process. Action Required: We kindly ask you to review your courses after October 3rd and report any possible issues to IT Support at itsupport@grcc.edu or via the IT Support Portal . We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring the smooth management of our Blackboard Learn platform. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to IT Support.  

Free COVID-19 tests available

The government is once again offering free COVID-19 tests to all individuals for no cost. These tests are a valuable resource to help us maintain a safe environment on campus and in our community.  We encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity, whether you’re feeling unwell or simply wish to stay proactive about your health. You can find more details on how to obtain your free tests through USPS at this link:  https://special.usps.com/testkits Thank you for your continued commitment to keeping our community safe!
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