Jan. 12, 2021 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. --  A new agreement guarantees five seats each year in Ferris State University’s Doctor of Pharmacy program for Grand Rapids Community College students, helping students along a pathway to an in-demand career. Ferris is one of only three colleges in the state that offer a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, required to be a licensed pharmacist in Michigan. “Partnerships make our community stronger, and Ferris has been a proud partner for GRCC for many years,” GRCC President Bill Pink said. “The new agreement creates more opportunities for GRCC students to study in one of the best pharmacy programs in the state and work toward a well-paying, in-demand career.” The coronavirus pandemic has led to an immediate demand for pharmacists -- industry publication Drug Topics reported that the CVS chain alone was seeking to fill thousands of positions nationwide -- and the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines is expected to heighten that need. “This partnership provides a valuable service for the state and regional economy,” said Stephen Durst, dean of Ferris’ College of Pharmacy. “Providing career training and education in high-level medical professions is a winning situation for everybody. This example of higher education collaboration demonstrates our meaningful partnership with Grand Rapids Community College and West Michigan. It is a component of a larger statewide commitment and footprint for Ferris State University.” The agreement allows students to get all of their prerequisite classes for this program at GRCC, then transfer directly into the Ferris doctoral program. “This agreement builds upon the more than 25-year partnership we have with Grand Rapids Community College,” Ferris President David Eisler said. “Working together we provide the opportunity that is at the core of our mission. I am delighted with this expansion of our strong working relationship.” The agreement also qualifies the GRCC students accepted into the annual Ferris cohort to apply for admission into one of two dual-degree programs and earn a Master of Business Administration or Master of Public Health with the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Ferris shares the Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center on GRCC’s downtown campus. Students can take advantage of more than a dozen educational pathways to earn an associate degree at GRCC and bachelor’s and graduate degrees at Ferris. Grand Rapids Community College offers learners of all ages opportunities to gain credits for degrees or transfer and in-demand career skills leading to rewarding careers. GRCC was established in 1914 – Michigan’s first community college – and offers affordable classes on weekdays, evenings, Saturdays and online at locations throughout Kent and Ottawa counties. Ferris State University is a four-year public university with campuses in Big Rapids, Grand Rapids and satellite campuses across Michigan. Ferris offers more than 180 educational programs, including doctorates, master’s, bachelor’s and associate degrees, through seven academic colleges: Arts, Sciences and Education, Business, Engineering Technology, Health Professions, Kendall College of Art and Design, Michigan College of Optometry and Pharmacy. Additional contact: Sandy Ghoulston News Services and Social Media Manager, Ferris State University (231) 591-2021 SandyGholston@ferris.edu

Jan. 11, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. –  Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, an internationally known scholar of race, religion and contemporary culture, will kick off Grand Rapids Community College’s 2021 Diversity Lecture Series on Jan. 27. Dyson, a Detroit native and author of more than 20 books, will speak on the topic “Pandemic, postelection blues and culture: Where do we go from here?” in the virtual event, which starts at 6 p.m. The event is hosted by GRCC’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Registration is available here:  tinyurl.com/DysonRSVP “Dr. Dyson is a preeminent scholar, author, and thought leader. What makes him compelling is his ability to connect the world of academia, which can be intimidating, to broader, intergenerational audiences,” said B. Afeni McNeely Cobham, GRCC’s chief equity and inclusion officer. “It is fitting that the Diversity Lecture Series, which has a long-standing record of hosting influential guests, is the medium through which GRCC and the Grand Rapids community can come together.” Dyson is a Georgetown University sociology professor and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. He has won NAACP Image Awards for outstanding non-fiction literary work, an American Book Award and a Southern Book Prize. His most recent book, “Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America,” was published in December. The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is partnering with the community organization Mus(ed), a to present Dyson with the Ujima Impact Award at the event. The award recognizes extraordinary commitment and contribution to research, scholarship, artistic expression, and service that uplifts the experiences of communities of color. Mus(ed) is a nonprofit branch of Muse GR, an interactive art gallery and event space in Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids Community College offers learners of all ages opportunities to gain credits for degrees or transfer and in-demand career skills leading to rewarding careers. GRCC was established in 1914 – Michigan’s first community college -- and offers affordable classes on weekdays, evenings, Saturdays and online at locations throughout Kent and Ottawa counties.

Jan. 11, 2021 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  – Start at Grand Rapids Community College and go anywhere! Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC – or Grand Rapids Junior College – gave them the education and opportunity to be successful. We’re sharing some of those stories, and want to hear yours! Mildred "Jane" (Baessler) Doyle was a military aviation pioneer and a hero for serving her country in a time of need. She attended what was then Grand Rapids Junior College in 1940 and in a 2014 interview summed up her experience this way: "Junior college changed my whole life -- my whole plan." Doyle, who passed away in 2019, had intended to go into architecture because her brother wanted her to join him in his business. At that time, GRJC didn't have an architecture program, but Doyle took engineering courses that would transfer to the University of Michigan. It was while she was in one of those engineering classes that the instructor made an announcement that caught her attention: GRJC President Arthur Andrews had received federal approval to run a Civilian Pilot Training program. "They said they'd let one girl in for every nine fellows, so I had to pass a physical and I got into the flying program that summer," Doyle said. She transferred to UM after completing the program, earning a bachelor's degree in architecture and interior design in 1943 -- while keeping up her flying time with the Civil Air Patrol. After graduating, Doyle joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots. She and the other WASP recruits flew stateside missions for the military to free up male pilots for overseas combat. She was part of an elite group: Of the 25,000 volunteers, fewer than 2,000 were accepted into the WASP program and 1,078 of them graduated from training. They transported aircraft, equipment and personnel, and performed flight tests on planes that had undergone repairs. While they worked with the military, they were considered civilians. They had to cover the costs of their housing, travel and even their uniforms. If a pilot in the program died -- and 38 did -- her family paid the costs to transport the body home. "My family encouraged me in anything I wanted to try," Doyle said in a 2007 interview for the Women Veterans Historical Project. "And my brother, at that time, was in the Navy, and my oldest sister was in the Red Cross in Texas. And so, my family were very patriotic people, and they were proud to have us serve." She met Don Doyle, a flight instructor at the Seymour, Ind., air base where she served, and they married at the base chapel in August 1944. After the WASP program was disbanded in December 1944, she worked with visually impaired children for a few years and then for Aquinas College, all the while raising her five children. Doyle and the other WASP members received military veteran status in 1977. In 2010, she and the other surviving pilots were honored with the Congressional Gold Medal. Doyle was 96 and the last living WASP in Michigan when she was named GRCC’s 2018 Distinguished Alumna – receiving a standing ovation from graduating students at Commencement.

Jan. 8, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  – Grand Rapids Community College will use a $1 million grant to connect people in vulnerable populations to career opportunities related to the city’s river restoration projects, infrastructure, and public works. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation awarded GRCC’s Workforce Training Department a three-year, $1,050,344 grant for the college’s Equitable Empowerment Through Career Pathways program. The college will work with community partners, employers and local governments to provide people with skills leading to rewarding jobs or starting businesses. “This grant will help GRCC and our partners tear down barriers to success and provide life-changing opportunities for people to prepare for in-demand careers,” GRCC President Bill Pink said. “We know the value of a strong, diverse workforce, as the Kellogg Foundation has shown through study after study. It makes good sense to use this funding to support such efforts. It will help our communities that are experiencing disparities, as well as our companies who continue to experience talent deficits.” The grant will focus on construction skills and other opportunities related to water, water infrastructure, recreation, and the variety of projects expected to arise from the efforts to restore portions of the Grand River. The grant also will support the college’s Public Works Academy, which will offer skills in electrical, wastewater treatment, National Green Infrastructure certification, and other areas determined by municipalities. “The work of this grant is crucial to tackling the racial and economic disparities we see for families here in Grand Rapids,” said W.K. Kellogg Foundation Program Officer Tracie Coffman. “Grand Rapids Community College does such important work in our community and we look forward to strengthening our partnership over the next three years.” Partners include public works departments for the cities of Grand Rapids, Kentwood and Grand Haven; road commissions for Kent and Van Buren counties, the Michigan Department of Transportation and contractors Prein & Newhof and Rowe Professional Services. Virtual information sessions for the Public Works Academy are planned for noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 11 and 12. Registration is available here:  http://bit.ly/3pNnuc3 . Those who successfully complete the program are guaranteed at least two job interviews. People interested in other aspects of the program can contact the team at the Leslie M. Tassell M-TEC at (616) 234-3800 or  workforcetraining@grcc.edu . The new grant builds on a program supported by a 2018 grant from the Battle Creek-based W.K. Kellogg Foundation that focused on training residents for careers in public works and healthcare.

Dec. 29, 2020, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  -- Start at Grand Rapids Community College and go anywhere! Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC – or Grand Rapids Junior College – gave them the education and opportunity to be successful. We’re sharing some of those stories, and want to hear yours! GRCC has been a part of Terri Handlin-Mulligan’s life since she became a Grand Rapids Junior College student in the 1970s. “It took a lot of confidence building to return to school and complete my associate (degree),” she said. “I credit the college’s teaching staff in helping me to realize that I was good at this ‘studying’ thing, and so I just never stopped with my education.” She majored in general business and received her associate degree in 1974. She then earned a bachelor’s degree in business with a teaching certificate from Western Michigan University and then master’s degrees in career and technical education from the University of Michigan and in educational administration from Michigan State University. Handlin-Mulligan went on to spend 30 years in classrooms, as a teacher and administrator in Forest Hills Public Schools. She taught business classes, developed mentorships and created volunteer programs for high school students. She also served as director of Adult and Community Education, assistant principal at Forest Hills Central High School and director of Career and Technical Education. In 1991, she stepped into a major role during a key moment in the college’s history: After 77 years of existence, Grand Rapids Junior College separated from the Grand Rapids school district and became Grand Rapids Community College. Handlin-Mulligan was part of the first group of 25 Kent County residents to run for seven positions on the newly formed board of trustees. She won that first election and remained on the board until 2013. She was also active in GRCC’s Alumni Association, serving as its president for many years. “It has been a life-changing experience to see this college grow over the years,” she said. “It became the center of our city -- the place to begin your college education.”’ Handlin-Mulligan, now a career consultant, was GRCC’s 2015 Distinguished Alumna and among the first Salute to Women recipients in 1999.  “I would not have had all the opportunities that I had if GRJC had not helped me get my educational start,” she said. 

Dec. 23, 2020, GRAND RAPIDS,Mich.  -- Students in Professor Mursalata Muhammad’s creative writing class were studying author Thomas Lynch’s essay collection “The Undertaking” and had some questions. Who better to ask than Lynch himself? The  award-winning poet, author – and undertaker --  joined a class discussion via Zoom and answered questions about his life and his craft. Lynch grew up in the Detroit suburbs and took over his father's funeral home in Milford in 1974. He still works there, when not visiting his ancestral cottage in Ireland. He’s the author of five collections of poems and four books of essays. His collection of essays, “The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade,” won the Heartland Prize for nonfiction, the American Book Award, and was a finalist for the National Book Award. His work has been the subject of two documentaries. Muhammad, also an accomplished poet, said a student reached out to Lynch, and she followed up and invited him to be a virtual class guest. For nearly an hour and 20 minutes, Lynch shared his perspective on the process of writing and finding inspiration, then listened as students read their own work to him, providing feedback and encouragement – often with humor.  You can watch the session here.   “It’s nice to be among people who are beginning to sense they may want to share a voice if their own,” he told students. “I’m told by Mursalata that each of you is working on something in your own voice – poetry, a story or essay. Because I’ve committed all three of those cardinal sins, and been paid to do it, which is strange, I thought I would avail the opportunity to answer any questions you may have.” Among his advice for beginning authors: Take a walk, alone and without headphones, every day. “The words will come to you.” Muhammad has taught at GRCC for nearly 20 years. She’s long used innovative approaches to distance learning, making effective use of the college’s lightboard, which allows professors to record lessons while writing on a clear screen. Muhammad served on the state Education Department’s  K-12 Social Studies Standards Bias Review Committee,  one of several panels that the department created in the wake of concerns raised over proposed curriculum changes. Her poetry appeared in places including The Rapid buses, part of the  Poetry on the Rapid  program celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Endowment of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as National Poetry Month. She established The Why We Can’t Wait fund in 2009 with Kent County Sheriff’s Deputy Will Smith and Sabrina Sewell-Bragg, an administrative assistant in Greenville County, N.C., to honor family members in public service, awarding scholarships to GRCC students pursuing careers in criminal justice, education and healthcare. Her honors include the Leadership Skills Champion Award from the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Community Leadership in 2013.

Dec. 22, 2020, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  – Grand Rapids Community College is expanding service hours next week to help students enroll in winter semester classes – with no money down. College specialists will be available virtually from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 28, 29 and 30. They can be reached by calling (616) 234-3300 or emailing  here4you@grcc.edu . By enrolling before Jan. 1, students can also take advantage of a payment plan that requires no money down. Instead, their tuition and fees will be divided into two installments, due in February and March. Those enrolling after Jan. 1 must pay 25% of tuition and fees by Jan. 15, with the rest paid in installments due in February and March.  The first day of Winter 2021 classes is Jan. 11. “GRCC is a strong option for students of all ages, especially those who delayed their education or who want to gain additional skills to advance in their careers,” said Tina Hoxie, GRCC’s associate provost and dean of Students Affairs. “This is such a busy time of year. We are making it more convenient for students to continue their education affordably at GRCC.” The college is waiving online class fees for the upcoming semester, a move that will save students $16 per contact hour, or about $50 for a three-credit class offered online. Students would still be responsible for tuition and other universal fees. These just-in-time assistance opportunities are intended to help students during the pandemic. Many university students, especially those looking to gain general education credits, can benefit from taking classes at GRCC and staying close to home. GRCC specialists also will be able to assist with questions about the state’s Futures for Frontliners program. They can be reached at a special hotline, (616) 234-3344, between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Dec. 28, 29 and 30. The Futures for Frontliners program allows people who worked in essential jobs during the state’s spring COVID-19 shutdown to pursue a tuition-free education at their local community college. State applications to enroll in the program are due Dec. 31,  and are available here . Accepted students can enroll in Winter 2021 classes, or they can choose to start during the summer or fall 2021 semesters. GRCC is offering winter classes in four formats: in-person, online, hybrid, and virtual real-time. The college is also offering loaner laptops and a limited number of Wi-Fi access hotspots to help students access online classes.  Grand Rapids Community College offers learners of all ages opportunities to gain credits for degrees or transfer and in-demand career skills leading to rewarding careers. GRCC was established in 1914 – Michigan’s first community college -- and offers affordable classes on weekdays, evenings, Saturdays and online at locations throughout Kent and Ottawa counties.

Dec. 21, 2020, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  -- Start at Grand Rapids Community College and go anywhere! Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC – or Grand Rapids Junior College – gave them the education and opportunity to be successful. We’re sharing some of those stories, and want to hear yours! After graduating from high school, Dirk Hoffius headed to Brown University. Then he got a notice from the school that he couldn’t come back. “I had to rethink my life,” Hoffius said. He enrolled at Grand Rapids Junior College in 1962 and decided that this time, it was going to be different. “One of the first classes I took was political science with a teacher named Miss Geraldine Masters,” he said. “I vowed that day that she was never, ever going to catch me unprepared. And I applied that to every other class -- and I did well in all the other classes.” Hoffius earned a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. He joined Varnum LLP, where he still works. He served as a trustee for the Grand Rapids Bar Association and on the State Bar of Michigan’s Crossroads Task Force on Judicial Reform. He is also a past chairman of the State Bar’s Probate and Estate Planning Council. But Hoffius has always made space in his busy law career to serve the community he loves. His passion for improving Grand Rapids and serving the people who call it home can be seen in the Downtown Market, the Salvation Army Kroc Center and many other much-loved institutions. His community service includes memberships on the boards for the Downtown Market, the Grand Rapids Art Museum, Frederik Meijer Gardens, the Grand Rapids Public Library Foundation and the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. He worked on the capital campaigns for the UICA and Kroc Center and was a member of the Kendall College of Art and Design’s board of trustees from 1982 to 1991, serving as chairman from 1987 to 1989. The Council of Michigan Foundations recognized his service with the 2013 Community Foundation Philanthropy Award. Hoffius, GRCC’s 2016 Distinguished alumnus, is listed among The Best Lawyers in America for trusts and estates and served as a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He said he’s amazed at where his education has taken him: “Grand Rapids Community College is a great place to start, and it’s a great place to start over, and it will give you a core foundation and a balance.”

Dec. 18, 2020 GRAPIDS, Mich. —  Applications are available for young adults looking to gain job skills, educational opportunities and employment counseling through the new Grand Rapids Community College M-TEC Champions program. The first classes begin Feb. 8, 2021 in the program, which is supported through a $1.18 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. GRCC is one of 20 colleges in the nation and one of two in Michigan selected for the new program, which will serve people between the ages of 18 and 24. Students will participate in six weeks of programming to build foundational skills related to career fields, such as math, reading, and writing as well as developing employability skills and exploring potential careers. Students will then get a closer look at careers in five different sectors: Construction, energy, manufacturing, healthcare and public works.  “This program is intended to help students build in-demand skills to help them immediately, but also long into the future,” said Julie Parks, executive director of GRCC’s Workforce Training program. “This will undoubtedly change lives, and we appreciate the support from our community partners and the U.S. Labor Department to make it happen.” The program will include two sessions of 40 students, with an eye on boosting those who have faced numerous obstacles to success, including homelessness.  Staff members will plan an intensive, holistic approach to providing comprehensive services, building on each student’s unique strengths and experiences. GRCC M-TEC Champions part of the Labor Department’s Jobs Corps Scholars Program and is aimed at strengthening the connection between workforce development and education. This demonstration project will also provide the Labor Department with insight into ways to improve the effectiveness of the Job Corps program. People interested in the program must attend a virtual information meeting. Sessions are planned for 10 a.m. on Mondays starting on Jan. 11, 2021. Registration information is available at the M-TEC Champions Program . The program is free for qualifying students. Grand Rapids Community College offers learners of all ages opportunities to gain credits for degrees or transfer and in-demand career skills leading to rewarding careers. GRCC was established in 1914 – Michigan’s first community college -- and offers affordable classes on weekdays, evenings, Saturdays and online at locations throughout Kent and Ottawa counties.