Oct. 8, 2024 On Thursday, October 10, Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) will host its inaugural Giving Day —a 24-hour online fundraising initiative led by the GRCC Foundation aimed at empowering current and future students. Your contributions can be directed toward vital initiatives, including: Scholarship Support: Alleviating financial barriers for students. Emergency Grant Assistance: Providing urgent help for students in crisis. Food Pantry Resources: Ensuring our GRCC food pantry is well-stocked to support students in need. A shining example of commitment to GRCC is Math Professor Nancy Forrest, who has been a dedicated supporter of the GRCC Foundation for over two decades. “I’m happy to donate because I see the continued need among our students,” said Forrest, who has taught at GRCC for 35 years. “Many students work more than one job, balancing families and other challenges all at the same time. I admire them for trying to build the best lives that they can.” Forrest’s contributions also carry a personal significance, honoring her family legacy. One-third of her donation is designated for nursing scholarships in memory of her mother, a nurse, while another portion supports baseball scholarships in honor of her father, a devoted youth baseball coach. The remainder goes to math scholarships. As Forrest prepares for her retirement at the end of this semester, she reflects on the joy of teaching at GRCC. “Our students are all different ages and come from so many different backgrounds,” she shared. “I joke sometimes that somebody picks out the nicest students and puts them in my classes because they are always considerate, they are respectful, and they are friendly.” She encourages everyone—faculty, alumni and the community—to participate in Giving Day. “I know the students are very appreciative of the financial support they get,” she said. “It not only helps them financially, but it’s an emotional encouragement to them to know that people care.” This story was reported by Beth McKenna.  

October 8, 2024  The Grand Rapids Community College Marketing and Communications team recently was recognized for the quality of its work, winning seven district Medallion Awards from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR).  NCMPR recognizes outstanding work in marketing and public relations at two-year community and technical colleges across the United States. GRCC competed in the District 3 Medallion Awards which includes colleges from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and the Canadian province of Ontario. This year, the competition was particularly fierce, with more than 500 submissions received.  GRCC secured two Gold Medallion Awards - one for the 2022-23 Foundation Annual Report and one for the college’s Instagram page.  The  Annual Report highlights the Foundation’s contributions and the impact it makes in supporting students, employees, and community learning. This is the fourth consecutive year that GRCC has received this award for its annual report.  GRCC’s Instagram page ( @GrandRapidsCC ) stood out in the Social Media Page category. The Instagram page also received a National Paragon Award in the spring of 2024 for its engaging content.  The Marketing and Communications team also earned the following awards: Silver Medallion in the Print Advertisement category for a flyer that was handed out at a West Michigan Whitecaps baseball game during an August 2023 event Silver Medallion in the Excellence in Writing - Short Form category for a story about GRCC’s Sondra Davis graduating with her daughters in April 2024 Bronze Medallion in the Booklet category for GRCC’s 2024 commencement program Bronze Medallion in the Notes/Cards/Invitations category for an AI Incubator open house invite Bronze Medallion in the Digital Advertisement category for a series of Challenge Yourself, Choose Your Future ads The  GRCC Marketing and Communications team is committed to sharing the stories of how GRCC is making a difference in the lives of our students and in our communities. The team works together with our campus and community partners to showcase our programs and initiatives and strengthen the college brand. Together, we’ve got this!  This story was reported by Kailee Potgeter.

October 3, 2024 Grand Rapids Community College is one of 124 higher education institutions selected to participate in the inaugural  Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum . The new, fully online institute is designed to help departments, programs, colleges, and universities respond effectively to the challenges and opportunities artificial intelligence (AI) presents for courses and curricula.  Teams from participating colleges and universities will work with the  American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) to develop and implement AI action plans for their classroom, curricula, and campuses.  Team members from GRCC include:  Kristi Haik, dean of the School of STEM  Amy Lyn. executive director of Teaching, Learning, and Distance Education (TLDE) Heather Klare, assistant professor of Radiologic Technology Matheta Righa, associate professor of Business Moss Ingram, professor Mursalata Muhammad, professor of English and TLDE faculty special programs liaison Samantha Minnis, assistant professor “This is a transformative opportunity for GRCC to navigate the challenges and opportunities that integrating AI into the classroom brings,” said Kristi Haik, dean of the School of STEM. “Participating in the institute empowers us to enhance all of our educational offerings and equip our students for a future where technology and creativity intersect.”  The institute will offer monthly meetings and webinars throughout the academic year to allow time for teams to interact with other campuses, address timely topics of interest, and provide updates on the status of AI. Each campus team is assigned a mentor from the institute’s faculty, who can connect the team with expertise from other institute faculty members as needed. Asynchronous interactions across campus teams and with the institute’s faculty will be encouraged and facilitated through AAC&U’s online institute platform.  The institute launched its work in September 2024 and will conclude with a closing capstone event in April 2025. This story was reported by Amy Soper.