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“Go Beyond” recipients for January 2025

Career & Student Employment Services sponsors the “Go Beyond” recognition program for student employees.   This program recognizes student employees who go beyond their normal job responsibilities to provide extraordinary service while working at GRCC.  Nominated student employees receive a special GRCC T-shirt and a gift card. Congratulations to our “Go Beyond” recipients for January 2025: Nadia Battles, Maria Choi, Sahara Tharbs-Hills and Moraima Cortes-Figuereo - all from Student Life and Conduct. To nominate a student employee, please visit the Go Beyond Recognition Program website.    

Community College Survey of Student Engagement: Feb. 10 through Feb. 28

Every two years, students at GRCC are asked to complete the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE).  For the 2025 iteration, this survey will be open to students Monday, Feb. 10, through Feb. 28, 2025! They will receive an email to their GRCC student email with a link to the survey and their unique access code.  Please encourage your students to complete this survey, as it provides us with the student perspective that is crucial to our work. We will evaluate responses to determine if an extension is necessary. Student responses are anonymous and will be aggregated when analyzed. Please contact Institutional Research at IR@grcc.edu if you have any additional questions.  

GRCC Athletics holding its annual food drive to benefit GRCC Student Food Pantry Feb. 12

GRCC Athletics is is holding its annual food drive at one of their basketball games to support the GRCC Food Pantry.   Fans can receive reduced admission based on how many items they bring.  One item equals $1 off their ticket, up to $5 per person/free. GRCC vs Southwestern Michigan College  Wednesday, Feb. 12  Women's at 5:30 PM  Men's at 7:30PM  Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse This is part of an initiative from our conference the MCCAA.  Each school picks a game and we send in how much food we collected and the school with the most amount of food wins.  We would also love for faculty and staff to drop off food next week at the FFH to help support this cause!

Congratulations to President Lepper: A well-deserved nomination for Crain’s Grand Rapids Business Newsmakers of the Year

It is with immense pride and excitement that we congratulate Dr. Charles W. Lepper, President of Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC), for his well-deserved nomination in the education category for Crain’s Grand Rapids Business Newsmakers of the Year. This prestigious nomination is a testament to Dr. Lepper’s unwavering commitment to the education and empowerment of students within our community. As a passionate advocate for academic excellence and inclusion, he has played an instrumental role in fostering an environment that supports student growth, encourages innovations and promotes equity. Under Dr. Lepper’s leadership, GRCC has not only expanded access to higher education but has also become a cornerstone of economic and social development in West Michigan. His commitment to forward-thinking initiatives, community engagement and student-centered solutions has made a lasting impact on the college, and it’s no surprise his work has been recognized at such a high level. Being named a Newsmaker of the Year nominee is an honor that reflects Dr. Lepper’s tireless efforts to inspire change and elevate education. This recognition underscores the vital importance of leadership in shaping a brighter future for our region, and we are proud to see Dr. Lepper’s contributions acknowledged. Dr. Lepper, we are incredibly grateful for your leadership and dedication to GRCC and the students you serve. This nomination is just one of the many ways your positive influence is being recognized, and we look forward to seeing the continued impact of your work. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you for your ongoing commitment to excellence! Once again, congratulations!  

Tech tips: Password expiration reminder

Did you know the MyGRCC password expires every year? If you are experiencing issues signing into any of the GRCC systems such as, but not limited to, VMWare, PeopleSoft, Campus Wi-Fi or staff email, your password may be expired. It is best to make a habit of resetting your password every semester. Your MyGRCC password must be at least 14 characters long, have a capital letter, and include at least one number.  To reset your password, follow the steps found in our Updating Password with Password Self Service Knowledge Base article. For more information and helpful tips, please visit the IT Support Portal or contact the IT Support Desk at x4357.

Dr. Orzie Henderson creates a scholarship to support underrepresented students

Financial barriers are not the only things that can prevent someone from pursuing their college dreams. Sometimes, it’s because they do not feel like they are “college material.”  Grand Rapids Junior College (GRJC) alumnus and GRCC donor Henderson knows what this feels like. But now, he’s hoping a new scholarship will help future students feel like college is a place where they can grow and explore their passions. Henderson attended GRJC from 1961 to 1963. Receiving a scholarship during his second year was much more than just a big financial help. It boosted his confidence and helped him feel like he belonged after all. “I was often the only Black kid in class,” said Henderson. “This scholarship really encouraged me. I distinctly remember receiving the best grade in class on a very hard chemistry test. That was the moment I realized I was college material and that I belonged here. I felt respected and I really needed to feel that.” After attending GRJC, Henderson went on to the University of Michigan and earned his BA and MD. He practiced medicine for over fifty years, first in general practice and then in emergency medicine. He has volunteered in Nicaragua and worked for the last 12 years at the Hope Clinic in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Henderson is also the author of several essays, editorials and a novel,  Light in Winter: A Mama's Prayer . Henderson started the Josephine Henderson Heritage Fund in 1999 as a way to honor his mother and support students from underrepresented backgrounds. This scholarship is awarded to two students from Ottawa Hills High School who will attend GRCC. It prioritizes workforce development programs like construction, applied technology, culinary arts, automotive and nursing.  “I was a poor Black kid and a scholarship boosted my confidence in my abilities,” said Henderson. “Now, I want to help others like myself. A scholarship focused on the trades will be helpful to those who want non-academic work.” The fund is named for Henderson’s mother, who faced her own share of hardships as a single mother of seven. She worked a factory job to provide for her family and earned her GED after her children grew up and left home. “Mom will be most remembered for her determination and selflessness in raising her family,” said Henderson. “She always said that when God gives you more than you need, the extra is for giving back. GRCC is a good place to give back because of the opportunities it offers and the difference it makes in people’s lives.” This story was republished from GRCC's 2023-24 Foundation Annual Report.

Technology notification: Archival and deletion of Blackboard courses

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 Fall 2022 term courses on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025 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 Fall 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 the Blackboard Course Restore 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 the Blackboard Course Export, Archive and Import 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 Feb. 6 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.  

Recap of January 2025 Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) meeting

GRCC’s SLT met on Friday, Jan. 24. Here is a recap of the meeting. The meeting started with opening remarks and new member and guest introductions. SLT Funding  SLT executive presented an update on SLT Funding requests including a new SLT Funding Request form President Lepper  President Lepper introduced Frank Sargent, the new Chief of Staff, explained the decision making process for campus closures and welcomed everyone to the SLT meeting. Student Government (SG) update Troy Inkornwong, SG communications director, provided an update on the organization's latest activities. SI updates Dan Nyhof and Leigh Kleinert gave an update on the Goal 2/Priority 2: Academic Advising Experience SI. Amanda Kruzona, Kevin Perrin, Ashley Ruthruff, and Eric Jones gave an SI update on Goal 2/Priority 1: Data Governance, Data Access, and Data Literacy. Matt Novakoski presented on the Goal 2/Priority 2: Non-Credit to Credit Course Alignment SI work. Announcements Student Life and Leadership has held several tabling events regarding Stalking Awareness Month and will host a boundaries setting presentation during the first week of February. Next steps Please share the following information with your department colleagues: Slides: January 25 SLT Meeting   Video: SLT 1-24-25 I am looking forward to learning more about the work and progress of the Strategic Initiative Teams at our next meeting. We have four presentations planned for our Feb. 21 meeting.  And, again, thank you for your continued support of our strategic planning work. Jennifer Batten, Ph.D. Associate Provost- Instructional Support and Institutional Planning About the Strategic Leadership Team: The purpose of the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) is to provide a forum that enables a wide variety of college constituency groups the opportunity to provide input into the present and future direction of the College. This team will guide the development and on-going implementation of our strategic plan, review benchmarking data, study budget realities and offer recommendations for budget priorities. SLT’s membership includes over 90 representatives of the college community. Please visit this page to learn more about SLT.  
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