Davenport University appoints higher ed veteran to lead business, technology colleges
Jan. 11, 2021; mibiz.com
Davenport University has appointed Amy Mansfield as the new dean of the Donald W. Maine College of Business and the College of Technology.
Tag Archives: School of Workforce Development
GRCC In the News, 1-11-21
Jan. 8, 2021; Valdosta Daily Times (Ga.)
Davenport University announced today that it has named Dr. Amy Mansfield as its new Dean of the Donald W. Maine College of Business and the College of Technology. In her new role with the university, she will be responsible for providing leadership for Davenport’s business and technology programs, including degrees such as accounting, marketing, computer science, and cyber defense.
… Dr. Mansfield has spent the last 20 years with Grand Rapids Community College, where her many accomplishments include leading her team to earn nearly $20M in grants for the college while also leading the development of key programs such as:
Jan. 8, 2021; Grand Rapids Business Journal
West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology appointed a new board president and added three new board members.
… WMCAT’s other board members
… Lisa Freiburger, vice president for finance and administration, Grand Rapids Community College — treasurer
GRCC In the News, 7-8-20
GRCC unveils plan for fall semester
July 8, 2020; FOX 17
GRAND RAPIDS — School officials tell us so far fall enrollment is down, not just at GRCC but across the nation and their hope is that by offering these new flexible options, students will feel more comfortable enrolling.
July 7, 2020; dbusiness
Well-paying jobs are going unfilled in Michigan due to a lack of skilled workers in the manufacturing sector. Educators say a stigma has developed around jobs that involve working with one’s hands, often referred to as the maker space.
… In addition, the image of old-school production jobs that were more about brawn than brains has hurt recruitment efforts. Pam Miller, associate dean at the Grand Rapids Community College School of Workforce Development, says over the past 20 years, many parents have encouraged their children to pursue four-year college degrees rather than follow in their footsteps to assembly or production environments. “We (have) to kind of change the narrative around the dinner table, around the water cooler,” Chatman says.
July 7, 2020; Grand Rapids Magazine
The World Health Organization designated 2020 as the “year of the nurse,” in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who would become the “mother of modern-day nursing.”
… One area of investment that is essential is in training and adequate support for nurses. Renae Potts, RN, assistant professor at Grand Rapids Community College, said nurses are “more autonomous than ever before” and “must have exquisite assessment skills to pick up on subtle changes in their patient’s condition.”
One Good Thing: GRCC Student Alliance donates to food pantry
July 7, 2020; WZZM
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Big ups to Grand Rapids Community College students for work they’ve done during the pandemic.
El Concilio Hispano de Kalamazoo aclara dudas sobre DACA en entrevista virtual
July 7, 2020; La Prensa
Después del fallo de la Corte Suprema a favor de la Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA), la pregunta es ¿qué sigue? El Concilio Hispano Americano de Kalamazoo, MI aclara esta duda y muchas más en la transmisión en vivo por facebook: Hablemos de DACA, en donde se contó con la participación de la abogada Rebeca Ontiveros-Chávez de MIRC (Centro de Derechos de Inmigrantes de Michigan) y dos beneficiados del programa: Kevin Vázquez y César Pacheco.
… Originario de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Kevin llegó a Estados Unidos a los 8 años y no fue sino hasta que se graduó de la preparatoria cuando se entero que no podía trabajar ni obtener una beca para ir a la universidad porque su seguro social no se lo permitía. Vivió una situación muy complicada al no poder seguir avanzando. Cuando llego DACA su vida cambio por completo porque pudo salir a trabajar y pagar su beca para estudiar en GRCC y posteriormente en Western Michigan University, actualmente trabaja en recursos humanos en City Hall de Grand Rapids.
(After the Supreme Court ruling in favor of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the question is: What’s next? The Hispanic American Council of Kalamazoo, MI, clarifies this question and many more in a live broadcast on Facebook: “Let’s talk about DACA,” where the lawyer Rebeca Ontiveros-Chávez from MIRC (Center for Michigan Immigrant Rights) participated along with two beneficiaries of the program: Kevin Vázquez and César Pacheco.
… Originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Kevin came to the United States at age 8 and it wasn’t until he graduated from high school that he found out that he couldn’t work or get a scholarship to go to college because his social security didn’t tell him. He lived a very complicated situation when he could not continue advancing. When DACA arrived, his life changed completely because he was able to go out to work and study at GRCC and later at Western Michigan University. Currently, he works in Human Resources at City Hall in Grand Rapids.)
July 7, 2020; South Coast Today (New Bedford, Mass.)
Chris Gomes has mixed emotions when he looks back on his days of playing football at New Bedford High in the 1990s.
… Gomes, a future Gridiron Hall of Famer, went on to play two years of linebacker for Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan.
Plan for Fall 2020 includes mix of on-campus, online, hybrid courses
GRCC is working toward the return of some on-campus instruction for the Fall 2020 semester, in addition to a robust schedule of hybrid and enhanced distance learning options.
The college is exploring all options to offer some classes on campus, while continuing to work with state and local authorities and follow recommendations to safely emerge from the COVID-19 crisis.
“The pandemic will change many of the ways we do things, but it will not change GRCC playing an essential role in West Michigan’s recovery,” President Bill Pink said. “We embrace our mission, and we won’t compromise on the safety and wellness of our students, faculty and staff.”
Pink said a task force headed by Provost Brian Knetl and Lisa Freiburger, vice president for Finance and Administration, developed a four-phase strategy to gradually and safely reopen campus. The group is working with campus leaders to determine how classes in which on-campus instruction is preferable or essential can incorporate social distancing, deep cleaning and other measures effective in slowing the spread of coronavirus.
“We are by no means out from under this crisis yet,” Pink said. “And we may never go back to exactly the way we were. But in many ways, we will be stronger. We can be nimble and flexible – and highly effective. That’s how this college has risen up and faced challenges in the past, and this is no different.”
The college has been offering classes remotely since March because of the crisis. Knetl said there will likely be many students who will continue to feel safer in an online environment.
GRCC will continue to deliver instruction for most classes and student services in online and remote delivery formats for a second seven-week summer session, which begins June 30. Some classes in the School of Workforce Development and Job Training programs will be offered on-campus.
“Our faculty is doing a tremendous job transitioning classes to distance learning,” he said. “As we move into the fall, we will continue to find innovative and creative ways to deliver quality instruction in a variety of formats.”
Knetl said GRCC is ready for adult learners looking to re-enter the job market with new skills as well as younger students looking to stay closer to home as they start or continue their educational journey.
The college will continue offering a wide range of academic support services remotely to help all students be successful. It also recognizes that the COVID-19 crisis has created or expanded outside-the-classroom obstacles, such as food insecurity and mental wellness challenges.
GRCC plans to continue weekly curbside food distribution for students and their families, while offering a growing number of textbooks free through open educational resources, and connecting students to campus and community resources through its “Get Help” webpage.
Condolences to family, friends of former Provost Velvie Green
GRCC is mourning the passing of former Provost Velvie Green, a lifelong educator who empowered others to reach their personal and professional potential.
“GRCC is a stronger college today because of Dr. Green,” President Bill Pink said. “Her legacy continues in the many faculty members she mentored and the example she set. Dr. Green knew the importance of education. She knew learning doesn’t end after a person earns a credential, but continues throughout their life.”
Green, who died on Feb. 1, graduated from the Grand Rapids Public Schools and began her educational career there, teaching five years at Creston High and Central High schools.
She came to GRCC – then Grand Rapids Junior College — and worked 15 years as a faculty member in the Business Department, including serving five years as the department chair.
Recognized as a leader, Green rose quickly through the administrative ranks. She was assistant dean for the School of Workforce Development, followed by five years as an associate provost and dean for the School of Workforce Development. She then served for three years as provost and executive vice president for Academic and Student Affairs.
In 2006, Green became the president of Glendale Community College in Arizona, retiring in 2011.
She was honored with the GRCC Emeritus Faculty Award in 2012 and was described as a soft voice, a quiet strength, forward-thinking, passionate, committed to education and student success — and a force to be reckoned with.
She also was recognized by the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce and earned the YWCA’s Tribute to Women of Achievement Award, and the GRCC Bob and Aleicia Woodrick Center for Equity and Inclusion’s Salute to Women Award.
Deeply committed to community service, Green served on several boards, including Goodwill Industries, the World Affairs Council, and the Glendale Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She was a lifelong member of the NAACP and supported the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women, where she was a leader with the organization’s youth club.
Green was active in state and national groups supporting higher education, serving as a consultant evaluator for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, and on the Executive Committee of the Michigan Community College Chief Academic Officers.
GRCC In the News, 9-30-19
Sept. 27, 2019; Community College Daily
… Michigan
Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) is partnering with Davenport University on a five-year, $4 million National Science Foundation grant to train and educate the next generation of cybersecurity experts. The funding will provide 28 students with scholarships to cover tuition and education-related fees and living expenses. Graduates are guaranteed a full-time cybersecurity role at a government entity. The scholarship covers the costs of a student’s junior or senior year at Davenport University. It also extends coverage to sophomores at GRCC.
Women’s Resource Center program creates career path for former inmates
Sept. 30, 2019; mibiz.com
GRAND RAPIDS — The inequities women face in daily life are often much worse for women who are incarcerated.
… Through New Beginnings, she (Teresa Collins) was able to access the Metallica scholarship for welding training through Grand Rapids Community College. The school was one of 10 nationwide to be awarded $100,000 from the heavy metal band Metallica for workforce training programs for non-traditional students.
Change Ups: GRCC chef receives French medal
Sept. 27, 2019; Grand Rapids Business Journal
Grand Rapids Community College chef Gilles Renusson, professor with the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education, recently was awarded the Chevalier du Merite Agricole medal during a private ceremony. Guillaume Lacroix, general consul of France in Chicago, awarded Renusson the Order of Agricultural Merit for outstanding services to agriculture. The medal, created in 1883, is second in importance only to the Legion of Honour. Renusson, a certified master pastry chef and renowned sugar artist, has been with GRCC since 1992.
… NONPROFITS
… West Michigan Partnership for Children announced the addition of board members Nkechy Ezeh, Kayla Morgan and Cheryl Schuch.
(Nkechy Ezeh and Kayla Morgan are GRCC alumnae.)
Sept. 28, 2019; mibiz.com
Growth report for Sept. 28, 2019.
… Higher ed
Trustees at Grand Rapids Community College will pay $2 million to purchase a 50,000-square-foot former JCPenney store in Holland Township to convert it into a consolidated Lakeshore campus. The site is located at the Shops at Westshore mall near the intersection of U.S. 31 and James Street. The new Lakeshore campus building will allow the college to consolidate programs and student support services in a larger space, increase employer and educator partnerships and enhance learning and teaching, according to GRCC.
County notes: Justice center planning moves forward
Sept. 26, 2019; The Holland Sentinel
WEST OLIVE — Ottawa County commissioners voted Tuesday to officially approve the planning of a new Family Justice Center that will be located in its Fillmore Street Complex in West Olive.
… The meeting also featured the approval of the purchase of a new mobile dental unit for its Miles of Smiles program. The current mobile dental unit has been in use since 2004, and provides dental servies 1,300 to 1,400 underserved Ottawa County residents, performed by volunteering dentists and dental hygiene students from Grand Rapids Community College.
Lady Bulldogs top White Pigeon
Sept. 27, 2019; Ionia Sentinel-Standard
The fifth-ranked Centreville volleyball team beat White Pigeon 27-25, 25-17 and 25-16 on Thursday evening. Both teams came into the matchup 3-0 in league play.
,,, Glen Oaks fell to Grand Rapids Community College on Thursday 21-25, 15-25, 25-27 on Thursday.
Sept. 27, 2019; Communique (University of Colorado-Colorado Springs)
Nearly 50 new faculty members joined UCCS this fall. Today, meet the eight faculty members from the College of Business, College of Education and the School of Public Affairs.
… Daniel Olson, instructor of criminal justice, School of Public Affairs. Olson was previously an assistant professor of law at the United States Air Force Academy. He also served in roles as director of legal research, deputy department head and interim department head at the Academy. He also worked as a civil law instructor at the Judge Advocate General’s School at Maxwell Air Force Base.
Olson earned his associate’s degree from Grand Rapids Community College, his bachelor’s degree in general business administration from Michigan State University, and his J.D. from the Thomas Cooley Law School.
Finalists named for Tidewater Community College presidency
Sept. 29, 2019; Augusta Free Press (Waynesboro, Va.)
The State Board for Community Colleges has certified three finalists for the position of president at Tidewater Community College. The finalists were among 80 applicants from across the nation.
… Dr. Andrew W. Bowne has worked in higher education for nearly 20 years. Following a corporate career, Bowne began his higher education career as an adjunct instructor in 2000 at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a position he held for two years. That same year, he began as an adjunct instructor at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, which he held for 12 years. He moved to Grand Rapids Community College where he became the executive director of Workforce Training & Economic Development in 2003, and the associate vice president for College Advancement in 2005. Bowne moved to Ivy Tech Community College in Muncie, Indiana to become the chancellor of the East Central Region in 2012. Two years later, his responsibilities grew as he was named chancellor, East Central and Richmond Regions. In 2016, he moved to Ivy Tech’s system office in Indianapolis and became senior vice president/COO – the position he holds today. Bowne holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree, and a doctorate from Western Michigan University.
GRCC In the News, 9-26-19
College offering retail management certificate
Sept. 25, 2019; Grand Rapids Business Journal
A college and grocer are partnering to offer a retail management certificate.
… The first two classes, organizational behavior and accounting, are being taught by GRCC faculty at Meijer headquarters in Walker. The rest of the classes include online courses in business communication and business management.
West Michigan students join state’s new Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force
Sept. 25, 2019; WWMT
LANSING, Mich. — Four West Michigan students are among the members of Michigan’s new Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force launched in September 2019.
… The task force members chosen by the state are:
… Sean Huizing of Grand Rapids – Grand Rapids Community College
Muskegon Ends GOCC Winning Streak With Five-Set Victory
Sept. 25, 2019; Three Rivers Commercial-News
MUSKEGON — Muskegon became the first team this season to hand previously unbeaten Glen Oaks Community College a loss this season in volleyball Tuesday.
… Glen Oaks visits Grand Rapids Community College Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
GRCC In the News, 9-25-19
Meijer, GRCC collaborate on new certificate program
Sept. 24, 2019; MLive
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Grand Rapids Community College partnered with Meijer to create a new Retail Management Certificate program that will provide employees the relevant skills and competencies needed to advance their careers.
Army of youth march to ‘fight for the world we will be living in’
Sept. 24, 2019; schoolnewsnetwork.org (Kent Intermediate School District)
On a sunny fall day in Grand Rapids, as millions of young people around the world rallied for environmental action, two high school students in a park were going over last-minute preparations for their participation in a global movement to stop climate change.
… A day earlier, as hundreds of students gathered outside the Student Center at Grand Rapids Community College, English professor Maryann Lesert spoke about the link between climate change and peaceful social action.
A stroll through the city means a walk through art
Sept. 24, 2019; schoolnewsnetwork.org
Art can become toys and books, make sound and light — even turn into huge murals and sculptures, learned wide-eyed preschoolers during Artwalk, a morning set aside in downtown Grand Rapids just for little ones and their families.
The city stroll, part of Project 1 by ArtPrize, led to the discovery of art in many forms for students from Grand Rapids Public Schools, Headstart, Grand Rapids Community College’s Laboratory Preschool, and Grand Valley State University charter schools.
GRCC, Meijer team up on Retail Management Certificate program
GRCC has teamed up with Meijer Inc. on a Retail Management Certificate program, a pilot program that meets the needs of local employers while giving residents skills to advance in their careers.
The initial cohort is comprised of 18 employees who have been with Meijer for at least a year. All the classes are in a seven-week format, allowing the employees to complete the certificate in a year.
“GRCC is excited to partner with Meijer to provide this professional development program, which culminates in a valuable credential that is highly valued by this industry,” said Amy Mansfield, dean of the School of Workforce Development.
The program is the result of several years of planning with the company, and would give employees skills to advance within Meijer, or in other large retailers in the nation.
“Our team members are vital to our company’s success, and we remain committed to investing in their professional development,” said Todd Weer, senior vice president of stores for Meijer. “This newest partnership with Grand Rapids Community College provides a great opportunity to help our team members achieve their educational goals and advance their careers.”
The first two classes, organizational behavior and accounting, are being taught by GRCC faculty at Meijer headquarters in Walker. The employees will take the rest — which include courses in business communication and business management — online. Meijer will cover the employees’ tuition, fees and books for the first course and also offers an educational reimbursement program to defray the cost of the full program.
Employees who complete the certificate, which is recognized by the Western Association of Food Chains and endorsed by the Food Marketing Institute, will be encouraged to continue their studies for an Associate of Business.
GRCC has partnered with Meijer on other projects. The Meijer Center for Business, located in Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, provides computer labs, small and large group collaboration spaces, a board room, a business center for faculty use, and student study areas. Meijer employees have also served as guest lecturers, adjunct faculty, and advisory committee members.
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II tours ATC, Secchia Institute for Culinary Education
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II toured the ATC on Monday, speaking with students and faculty about education leading to careers in the culinary arts.
Gilchrist and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are visiting colleges across the state on a “Home for Opportunity” tour, focusing on the variety of educational pathways to help more Michiganders earn degrees and credentials.
Whitmer visited GRCC’s Leslie E. Tassell M-TEC on Feb. 13, her first visit to a community college as governor. It was the day after her first State of the State address, where she recognized the vital role community colleges play in providing opportunities for credits for degrees or to transfer to four-year institutions and specialized training for in-demand jobs for people of all ages.
Gilchrest, joined on the tour Monday by state Rep. Rachel Hood, said, “Community colleges play an important role in preparing our workforce for today and tomorrow.
“It’s really great to see the rich diversity of programs,” he said. “This culinary institute is a beautiful thing. I saw young people; I saw older students who are really hungry – no pun intended – to grow their skill sets and really be able to plug that back into the workforce in this area and in the broader community.”
Whitmer has said many of the jobs going unfilled in the state require postsecondary training, including degrees or certifications, and many people already in the workforce will need to gain additional skills to advance. She set a goal of increasing the number of Michiganders with postsecondary credentials from 44 percent to 60 percent by 2030.
Gilchrist toured the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education’s kitchen, brewery and commercial baking classrooms, meeting program director Werner Absenger, chefs Gilles Renusson, Wil Barajas, and Sasha Ahmed, and brewmaster Jacob Brenner.
The internationally known Secchia Institute for Culinary Education is one of the nation’s top 20 culinary programs and has been consistently awarded American Culinary Federation accreditation with exemplary status since its inception more than 30 years ago.
Students receive intensive practical training in all aspects of food preparation and presentation, and are prepared to step into any culinary venue. Graduates are prepared to accept jobs as cooks and chefs in fine restaurants, hotels, motels, resorts, and institutions.
grccraiderbuzz.wordpress.com 