Aug. 26 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College is hosting a vaccination clinic open to the community during the college’s Raider Rally event on Saturday, part of an effort to help students have access to an effective tool in fighting COVID-19. Nearly 2,000 students have registered so far for a $200 incentive to get the vaccine, one of several measures GRCC has taken to promote safety and wellness as students return to campus on Aug. 30. “Vaccines are important in stopping the spread of COVID-19 and preventing serious illness and hospitalization,” said Lisa Freiburger, GRCC’s vice president for Finance and Administration. “Our incentive program can encourage students to get their shot, and we are working with community partners to make sure vaccinations are accessible and convenient.” The clinic is planned for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28, in front of GRCC’s Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, 143 Bostwick Ave. NE. Advance registration is not required. Another clinic is planned for Sept. 8 during GRCC’s Welcome Week, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall and from 3-6 p.m. at the Leslie M. Tassell M-TEC. A clinic is planned for the new Lakeshore Campus, 12335 James St. in Holland, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 14. Eligible students can receive a $200 credit on their RaiderCards to use for campus dining, parking, printing, and in the bookstore. The vaccination incentive program is available to students enrolled in an in-person, hybrid, virtual, or online credit course, clock-hour Job Training program, or apprenticeship program that begins between Aug. 30 and Dec. 16, 2021. Eligible students must meet this enrollment definition at the time incentive funds are disbursed to their RaiderCards and have achieved fully vaccinated status any time on or before Nov. 15, 2021. To be considered for the incentive, students should log into their Online Center, select the “GRCC Vaccine Incentive” tile, and complete a brief form. There will be a place for students to upload a photo of their COVID-19 vaccination record card. Credits will be added to RaiderCards in September for students who have completed the process, and weekly thereafter as students become fully vaccinated and upload a photo of their card. The incentives are limited to GRCC students. Employees are ineligible. Additional information is available on the GRCC COVID information page. Additional vaccination location information is available at vaccinatewestmi.com. GRCC’s Raider Rally and Service Saturday are opportunities for students to learn more about campus, have their questions answered, and take care of any details needed to start the fall 2021 semester on Aug. 30. Service Saturday features specialists from GRCC student support and service offices, including Admissions and Enrollment, Academic Advising, Financial Aid, Student Financial Services, Disability Services, Student Records, and Student Life. Students also will be able to obtain their RaiderCards. Specialists will be available on the Main Campus as well as the Lakeshore Campus.    

Aug. 25, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – GRCC Workforce Training programs provide in-demand skills leading to rewarding careers. Each Wednesday we’ll meet students who are heading down an educational pathway and changing their lives by earning occupational certificates. Brian Stauffer spent the last 18 years working for a franchise restaurant, supervising five locations and had planned to purchase his own franchise. Then COVID-19 changed everything. “It become clear that the pandemic along with corporate politics were going to keep me from moving forward with my plan,” he said. “So instead of retiring in 15 years, I am starting over at 40. When I saw the Future for Frontliners opportunity I made sure to apply before I even knew what I was going to do. I needed to have as many options as possible.” “I’m familiar with GRCC, and its trade programs have a great reputation. Welding seems like a strong foundation for my future. This certificate will definitely help me get my foot in the door.” This program is highly regarded by employers as a top trainer in welding and fabrication. Job developers are ready to help students with the job search process. After graduating, students will be ready to begin a career as a welder, cutter or brazer – with the skills to meet the needs of local employers. “This is only my third day and I’m welding already,” he said. “This program is definitely teaching more than just welding skills here. The way it is set up, it’s like prepping for students to go to work.” The GRCC Job Training Welding program meets for 18 weeks for 34 hours per week. The program offers small class sizes, hands-on learning and job placement assistance. Students learn: shielded metal arc welding (arc/stick welding), gas metal arc welding (metal inert gas/wire welding), gas tungsten arc welding (heli-arc/tungsten inert gas welding), oxy-fuel welding (gas welding), cutting, brazing, blueprint reading, mathematics, metallurgy, problem solving, teamwork and communication skills. “The facilities are great and everyone has been so helpful, empathetic, professional, caring,” Stauffer said. “My instructor is awesome!” Instructor Nate Haney holds a Bachelor of Science in Welding Engineering Technology from Ferris State University and is an American Welding Society Certified Welding Inspector and Certified Welding Educator. Stauffer is not sure about what his future holds but feels grateful to be moving forward. “Mentally emotionally, this program has really saved me.” On Tuesday, Stauffer took advantage of the opportunity to thank Gov. Gretchen Whitmer personally for the Future for Frontliners program. “This program means a lot to me and my family.” The next section of Job Training programs begins October 18, 2021. Anyone interested in gaining career skills through GRCC Workforce Training can connect via email at workforcetraining@grcc.edu, and by phone at (616) 234-3800.

August 24, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -   Grand Rapids Community College volleyball player Annie Holesinger was named MCCAA Western Conference Player of the Week after her performances at the McHenry County Invitational Tournament. The Raiders won one game and lost three in the season's opening tournament in Rockford, Ill., facing three teams ranked in the national top 10. Holesinger, a sophomore from Rockford, Mich, totaled 45 kills, averaging 3.46 kills per set, and five blocks across the four matches on Aug. 20 and 21. Holesinger tied her career high of 17 kills against No. 3 Iowa Central Community College while hitting .500.   GRCC defeated Joliet Junior College in three sets on Aug. 21, and also faced No. 1 Johnson County Community College, No. 3 Iowa Central Community College and No. 8 Kirkwood Community College. The Raiders won at least one set against every nationally ranked opponent this past weekend. The team is scheduled to travel to Owens Community College in Perrysburg, Ohio on Aug. 27 and take on Oakland Community College, Waubonsee Community College, No. 2 Parkland College and No. 12 Catawba Valley Community College at the Owens Express Invitational. The Raiders will open conference season on Thursday, Sept. 2 at home against Glen Oaks Community College.

Aug. 24, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is proposing expanding Futures for Frontliners and Michigan Reconnect – programs providing free in-district community college tuition to eligible residents -- as part of a proposed $2.1 billion program to boost middle-class residents, support small businesses, and help communities. Whitmer, speaking Tuesday in the welding lab at GRCC’s Leslie Tassell M-TEC, proposes using federal stimulus money for a $215 million expansion of the two programs, a $70 million to improve the pipeline of talented workers to industry, a $100 million influx for the Going PRO credential program, and additional programs to offer work experience to Michiganders earning their GEDs and help those reentering society after incarceration transition into the workforce.  “As we emerge from the once-in-a-century pandemic, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to use billions in federal resources to grow Michigan's middle class, support small businesses, and invest in our communities,” she said. “With the $2.1 billion in proposals I have laid out, we can raise wages, give people paths to high-skill jobs, grow start-ups, build clean energy infrastructure, and do so much more. I’m utilizing every resource and ensuring that we continue to take bold action to help families, communities and small businesses thrive. Together, we can usher in new era of prosperity for Michigan.”  Whitmer was joined by GRCC President Bill Pink, The Right Place President and CEO Randy Thelen and Susan R. Corbin, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. Pink said the Tassell M-TEC was an appropriate place for the announcement, considering it houses training programs providing students with in-demand skills. “You have our welding lab, some of our machining work -- this work is vital to our community. It’s vital to West Michigan,” he said. “When this community college prepares people for the workforce, prepares people for their next institution -- if the community college is doing it, it means it lifts the community." Whitmer said Futures for Frontliners and Michigan Reconnect are a part of her “60 by 30” goal of having 60% of Michiganders obtaining a degree or career-focused credential by 2030. About 160,000 residents statewide have applied to attend community colleges through the two programs. “People are eager to get the skills, but the barrier has been the cost,” she said. “When we make this investment, we improve on that ability for so many people in our state.” Michigan Reconnect is a state scholarship program providing free in-district tuition for students ages 25 and older who don’t already have a college degree. More than 900 Reconnect eligible students are enrolled at GRCC for the fall 2021 semester. Additional information is available at grcc.edu/reconnect , by emailing reconnect@grcc.edu or by calling (616) 234-3366. The fall 2021 semester is the last time for students accepted for the state Futures for Frontliners program to start taking classes. More than 1,000 students are enrolled for the fall semester through the program, which provides free in-district tuition to people who worked during the state’s COVID-19 shutdown in the spring of 2020. Additional information is available at grcc.edu/futuresforfrontliners , by email at Futures4Frontliners@grcc.edu and by calling (616) 234-3344. Students can start the application process at  grcc.edu/apply , and also connect with specialists in person at a Service Saturday event planned for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 28 at both the downtown campus and the new GRCC Lakeshore Campus.  

Aug. 24, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College celebrated renovations to historic buildings on the Main and DeVos campuses – and the ability to expand programs and improve the student experience -- with a four-part ribbon-cutting today.  The work includes renovations to Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, Steven C. Ender Hall and the Custer Alumni House in addition to a new wing and other improvements to the Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center. Some of the projects were completed earlier this year, with celebrations delayed because of the pandemic. Others are nearing completion as students are welcomed back for the fall 2021 semester. “These renovations allow us to modernize buildings and expand programs, but we also are able to honor the legacies of people who, for decades, have worked to make our college and community stronger,” said Dr. Bill Pink, GRCC president. “We are preserving what made these buildings special, but making sure they are able to meet the needs of the students of today, and tomorrow.” Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, built nearly a century ago, has been transformed into a 21 st -century learning space, reimagining the student experience for services including admissions and financial aid, as well as modernized classrooms, offices, gathering areas, dining spots, and welcoming entrances. Renovations to four floors are complete, and work continues on part of the building that includes a new Veterans Center, technology support and dining options. Formerly called the Main Building, Finkelstein Hall was renamed in 2019 to honor the support of Raleigh J. Finkelstein, a business leader and philanthropist who has supported higher education in West Michigan. Renovations and updates will help keep the Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center a state-of-the-art facility serving students and the greater community. The project includes a two-story, 18,416-square-foot expansion with machine tool and data center labs as well as a renovated open computer lab and increased student gathering and study spaces. The building is named after business and community leaders Tom and Joyce Wisner and David and Michelle Bottrall, who have long supported GRCC and West Michigan organizations. The former Mable Engle House on the DeVos Campus received a historic renovation, preserving its beautiful wood interiors while creating modern spaces for students, staff and faculty. As Steven C. Ender Hall, it will be used by student-focused departments, including the Experiential Learning and Honors programs and Student Employment Services, with space for Student Life clubs and organizations. The building is named after the college’s ninth president, who focused on providing opportunities for students and helping them overcome obstacles to success. The Custer Alumni House is the new name for the Lettinga House, reflecting its role as the home of the GRCC Foundation and alumni activities. Renovations include a kitchen, meeting space and areas for receptions and other gatherings – a welcoming place for former students and community members.  The building is named after community leaders and philanthropists David and Karen Custer. David Custer is director emeritus of the GRCC Foundation, receiving two national alumni awards in 2020. “Together, these projects reflect an investment in our students and in our community’s future,” said Dr. Kathryn K. Mullins, vice president of Advancement and executive director of the GRCC Foundation. “GRCC is uniquely positioned to help learners connect or reconnect with higher education, meeting people where they are to help them get to where they want to be.”   The college celebrated a ribbon-cutting on Aug. 19 for the new GRCC Lakeshore Campus, a consolidated presence in Holland Township aimed at making higher education more accessible and affordable for Lakeshore residents.