June 22, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Joe Fox has been appointed head coach of the Grand Rapids Community College men’s basketball team for the 2021-2022 season after serving as an assistant coach at GRCC, Calvin University, and Lansing Community College. Fox has been GRCC assistant coach since 2019, and also held the role from 2012 to 2014. He then served as assistant coach at Lansing Community College under hall of fame coach Mike Ingram, and was assistant coach for Calvin’s women’s basketball team between 2017 and 2019. "I am excited and grateful to be named the head coach of the program that gave me my start in the field. I would like to thank coach Jeff Bauer for bringing me back to GRCC two years ago and providing me the opportunity to coach at GRCC,” he said. “We have a great group of returning Raiders and a talented batch of newcomers for the 2021-22 team. I can't wait to get to work with them." Coaching runs in Fox’s family. His father, Gary Fox, and grandfather, George Fox, both coached high school basketball in Michigan for 25 years. George Fox won a state championship with Ervin “Magic” Johnson at Lansing’s Everett High in 1977. Fox works as a career coach at Aquinas College and has been the event manager for the Gus Macker basketball tournament since 2008. Fox earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University I 2012 and a master’s degree from Grand Valley State University in 2019. “Joe has a great amount of experience coaching and has a passion for basketball,” Interim Athletic Director David Selmon said. “He’s familiar with our student-athletes and our proud Raider tradition, and I know he’ll do a great job in this role.” Bauer stepped down after two seasons to spend more time with his young family. The Raiders were 21-24 during his tenure, making the NJCAA Region XII tournament each year.

June 21, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College trustees approved a budget that freezes tuition rates for the 2021-2022 academic year in an effort to keep education accessible and affordable for residents as West Michigan emerges from the pandemic. Trustees on Monday unanimously approved a $115.4 million budget, which also includes waiving online class fees for the fall semester and retaining single swipe parking fees to help students access classes and services without paying more to park. “Our world has changed in many ways since most of our students were on campus, and we are working to support them as they face new challenges,” board of trustees Chairperson David Koetje said. “This budget reflects our commitment to ensuring that students of all ages across West Michigan have access to the quality education they’ll need to move forward.” The tuition freeze comes at a time when students also have several options to attend with education costs covered by state and local programs. Michigan Reconnect is available for residents ages 25 and older who have not yet earned a degree. Futures for Frontliners supports students who worked in essential jobs during the spring pandemic shutdown, and Grand Rapids Promise Zone scholarships are for students graduating from a Grand Rapids high school. Students not eligible for Michigan Reconnect, Futures for Frontliners, or Promise Zone may still qualify for a Pell grant or for one of the many GRCC related scholarships available for students. “We embrace our mission of being the place West Michigan turns to in times of need,” GRCC President Bill Pink said. “This budget demonstrates our focus on our community – students, and also our partners and employers. We are creating more and different opportunities for people so they can find their place in our recovering region.” GRCC’s new Lakeshore Campus in Holland Township opens in August, providing greater access to quality programs to Ottawa County residents. Renovation work is nearing completion across the downtown Grand Rapids campus, adding improved classroom and study space and well and better access to services, all focused on helping students enroll, learn and be successful.  GRCC leaders have worked to keep tuition increases as small as possible to keep education affordable. The tuition freeze follows a 1.7% increase last year, and 0.8% increases the two prior years. The in-district tuition rate is $117 per contact hour, and the total cost for a fulltime student will be $3,969 for the year. The freeze also applies to all universal fees. The college has other approaches to keep a college education within reach. GRCC has partnerships throughout West Michigan with local school districts and intermediate school districts for Early/Middle College and dual and concurrent enrollment programs. The Grand Rapids Community College Foundation also works with partners to help with expenses. Last year, the foundation awarded more than $1.2 million in scholarships. Waiving online course fees for the fall semester will save students $16 per contact hour, or about $50 for a three-credit class. Students would still be responsible for tuition and other universal fees. GRCC also is changing its parking fee structure, allowing students to pay once a day, making it easier for them to get to classes and services at the college’s two downtown campuses. Students can use their RaiderCard to swipe into a lot and pay $3.50, then have unlimited access to parking lots on the Main Campus and DeVos Campus for the remainder of the day. Previously, students were charged $3.50 each time they exited a lot. The move is intended to save students money at a time when many face financial challenges related to the coronavirus crisis, and prevent parking costs from being a factor in their decision to take a class or access programs. It also recognizes that students often have classes, leave campus for home or work responsibilities, and then return. The move also makes it easier for them to access classes and support services on both downtown campuses.

June 21, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Start at GRCC and go anywhere. Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC gave them the education and opportunity to be successful. When the best-laid plans go astray, sometimes it means you should take a closer look at them. Eric Weaver -- or, rather, Eric Weaver’s mom -- knew exactly what he was going to do after his senior year at Northview High School: “I got accepted into the University of Michigan, but my single mom didn’t make enough salary to send me there. Instead, my grades earned me a full ride to General Motors Institute (now Kettering University). I had wanted to go to U of M for computer science, but the closest major GMI offered was electrical engineering. “My mom’s plan was for me to graduate from GMI, get a sweet gig at GM, and ride off into the sunset as an engineer in Detroit.” His estranged father’s suicide during finals week of his third semester at GMI sent him into a spiral of grief, and he failed three of his five exams. “Even knowing about the loss, GMI pushed me out, and I came back to Grand Rapids -- just a kid at 19 with no idea of where to go, what to do, or who to be,” Weaver said. He took on several part-time jobs and began night classes at what was then Grand Rapids Junior College. He immediately felt at home there. “I explored marketing, creative writing, became involved in Student Congress, and started writing for The Collegiate,” he said, adding that a favorite memory is interviewing psychologist Joyce Brothers for GRJC’s Great American Talk Festival. “I also got to take a deep dive into computer science -- my original area of interest.” Weaver received his associate degree in Information Systems in 1983 and got a job as a systems analyst for GM, eventually working for Ford, Volkswagen and a telecom company. He went on to graduate summa cum laude in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in communications arts-broadcast and film from Xavier University. While attending Xavier, Weaver became one of America Online’s first community and content managers. Marketing 101 had been one of his favorite GRJC classes, and he decided to shift his career -- right at the launch of the World Wide Web -- into digital marketing. He built some of the first websites, e-commerce sites, content servers, digital ad campaigns and social media sites for Fortune 500 companies, including Procter & Gamble, Intel and BMW. “By 2000, I was a dot-com CEO living in Southern California and working in Hamburg, Germany,” Weaver said. “I felt like a deep-space satellite, launched from Grand Rapids, spiraling farther and farther away from home, out into the unknown.” In 2018, Weaver decided to change careers again and started Transparent Path. “My new company combines advanced loT sensors with blockchain and artificial intelligence,” he said. “We use the technology to track food shipments and other perishables as they travel through the supply chain. Our mission: to reduce the $418 million in food waste that happens in the U.S. due to spoilage and breakage, and to help create a better, more successful life for U.S. food producers.” He notes that his most recent venture means he has really come full circle with the very first job he had while a GRJC student: creating software for a produce trucking company in Wyoming! “GRCC was incredibly valuable to me at a critical point in my young life,” Weaver said. “Drowning in grief, unsure of my future, my life could have taken a number of different turns, which could have been self-destructive or less positive. Fortunately, the friends I made there, the faculty who encouraged me, and the quality and affordability of the courses I took sent me out into the world on a journey that’s taken me to work across the globe for some of the world’s largest corporations.” Weaver, who still keeps in touch with many of the friends he made 38 years ago, said his story shows that the future’s not set in stone. “Life will hand you a lot of disappointments, failures and seemingly impossible challenges,” he said. “But the reality is that the world as you see it today is only showing a tiny sliver of the possibilities ahead of you.” Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply .

June 16, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College student-athletes had historic seasons in competition but also demonstrated their success in the classroom, with more than 30 earning academic awards. The Michigan Community College Athletic Association honored two GRCC teams – volleyball and women’s cross country – as All-Academic Teams for having a team GPA of 3.0 or greater. The volleyball team finished with a 3.24 team GPA, and the women's cross country team earned a 3.17. Audrey Gower and Alena Visnovsky earned perfect 4.0 GPAs to help the volleyball squad earn the award, while Mariah Vos led her cross country team with a 3.88 GPA. “We’re proud of our student-athletes for what they accomplished,” Interim Athletic Director Dave Selmon said. “Our coaches and staff emphasize the importance of academics so the students can continue being successful long after their playing days are done. I know they worked hard and faced additional challenges due to the pandemic.” All eight athletic teams had at least one student-athlete recognized on the MCCAA Academic All-Conference team. To earn MCCAA Academic All-Conference honors, student-athletes must earn at least 24 credits with a 3.0 GPA or higher. The 38 GRCC student-athletes earning this honor are: Collin Bradley, Bradley Dunn, Ryan Dykstra, Caleb Engelsman, Joseph Hoeks, Jeremy Marble, Brady Owen, Dalton Vander Ark, Matt Williams and Aaron West from the baseball team. Kyla Andres, Kaylie Andres, Krin Beach, Taylor Cross and Mikayla Loew from the softball team. Kailey Carmean, Audrey Gower, Kara Hecht, Annie Holesinger, Gabrielle Kitley, Kate Stearns and Alena Visnovsky from the volleyball team. Shaniah Jones, Erin Kruithoff, Danielle Lamancusa, Abigale Rouwhorst and Trayana Starr-Thurman from the women’s basketball team. Breeana Bonnema, Allison Hoop, Carolanne Merlington, Angelis Stewart, Mariah Vos and Alexzandria Webster from the women’s cross country team. Ashton Brennan, Jack Kehoe and Noah Peterson from the men’s cross country team. Arie Jackman from the golf team. Isaiah Guenther from the men’s basketball team.  For Academic All-MCCAA, a student-athlete must earn at least 24 credits with a 3.2 GPA. The 33 GRCC student-athletes earning this honor are: Collin Bradley, Bradley Dunn, Ryan Dykstra, Caleb Engelsman, Joseph Hoeks, Jeremy Marble, Brady Owen, Dalton Vander Ark, Matt Williams and Aaron West from the baseball team. Kyla Andres, Krin Beach, Taylor Cross and Mikayla Loew from the softball team. Kailey Carmean , Audrey Gower, Kara Hech, Gabrielle Kitley and Alena Visnovsky, from the volleyball team. Shaniah Jones, Erin Kruithoff and Abigale Rouwhorst from the women’s basketball team. Breeana Bonnema, Allison Hoop, Carolanne Merlington, Angelis Stewart, Mariah Vos and Alexzandria Webster from the women’s cross country team. Ashton Brennan, Jack Kehoe and Noah Peterson from the men’s cross country team. Arie Jackman from the golf team. Isaiah Guenther from the men’s basketball team.  

June 16, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called Grand Rapids Community College’s Phyllis Fratzke Early Childhood Learning Laboratory a “phenomenal place” during an event Wednesday to promote proposals to expand access to childcare.  Whitmer discussed her proposals to expand opportunities and services using $1.4 billion in federal funding from the American Recovery Act at an event coordinated by the Early Neighborhood Learning Collaborative and hosted by GRCC. The governor toured several classrooms, joined by several state and community leaders who discussed the impact childcare has on the economy and how families struggled during the pandemic. “This is really a phenomenal place where lives are being changed every single day, where paths are being created not just for the children who attend here, but for the students who are learning how to be great educators of the future,” Whitmer said. “Quality early childhood experiences create the foundation for children and for families to thrive. Every family in Michigan should have access to a place like this.” GRCC’s Fratzke Learning Laboratory opened in January 2017 and is designed to serve preschoolers ages six weeks to six years and students in Early Childhood and Education programs. President Bill Pink said the college was a “natural place” for the governor to discuss early childhood education. “This Phyllis Fratzke Early Childhood Learning Laboratory, in my opinion, is one of the state-of-the-art facilities not only here in West Michigan or only in Michigan, but in the country,” Pink said. “I would challenge you to find a better facility that is more serving to students – the little ones, and the ones learning the art of truly caring for our little ones.” Whitmer also was joined by K’Sandra Earle, ENLC associate director; Brian Calley, president of the Small Business Association of Michigan; Sean Welsh, PNC Bank regional president and a member of Talent 2025’s Early Childhood Development Working Group; and Praveen Thadani, president of Priority Health. Speaking in the Frances Taliaferro Frey Early Childhood Community Learning Hub, the governor said the pandemic was a reminder of the importance of quality childcare in the state’s economy. Whitmer said the federal government provided the state with $1.4 billion for childcare in wake of the pandemic – about six times more than the funding the state typically receives to support childcare programs. She said access to quality childcare programs will help parents rejoin the workforce. There were not enough quality, affordable programs to meet the need of state residents even before the pandemic.   “Working families have long relied on childcare to support their child’s early development, and to make their lives work,” she said. “COVID has been a reminder that childcare is absolutely essential for the health of our economy. Decades of studies and data proves that where and how children spend their time matters.” The governor has proposed making 150,000 more children eligible for free or low-cost childcare by extending innovative pilot programs and expanding opportunities by supporting existing providers, including helping them expand their programs and open new sites. Whitmer also called for supporting college students in childcare education programs, offering premium pay and signing bonuses to professions and tuition-free training for people looking to enter the profession. Whitmer also proposed providing low or no-cost childcare for students attending GRCC and other community colleges tuition-free through Futures for Frontliners and Michigan Reconnect. The Fratzke Early Childhood Center enrolls about 90 children, and works with community partners including the ELNC and the Kent Intermediate School District’s Great Start Readiness program.  GRCC’s early childhood program was founded in 1974 and recently received recognition as one of the top programs in the nation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. A video of the event is here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0vqKl4C8TA    

  June 16, 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. After 18 years as a corrections officer, Martin Maloley needed a change. This February, Maloley took a risk that changed the direction of his life. He came to the GRCC Tassell M-TEC and enrolled in the Construction Electrical Job Training program. Maloley had always shied away from being an electrician, mainly because of the training involved and thinking that he had to stay in his job. “When you have a family and responsibilities, you think you have to stay. It took me a long time to realize that no one has to stay.” Maloley first became interested in electrical construction many years ago. “I had finished the basement in my first house and did the electrical and really enjoyed that part of the construction process. Over the years, I have been recruited to help family and friends with electrical projects and that interest just continued to grow.” Now Maloley has these words of advice to his younger classmates: “Time isn’t replaceable. Money is replaceable.” The GRCC Construction Electrical Job Training program provides the basic knowledge and skills required to become an electrician and be placed in an Electrical Apprenticeship program in just 18 weeks of training. Students participate in job site, lab area, field trip and classroom settings. Learning is hands-on in all areas of electrical installation including employability skills, construction and electrical safety, hand and power tool safety, electrical math, electrical history, electrical theory, the National Electrical Code, electrical material identification, blueprint reading, underground installations and residential/commercial wiring. “This experience is bliss,” he said. “I love the lab structure. I didn’t expect such a huge area to learn in. I thought there would be more classroom and code work but the hands-on part of the program is great. Now I’m doing it and I’m happier than I have been in 20 years!" Maloley completes the program next week and it actively seeking work. “What’s great about this field is that there are so many pathways to go now that I have this training.  I am being a little bit selective but I am confident the right job is waiting for me.” Once graduates of this program are hired, they may register as an Apprentice Electrician, and request to have their Certificate articulated into credit that applies to their state required four years of training. According to the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, there will be 16% job growth annually in this field from 2012 to 2022. Average wage per hour is $23.78. 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. Additional information is at grcc.edu/programs/job-workforce-training .

June 15, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – More than 1,000 seats are available in classes during Grand Rapids Community College’s second summer semester, providing opportunities for students to start earning credits for a new credential or to stay on track for graduation. The second seven-week summer semester starts on June 29, with opportunities in classes in both the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Workforce Development. “Summer classes are ideal for incoming freshmen getting a head start on college or people restarting their education after time away,” said Tina Hoxie, GRCC associate provost. “We’re offering classes in a variety of formats that make it easier for people to schedule around summer jobs and other activities.” Summer enrollment at GRCC has increased about 9% from 2020, and nearly 4% from 2019’s pre-pandemic level. Potential students can start the enrollment process at grcc.edu/apply and can contact the Enrollment Center by phone at (616) 234-3300 and by email at enroll@grcc.edu and be connected to their personal enrollment specialist. Classes are available in a variety of programs, including computer information systems, business administration, math, biology and psychology. GRCC continues to waive online course fees for classes this summer. Parking fees in the Bostwick, Lyon and Senden ramps also will be waived through Aug. 16 Summer classes are popular with students who attend four-year colleges and universities because they can transfer credits from GRCC’s more affordable courses back to their home school. Additional information is at grcc.edu/guest . Eligible students attending other colleges are able to use Grand Rapids Promise Zone scholarships to attend GRCC as guest students. Additional information is at grcc.edu/promisezone . The window is also closing for students who hope to take advantage of the state’s Futures for Frontliners program. People accepted by the state for the program must start classes this summer or during the Fall 2021 semester to use the benefit. More than 5,800 students were accepted by the state to attend GRCC through the frontliners program, aimed at helping people who worked during the state’s COVID shutdown. More than 1,000 frontliners are enrolled in GRCC summer classes. The state application period for the scholarship has closed, and students accepted by the state must start taking classes by fall semester to use the scholarship. Additional information is available at grcc.edu/futuresforfrontliners . Classes also are available for students using the state’s Michigan Reconnect scholarships.  

June 14, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Start at GRCC and go anywhere. Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC gave them the education and opportunity to be successful. Julie Schaefer-Space understands how much the students in her GRCC Psychology courses are juggling -- she was once on their side of the classroom. “I’ve known I wanted to be a psychologist since I was 5 years old,” she said. “I went to Caledonia High School and took all the classes I could and told my advisor I wanted to start my college: Why couldn’t I go to Grand Rapids Junior College? Early college programs did not really exist, but we made it happen. My first class was PY 201 with an awesome faculty member!” Schaefer-Space continued at GRJC while working more than 40 hours a week at a group home for developmentally disabled adults. After graduating with her associate degree in 1982, she attended the University of Michigan with a full-ride scholarship. “I lived on my own, worked hard and did not lose focus of my goal to be a psychologist,” she said. She earned a bachelor’s degree in 1984 and received a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Eastern Michigan University in 1990.  Schaefer-Space has worked as a psychologist ever since, including with the YWCA and Psychology Associates of Grand Rapids. In addition to her work as an adjunct instructor at GRCC and Kendall College of Art and Design, she treats clients at Shared Steps Counseling and Life Journey Psychological Services.  “I have come full circle, as I have now been a psychologist for over 30 years, treated over 6,000 clients, testified in court over 600 times, and been named on the state of Michigan Court of Appeals for decisions related to grandparents rights. “It has been my privilege to teach and learn. Thank you, GRCC, for being pivotal in my life to helping me accomplish my goals and continue to pass it on.” Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply .  

June 11, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College is hosting four members of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission for a virtual event on Monday, June 14. The commission is made up of four Republicans, four Democrats, and five independent citizens and is the first group of its kind to be drawing state district lines. The first half of the free event will be a 45-minute presentation and question and answer period about the commission and its work. The second half will be a hands-on workshop on how to use the tool Districtr to draw maps to be submitted as public comment for consideration in the map-drawing process. The link to attend the event is here . The event is being coordinated by the professors Meghan VanderMale of the Math Department and Heather Richards of the Social Sciences Department. The redistricting commission was created by an amendment to the state constitution changing the way the state determines state House and Senate and U.S. House of Representatives districts.   The Commission also is planning a public hearing in Grand Rapids at 5 p.m. on July 1 at DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave. NW. People can attend remotely or in person. Sign-up information is here . The Zoom link, as well as a live steam can also be found on the Facebook event page . 

June 10, 2021 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The finalists in Consumers Energy’s SmartArt contest get to experience the excitement of participating in a nationally known art competition. But they also get something else: valuable feedback from art instructors at Grand Rapids Community College and other area institutions. This year’s 10 SmartArt finalists were recently announced by Grand Rapids Public Schools, Consumers Energy and ArtPrize. Nick Antonakis, head of GRCC’s Visual Arts Department, is one of three art educators volunteering to assist with the program, which considers energy-themed work. The finalists, selected from 40 entries, will be displayed this fall during the international ArtPrize competition. The winner, who will be announced Sept. 19, receives a $1,000 college scholarship. “In the past eight years, SmartArt has provided hundreds of GRPS students the experience of being part of a nationally recognized art competition,” GRPS Superintendent Leadriane Roby said. Antonakis, along with Patricia Constantine, illustration professor at Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design, and Virginia Jenkins, a professor in Grand Valley State University’s Department of Visual and Media Arts, serves as a judge in SmartArt, which stands for Students Making Art with a Renewable Theme. The judges said each of the artworks selected for the top 10 entries reflected unique, individual solutions toward embracing sustainable, renewable energy and materials. “All demonstrated excellent creativity and application of the elements and principles of art and design,” they wrote in a jurors statement. “All also revealed compelling conceptualization in their artwork and statements about potential solutions to move us to a sustainable future.” Antonakis taught at Kendall before joining GRCC’s faculty in 1990, primarily leading drawing and painting classes. “I enjoy teaching because it affords me the opportunity to work with aspiring artists from all types of backgrounds,” he said. “I find it very enriching to see these individuals achieve high levels and to find success in the art field.” His work as department head allows him to connect with students and help guide them as they work through GRCC’s programs.  “Together, we try to tailor their education to apply toward their goals and aspirations,” he said. “I made a very similar journey when I was a student, and I remember the mentors I had along the way.  I find it extremely rewarding when I hear from our students that my colleagues and I have contributed to their success.” GRCC’s Visual Arts Department, accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, offers associate degrees in Fine Arts, Interior Design, and Photography and Video, and transfer programs for Pre-Art and Pre-Photography. The department runs the Collins Art Gallery and helps organize Display Magazine.