About GRCC

President’s Welcome

Welcome to GRCC!

Grand Rapids Community College has been helping students achieve their higher educational goals for over 100 years, and doing it very well! I know that attending college these days can be rather challenging on several fronts, so I am excited that you are beginning, or continuing, your college journey here at our great institution.

The options available to you at GRCC will play an important role in helping you achieve your educational goals. Whether you are here for a certificate, an associate degree, to transfer that degree to a four-year institution or to re-train in preparation for tomorrow’s marketplace, we can provide you with the tools you need for a successful completion of your educational goals. GRCC is dedicated to your success.

We offer more than 150 degree programs, countless transfer programs, and a full array of student support services – from tutoring to career counseling. You have the option of flexible scheduling, and a variety of learning formats so you can tailor your time here to meet your learning style – and your busy lifestyle.

As a GRCC student, you have many options that allow you to personalize your learning experience. You can take one class or a full load. You can learn in state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories, through experiential learning in your community, or online. Class locations include: our main campus in downtown Grand Rapids; our DeVos Campus in Heritage Hill; our Lakeshore Campus in Holland; our Tassell M-TEC in southwest Grand Rapids; or one of our regional centers located throughout Kent County. In addition, you have an opportunity to participate in student organizations, clubs, or athletics. You can attend lectures, theater, or musical events. In short, you can have a great collegiate experience at GRCC!

We are committed to the success of our students, and our number one priority is that when you leave GRCC you have the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully enter the workforce, transfer to another educational institution, or both.

We are proud you have chosen GRCC to help you achieve your goals. You’ve taken a wise first step on your educational journey, and we are here to help you succeed.

Welcome to the GRCC Family!

Dr. Bill Pink

Stay Relevant, Stay Responsive

• About GRCC

• History of GRCC

• Vision

• Mission

• Values

• Ends

• Accreditations

• Memberships

About GRCC

At Grand Rapids Community College, traditional classrooms have been transformed into state-of-the-art learning spaces. These spaces support a breadth of educational opportunities, including experiential learning, seminars, workshops, training courses and online learning. Our students also find support through academic and career counseling, occupational and disability services, and bilingual support.

Every year an average of 15,000 students enroll in more than 2,000 liberal arts and occupational courses. Our diverse student body includes students from Kent and surrounding counties, as well as students from across the United States and several other nations. Learners from all walks of life are also served by many noncredit certificate and job training opportunities - bringing the average number of students on our campuses to more than 29,000.

We employ an average of 260 full-time and 470 part-time faculty members, and a staff of 400 full-time and 250 part-time members, all of whom are focused on student success. Throughout our more than 100 years of academic excellence, GRCC has maintained a solid reputation as a premier transfer institution and is nationally recognized for both its liberal arts and occupational programs.

Our downtown learning spaces include the Main and DeVos campuses. Adjacent to West Michigan’s thriving Medical Mile, the Main Campus is in the heart of Grand Rapids – putting it at the center of local festivals and art shows, and within walking distance to an exciting mix of museums, fitness facilities, restaurants and shops.

The DeVos Campus, nestled in the heart of Heritage Hill, boasts the Mable Engle House, Sneden Hall, Lettinga House, and the LEED-certified Stewart Edward White Hall. Other facilities include two Michigan Technical Education Centers, or M-TECs, one in Kent and another in Ottawa County. We are involved in Early/Middle College partnerships with Ottawa Hills, Wyoming, and Cedar Springs and have regional centers in Lowell, Rockford, Grandville and Byron Center. We also offer classes in Kent City and at the Kent Careerline Tech Center.

GRCC also offers degrees on the Lakeshore, at five locations in Holland: Midtown Center, West Ottawa High School, GVSU Meijer Campus, Career Tech Center and Patrick A. Thompson M-TEC.
 

History of GRCC

Grand Rapids Junior College was founded in 1914 by the Grand Rapids school district’s Board of Education after the University of Michigan passed a resolution encouraging the establishment of junior colleges in the state. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, legislative acts further clarified the role of community colleges in Michigan. This, along with the education and training needs of West Michigan, provided GRJC with direction and purpose.

GRJC was first located in Grand Rapids Central High School. Eight faculty members taught rhetoric and composition, mathematics, history, biology, physics, Latin, and German. The first graduating class numbered 49 students. By 1945, enrollment had grown to 1,200 students, representing 53 Michigan communities, five states, a territory, and one foreign nation. In the next decade, the college’s enrollment doubled. Under the 1966 Community College Act, the state included post-secondary vocational-technical education in the definition of the community college program - further growing our programs.

In 1991, Kent County taxpayers voted to redistrict GRJC. The college was renamed Grand Rapids Community College, gained a board of trustees, and its boundaries were extended beyond Grand Rapids Public Schools to include the 20 districts within the Kent Intermediate School District. By 1996, the college was serving more than 25,000 full- and part-time students.

Vision

As a college of distinction, GRCC inspires students to meet the needs of the community and the world.

Mission

GRCC provides relevant educational opportunities that are responsive to the needs of the community and inspires students to meet economic, social and environmental challenges to become active participants in shaping the world of the future.

Values

Excellence – We commit to the highest standards in our learning and working environments.

Diversity – We create an inclusive, welcoming, and respectful environment that recognizes the value, diversity, and dignity of each person.

Responsiveness – We anticipate and address the needs of students, colleagues, and community.

Innovation – We seek creative solutions through collaboration, experimentation, and adaptation.

Accountability – We set benchmarks and outcomes to frame our decision-making, measure our performance, and evaluate our results.

Sustainability – We use resources in responsible ways to achieve equity across our social, economic and environmental practices and policies.

Respect – We treat others with courtesy, consideration and civility.

Integrity – We commit to GRCC values and take personal responsibility for our words and actions.

Ends

In all instances, the work to achieve these Ends will reflect our core values.

End #1:  Student Success Pathways

A student-centered experience will ensure GRCC students will learn the skills necessary to achieve their educational goals.

End #2:   Workforce Pathways

GRCC will provide prepared students for the workforce in our community and the world.

End #3:  Transfer Pathways

GRCC prepares students to transfer to the college or university of their choice.

Institutional Learning Outcomes

Grand Rapids Community College has established four broad areas of skills, knowledge and competencies as its Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs). Institutional Learning Outcomes are those skills and competencies which are embedded within every aspect of the college to inspire and enhance each student’s transferable learning skills. The ILOs represent the broad categories of competence that enable students to be successful in further education, in careers, as citizens, and in their personal lives. Student achievement of ILOs is assessed within their courses and co-curricular experiences. The results of those assessments are used to improve the learning experience at GRCC.

The Institutional Learning Outcomes are:

1. Communication Skills – Students will effectively express and exchange ideas through listening, reading, speaking, writing, and other modes of interpersonal expression.
2. Critical Thinking Skills – Students will be able to gather and synthesize relevant information, evaluate alternatives, and implement creative and effective solutions.
3. Social Responsibility Skills – Students will be prepared to practice community engagement that addresses environmental responsibility, social justice, and cultural diversity.
4. Personal Responsibility Skills – Students will become independent learners who understand and express the lifelong skills necessary for physical, social, economic, mental, and emotional health.

Accreditations

For more information see GRCC’s Accreditation.

* Accreditation agency is recognized by the US Secretary of Education. 

Memberships

• Alliance for Health
• American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
• American Association of Community Colleges
• American Culinary Federation
• American College of Sports Medicine
• American Dental Education Association
• American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
• American Public Health Association
• American Registry of Radiologic Technologists
• American Society of Radiologic Technologists
• Association of Higher Education and Disability
• Association for Gerontology in Higher Education
• College and University Systems Exchange
• Council on Law in Higher Education
• Grand Rapids Area Higher Education Network
• International Tasters Guild
• Michigan Association for College Admission Counseling
• Michigan Association for Foreign Student Affairs
• Michigan Association of Colleges and Universities
• Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
• Michigan Association of Higher Education and Disability
• Michigan Camps Compact
• Michigan Community College Admissions Directors
• Michigan Community College Association
• Michigan Community College Biologists
• Michigan Community College Community Service Association
• Michigan Council of Nursing Education Administrators
• Michigan Health Sciences Libraries Association
• Michigan League for Nursing
• Michigan Library Association
• Michigan Library Consortium
• Michigan Occupational Deans Administrative Council
• Michigan Occupational Special Populations Association
• Midwest Institute for International Intercultural Education
• Midwest Institute–International Studies and Foreign Languages
• National Academic Advising Association
• National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships
• National Association for College Admission Counseling
• NAFSA: Association of International Educators
• National Association of Practical Nursing Education and Service
• National Association of Schools of Music
• National Council for Learning Resources (NCLR)
• National Council of Teachers of English
• National League for Nursing
• National Restaurant Association
• National Tooling & Machining Association
• North Central Association for Foreign Student Affairs
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
• Organization for Associate Degree Nursing
• Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures
• Two-Year College English Association
• West Michigan Tourist Association