The Grand Rapids Community College Board of Trustees met on Monday, Nov. 20 to discuss the Fall Midyear Budget report, GRCC’s contributions to a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, and plans to fund several projects across campus, including library and natatorium renovations.
Lisa Freiburger, Vice President for Finance and Administration, started the meeting with the college’s Fall Midyear Budget report. This report shows the financial progress the college has made over the past couple of months while also looking forward to funding future projects.
With a surplus in this year’s revenue from enrollment, property taxes and state aid, GRCC can spend this additional $1.3 million on projects such as exterior security camera updates, basketball hoop replacements and new lighting and ceiling work at Sneden Hall.
“It’s a lot more fun to have us sit and have you ask us for a mid-year budget adjustment because we have additional revenue, than it would be if we, in fact, were looking at a reduction in revenue. So this is about as fun as it gets in November when it comes to our budget,” said Chairperson David Koetje.
Freiburger later introduced Executive Director of Facilities Jim Van Dokkumburg who gave an update on where college projects stand before the major renovations begin in the Learning Resource Center, and the conversion of the pool into a yet-to-be-determined fieldhouse space.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve provided you with a comprehensive facilities update and as we are moving into two significant renovation projects, with the natatorium and the LRC, we thought it appropriate to bring you up to speed on where we are with the projects that have most recently been concluded,” Freiburger said.
Many of the buildings across the main campus have been recognized by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), winning several awards and certifications, including Ender Hall receiving a gold certification and Sieccia Piazza winning the front cover of the Construction Association of Michigan (CAM) magazine.
“We target LEED silver or above for all of our significant projects and we have a pretty good track record of achieving that,” Dokkumburg said. “There are a couple of other green building certifications, one of them is called Green Globes… We are thinking seriously of trying that one on an upcoming project, whether that’s at the pool or the learning center or one in the future.”
During his update to the board, Alex Miranda, the Student Government president noted that the natatorium renovation was discussed at a recent town hall meeting and told board members that many students have shared that they would like the soon-to-be empty space converted into a “Zen Den” or “Free Weight Gym.” Miranda and his team are part of the natatorium steering committee and meet bi-weekly to share ideas for the renovation with Victoria Janowiak, GRCC’s executive director for operational planning.
Miranda also announced that Student Government is considering moving forward with a proposal to raise the price of the student activities fee which all GRCC students pay when enrolling. Currently, full-time students pay $10 per semester while part-time students pay $5.
Before the meeting concluded, Trustee Kathleen Bruinsma spoke about GRCC’s commitment to making higher education more accessible. Bruinsma spoke out about a bill being passed through the Michigan legislature that will require high school students to fill out the FAFSA form for a better chance of accessing scholarships.
“Because talent is everywhere but opportunity is not, we have a lot of scholarship opportunities in our state, both state, federal and local,” said Bruinsma. “…Unfortunately a lot of this money goes unclaimed every year because members of our community don’t know that these scholarships exist for several reasons. They also don’t know that the Federal Student Aid, the FAFSA form, is the key to unlocking these scholarships.”
Lepper and Bruinsma testified on Senate Bill 463 after hearing concerns that there was limited information about scholarships and the FAFSA form.
“I had the opportunity and privilege to testify on Senate Bill 463 in Lansing and mentioned that feedback that we got back from the West Michigan community,” Bruinsma said. “…they amend the bill to add a few provisions including requiring high schools to take reasonable steps to provide equal language and access to students and families. That is one of the functions of this board, it is one of the functions of this institution to bring concerns of the community and help break down barriers to access. So I commend this board and President Lepper. Thank you.”
The Board approved all items from their general and special fund as well as the following purchases of over $100,000:
- A purchase order of $49,117.44 was issued to provide payment for VMWare Horizon (VirtualMachineWare Horizon) and ESX (Elastic Sky X) Host Licenses.
- A purchase order of $70,020 was issued to provide payment for individual math assessment and remediation tools used by students.
- A purchase order of $50,000 was issued to provide payment for the use of Rialto for essential books in the library for student success.
- A purchase order of $95,604.97 was issued to provide payment for custodial supplies.
- A purchase order of $26,750 was issued to provide payment for advertising panels on the Rapid buses.
- A purchase order of $43,400 was issued to provide payment for engineering services for phase 3 of Ramp A.
- A purchase order of $36,000 was issued for purchases of paper for ePrint.
- A purchase order of $25,000 was issued to provide payment for the Workforce Pipeline Challenge
- A purchase order of $26,626.35 was issued to provide payment for Grant staff, benefits and other expenses for August 2023.
- A purchase order of $243,937.33 to provide payment for a college-wide security camera system.
The next GRCC Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Feb. 19, 2024, in the Board Library at 4:15 p.m.
