The Grand Rapids Community College Board of Trustees met on Feb. 19 to discuss the review of the mid-year budget which includes funding for the addition of a new counselor position. The board also announced the new board officers for the remainder of this year and 2025.
GRCC Vice President for Finance and Administration Lisa Freiburger started the meeting by announcing a new Michigan New Jobs Training Program Agreement (MNJTP) with Gentex Corporations, making it the 19th program agreement. The MNJTP allows GRCC to partner with various companies in West Michigan and provide free training for employers to create new jobs in Michigan. The amount of this agreement is $500,000 and is estimated to be paid in full by the payroll tax captured by the employees who are trained under this program.
Freiburger also presented a review of the mid-year budget, which included the college’s increased revenue due to the 3.6% increase in enrollment this semester. Freiburger stated that there would be some additions to GRCC’s general fund such as a $3 million transfer to its plant fund to improve elevators around campus, a $10,000 instrument replacement fund for its music department and funds for American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters. The budget also includes funding for a new lakeshore administrator position and an additional counselor position.
“Student mental health is a huge concern, a huge issue across the nation, across the state and certainly here as well,” Freiburger said. “We are looking to directly take a step towards addressing that.”
According to a draft of the Mental Health in Community Colleges (MHICC) report back in June, GRCC was listed as the least-resourced community college counseling center in Michigan, with a client ratio of 5,658.5 to one, almost 3.5 times higher than the national average of 1,616 to one.
The board has approved its list of new board officers for the remainder of the year and throughout the calendar year of 2025. Here are the new board officer positions:
- Brandy Lovelady Mitchell as Chairperson of the Board
- Kathleen Bruinsma as Vice Chairperson
- Daniel Williams as secretary of the board
- Sherly Sigel will remain in her position as treasurer of the board
Student Government President Alex Miranda and Vice President Micheal Zazzo spoke to the board about their proposal of equalizing the campus activities fee to $10 for both part-time and full-time students. Currently, part-time students pay a $5 fee while full-time students pay $10. This proposal is in the process of review and will be voted on by the board on March 18.
Zazzo also announced that the student government will be moving forward with their plan to make a student game room near the entrance of the G2 level of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall. They hope to complete this project after the first of March.
Psychology professor and Faculty Association President Frank Conner ended the meeting with the announcement of his retirement from GRCC after working on campus for around 38 years. Conner started his career in 1986 when the college’s title was Grand Rapids Junior College, which changed in 1991 to GRCC. Conner stated that he loved his job and appreciated working for something bigger than himself.
“Regardless of my legacy, no matter how small it may be, I know it will eventually fade away, and that’s okay. However, knowing this, what can’t fade away is the legacy of Grand Rapids Junior College, now Grand Rapids Community College,” said Conner. “Our contributions continue because the work of the college continues…commitment to service, commitment to community and commitment to something bigger than you, that’s what will last.
Here are the purchase items approved by the board in their meeting:
- A purchase order of $26,350 was issued to provide payment for ATC’s first-floor hallway lighting.
- A purchase order of $70,175.22 was issued to provide payment for software and hardware to refresh the Code Blue devices on the DeVos Campus.
- A purchase order of $40,000 was issued to purchase a Fire Curtain for the Spectrum Theater.
- A purchase order of $211,177 to provide Scope of Work for GRCC first floor Sneden Hall acoustical ceilings and lighting upgrade.
- A purchase order of $403,100 to provide payment for retroactive elevator modernizations across campus.
These purchases were previously approved by Chairperson Koetje and GRCC President Charles Lepper in the absence of a December & January board meeting and their approval was announced during their meeting on Feb. 19.
- A purchase order of $308,046 to provide payment for Spectrum Theater passenger elevator modernization.
- A purchase order of $259,000 to provide payment for critical response mapping.
The Board of Trustees will meet again on March 18 in the board conference room on the 5th floor of RJF Hall.
Editors note: This story was updated at 4:05 p.m. on Feb. 20 to correct the spelling of trustee Brandy Lovelady Mitchell’s name. The Collegiate apologizes for this error.
