Tributes, and a new tuition rate increase took center stage at the Grand Rapids Community College Board of Trustees monthly meeting on Monday with new President Kathryn Rogalski, making her first appearance alongside the board.
To begin the proceedings, Vice President of Finance & Administration John Globoker, sought approval of the 2026-27 academic year general tuition and fees rate, which is the most charged rate for GRCC students. Globoker notified the board of increases for residents, non-residents, and out-of-state students.
The proposed new amounts for residents would go from $127 to $130 a 2.3% increase, for non-resident students, the new rate would go from $267 to $270 a 1.12% increase, and for out-of-state students, the rate would go from $402 to $411 a 2.24% increase.
Globoker recommended the board add for no additional increases for all students towards other fees that are applied to their accounts. Those fees included student records fee, campus activities fee, facilities maintenance fee, and technology fee.
The proposed increase was unanimously approved by the board. The increases are projected to earn the college an additional $820,000 in tuition revenue.
In other news, the board welcomed Michigan Senator Mark Huizenga, who visited the campus to honor and pay tribute to interim president Steven J. Triezenberg for the work he’d done as interim president at GRCC. Huizenga showered Triezenberg with praise for his leadership and the commitment that he showed while continuing to advance the college forward during its search for new leadership.
“Oftentimes it’s difficult to be an interim member, and Dr. Triezenberg has handled it incredibly well,” Huizenga said. “I remember the very first time he was in my office in Lansing to talk about his work as the new interim chair, and his passion showed through from the very beginning.”
Huizenga went on to briefly read from a framed certificate that he and other members put together to recognize the contributions Triezenberg has made throughout his term as interim president.
“Let it be known that this certificate is presented in recognition of the distinguished career and dedicated service of Dr. Steven J. Triezenberg upon his second retirement,” Huizenga read. “Most recently, Dr. Triezenberg served as interim president of Grand Rapids Community College, guiding the institution during a significant period of transition with steady leadership and deep respect for student access and community engagement.”
Huizenga continued, “He concludes this career having strengthened the institution and expanded pathways for countless learners. Therefore in recognition, this certificate is issued in honor of Dr. Triezenberg for his exemplary contributions to higher education, his enduring commitment to student success, and we extend a sincere gratitude for his years of service and offer him best wishes during his retirement.”
A joyful Triezenberg walked to the podium to receive his certificate.
Moving on, President Rogalski delivered her first president’s report to the board. Rogalski went to share her experiences while being welcomed into the campus community and what she has done so far in just her third week as president.
Before she went into her updates, Rogalski took the time to express her gratitude for being president of the college. “I just want to say how thankful and grateful I am to the board of trustees, to all the members of the college community, and the community of West Michigan who has welcomed me in a way that has made me feel like there was no other choice but to come here,” Rogalski said. “This is the absolute best place that I can be right now, and I am overwhelmed by the welcome that I have received, so I wanted to start with a big thank you.”
President Rogalski went on to notify the audience that in her first week as president, she attended the “Achieving the Dream” conference with several GRCC faculty and staff. Achieving the Dream is a national network focused on student success, driving institutional change, and empowering community growth. At this conference, GRCC was recognized and given the distinction of being a 2026 Achieving the Dream Leader college.
A Leader College is awarded when institutions show a sustained commitment to student success and have a proven track record of using data to improve student outcomes. Rogalski voiced her sentiments of GRCC being honored with the distinction.
“It is a designation that I am proud of, not because of the designation itself, but because of what that word means for our students and the future of our students,” Rogalski said.
Rogalski continued to share her transition plan and what she’ll focus on as president. The first 30 days of her plan will be focused on listening, learning, and understanding the culture of GRCC. Days 31-60 will be more internally focused, aligning what she is currently learning on the job with the strategies in place to move forward as a college. Followed by days 61-90, which will be primarily focused on vision setting, gaining community understanding, and being out with the campus community, supporting locals, collaborating with local legislature, and ensuring that everyone is advocating for GRCC students.
Continuing on, Vice President of College Advancement and Executive Director of the GRCC Foundation Erin Van Egmund, presented updates from the GRCC Foundation office. According to Van Egmund, they have awarded $1.1 million dollars in scholarships to 1,300 students during the 2025-26 academic year. There is still additional scholarship money available for students during the summer semester, and those awards will be disbursed within the next couple of weeks.
Van Egmund shared that March 15 was the priority scholarship application deadline for the 2026-27 academic year, but heavily emphasized that students apply for scholarships year round, because they consistently award students throughout the school year..
Moving on, the president of Student Government, Eldin Causevic, delivered his last update to the board as president. Causevic expressed his appreciation for the support the board has shown student leaders on campus, and his confidence about the direction student leadership is heading in following his departure.
“I have seen first hand the dedication of our students, the compassion of our staff, and the commitment of this board to the mission of the college,” Causevic said. “I’ve heard from so many students stories about how their lives have transformed since I first began in student services, and it’s so beautiful how so many students are supported in so many different ways.”
Causevic continued.
“As our team prepares to pass the torch to the next group of student leaders, I am confident that the spirit of service, collaboration, and care, things that define this campus, will continue to grow. On behalf of the student government, thank you for your partnership, your guidance, and your belief in the power of student leadership. It has been an honor to serve the students of Grand Rapids Community College.”
The next board of trustees meeting will be held on Monday, April 20, at 1:30 p.m. on the fifth floor of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall.
