Grand Rapids Engaged Department Initiative (38-2980195)

Quarterly Progress Report: October 1, 2015 – December 20, 2015

Grand Rapids Community College

Submitted by: Michael Schavey

Activities Include:

1. On Friday, October 2nd, Michael Schavey, John Rumery, Leigh Kleinert, Sara Krajewski, Jodi Gee and Dena Rogers attend the Community of Practice Meeting discussing the following:

  • Research team update
  • Team reports and mapping of issues
  • What’s going well and area’s of concern

2. The Biology Department held its monthly department meeting on Friday, October 2nd. The EDI work was part of the agenda.

3. On Saturday, October 3rd, 173 participants came out to raise funds for Feeding America of West Michigan as part of the Ride for Refuge event. A team of (13) GRCC students, faculty and staff (including Provost Chesley) raised $1,000 for Feeding America of West Michigan. That is the equivalent of 4,000 meals!

4. On Wednesday, October 7th, Michael Schavey and John Rumery met to discuss the following:

  • EDI/Service Learning Faculty Follow Up
  • Faculty recruiting practices
  • Best practices around reflection, partnership development and project alignment to course objectives
  • Discuss Overall Focus of the Conference

5. On Thursday, October 8th, Michael Schavey participated in the Engaged Department Initiative Leadership Team meeting at Aquinas College.

  • Grant details
  • Review Community of Practice meeting
  • Inter-institutional community partner collaboration
  • Department updates (quick review of essential items not in the performance reports)
  • Research Team update
  • Blackboard repository
  • Next cohort and funding options? (follow-up to last month’s conversation)

6. The Exercise Science Department held its monthly department meeting on Friday, October 9th. The EDI work was part of the agenda, specifically the planning of the Make A Difference Day event at Feeding America of West Michigan.

7. On Sunday, October 11, Michael Schavey shared via email with the GRCC EDI Team the draft of Aquinas College Sociology Departments curriculum mapping plan as well as a broader definition of community engagement in relation to GVSU’s definition of community-based learning. I also cc’d Katie Daniels our Curriculum Specialist on this email for her to be informed of this work should we need to connect with her at some point.

8. On Friday, October 16th, Michael Schavey and John Rumery met with the GRCC EDI Team Leaders (Leigh Kleinert and Jodi Gee) to discuss:

  • Curriculum Mapping
  • Grand Rapids Community College Engaged Department Benchmarks
  • GRCC Biology Department Plan/Budget
  • GRCC Exercise Department Plan/Budget

9. On Saturday, October 24th, 50 GRCC Exercise Science students, faculty and staff volunteered during the Make A Difference Day event at Feeding America of West Michigan.

10. On Monday, November 11th, 102 GRCC students attended the Feeding America of West Michigan Speaker on nutrition. The Exercise Science department was fortunate to hear from Michele who shared her story of chronic disease management and significant weight loss. With the help of local resources and Feeding America West Michigan supplying healthy foods, she has been able to develop lifestyle practices that have allowed her to regain her life. She tied many of our course learning outcomes together including the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and body composition, physical activity as an intervention and health management tool, the benefit of good nutrition practices and much more. Hear her inspiring story on this YouTube clip.

11. The Biology Department held its monthly department meeting on Friday, October 2nd. The EDI work was part of the agenda.

12. On Friday, November 20th, Michael Schavey, John Rumery, Leigh Kleinert, Sara Krajewski, Jodi Gee and Dena Rogers attend the Community of Practice Meeting discussing the following:

  • Research team update
  • Team reports and mapping of issues
  • What’s going well and area’s of concern

13. On Saturday, November 21st the Biology Department facilitated Community Science Day. This event was open to the public and featured small science projects in various rooms within the Calkins Science and Cook Buildings. Four other departments collaborated at the event (Exercise Science, Occupational Therapy, Radiologic Technology and Physical Science). A total of 175 students volunteered at the event hosting the science activities as well as 31 faculty and staff, including all of the Biological Science’s fulltime faculty. In all, approximately 400 community participated in this very successful event.

14. On Friday, December 11th, Michael Schavey and John Rumery met with the GRCC EDI Team Leaders (Leigh Kleinert and Jodi Gee) to discuss:

  • Overall troubleshooting
  • Budget oversight
  • Round Two of the Grant Cycle

14. On Friday, December 11th, the Biology Department facilitated a small community engagement reception to distribute certificates to those students who participated in various aspects of the engaged department initiative during the Fall Semester.

Outputs

Biological Science

  • 400 community members participated in the Biology Department Community Science Day. This event was open to the public and featured small science projects in various rooms within the Calkins Science and Cook Buildings. Three other departments collaborated at the events (Exercise Science, Occupational Therapy, Radiologic Technology). A total of 175 students volunteered at the event hosting the science activities as well as 31 faculty and staff, including all of the Biological Science’s fulltime faculty.
  • 245 students served nearly 2,500 hours as part of the Fall Semester Engaged Department Initiative.

Exercise Science

  • 173 participants came out to raise funds for Feeding America of West Michigan as part of the Ride for Refuge event. A team of (13) GRCC students, faculty and staff (including Provost Chesley) raised $1,000 for Feeding America of West Michigan. That is the equivalent of 4,000 meals!
  • 50 GRCC Exercise Science students, faculty and staff volunteered during the Make A Difference Day event at Feeding America of West Michigan.
  • 102 GRCC students attended the Feeding America of West Michigan Speaker on nutrition.
  • Total # of Service Hours to Feeding America - 332 hours
  • Total # of students who participated - 90
  • Total # of Faculty involved - 4
  • Total # of classes that participated in service learning - 6 sections

Ride for Refuge event. Pictured are Provost Laurie Chesley along with Exercise Science faculty and students.

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