GCC winds up for first day of classes

IRONWOOD - With classes set to begin Monday, Gogebic Community College administrators are gearing up for another busy year.

"The whole of our existence is working with students," GCC president Jim Lorenson said. "While there's been a lot going on here during the summer break period, obviously when students and all the staff are back, it's a much more exciting time."

Jeanne Graham, dean of students, said the college won't know its official enrollment until after Friday, when students are no longer able to register for classes. Compared to this time last year, the 2014 head count is higher.

"It literally changes by the minute right now, but we're pretty pleased that it's above last year," Graham said. "That's a really good sign."

The fall head count of 2013 was 1,101 total students, up from 1,049 in 2012 and slightly down from 2011's count of 1,149, according to GCC's website.

GCC is hosting several events during the first week of classes, beginning Monday:

-Monday: Capture the Flag will begin at dusk.

-Tuesday: An outdoor movie, with popcorn and pop, will be shown.

-Wednesday: A cook-out at 6 p.m. will take place, followed by a dance until midnight.

-Thursday: Green Bay Packers game can be viewed in the Lindquist Student Center lounge with hotdogs and refreshments to follow.

-Saturday: Transportation will be available to Festival Italiano in Hurley.

Administrators are excited about the upcoming school year and mentioned a number of changes, including renovations for a new student lounge in the student center, a new forestry lab and last year's cosmetology lab upgrade.

The college is also revising its marketing strategy and looking to reassess its student advising program.

"We'll be doing a number of things to provide the students with the best experience we can possibly provide them," Lorenson said. "A lot of those type of activities will take place behind the scenes, but they're major initiatives for us."

One initiative beginning this fall that will increase GCC's presence in the area is a new volunteering program, which will enable students to collect college credits through community service.

"Cindy Frank, on our staff, has coordinated with a number of different agencies and entities throughout the region and they have given us lists of jobs, if you will, that students can volunteer for," Graham said. "It will be good leadership opportunities for students and it will help community groups that may not have enough funding to hire adequate staff and things like that."

Lorenson said there is ongoing development in other GCC areas, including working with Michigan Technological University in Houghton on natural resources programs to provide similar, if not exact, curricula between the institutions.

"If the curriculums are really aligned, there's no reason they can't be a Michigan Tech student right off the bat, taking courses at Gogebic," Lorenson said. "And that way, not only does the student get the benefits of what we can offer, but also the benefits of what Michigan Tech can offer. So it really expands the experience that the student has."

Lorenson said GCC is also expecting to reintroduce its electrical line-person technology program, which was temporarily suspended for revisions.

"That will be coming back for next fall with the addition of a commercial driver's license component," he said. "That CDL component will be part of the program curriculum, but also stand on its own so other students could take it if they're interested, or community members."

Lorenson said GCC is looking to increase access to its education, but one of the barriers is the area's Internet connectivity.

"We have a pretty robust online series of courses, but the amount that you can put out online is limited, because if you live in Ironwood, for example, you have some very good connectivity," he said. "But you may also live in other areas of the western U.P., where all you have is dial-up service, which is very limited."

GCC is working with officials and organizations across the border in Iron County, Wis., as well as some back home in Gogebic County, to address the connectivity issue.

Lorenson said the future for GCC is bright and because of its location the college will continue its trend of becoming a regional college by attracting people from beyond just Gogebic County.

"People tend to look at Gogebic Community College as this beautiful campus on the side of the hill and come here in the fall to see the colors," he said. "Well the reality is, what makes the college is its staff and how they work with students. The students are the most important persons here, our staff gets that, they've gotten that for years and we work very hard to help students succeed, and we're known for that. We'll build on our strengths, and become more relevant and more accessible."