New Courses Offered for the 2019/2020 Academic Year

A number of new and exciting courses are offered during the 2019-20 academic year at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. New options include an exercise science degree, general automotive service certificate, two new gender and women’s studies courses and a new culinary certificate.

The Exercise Science AS program allows students to get classroom experience and a hands-on approach to exercise science. Classes include lecture, discussion, laboratory and skill training. Upon graduating from the 62 credit hour program, students can pursue careers in wellness and fitness centers, corporate wellness, health and wellness promotion, personal training, strength and conditioning and coaching. Graduates may also choose to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program at a four-year institution.

Kalamazoo Valley’s one-year general automotive certificate was launched during the Winter 2019 semester and is now being fully implemented. According to automotive department chair Doug Martin, the certificate is meant to provide a rapid path to entry level auto technician jobs. Students may enroll in the program independently or employers may opt to send their technicians for training.

“The program teaches some of the foundational skills that area employers require of their technicians who are starting in the repair industry,” Martin said. If students are successful, they can earn state certifications in brakes, steering and suspension, electrical and air conditioning.

It will also provide the student with the ability to test for MACS (Mobile Air Conditioning Society) and Refrigerant Handling Certification (EPA 609). The general automotive certificate is designed to serve as the first two semesters of Kalamazoo Valley’s AAS degree in undercar systems so it can be easily rolled into an associate degree path, if the student wants to further his or her education. It can also be used as the first year of a 3+1 degree program between Kalamazoo Valley and Siena Heights that allows students to continue on to a B.S. in automotive technology with an emphasis on management skills.

Two new liberal arts courses are also available: Introduction to Gender and Women’s Studies and Media and the Sexes. Introduction to Gender and Women’s Studies (SOC 280) is an interdisciplinary core course that provides analytical frameworks for the study of gender and gender-defining institutions, exploring the social conditions associated with gender in U.S. society in a global context. This course emphasizes approaches that study the diversity and similarity of gendered experiences across class, racial and ethnic groups.

Media and the Sexes (SOC 281) investigates how films, television, music videos and advertising present images of women and men to different audiences. Another new class, (PSI 126) Michigan Politics is also being offered this fall. This course will expose students to the cultural and economic forces that have ultimately shaped Michigan politics, with special attention devoted to the regional diversity within the state.

The Fall 2019 semester starts on Sept. 3. Registration is now open. For details, go to www.kvcc.edu/register.

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