April 23, 2020

Greetings,

The unprecedented winter semester is drawing to a close and on Sunday we will honor our graduates during a virtual commencement celebration at 2 p.m. You still have time to send along wishes of congratulations and support. Record and post your message on your social media with #WeWill. Then join us at www.kvcc.edu/commencement for our virtual celebration event.

The end of the semester marks an important milestone on our academic calendar. Looking back, I am grateful for the ingenuity and commitment of our faculty and staff as we transitioned more than 900 course sections from face-to-face instruction to remote and alternative teaching and learning. Working together we donated perishable food items to local charities, produced and donated personal protection equipment to local health care providers and created new virtual ways to support our students and one another. Thank you for your remarkable dedication and perseverance.

As our sights become increasingly focused on the future, I know that you are very interested in our plans for the college after the stay-at-home executive order is lifted. I can assure you that every option is being considered as we plan for the best way forward. This information will be shared with you as soon as it is available.

During this natural break between semesters, I invite you to reflect on your accomplishments. Just like our students, you found the strength and stamina to continue to push forward in the face of adversity. Some of you may not be returning to regular teaching and support service activities until fall. Many of us look forward to summer semester beginning May 11.

Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s history will now include an extraordinary example of how dedicated faculty and staff can adapt and mobilize to meet the changing needs of the communities it serves, congratulations!

Let's celebrate our graduates on Sunday! #WeWill

Sincerely,
L. Marshall Washington, Ph. D.
President