Kalamazoo Valley Community College

InFocus: News for kalamazoo valley community college students

MISSION STATEMENT
Kalamazoo Valley Community College creates innovative and equitable
opportunities that empower all to learn, grow and thrive.

July 11, 2023

Greetings students,


Pursuing your educational goals requires a great investment of talent, time and energy. Many juggle multiple commitments in addition to college, including jobs, providing childcare and the care of family members or friends.

We know that your life is busy. At the same time, summer can provide a season for rest and relaxation. I hope that you will be able to take some time away from your many responsibilities to truly rest and recharge in the coming weeks.

I have found that time away from the office, classroom and day-to-day activities allows me to reflect on accomplishments and plan for the future. However you plan to rest and recharge this summer, please know it is worth the effort.

We wish you much continued success.


Sincerely,

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

admissions, registration, and records

Fall Tuition Due July 17
Payment for early registration is due Monday, July 17 by 7 p.m. Payment after July 17 is due within 5 business days. Fall semester classes begin Sept. 6.
  • A payment plan is available for fall semester. Go to www.kvcc.edu/myvalley and select "Payment Plan" to enroll today.
  • Registration will be closed for nonpayment cancellations at 7 p.m. on July 17 through  7 a.m. July 20. Beginning July 20, classes that are not paid for, on a payment plan, covered by financial aid, or covered by a third-party, will be dropped after five business days.
  • You are responsible for dropping all classes you are not planning to attend, and you are responsible for payment of classes in which you are enrolled. You should not assume you will be dropped from your class(es) for nonpayment. It is your responsibility to verify your enrollment status.
  • If you have registered for classes and are no longer planning to attend, you must drop those courses yourself before the end of the add/drop period or you will be responsible for the tuition owed. Contact Admissions, Registration and Records at arr@kvcc.edu or 269.488.4281.

 FRL 208: Spanish Language through film. Improve conversational Spanish, as well as writing and listening skills! Learn useful regional Spanish expressions and slang. Come travel with us to Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and Peru through the magic of film and improve you Spanish along the way. Register now! For more information contact Spanish Instructor Kevin Fuchs at 269-488-4262 or kfuchs@kvcc.edu. Kalamazoo Valley. www.kvcc.edu/register
Michigan Reconnect week
Free Food, Free Growlers Tickets, Free COLLEGE
Kalamazoo Valley Community College celebrates Michigan Reconnect Week July 17 - 22 and a number of events are planned.

Michigan Reconnect pays the remaining balance of in-district tuition and mandatory fees after other state and federal financial aid have been applied for adults 25 and older who do not have a degree. See if you qualify for free college by attending one of the many events during Michigan Reconnect Week. Plus score free food and free Growlers tickets. Learn more at www.kvcc.edu/reconnect.

Get It Done. Get ready for Fall semester

Enroll in Fall Classes at Get it Done Events
Get prepared for fall semester at Kalamazoo Valley at the Get it Done events.

Dates
Tuesday, July 25 from 2 - 6 p.m. at the Texas Township Campus
Wednesday, Aug. 9 from 2 - 6 p.m. at the Arcadia Commons Campus

During Get it Done, you can:

  • Receive financial aid application assistance
  • Complete placement testing
  • Meet with an advisor or counselor
  • Enroll in classes

RSVP is required. Click here to sign up. Fall semester starts Sept. 6.


Student life and engagement
Get Involved on Campus
The Office for Student Life and Engagement is here to connect you with a number of events on campus. From meeting with transfer colleges and making a budget to learning about your strengths, our office offers learning opportunities outside the classroom. Meet new people and connect with campus contacts to make your college experience more meaningful. For more information, contact Ezra Bell. Check the college calendar for upcoming opportunities.

July 11 | KVAAP (Kalamazoo Valley Accelerated Associate Program) Information Session | 5 p.m.
Join this virtual information session to learn more about how KVAAP can help you achieve your educational goals. Upon signing up, a Zoom meeting link will be emailed to you. Click here to register. For more information, contact Ana Abendschein.
 
July 13 | Valley Food Share | 2 - 4 p.m.
Valley Food Share is an initiative designed to meet the immediate food needs of Kalamazoo Valley students. Through the program, currently enrolled students can pick up a bag, or a "share," which includes food grown locally and sourced through our own Food Innovation Center as well as non-perishable items from Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes. For more information visit kvcc.edu/foodshare.


July 19 | KVAAP (Kalamazoo Valley Accelerated Associate Program) Information Session | 5 p.m.
Join this virtual information session to learn more about how KVAAP can help you achieve your educational goals. Upon signing up, a Zoom meeting link will be emailed to you. Click here to register. For more information, contact Ana Abendschein.
 
July 20 | Valley Food Share | 2 - 4 p.m.
Valley Food Share is an initiative designed to meet the immediate food needs of Kalamazoo Valley students. Through the program, currently enrolled students can pick up a bag, or a "share," which includes food grown locally and sourced through our own Food Innovation Center as well as non-perishable items from Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes. For more information, visit kvcc.edu/foodshare.


Student Organizations
Did you know Kalamazoo Valley has a number of student clubs and organizations? From dance club to anime, there is something for everyone. Clubs are a great way to meet people! Check out the complete list here.
 
College Social Media
Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn for all of the latest campus news.

Cougar Bookstore
Snacks Available at the Bookstore
Even if the cafeteria is closed, you can get your snack on at the Texas Township Bookstore. In addition to books and supplies, did you know you can buy munchies, including small candies for as little as 10 cents, 25 cents and 89 cents? All your favs are here, from Laffy Taffy, Sour Patch Kids, Gummy Bears, Andes Creme de Menthe Thins to so much more! There's a wide array of snacks from which to choose, ranging from chips, Welch's fruit snacks, Pop-Tarts, crackers, chocolate-covered pretzels to peanuts and cashews. The Bookstore's summer hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Thursday.
a photo of a swimming pool lanes
July Pool Hours
Monday 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday 6 - 8 a.m. & 3 - 6 p.m.
Wednesday 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. & 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Thursday 6 - 8 a.m. & 3 - 6 p.m.
Please note on Wednesday, July 12 the pool will close from 1 - 2 p.m.
Pool is open to registered students. Must have a Valley ID and complete a WFC orientation to use the pool. Questions? Please call 269.488.4184.

MiLEAP
Transportation, Childcare Assistance Available
Are you or do you know of someone who is experiencing barriers to completing an education or finding employment? If so, help may be available with Mi-LEAP funding to pay for training, credit programs and supportive services such as transportation, childcare and other assistance that leads to job placement or advancement. To learn more, reach out to Adam Westhouse, program navigator, at awesthouse@kvcc.edu.

CENTER FOR NEW MEDIA'S ARCUS GALLERY JULY ART HOP EXHIBIT 'ECHO LOCATION' BY COLLEEN WOOLPERT, JULY 14, 5 TO 8 P.M. OPENING RECEPTION. The exhibit will remain on display from July 14-28, 2023. Echo Location, a solo exhibition by Colleen Woolpert, considers the same sites in different ways through multiple lenses. Colleen's photographs, stereoscopic (3D) photographs, interactive objects, and installations convey how she experienced the former Lee Paper Company mill in Vicksburg, Ml with her twin sister Rani Young at the Prairie Ronde Artist Residency in the Summer of 2022. Further extending her visual motifs, Colleen includes images from her subsequent site-specific installation at the Hill's Building in downtown Vicksburg. Among her media explorations, Colleen's stereoscopic photography may be viewed as standard photographs or in 3D for an immersive encounter that predates VR. Colleen's interest in stereoscopic photography originated with a desire to help her twin sister, Rani, whose visual impairment (strabismus) impedes her depth perception and affects her mental health. Colleen's stereoscopes reinforce the vision therapy program that trains Rani's eyes to coordinate, resulting in depth perception and calm self-confidence. In Colleen's view, the work is joint art therapy. Support provided by the Kalamazoo Artistic Development Initiative, a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. Woolpert is an interdisciplinary artist based in Kalamazoo. She creates still and moving images as well as interactive objects and installations rooted in photography that promote the value of multiple perspectives and explore the meaning of vision -- from visual persception itself to abstract concepts like imagination, wonder, and doubt.
 
PFC Kalamazoo Farmers Market
Join the Fun at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market this Summer
You are invited to join the college at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market this summer. Stop by for hands-on activities and fun for the family on the third Saturday of each month. Multiple Kalamazoo Valley departments have teamed up to offer themed activities that highlight the college's programs. Community members can meet faculty and staff, learn more about the college and enjoy summer fun. Look for the Kalamazoo Valley tent in the central courtyard of the market located at 1204 Bank Street in downtown Kalamazoo.
 
Join us on any of the following dates:
 
July 15 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Healthy, Local Plates with ValleyHUB and Community Culinary
 
Aug. 19 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Diversity Makes a Vibrant Food System
 
Sept. 16 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Food Literacy with the Kalamazoo Valley Libraries
 
For questions, email Rachel Bair at rbair@kvcc.edu.

Athletics
Three photos of women playing volleyball
three photos of women playing basketball
Youth Volleyball & Girls Basketball Camp Photos

Check out photos from our June youth volleyball camps by clicking here for the younger players and here for the older players. Enjoy photos from the girls basketball camps by clicking here for the younger players and here for the older players. Stay tuned for photos from our other sports camps, all held on the Texas Township Campus. If you or someone you know is interested in registering a child for camp, visit www.athletics.kvcc.edu, email athletics@kvcc.edu or call 269.488.4393.



Free Youth Basketball clinic: run by kalamazooo valley community college men's and women's basketball coaches for 5th-8th graders. Girls: Saturday, July 29, 10am-1pm. Boys: Saturday, August 5, 10am-1pm. Douglass community association. 1000 W paterson st., Kalamazoo. Must bring basketball shoes, proper clothing, a ball with your name on it. For questions, call the Douglass at 269-343-6185.
office of diversity and inclusion

Aug. 17 from 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Rooms 4370 and 4380, Texas Township Campus. safeTALK: Suicide alertness for everyone. Kalamazoo Valley is hosting safe TALK suicide intervention training on Aug. 17 from 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in Rooms 4370 & 4380 at the Texas Township Campus. safe TALK training helps participants recognize a person with thoughts of suicide and connect them with resource people who can help them. These resources could include health care professionals, first responders or crisis line workers, among many others who have suicide intervention training. safe TALK participants will learn to: Notice and respond to situations where suicide thoughts may be present, Recognize that invitations for help are often overlooked, Move beyond the common tendency to miss, dismiss and avoid suicide, Apply the TALK steps: Talk, Ask, Listen, KeepSafe, Know community resources and how to connect someone with thoughts of suicide to them for further suicide-safer help. The training is open to faculty, staff and students. For more information or to register, contact Trice Batson, tbatson@kvcc.edu, or Cat March, cmarch@kvcc.edu.
what's happening at the kalamazoo valley museum. The kalamazoo valley museum is operated by Kalamazoo valley community college and is governed by its board of trustees.
 
adventure awaits!
'Adventure Awaits' Series Provides Free Summer Fun for Kids
Looking for free fun for your kids during summer recess? The Kalamazoo Valley Museum provides FREE programs about land, sea and space on Wednesdays and select Saturdays! Activities are offered now through July 29 for ages seven and up. Enjoy interactive exhibits, hands-on programs, performances and much more. Visit kalamazoomuseum.org to see the full schedule for the "Adventure Awaits" summer series. All activities and admission to the museum are free, except planetarium shows, which are $3.

explore your world

Embark on Imaginary Voyages with New �Explore Your World' Exhibit

Undertake a quest across land, sea and space to discover the role of mapping and navigation in everyday life in the exciting, free exhibit "Explore Your World!" opening July 15. It runs through Oct. 15. Visitors will use different methods of navigation to find their way through shipwrecks, escape a virtual building and pilot a simulated underwater exploration vehicle. They can take on the challenge of a giant game of Battleship using coordinates, or operate a sonar scanner to map themselves and their friends. "Explore Your World" uses cutting-edge technologies and experiences that are relevant, inspiring and effective in sharing STEM skills and knowledge across the globe.


Pink Floyd: Wish you were here
Pink Floyd Music Showcased in Planetarium Show
Pink Floyd's progressive eighth album, "Wish You Were Here," is set to stunning visuals that will send you to the moon in a new light show at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum's planetarium in July on Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. The music you know is taken to a new level when combined with crisp computer graphics and shown on the planetarium's dome. The cost is $3, with free general admission to the museum. Click here to buy tickets and to learn more about the show.
A photograph of a display of several fly swatters varying greatly in color and shape.
Check Out the Buzz About Flyswatters at Special Exhibit
A unique exhibit featuring more than 1,000 flyswatters from overseas collector Iza van Riemsdijk is now open at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. "Splat! The Buzz About Flyswatters" tells the history of this household object and how it became an important tool against communicable diseases spread by flies. Entry is free to the exhibit and to the museum. The exhibit continues through Jan. 7.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram