April 1, 2024

Greetings College Community,

Together with over 900 other community colleges across the country, Kalamazoo Valley will celebrate Community College Month during April. This monthlong campaign is an opportunity to demonstrate not only that community colleges should be the first choice of many college-bound students, but also why community colleges are first-class institutions that are vital to our local and state economies. 

Community colleges are respected collaborators, leaders and partners, creating innovative and equitable opportunities to prepare learners for existing and emerging careers. For more than 58 years, Kalamazoo Valley has been at the forefront of change and at the workforce and economic development table - collaborating with local, regional and state partners, creating innovative educational and training programs that fuel the economy.

I am proud of the impact that our staff and faculty make on the lives of our students and their families. More than 300,000 students have enrolled at the college since 1966 and many of our graduates stay in the area after degree completion and help to make our region prosperous and growing!

Kalamazoo Valley Community College employees are among the most dedicated individuals in higher education. You have helped to make the success of our students possible. I admire your unwavering commitment to the college mission.

Therefore, during this month of celebration, I celebrate you and thank you for making Kalamazoo Valley a great place for every student, employee and guest to learn, grow and thrive! 

With gratitude,

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Fall Registration Opens the Week of April 1
Registration for the Fall 2024 semester begins the week of April 1 and is based on earned credit hours. Click here to view the course schedule. Fall registration dates are as follows:

• Students with 36 or more credit hours | April 1 at 8 a.m.
• Students with 24 or more credit hours | April 2 at 8 a.m.
• Students with 12 or more credit hours | April 3 at 8 a.m.
• Registration for all other students | April 4 at 8 a.m.

Payment is due July 15 by 7 p.m., when registration temporarily closes for non-payment cancellations. Upon reopening on July 18 at 7 a.m., 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 after registration.
 
Advisors and counselors are available to help students select the correct courses for each degree plan. To schedule an appointment, call 488.4040.

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• Abigayle Minger - Liberal Arts
• Dusti Morton - Administrative Assistant
• Heather Weinert - General Studies, Coca-Cola Academic Team Silver Scholar

Advisor Needed - Global Student Union
We are currently seeking a dedicated and passionate staff or faculty member to serve as the advisor for our Global Student Union club. The advisor's responsibilities include providing guidance, facilitating club activities and promoting an inclusive atmosphere for students to connect and share their cultural interests. This unique opportunity allows you to play a vital role in fostering cultural diversity, international understanding and student engagement on our campus. Monthly club meetings and outings are expected to be planned throughout the year to highlight Kalamazoo and our surrounding areas so our international students can get a taste of what Southwest Michigan has to offer. Examples of previous outings include art shows, movie showings at local theaters, restaurants, Revel and Roll, Lake Michigan, Haunted Houses, etc. If you are interested in this role, please email Miranda McDowell at mmcdowell@kvcc.edu. 

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Employees Should Verify Service Credit
All employees, especially those close to retirement or getting ready to retire, should check their years of service in miAccount. For security reasons, members will use MiLogin to access miAccount. It is important that members verify that their service credit is correct, and that they will have enough service credit by their planned retirement effective date.

Employers can only make adjustments that will affect a member's active service credit before the member's retirement effective date. 

If adjustments are needed to an employee's service credit, refer to the Reporting Instruction Manual (RIM) sections 7.05.07: Adjusting DTL2 records - overview and 7.05.08: Adjusting wages or hours on a DTL2 record.
 
Informational Sessions Available through TIAA
To meet for a one-on-one appointment with the assigned TIAA financial consultant, use the One on One Meetings scheduling link. Live webinars are also available. Attending a live webinar can help boost your financial know-how. Find webinar times and register for upcoming sessions here. Topics include maximizing your health savings account, investing for success, cyber security and more. To review current informational topics, visit the Human Resources page in the Employee Portal.

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Invasive Species Pull Scheduled for April 19
Sponsored by the Kalamazoo Valley Sustainability Committee
Friday, April 19 | 2 p.m. | Meet at the southeast end of the faculty parking lot
Volunteers will pull garlic mustard from the woods adjacent to the south side of the Texas Township Campus. Consider wearing long sleeves and pants and bring gloves and hats. All are welcome.

Recycling Event Planned for April 19
Continuing a partnership with the City of Kalamazoo and Green Earth Electronics Recycling, the college will once again be hosting an Earth Day recycling event on Friday, April 19 from 1 - 4 p.m. at the Texas Township Campus. EPS foam (commonly known as Styrofoam) and electronics will be accepted. The event is open to both the public and the college community. Volunteers are needed to help assist with the collection of the materials. If you are interested in volunteering, please email facilities@kvcc.edu for more information. A volunteer sign-up sheet will also be released in an upcoming Friday Focus publication.

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Kalamazoo Valley Libraries: Ask a Librarian, Citation Guide, Database Spotlight
Have research questions?  Need assistance using a database or citing sources? Just ask, and a librarian will assist you! Ask a Librarian

• Visit us
• Email us libraries@kvcc.edu 
• Call us 488.4328
• Request an Appointment
• 24/7 Online Chat with a Librarian
   

Citation Guide
For questions about paper formatting and citation - MLA and APA - check out our online Citation Guide.
 
Database Spotlight: JSTOR
New this year to our collection of research databases is JSTOR, a comprehensive collection of over 12 million journal articles, books, primary sources and images in 75 disciplines, including the sciences and the humanities. Visit the How to Use JSTOR research guide or ask a librarian for an introduction. The Libraries also subscribe to JSTOR Daily, an award-winning digital magazine that gives context to current events by highlighting research found on JSTOR.

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Student Nurses Association Collection Drive
The Student Nurses Association is sponsoring a collection drive to benefit the women's and children's program at the YWCA from now - April 22. Collection boxes will be set up in all the buildings. Specific needs are diapers (size 3, 4, 5 and 6), baby wipes, gift cards, lotions, personal care items like body wash, deodorant and hair care supplies, and linens such as twin bed sheets, blankets and towels. See more details here.

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The annual Girls on the Run 5K is May 18 at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Two waves of runners will be on campus: morning (Opening Ceremony at 9 a.m.) and afternoon (Opening Ceremony at 1 p.m.)

There are over 1,000 participants from 50 sites in the Greater Kalamazoo Area and close to 300 coaches and practice volunteers. Many more volunteers are needed.

To volunteer, go to 5K Volunteer Registration or to the GOTRGK. For more information, send an email to info@girlsontherunkazoo.org.

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Kalamazoo Valley Giving Week is April 8 - 12
Day of Giving has been expanded to Giving Week! Help the Foundation raise $10,000 to help remove our students' financial roadblocks during the week of April 8.

As student needs continue to rise, the critical funds provided by philanthropic giving are crucial. We need donations to help students with the extra costs of books, supplies, transportation, childcare and more. Your incredible work and caring culture excite our students to come to Kalamazoo Valley; giving a gift can empower them to stay and complete their studies.

During Giving Week, Foundation representatives will be available to receive donations given by cash or check. You can also give via payroll deduction (an online form is available in the HR section of the Employee Portal) or you can visit kvcc.edu/foundation to give with credit card online.

We'll be staffing tables to answer questions and to accept donations from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday and Thursday at the Texas Township Campus and on Wednesday at the Culinary and Allied Health Building. We'll be visiting the Groves on Tuesday and Anna Whitten Hall and the Food Innovation Center on Thursday.

Thank you! Your gifts mean the world to our students.

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LGBTQ+ Diversity Club Hosts Board & Video Game Night April 9
All students are invited to join the LGBTQ+ Diversity Club for its Board & Video Game Night on Tuesday, April 9, from 4 to 6 p.m., in Rooms 4370 and 4380 at the Texas Township Campus. Preregistration is not required.

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Visiting Writers Series Concludes on April 11 with Kai Harris
Kalamazoo Valley's "About Writing" Visiting Writers series is coordinated by English instructor Julie Stotz-Ghosh, Ph.D., and offers students and community members the opportunity to talk with professional writers and listen to their work. All events are free, open to the public and include a craft talk and a reading by the author.
 
Kai Harris
April 11 | 10 a.m. Craft Talk | 2:15 p.m. Reading | Student Commons Theater | Texas Township Campus
Harris is a writer and educator from Detroit, Michigan who uses her voice to uplift the Black community through realistic fiction centered on the Black experience. She is an assistant professor of creative writing at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. Harris' novel, "What the Fireflies Knew," a 2023 Michigan Notable Book, is the college's common read selection for the Winter 2024 semester. After her father dies of an overdose and the debts incurred from his addiction cause the loss of the family home in Detroit, almost-11-year-old Kenyatta Bernice (KB) and her teenage sister, Nia, are sent by their overwhelmed mother to live with their estranged grandfather in Lansing.

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Lots of Home Softball and Baseball Games Planned in April
Spring is the perfect time to enjoy a baseball or softball game! Come out to cheer on the Cougars at the following home games in April. Home games are always free to attend here at the Texas Township Campus. Visit athletics.kvcc.edu for the full schedule and scores.
 
BASEBALL

• THURSDAY | APRIL 4 | 2 & 4:30 p.m. vs. Kellogg Community College
• SATURDAY | APRIL 13 | 1 & 4 p.m. vs. Lake Michigan College
• SATURDAY | APRIL 20 | 1 & 3:30 p.m. vs. Lansing Community College
• SATURDAY | APRIL 27 | 1 & 4 p.m. vs. Glen Oaks Community College
• TUESDAY | APRIL 30 | 2 p.m. vs. Jackson College

SOFTBALL

• SATURDAY | APRIL 6 | 1 & 3 p.m. vs. Marian University's Ancilla College
• SATURDAY | APRIL 13 | 1 & 3 p.m. vs. Lake Michigan College
• FRIDAY | APRIL 19 | 3 & 5 p.m. vs. Lansing Community College
• SATURDAY | APRIL 20 | 1 & 3 p.m. vs. Jackson College
• SATURDAY | APRIL 27 | 1 & 3 p.m. vs. Glen Oaks Community College

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Free Foodways Symposium Showcases African Cuisine April 5 - 6
Enjoy free African cuisine and culture on April 5 and 6 at the 2024 Kalamazoo Valley Foodways Symposium, an annual food celebration sponsored by Kalamazoo Valley Community College. This year focuses on African heritage foodways. Festivities open with a keynote address and exploration of the gardening of some delicious plants of Africa on Friday, April 5, from 6 - 8:30 p.m., at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. Next are hands-on cooking classes, lectures, African dancing, youth activities, a brewery open house and more on Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary & Allied Health Building, located at 418 E. Walnut St. in downtown Kalamazoo. Visit kalamazoofoodways.org to view the schedule and register for cooking classes.

 

Museum Offers Opportunities to View the Solar Eclipse on April 8
Want to join others in viewing the April 8 solar eclipse? Head to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum on the day of the eclipse to participate in indoor and outdoor viewing opportunities. They're even giving out free solar eclipse viewing glasses! Pick them up now at the museum or at the event. Choose to witness the solar eclipse in totality as a live feed in the museum's Mary Jane Stryker Theater from 1 to 4:30 p.m., or, join the crowd outdoors from 1:45 - 4:30 p.m. in front of the museum and behind Anna Whitten Hall, which is next door. More details at kalamazoomuseum.org.
 

Join Statewide Astronomy Night April 12 at the Museum
Mark your calendar for Statewide Astronomy Night Friday, April 12, from 5 to 8 p.m., at our Kalamazoo Valley Museum! Staff and volunteers will engage guests with a host of FREE astronomy-themed games, crafts and interactive demonstrations, ideal for adults and teens. Even enjoy free experiences in the planetarium! Planetarium games begin at 5 p.m. At 7 p.m., visitors can go on a sky tour in the planetarium to explore the wonder of the night sky and learn about noteworthy stars and constellations visible in the evening skies of early April. SWAN is coordinated by Michigan State University's annual Science Festival.