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

Feb. 15, 2024

Greetings,

We�ve reached the middle of the semester. How are you doing? Remember that humor and well-being are key values at Kalamazoo Valley. If the Michigan winter has left you feeling drained, the college has activities to help you feel healthy in your mind, body and spirit. The Employee Engagement and Wellness Committee has planned many Fun February events and the Wellness & Fitness Center is offering our Employee Winter 100 Challenge. If you are looking to experience something new, our museum exhibits, gallery openings and campuswide activities can help you feel refreshed.

Later in the month, the college will host a special program, "African Americans and the Arts" on Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 3 - 5 p.m. in Room 4240 at the Texas Township Campus, in observance of the national theme of Black History Month 2024. The event will feature performances of local African American actors, artists, musicians and provide a shared connection to the rich African American culture in Kalamazoo.

I know that for myself, it gives my spirit a boost to see the transformative work we are all doing together. Thank you for the energy and care you put into your work. You are truly making an impact on the lives of our students, our visitors and our entire region.

Take care of yourself, and remember that spring is just around the corner!

Sincerely,

L. Marshall Washington, Ph.D.
President
Lunch with the President
President Washington invites faculty and staff to join him for a casual lunch gathering in the private dining room of the Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary and Allied Health building in downtown Kalamazoo at noon on March 27 or April 3. Choose only one date, please. Space is limited to 15 attendees for each session and registration is required to attend. If you attended previously, please do not register again. To register, email Erin Bishop.
Register Now for Kalamazoo Valley Youth Summer Camps
Looking for some summer fun for your children? Explore Kalamazoo Valley�s wide variety of youth summer camps. From athletics to hands-on learning, there�s plenty at Kalamazoo Valley to keep kids busy all summer long! Click here to register and learn more.

E-Mail Security Changes Coming Next Week
Beginning Monday, Feb. 19, you will see a warning banner on all emails received from external senders. The purpose of this is to ensure the email recipient is aware the message was sent from an external account rather than a Kalamazoo Valley user account.

To clarify, the external sender notification does not indicate the message is necessarily a security threat. The warning only notifies the user that the message is not from another college account.


Feb. 23 Employee Headshot Sign-Up
Are you in need of a professional headshot? Join us on Friday, Feb. 23 at the Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary and Allied Health Building in Room 247. Appointments are available in 10-minute increments from 9 a.m. - 3:50 p.m. Sign up now.

Early Employee Registration
Employee registration for the Summer 2024 semester will be March 1 - 3. Full and part-time employees may request access to online registration for themselves and/or their dependents through 4 p.m. on Friday, March 1.

To request access:
  1. Forward this message from your Kalamazoo Valley employee account to arr@kvcc.edu. Enter �Employee Registration� as the subject so we can easily find your request for early access to registration among all of the e-mails we receive from students. It must be from a �@kvcc.edu� address.
  2. List the name and Valley Number or birth date for each admitted person who will be registering.
  3. We will add authorization to each person's record and reply to confirm.
  4. Beginning March 1, each authorized individual may log into MyValley, select "Register or Drop Classes" from My Links and register.
If you miss this opportunity, you may still register following the standard registration schedule for all students beginning Monday, March 4. Please email the Admissions, Registration and Records office at arr@kvcc.edu or call x4281 if you have questions.
Updates from Public Safety
  • All college public safety officers are CPR certified. Several are trained at the Medical First Responder level. If you witness a medical emergency, please pick up a red or blue phone or call 488.4911 or x4575 and an officer will respond quickly to assist in coordination with Texas Township Fire and Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety.
     
  • This is a great time to familiarize yourself with the locations of the Automatic Electronic Defibrillators (AED) in the hallways of all college buildings. If you feel so inclined, take a CPR class and get certified. It could save a life.
     
  • Active Violence Training continues to be conducted by Director Sean Gordon. If you need the training, please register for one of the dates below.
    Feb. 21 | 8  - 9:30 a.m. | Anna Whitten Hall, Room 128
    March 5 | 8  - 9:30 a.m. | Culinary and Allied Health Building, Room 223
    March 26 | 8 - 9:30 a.m. | Texas Township Campus, Room 4370/80

Introducing Onriva for Travel
The college has contracted with Onriva for booking travel. Our travel coordinators have piloted the system over the last several months and we�re now using Onriva for booking flights rather than Carlson Wagonlit. In most cases, flights booked through Onriva meet the college requirements. You can also book hotels and rentals through the system, though the system may not have access to special conference rates.


2024 Building a Culture of Giving
What is a �culture of giving� you might ask. It may not be exactly what you think. Giving can be done in many ways and anyone can do it. Time, talent and treasure; everyone has at least one of these.

A culture of giving is one in which giving back and engaging in the community is a habit, an expectation and a way of life. A culture of giving is life with opportunities to participate, build relationships and create a network to support our community together.

The KVCC Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the college, and it is our responsibility to foster the culture of giving. This next year, we will be highlighting individuals who are contributing to building a culture of giving at Kalamazoo Valley and in the community at large. We hope you enjoy reading about these acts of kindness and observe a culture of giving that is ever growing and becoming more vibrant at Valley every day.

If you know of someone who should be acknowledged or an event that could be highlighted, send an email to Foundation@kvcc.edu.


Kalamazoo Valley Mi-ACE Women�s Network
We are pleased to announce that Kalamazoo Valley has joined the Michigan American Council on Education (Mi-ACE) Women�s Network. Mi-ACE is a professional network for Michigan women in higher education. The Network�s mission is to provide avenues for professional growth, networking, collaboration and engagement. Our participation with the Network demonstrates our commitment to lifting up the women of Kalamazoo Valley. Kalamazoo Valley�s Mi-ACE Institutional Representatives are Gabrielle Vernon and Tracy Labadie. Our institutional representatives will facilitate engagement activities and professional development programming for all women at the college. Please join Gabby and Tracy for a lunch-and-learn on Friday, Feb. 23 at noon in Room 4380 (TTC) (bring your own lunch) to learn more about the Mi-ACE network. All employees of Kalamazoo Valley are welcome. Please fill out this survey to help plan upcoming activities.

Fun February Returns
The Employee Engagement and Wellness Committee has once again planned a number of activities for staff and faculty to enjoy throughout the month. See a complete list of activities here.



Retirement Planning Help Available
Do you have a TIAA account, or do you want to start saving more for retirement? Then you will want to take advantage of scheduling a meeting with TIAA Financial Consultant Tonya Bobbit. Schedule a meeting

Download the Pool App
Do you have medical coverage through the college? If so, you will want download the West Michigan Health Insurance Pool app for access to: health benefits wellness resources, free member benefits, financial benefits and more.

Employee Assistance Program Available
All Kalamazoo Valley employees may take advantage of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The service, available through Uprise Heath, offers confidential, personal and web-based support in a wide variety of topics, including stress management, elder care, nutrition, fitness, legal and financial issues. See more details here. Find information about upcoming TIAA webinars here.

Kalamazoo Valley Libraries: Ask a Librarian

NEW! Schedule a Research Appointment with a Librarian
Students can meet one-on-one with a librarian in person, by phone or over Zoom.

Need Help Now? Ask a Librarian
Librarians can help Kalamazoo Valley students with questions about research and citation. Encourage your students to visit the Libraries or request an individual appointment. Or, consider scheduling a library instruction session for your class. For more information about instruction, visit our Information for Instructors webpage. 

Get Help In Person
Students can ask a friendly librarian for help at the Reference Desk during our open hours.

Chat Online with a Librarian
Students can receive live 24/7 chat assistance from an academic librarian
Hours and Contact Information
Visiting Writers Series Continues
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. Unless otherwise stated, the visits take place in the Student Commons Theater, Room 4240, at the Texas Township Campus. All events are free, open to the public and include a craft talk and a reading by the author.
 
Naomi Shihab Nye
Feb. 27 | 7 p.m. | Virtual event
Webinar Registration
The award-winning Palestinian-American poet and essayist describes herself as a �wandering poet.� She has spent more than 40 years traveling the world to lead writing workshops and inspiring students of all ages. She is the author and/or editor of more than 30 volumes of poetry and prose for adults and children, including �19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East� (a finalist for the National Book Award), and �The Turtle of Michigan: A Novel.� She was named the 2019-2021 Young People's Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. In 2020 she was awarded the Ivan Sandorf Award for Lifetime Achievement by the National Book Critics Circle.
 
Kai Harris
April 11 | Student Commons Theater, Texas Township Campus
10 a.m. craft talk | 2:15 p.m. reading
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.
Harris's novel, �What the Fireflies Knew,� a 2023 Michigan Notable Book, is the college�s common read selection for Winter Semester 2024. 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.

Save the Date for a LGBTQ+ Student Panel Discussion on April 2
LGBTQ+ students from Kalamazoo Valley, Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College will discuss their stories and answer questions from attendees during a panel discussion planned for Tuesday, April 2, from noon to 1 p.m., in Room 4240 at Kalamazoo Valley Community College�s Texas Township Campus. Intended to provide a safe space for dialogue, the program will take place over a free lunch. The event is open to everyone, including students, staff, faculty and the public. It is presented by Kalamazoo Valley�s LGBTQ+ Diversity Club and Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Preregistration is not required.

Enjoy Three Home Basketball Games in February
Cheer on the women�s and men�s basketball teams at their three remaining home games in February in the main gym at Kalamazoo Valley Community College's Texas Township Campus. Admission is free. Dates and times below. Find the full season schedule at athletics.kvcc.edu.
 
Men�s Team
  • SATURDAY, FEB. 17, 3 p.m. (Home game vs. Southwestern Michigan College)
  • WEDNESDAY, FEB. 21, 7:30 p.m. (Home game vs. Marian University�s Ancilla College)
  • TUESDAY, FEB. 27, 7:30 p.m. (Home game vs. Glenn Oaks Community College)
Women�s Team
  • SATURDAY, FEB. 17, 1 p.m. (Home game vs. Southwestern Michigan College)
  • WEDNESDAY, FEB. 21, 5:30 p.m. (Home game vs. Marian University�s Ancilla College)
  • TUESDAY, FEB. 27, 5:30 p.m. (Home game vs. Glenn Oaks Community College)
  

Loads of Art Supplies at the Bookstore
Did you know Kalamazoo Valley Community College�s Bookstore has one of the best art supply selections in town? From Cont� crayons to Cotman brushes, from Prismacolor pencils, markers and pastels to paint, you can create your own masterpiece with materials from the Bookstore. Moreover, everything that our art faculty requires for classes is here! Stop by today or shop anytime online at bookstore.kvcc.edu. Remember, online orders can be shipped to any address you choose for $5. Or, if you prefer, pick up your web orders in person at the Texas Township Campus Bookstore or at the Anna Whitten Hall Library at the Arcadia Commons Campus in downtown Kalamazoo. The Bookstore is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 
 

Exhibit About Acclaimed Author Bonnie Jo Campbell Now Open
Award-winning local author Bonnie Jo Campbell brings her history, as well as many personal items from her writing world, to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum in a mini-exhibit that showcases "What It Means to Be a Hometown Writer." The exhibit features photos, awards, souvenirs from her travels, personal items from her writing world and an extended video interview with Campbell, all to showcase her work and inspirations for writing. It ends June 30. Admission is free to the exhibit and the museum.

  
165-Year History of Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital Explored
Did you know that Michigan�s longest-operating mental hospital is in Kalamazoo? Learn the fascinating history of the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital at a new exhibit at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, on display from Feb. 3, 2024 through Jan. 19, 2025. �Kalamazoo State Hospital: 165 Years of Psychiatric Care� examines the history of its patients, employees and buildings on its Oakland Drive campus. It is a free exhibit.


New Interactive Exhibit Illuminates the Wonders of Skin
Explore the shape-shifting, color-changing and adaptable nature of skin and the technological innovations it inspires in the interactive, traveling exhibit �Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity,� available from Feb. 10, 2024 through June 2, 2024 at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. The free exhibit aims to inspire wonder and curiosity about this uniquely complex organ, illustrate the incredibly adaptive properties of skin across all organisms, and spark dialogue and reflection about skin�s role in shaping human culture and identity.


Looking Ahead: Fretboard Festival Coming March 1 - 2
Enjoy live concerts and more at the 19th Annual Fretboard Festival from March 1 - 2 at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum and Kalamazoo Valley Community College�s Anna Whitten Hall in downtown Kalamazoo. This free annual celebration of Kalamazoo's stringed-instrument legacy and musical heritage invites visitors to meet instrument designers and learn about their trade, attend workshops for a variety of stringed instruments, and watch musicians perform. The festival kicks off on Friday, March 1, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. (with a musical performance featuring El Ballet Folkl�rico Estudianti Mariachi at 7 and 8 p.m.). The event continues with live entertainment and more Saturday, March 2, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit kalamazoomuseum.org for the lineup and the link to register to view virtually.
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Kalamazoo Valley Community College
6767 West O Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49003-4070






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Kalamazoo Valley Community College · 6767 W O Ave · Kalamazoo, MI 49009-7402 · USA