MISSION STATEMENT Kalamazoo Valley Community College creates innovative and equitable
opportunities that empower all to learn, grow and thrive.
June 29, 2023
Greetings!
Our work requires a great investment of skill, talent, time and energy. We have come through an amazing year together and now as we look toward summer, we can pause and reflect on this past year. As a part of this reflection, I hope that you will be able to take some time away from your work to truly rest and recharge.
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 that your efforts are deeply appreciated and that together we are making the college a better place for all to learn, grow and thrive. Have a safe and enjoyable July 4!
Thank you.
L. Marshall Washington, Ph.D.
President
Welcome New Employees This list of new employees and employees in new roles was provided by the Human Resources department and will be a quarterly feature in this newsletter. All full-time employees who were hired between April to June 2023 are included. Join in welcoming these new colleagues.
New Employees
Sirri Bearss | Systems Analyst/Developer Nathan Brindley | Automotive Technology Faculty Natalia Carvalho-Pinto | Academic and Career Pathway Advisor Nicole Cheadle | Public Safety Officer Daniel Crouch | Electrical Technology Faculty Rostam Ahmad Daud | Computer Information Systems Faculty Lief Doezema | Instructional Manager Wind Academy Sean Gordon | Director of Public Safety Carol Kercher | STEM Program Coordinator David Lancaster | Lab Manager Chemistry, Physics and Geology Gary Latham | Public Safety Officer II Lori Orr | Director of Nursing Ryan St. John | Director of Recruitment and Outreach Sara Tanis | Biology/Horticulture James Valliere | Academic and Career Pathway Advisor Tracy Williams | Community Culinary and Nutrition Program Support Specialist Andrew Young | Mathematics Faculty
Employees in a New Role
Erin Bishop | Administrative Manager - President's Office Derik Redding | Associate Director of Financial Aid Aaron Snead | Vice President for Information Technologies
Congressman Bill Huizenga, representing Michigan's 4th Congressional District, stopped by the college's Texas Township Campus yesterday to meet with college leaders and to learn more about our programs and services. See pictures here.
Volunteers Needed! Volunteers are needed to represent the college at the July 8 Black Arts Festival in Bronson Park downtown Kalamazoo. The festival runs from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sign up now for a two-hour shift.
Promotional Store Updated A number of new items have been added to the online promotional store. Check out the latest approved giveaways here.
Through the store, you can place an order, pick the color and the branding. When the items arrive, you pay the invoice online or over the telephone using your commercial card. If necessary, temporary card increases can be requested from Muriel Hice at mhice@kvcc.edu or x4410.
Be prepared for the fall semester. Place your orders now!
Need Marketing Help? Workzone is the web-based tool that is used to manage project requests. Anyone who is planning an event or needs a designed file should submit a request to Marketing through Workzone. Posters, flyers, handouts, website articles, social media posts and ads for on-campus monitors are all examples of the types of collateral pieces that Marketing can provide.
Employees who don't have a Workzone account should send a message to marketing@kvcc.edu to receive an invitation to create an account. Sample files and related documents can be uploaded into each Workzone project. Once a designer has created art files, Workzone users are asked to comment with edits or to approve them. Upon approval, Workzone users can download their files and send them to printing services at the Texas Township Campus. Marketing takes care of posting social media and Xibo files.
Request a Workzone account today or email marketing@kvcc.edu with questions. July Pool Hours Closed week of July 4.
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 & 26 the pool will close from 1 - 2 p.m.
The pool is open to all employees. Must have a Valley ID and complete a WFC orientation to use the pool. Questions? Please call x4184. Limited Cafe Service July 3 On Monday, July 3, there will be reduced offerings at the Cafe - grab-n-go sandwiches and salads, beverages and miscellaneous items. Subway will be closed.
Next safeTALK Training is Aug. 17 at the Texas Township Campus Kalamazoo Valley is hosting safeTALK suicide intervention training on Thursday, Aug. 17 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Rooms 4370 and 4380 on the Texas Township Campus. safeTALK 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. safeTALK 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 people to them
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.
Snacks Available at the Bookstore Get your snacks 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.
Have You Seen Our Summer Youth Volleyball Camp Photos?
Click here to check out the photos from the four-day volleyball summer sports camps for grades six through 12 that we held in June on the Texas Township Campus. Stay tuned for photos from our other sports camps. 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 488.4393.
'Adventure Awaits' Series Provides Free Summer Fun for Kids
Looking for free fun for 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 older. Enjoy interactive exhibits, hands-on programs, performances and much more. Visit kalamazoomuseum.org for the full schedule for the "Adventure Awaits" summer series. All activities and admission to the museum are free, except planetarium shows, which are $3.
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 June 30. It runs July 15 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 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. Familiar music 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.
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.
