KV Focus Plus - Updated - Kalamazoo Valley Community College

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

March 1, 2023

Dear College Community

During the recent ice storms, we were reminded about the well-trained people who work strategically to keep businesses and homes safe during emergencies. I extend my appreciation to the workers who were so important during such challenging times. I also extend my continued appreciation for the dedicated faculty and staff at Kalamazoo Valley who make this training possible. From police and fire to electricians, HVAC and other professionals, your efforts are vital to the health and well-being of the region.

The college continues to provide access to affordable, high-quality higher education for people from all walks of life, including the technical and professional trades. We support this training and these workers. Training for these important career paths support our mission of creating innovative and equitable opportunities that empower all to learn, grow and thrive.

Sincerely,

L. Marshall Washington, Ph.D.
President

Early Employee Registration
Employee registration for the Summer 2023 semester will be March 3 - 5. Full and part-time employees may request access to online registration for themselves and/or their dependents through 4 p.m. on Friday, March 3.

To request access:

Forward this message from your Kalamazoo Valley employee account to arr@kvcc.edu. You may also send a new message with "Employee Registration" as the subject. It must be from a "@kvcc.edu" address.
List the name and Valley number or birth date for each admitted person who will be registering.
We will add authorization to each person's record and reply to confirm.
Beginning March 3, 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 6.

Payment for Summer 2023 must be submitted by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4. Please e-mail the Admissions, Registration and Records office at arr@kvcc.edu or call x4281 if you have questions.

Cooking Competition Deadline Extended to March 10
The second annual Kalsec Food for Thought cooking competition will be hosted by Kalamazoo Valley Community College on April 13 at the Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary and Allied Health Building. Culinary arts students are invited to submit appetizer recipes and an explanation of how it relates to food science. Applicants who qualify to participate in the contest will be paired with a research chef or food scientist from Kalsec to create an appetizer to be sampled by guests at the event.

Kalsec, based in Kalamazoo, is a global leader in the development of natural taste and sensory solutions, natural colors, natural food protection and advanced hop products for the manufactured food, beverage, nutritional and pharmaceutical markets.

Event participants will be entitled to a variety of appetizers and two drink tickets. Tickets to the event will be available through the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Foundation. Proceeds from the event will help fund culinary scholarships to provide the highest level of educational opportunities for students.

Please encourage students to submit their recipes and applications by March 10 to foodforthought@kvcc.edu to be eligible for a $50 entry prize.

March 31 Payroll Time Sheet Submission and Approval Adjustment (Spring Recess Closure)
The campus will be closed on Friday, March 17 for the Spring Recess closure. As a result, the time sheet submission and approval deadlines have been modified. Time sheet submissions will now be due at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 20 and time sheet approvals are due at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21.

Please note, that if you are a full-time hourly employee that is regularly scheduled to work on Friday, March 17, you would record this time on your time sheet at "time off paid" (TOP). If you are not regularly scheduled to work on Friday or are a part-time employee, no hours should be entered for this date on your time sheet.

Additionally, the pay period for the March 1 payroll time sheet is a three-week pay period, so be sure to enter your hours worked for all three-weeks (pay period is Feb. 26 - March 18).

Please make the necessary arrangements to ensure that your time sheet approvals are completed prior to the deadline. As a reminder, the Banner Self Service application can also be accessed off campus by logging into the Employee Portal at home.kvcc.edu.

Please contact the Payroll Department with questions. You may call Anita Gonzales at 488.4872 or Molly Riley at 488.4239 or send an email to payroll@kvcc.edu.

Wellness and Fitness Center Spring Break Hours

6 a.m. - 1 p.m. Monday - Thursday, closed Friday
Pool will be closed for the week

Employee Wellness Classes - Drop in classes

Monday and Wednesday | noon - 12:50 p.m. | WFC Room 6040
Second Friday of the Month Water Aerobics | noon - 1 p.m. in the pool
- NEXT ONE is Friday March 10 and then again April 14

Kalamazoo Valley Celebrates Women's History Month
In celebration of Women's History Month, the college is hosting a luncheon for faculty, staff, students and community members. Four noteworthy women - Director of Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement and Fire Science Programs at Kalamazoo Valley Community College Karen Rivard; Kalamazoo Valley alumna and Executive Director of Read and Write Kalamazoo Kandace Lavender, E.D.; community philanthropist Lynn Zhang, CEO of Zhang Financial; and the Hon. Carolyn Williams - will be honored at the luncheon and will participate in a panel discussion.

March 21
Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Texas Township Campus
Room 4240

Associate Vice President for Student Development Services, Nkenge Bergan, will serve as the emcee for the panel discussion that follows lunch. Honorees will be asked to speak about what a day set aside to honor women means to them. Kalamazoo Valley President L. Marshall Washington, Ph.D., and Provost and Vice President for Instruction and Student Services Paige Eagan, Ph.D., will offer remarks. Please RSVP here by March 14.

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 at noon on March 22 or April 6. Choose only one date, please. Space is limited to 15 attendees for each session and registration is required to attend. We anticipate that additional dates will be available later in this academic year. Click here to make your reservation for March 22. Click here to reserve your spot on April 6.

Colleagues Attend DREAM Conference
Earlier this month, Nkenge Bergan, Paige Eagan, Evan Pauken and Louis Thomas attended the 19^th annual DREAM Conference in Chicago. The conference is hosted by the nationally recognized organization Achieving the Dream, whose primary goal is supporting community colleges to design, measure and scale strategies aimed at increasing student success outcomes and creating equitable opportunities for all. Evan was fortunate to be offered an opportunity to present on the Kalamazoo Valley Debt Forgiveness Program, sharing our approach to design, implementation and outcomes to date.

Pens, Pens and More Pens!
Forgot your pen? Want a fancier one? Or need some gel pens or markers? We've got you covered at the Texas Township Bookstore! "A pen is to me as a beak is to a hen," says the late writer J.R.R. Tolkien. Says American singer Andy Biersack: "The pen and the written word hold a great deal of power." The Bookstore is open between 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday.

Time Together: Teach | Talk | Tech - March 24
Register now for the March 24 Time Together: Teach | Talk | Tech, which will cover "Pronouns and Transgender Identities" presented by Cat March and "Creating Your Canvas Profile: From Pronouns and Biography to Title and Website Links" presented by David Kobb. If you have questions, please contact Sherry Postula at spostula@kvcc.edu or x4289.

Submissions Accepted for Ned Foskey Poetry Prize Contest
Entries in the Annual Ned Foskey Poetry Prize Contest are being accepted until March 24. All Kalamazoo Valley students are eligible to enter. Foskey was a tutor in Kalamazoo Valley's Writing Center and the contest was established by his family to honor his memory and the students who he enjoyed helping.

Prizes are: First Place, $150; Second Place, $100; and Third Place, $75.

All winners and honorable mentions will be invited to read at the Ned Foskey Poetry Prize Reading in April. Students may submit up to three previously unpublished poems. Poems must be typed. Student's name should not appear on the poems themselves. Poems and an accompanying cover page should be dropped off at the Faculty Reception Desk on or before the deadline or mailed to: Ned Foskey Poetry Prize, English Department, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, 6767 West O Ave., P.O. Box 4070, Kalamazoo, MI 49003-4070. Mailed entries must be postmarked by the deadline. If you would like confirmation that your mailed entry has been received, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope or postcard. Entries will not be returned, so students should keep a copy.

Please direct students to access the entry form here: Ned Foskey Poetry Prize Submission Form.

Annual Respecting Differences Event Takes Place on April 12
The theme is Disability Bias and Ableism; Implications for a Fully Inclusive Community - Modern Ableism is rooted in the assumption that people living with a disability require "fixing," defines them by their disability and is a form of systemic oppression.

Wednesday, April 12
Two sessions: 9 to 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Miller Auditorium on Western Michigan University's Campus
2200 Auditorium Dr., Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Parking is free and the event is free and open to all. Registration is not required.

Presenter: MORC
MORC provides expanded care for Michigan individuals with disabilities, including greater access to integrated acute physical and mental health services.

Description of Training: Modern Ableism is rooted in the assumption that people living with a disability require "fixing," defines them by their disability and is a form of systemic oppression.
This presentation will enable participants to:

Recognize the impact that ableism and unchecked biases have on professions and communities.
Learn the steps to remedy disability bias and ableism.

Spring into Baseball, Softball Seasons on March 21
One sure sign that spring is here is the start of the 2023 baseball and softball seasons at Kalamazoo Valley Community College! The first official conference games will be away, with softball at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 21 at Jackson Community College and baseball at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 21 at Kellogg Community College.

The first home games will be 3 p.m. Friday, March 24 for softball vs. Marian University's Ancilla College, and 2 p.m. Thursday, March 23 for baseball vs. Lake Michigan Community College. Admission is free to all home games.

The Lady Cougars are excited to roll into the season with a strong returning sophomore class and a gritty, hard-working freshmen class. The baseball team is looking to bounce back after a difficult 2022 campaign where a very inexperienced Cougar squad came up against a highly competitive conference. Click here for the full article.

Visit athletics.kvcc.edu for the full schedule.

Two Basketball Players Reach 1,000-Point Milestone
High-fives go out to Valley basketball players Abigail Long, of the women's team, and Myles Johnson, of the men's team, for reaching the 1,000-point milestone at Valley on Feb. 18 and Feb. 11, respectively.

"In my 12 years as athletic director at Kalamazoo Valley, this is the first time that I've had student-athletes reach this milestone," said Athletic Director Russ Panico. "I am in awe and extremely proud of Myles' and Abigail's achievement."

Click here for the full article.

Women's & Men's Basketball Teams: Conference Champions
The Kalamazoo Valley Cougars basketball program finished the season on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at Glen Oaks Community College as conference champions! The men's and women's teams arrived both being No. 1 in the conference, and, in the end, the women prevailed against GOCC with a final score of 84-69 and the men with a final score of 85-79. With this win, the women earned the distinction of the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Western Conference Champions for the 2022-23 academic year. The men had already attained this accolade a week prior.

The men's basketball team finished their regular season 10-2 (conference) and 22-5 (overall). Head Coach Jim Horn's team will next compete on March 4 at 3 p.m. against Bay College in the MCCAA Championship Tournament. Should they win this game, they will then compete on March 5 for the MCCAA Champion title. They have already secured a spot in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA ) Region 12 District C Tournament Semi-final game on March 9.

The women's basketball team finished their regular season 10-2 (conference) and 16-8 (overall) on Tuesday. Head Coach Felicia Thomas' team will next compete on March 4 at 3 p.m. against Mid-Michigan Community College in the MCCAA Championship Tournament. Should they win this game, they will then compete on March 5 for the MCCAA Champion title.They have already secured a spot in the NJCAA Region 12 District C Tournament semi-final game on March 9.

Click here for the full article.

Kalamazoo Valley Libraries: Research and Citation Help, Database Spotlight
Research and Citation Help
Do your students need some help getting started on a research project, finding appropriate sources or formatting citations? They can visit us in person to talk to one of our reference librarians. From off campus, they can call or email us. Zoom appointments are available on request. For assistance during non-business hours, the Ask a Librarian 24/7 Chat is always available.

Your students can also check out our how-to videos or our Citation Research Guide. Our collection of How-To Videos includes information about the basics of library searches and formatting, while the Citation Research Guide will show students why, when and how to cite as well as provide links and instructions for other resources, such as Zotero, a free online reference manager and citation generator.

Database Spotlight: Entrepreneurial Studies Source
Do your students need sources related to business or entrepreneurship but don't know where to look? Or maybe they need to find information about a specific company? Check out Entrepreneurial Studies Source. It provides up-to-date journal, magazine, and newspaper articles related to the field of business. Students can find a variety of sources for any type of project. Users can limit their search results to peer reviewed full text scholarly journals or search for case studies and company profiles. Students will want to make sure to use the cite button to populate a citation for each article in the citation style of their choice.

We look forward to connecting with you!

Visit us online

Call 269.488.4328
Email: libraries@kvcc.edu
Chat with a college librarian 24/7
Zoom: by appointment. Please email libraries@kvcc.edu
Follow us on Instagram

The Art in Animation Princess Ball, an Olivia Grace & Company Event
Area children and their families are invited to join the princesses and heroines from Olivia Grace & Company (OG&C) for an enchanting event on April 1 in the Commons Theater at Kalamazoo Valley Community College's Texas Township Campus. OG&C is owned by Olivia Haines-Robey, who manages her business from her home and serves as a faculty member at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre where she teaches the art of character performing. more

Save the Date
The college will recognize recent retirees at a retirement celebration April 19 from 3:30 - 5 p.m. in Room 4240. Please mark your calendars to celebrate the contributions of your colleagues.

Museum Hosts Fretboard Festival March 3 - 4
For the 18th year, the Fretboard Festival returns to Kalamazoo to celebrate the city's stringed-instrument legacy and musical heritage. Enjoy in-person and virtual performances and workshops March 3 - 4 at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum and Kalamazoo Valley Community College's Anna Whitten Hall in downtown Kalamazoo. Admission is free.

The festival kicks off on Friday, March 3, 5:30 - 9 p.m., at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum will feature a musical performance from Bahar Ensemble and "The History of the Oud" presentation by Beau Bothwell. It continues on Saturday, March 4, from 9:30 a.m. until 6 p.m., with workshops, vendors and performances from Joel Mabus, Dave Johnson, Crossroads Blues Band and many more at Anna Whitten Hall and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum.

For the lineup, virtual viewing details and more, visit kalamazoomuseum.org.

'Mental Health: Mind Matters' Exhibit Now Open
Good mental health is an important aspect of everyone's life, but misconceptions can lead to discrimination. The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is shining a light on this complex topic with "Mental Health: Mind Matters," an interactive exhibit running now through June 18. Participate in empathy-building exercises, learn how to be kind to your mind and more. The museum will also have spring break activities focusing on a healthy mind. Admission is free to the exhibit and to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. Details on the exhibit and spring break activities at kalamazoomuseum.org.

Local Civil Rights Historian's Pop-Up Exhibit Ends March 19
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum has opened a new pop-up mini-exhibit that showcases Kalamazoo-related items collected by longtime local civil rights historian Murphy Darden, Sr. It also highlights pieces Murphy created representing people, places and events in Kalamazoo history. The "Kalamazoo Through the Eyes of Murphy Darden" exhibit will be on display through March 19.

WMU Food Marketing and Supply Chain Conference Brings Industry Headliners to Kalamazoo

Two Kalamazoo Valley Community College Basketball Players Reach 1,000-Point Milestone

KRESA to hold Open House for High School Programs and Classes at NACD

Kalamazoo Valley Museum Hosts 18th Annual Fretboard Festival March 3 - 4

Yes, You Can Major in Beer

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