KV FocusPlus

October 17, 2022

Greetings,

English author, poet and mathematician Lewis Carroll was quoted as saying, "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." Too many times, I have been a part of organizations or movements without a strategic plan. The chaos that ensues can be debilitating. 

That is why I am so pleased that Kalamazoo Valley Community College's newly adopted strategic plan is a powerful tool that. together with the new mission statement, provides clear direction for our continued work together.

The development of the 2023 - 2027 Strategic Plan began in the Fall of 2021 with the collection of stakeholder input. This input provided an opportunity for students, faculty, staff, administrators and external college partners to provide their thoughts regarding the mission and work of the college. The results proved to be a valuable resource. Additionally, there were several focus group discussions with faculty and staff held in April 2022 and a focus group discussion with students held in June 2022.

These efforts culminated with the creation of three institutional strategic goals, which align with the college mission, vision, values and Board of Trustees' goals.

Strategic Goals

• Forecast and prepare for future learners, holistically supporting their educational goals.
• Embed diversity, equity and inclusivity in all processes across the college.
• Leverage broad expertise and intentional partnerships to best serve the college community.

Together, we will continue to develop and implement strategies which will allow us to meet these goals and deliver on the promise of our mission statement. I appreciate all of your work as we continue to move forward with a plan to ensure that Kalamazoo Valley Community College creates innovative and equitable opportunities that empower all to learn, grow and thrive. Thank you.

Sincerely,

L. Marshall Washington, Ph.D.
President

Call for Proposals for Winter 2023
Has your department embraced new practices or procedures that others could benefit from knowing? Do you have a skill, talent or activity that others might enjoy? Do you have something to share with the college community? Everyone at the college is invited to submit a proposal for the Winter 2023 Summit. Presentations can be 30 or 50 minutes - your choice! The in-person event will take place on Thursday, Jan. 5 and will include the annual Board of Trustees Breakfast and recognition of employee years of service. 

Proposals should support one of the following college values:

• Caring and Respect
• Integrity
• Excellence and Quality
• Humor and Well-Being
• Teamwork and Stewardship

Submit your proposal here by Nov. 11.

Monthly Update from Public Safety
Have you noticed that stop signs don't get much respect? Drivers seem more willing to ignore a stop sign than a red light. Stop signs are there for a reason - to protect drivers and pedestrians as they approach an intersection or crosswalk. Drivers who violate stop sign rules, such as not coming to a complete stop or choosing to run the stop sign altogether, can make intersections a hotbed for car collisions and put others lives at risk. Kalamazoo Valley Public Safety reminds everyone to come to complete stops at all traffic control devices.
 
As inclement weather approaches, please take a few minutes to prepare your vehicle:

• Check your car battery
• Windshield washer fluid
• Windshield wipers
• Keep and emergency kit in your vehicle

Taps on Tuesday is Back!
Taps on Tuesday social events have resumed at the Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary and Allied Health Building. These happy hours are hosted by culinary and brewing students and staff and run from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. A $10 fee includes beer and food pairings. Appetizers and wine are also available. Walk-ins only; no reservations required.

The fall Taps on Tuesday schedule follows:
Oct. 18, 25
Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Dec. 6 and 13

COVID-19 At-Home Test Kit Pickup
Did you miss the COVID-19 At-Home Test Kit Distributions earlier this month? No fear. As-needed availability is here. Facilities Services and the college Libraries are partnering to provide free COVID-19 at-home test kits to students and employees on an as-needed basis. On-site registration is required to help us keep supplies on hand. To ensure access to all, quantities are limited to one test kit (containing two tests) per week. Test kits may now be picked up as needed during service hours at both the Anna Whitten Hall and Texas Township Campus libraries. Questions can be directed to the Facilities and Event Services office at x4540.

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Mental Health First Aid for Higher Education
Mental Health First Aid for Higher Education teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. This training - which focuses on the unique experiences and needs of college students - gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care.

Friday, Oct. 21 | 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary and Allied Health Building
Bronson Healthy Living Campus

There is pre-work associated with this event. To register, please contact Trice Batson by Friday, Oct. 14 at 488.4119 or tbatson@kvcc.edu.

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Styrofoam Recycling Event
Saturday | Oct. 22 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m | Texas Township Campus
In collaboration with the City of Kalamazoo and DART Container Corporation, the college will once again be hosting a Styrofoam recycling event at the Texas Township Campus parking lot on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. All members of the college and the general public are encouraged to recycle any collected Styrofoam. Volunteers are needed to help staff the event. If you have interest in volunteering to help collect and bag Styrofoam during the event, please email facilities@kvcc.edu with your available time(s) and a member of the department will reach out with additional information.

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Employee Engagement and Wellness Committee Meetup Activities
Walk and Meditate Meetup: Wednesday, Oct. 26 at AWH (meet in the lobby on the first floor) and Thursday, Oct. 27 at TTC (meeting near the flag entrance). Walking outdoors weather permitting, indoors if raining, 10-minute silent meditation at the end. Wear comfortable shoes! Please be sure to contact Cathy Colella if you can join us!

Euchre Meetup: Whether you're a reigning euchre champ or are interested in learning the card game, please join us in a friendly game of euchre. There are now two opportunities to play!
12 - 1 p.m.: TTC Room 4370, first Friday of every month (starting Nov. 4). Email Julia Fedeson if you would like to join and she'll send updates and location information.
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.: TTC Room 4370, second Tuesday of every month with an appetizer potluck. Connect with Bethann Talsma for more information for evening euchre.

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Flu Shot Clinics Scheduled for Employees

Flu season is coming! Kalamazoo Valley Community College is hosting two flu shot clinics for all employees. Both of these clinics will be held at our Texas Township Campus. In order to reserve your spot for one of the clinics, you will need to click on the link below and complete the required information. Space is limited, so please sign up as soon as possible. Once you sign up and pick your appointment time, it is important to keep that time to ensure that everyone signed up is able to receive their flu vaccine. If employees have the college or other medical coverage, please bring a copy of your insurance card for billing purposes. If you have questions, please contact Becky Craft, employee benefit manager.

 

Wednesday, Oct. 26
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Texas Township Campus, Room 5740
    
Friday, Nov. 18
9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Texas Township Campus, Room 5740

 

Diversity and Bias in the Search Committee Process Workshop
Participants in these important sessions will explore the various types of implicit and unconscious bias, what they look/sound like during a search committee process and how to mitigate their potential for negative impact. Also, learn what it means to serve on a search committee, including the "dos and don'ts" while serving on the committee. Please note that the session that was scheduled for Oct. 28 has been changed to Oct. 26 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The training will occur at the TTC in Room 1330.  Please contact Trice Batson or Scott Hall to register.

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Kalamazoo Valley Libraries:
Sharing the View, Election/Voting Guide & Database Spotlight
Sharing the View at Texas Township: Monday, Oct. 24 at noon
The Texas Township Campus Library is famous for its wall of windows overlooking the campus woods.  Students consistently name the beautiful view as a reason they come to the library to study.  On Monday, Oct. 24, students, faculty and staff can join Sara Tanis, Ph.D., director of the new horticulture and sustainable landscaping program, and Librarian Amy Brandt on a guided nature walk in the woods behind the library.  Learn more about the trees and wildlife outside the windows and the benefits of our nearby nature.  Dress for the weather and meet in the lower level of the TTC library at noon. 
 
Election & Voting Guide
Elections are coming up, and we all have questions about the candidates and proposals. However, finding election information that is reliable, unbiased and easily accessed can be difficult and stressful. Let the Library make it easier for you and your students. Before Nov. 8, be sure to look at and share our Voting 101 guide with your students. It is full of information about candidates, elections and the voting process.  Be informed!
 
Database Spotlight: Today's Science
You have science majors in your English class, and they are looking for research topics.  Or, you need a scholarly article for your students that clearly explains a science topic. Or, maybe you could use some learning materials - crosswords, cartoons, scientist interviews - that help make connections with current topics.  Today's Science  - a database containing scholarly science articles - might just be what you are looking for.  Students can do a keyword search or browse lists of topics organized by subject: biology, chemistry and physics, as well as math, anthropology, psychology and more. Each topic brings together current articles containing diagrams and illustrations, glossary links and references, as well as links to abstracts of the original research. 

We look forward to connecting with you!

Visit us online
Call 269.488.4328 
Email
Chat with a college librarian 24/7
Please email to Zoom by appointment
Follow us on Instagram @kalamazoovalleylibraries

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Say Cheese! Photographer on Campus
The marketing department will have a photographer at the Texas Township Campus on Oct. 26 between 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the lower level of the Student Commons to take employee headshots. Please sign up here if you would like your photo taken.

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Photo from Moments in Time: The Kalamazoo County Photo Documentary Project

'Moments in Time' Photo Exhibit Documenting Kalamazoo County Life Opens Oct. 18
See photos about life in Kalamazoo County that have been collected since 1984 and learn about the people who made it all happen. "Moments in Time: The Kalamazoo County Photo Documentary Project" exhibit will be on view from Oct. 18, 2022 through June 4, 2023. Please join us for a public reception on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. at the museum to celebrate the immense achievement of completing this important history project. 

Encore Showings of 'A HeLa Story' Play Scheduled
On the heels of a successful debut of "A HeLa Story: Mother of Modern Medicine" play about Henrietta Lacks at our Kalamazoo Valley Museum, two encore showings have been scheduled. A film version will be offered at 1:30 p.m. Nov.13, 2022 and Jan. 15, 2023 at the museum. Seating is limited. It is first come, first served. Tickets are available from the front desk at the museum two hours prior to each screening.
 
The theatrical production chronicles the accomplishments and local connections of Henrietta Lacks, whose cells taken without her consent in 1951 are still leading to major breakthroughs today. Be sure to stop by the associated mini exhibit about  Lacks, on display at the museum through Feb. 27, 2023.
 
The "A HeLa Story: Mother of Modern Medicine" play and exhibit was organized by Kalamazoo Valley Community College and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum in collaboration with Lacks' great nephew, Kalamazoo resident Jermaine Jackson, and funded in part by the KVCC Foundation. More details can be found at kalamazoomuseum.org.

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is operated by Kalamazoo Valley Community College and is governed by its Board of Trustees. Admission is free to exhibits and to the museum. The museum is open 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit kalamazoomuseum.org. 

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Need College Apparel for Spirit Week?
We've got you covered! Stock up on Kalamazoo Valley Community College gear at the Texas Township Bookstore Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. or shop online at bookstore.kvcc.edu. Online orders may be picked up at TTC or the Anna Whitten Hall Library at the Arcadia Commons Campus in downtown Kalamazoo, or, if you prefer, mailed to any address you want. Shipping is $5. Spirit Week will be held Oct. 25, 26 and 27 at the Texas Township Campus, Anna Whitten Hall and the Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary and Allied Health Building with food, goodies and fun to celebrate making it through the first half of the fall semester!

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Celebrating Respiratory Care Week at Kalamazoo Valley
Respiratory Care Week is celebrated annually during the last week in October. The celebration is to help raise awareness for the profession and recognize the amazing work of respiratory therapists who care for patients with breathing difficulties and improve lung health.

"We are excited to celebrate Respiratory Care Week to help bring much needed awareness to this career path. Currently the career is not very well known, despite respiratory therapists important front-line role in caring for patients with COVID," said Kalamazoo Valley's Respiratory Therapy Program Director Susan Pearson. more




 

Jump In - the Pool is Opening
The pool will be open for faculty, staff and students on Nov. 1. To use the pool:

• Scan your Valley ID at the cage window, located between the locker rooms.
• Space will be limited to 25.
• Shower towels are available

HOURS OF OPERATION:

Monday	11:30 a.m.	1:30 p.m.
Tuesday	11:45 a.m.	1:15 p.m.
Wednesday	11:30 a.m.	1:30 p.m.
Thursday	Coming Soon	Coming Soon
Friday	11:30 a.m.	1:30 p.m.

  *Hours are subject to change; we are sorry for any inconveniences.

Water Aerobics Class Coming Next Month

Work out in the pool on Friday, Nov 11 and Dec 9 in a new water aerobic class. Class runs from 12:05 - 12:55 p.m. and is limited to 25 participants.  

 Questions: Contact WFC front desk at x4184 or Renea Peruski at x4177

Employee Fitness Classes
Free employee fitness classes are held Mondays and Thursdays from 12:05 to 12:50 p.m. in Room 6040 of the Wellness & Fitness Center at TTC. These are "drop-in-classes," so you do not need to sign up. Just come when you can. Please see the description below to learn more.

Mondays
STRENGTH AND MORE
Low-impact but high intensity, your whole body will get stronger! In this class, every movement plane is attacked using weights and body weight.

Thursdays
BARRE STRENGTH
Barre is the immensely popular fitness format that combines ballet-inspired moves with powerful elements from dance, yoga and strength training. Instructors will challenge you with a low-impact, high energy class.

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