Kalamazoo Valley Community College Board of Trustees Designate April as Community College Month

During its regularly scheduled meeting on March 14, the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Board of Trustees approved a resolution recognizing April as Community College Month. The full resolution is presented below.

Together with the nearly 1,000 other community colleges across the country, Kalamazoo Valley is celebrating Community College Month in April. This campaign was designed to improve awareness of the economic, academic and equity advantages of attending community colleges and to break the stigma associated with public two-year colleges.

Kalamazoo Valley Community College President L. Marshall Washington, Ph.D., said. "Community College Month is an opportunity to demonstrate not only that community colleges, like Kalamazoo Valley, should be the first choice of many college-bound students, but why community colleges are first-class institutions that are vital to our local and state economies."

Community colleges are a uniquely American educational model that was designed to guarantee access to affordable, high-quality education for all. They serve as an on-ramp to bachelor's, master's and higher-level degrees for many students, and particularly for the most demographically and socioeconomically diverse students, Washington said. "The credentials earned by our students prepare them to fill in-demand careers in healthcare, skilled and professional trades, technology and new media or for transfer to four-year institutions. Community College Month is our opportunity to remind citizens about the huge impact the college makes on the vitality of Southwest Michigan."

Visit www.kvcc.edu/ccmonth for student stories, curriculum offerings and summer and fall registration details.

RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING APRIL 2023 AS COMMUNITY COLLEGE MONTH

WHEREAS, the more than 1,000 community and technical colleges, public and private, in the United States have contributed enormously to the richness and accessibility of American higher education. Nearly half of all undergraduate college students in the nation today are enrolled in community colleges; and

WHEREAS, by providing educational opportunities at costs and locations accessible to all who are qualified, community and technical colleges have greatly enhanced the opportunity for every ambitious student to enter a postsecondary school program. As community-based institutions, our institutions provide varied programs and offer specialized training for thousands of occupations; and

WHEREAS, this community has been served by Kalamazoo Valley Community College since 1966 supports the advancement of Southwest Michigan by developing strong industry partnerships and providing state-of-the-art training and educational experiences; and

WHEREAS, Kalamazoo Valley Community College is an accredited institution by the Higher Learning Commission and is accredited by several nationally recognized accreditors, including American Culinary Federation, Master Brewers and Brew Pub Permit, Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions, Medical Assisting Education Review Board, Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, Commission on Dental Accreditation, Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, American Alliance of Museums, Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards, Michigan Sheriffs' Association, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Automotive Service Excellence Education Foundation and Michigan Fire Fighters Training Council; and

WHEREAS, approximately 10,000 students of all ages and backgrounds annually attend Kalamazoo Valley Community College to receive a superb education and earn degrees, certificates and training that help them become skilled members of the workforce that propels economic growth and encourages learning and culture; and

WHEREAS, Kalamazoo Valley Community College has been instrumental in revitalizing the City of Kalamazoo with the Arcadia Commons Campus, Center for New Media, Kalamazoo Valley Museum and Bronson Healthy Living Campus; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

We, the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Board of Trustees, recognize April 2023 as Kalamazoo Valley Community College Month.