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Kalamazoo Valley Community College Student Success Center
Student Success Center Toolbox
Using your tool: A Step-by-Step Guide
Tool #1: How to make use of your success advocate
- Be an assertive student. Communicate with your success advocate on a regular basis. They want to hear from you. If a question or problem arises, contact your Success Advocate first. They can guide you on the most efficient path to get your questions/problems resolved. You can drop by the office, email or call your Advocate. (Advocate schedules, phone numbers and email addresses will be provided on a semester-to–semester basis).
- Be honest and open with your Advocate. They are there to help you. Their job is to keep you informed and to help you make appropriate decisions so feel free to ask questions----any question. The Advocates are all college graduates who have been through both community college and four-year colleges as well. They have been trained to handle many different situations and/or will find the person in the college who can help you through the challenges you face.
- Don’t wait until the last minute to approach your Advocate. Some problems need time to be worked out. The Advocate has all of the college resources at hand but often needs some time to contact other sources in order to find out the best way to approach your given circumstance.
- Follow through on referrals that the Advocate gives you. Your Advocate knows other departments within the college which are there to help you. Once you have called and met with your Advocate and agreed on a plan of action, it is your responsibility to get to the recommended department in a timely manner.
- Communicate with your Advocate on the results of your experience. Did the referral resolve your questions/problems? Do you still have unresolved questions or were you confused by a procedure given to you by the department? Do you need help with further steps to resolve your question or problem?
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Make sure to set an appointment with your Advocate if you need to see them at a specific time or for any reason that you prefer personal contact with them. Advocates work part-time and have set schedules. To assure that you can be seen, call the office at 488-4040 and set an appointment directly with the Advocate or through Laurie, our Administrative Assistant, at the front desk.
Note: If you drop in hoping to see an Advocate and they are currently not available, try setting an appointment for another time that day. If this is not possible and you have an emergency situation, inform the Administrative Assistant who will get you in touch with another Advocate or the Advocate’s supervisor.
- Always identify yourself as a Student Success Center student when you go on referrals to other departments. That way you will have your presence recorded at these offices as proof that you have followed through with the referral from your Success Advocate.
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Tool #2: Your Instructors
Many students are intimidated to approach their professors. They are afraid of revealing what they don’t know instead of asking for help so that they can understand the course material and what the instructor expects of them. We therefore encourage and expect the student to approach their instructor during their office hours in order to clarify any questions they have related to their courses. The instructors are there for you and truly want students to do well and thus, expect questions to be asked of them. It shows them that you really are interested in learning and wish to improve. Students, who, for some reason or another, are not able to communicate with their instructors, should contact their Advocate for assistance.
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Tool #3: Job Developer
The Student Success Center Job Developer is part of the KVCC Student Employment Services. Services available to students include employability skills development, resumes, cover letters, mock interviews, job shadowing experience, job referrals, internships, apprenticeships and volunteering.
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Tool #4: Life Resources Coordinator
The Student Success Life Resources Coordinator is a trained and experienced human services worker who has the responsibility of coordinating services for students of a non-academic nature understanding that these events can have an influence in terms of a student’s potential in achieving his/her goals. Her duties include providing assistance in housing, financial management, stress management, help with personal crisis situations and assistance in locating available community resources so that the student can continue with their studies with as little interruption as possible. |
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Tool #5: VIP Mail
The Student Success Center Advocates, as well as the other SSC professionals require that you access your VIP email twice a week in order to receive important and timely emails about SSC events, personal messages from your Advocate, and college-wide emails that can keep you updated about KVCC upcoming events which would include media events, drop/add dates, financial aid deadlines and information on the latest computer updates.
How to Access Your Email:
Your email has already been established for you by using the first initial of your first name, your last name (up to 10 letters), and the last four numbers of your Valley ID. The password to access your email is your six-digit birthday (mmddyy). An example of your address layout is as follows: ksmith9999@vipmail.kvcc.edu
For additional help, contact your Advocate or get help at the KVCC Computer Lab. |
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More Info:
Texas Township Campus Office Phone:488-4040
Arcadia Commons Campus (downtown):373-7841
Summer
Office Hours:
M, TH 8 a.m. to 4:30p.m.
TU 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
W 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (TTC)
W 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (ACC)
F 8 a.m. to Noon
Fall/Winter
Office Hours:
M, TH, F 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
TU, W 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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Ken Barr Jr. (Arcadia Commons Campus)
M, W, TH 8am - 4:30pm
TU 10am - 7pm
F 8am - Noon
Ken’s phone: (269) 373-7833
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Special Services Advocate Marsha Perkins’
M-Th 9am - 4:30pm
F 9am - Noon
Office located in Room 2220 (The Learning Center)
Marsha’s Phone: (269) 488-4397
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We are pleased that you are part of an exciting new program to aid students in achieving their goals.
For further information, ask your advocate!
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