Welcome from the President

Welcome to Kalamazoo Valley Community College. This Home Page is just one way to extend our greetings and to provide information about KVCC to you. Kalamazoo Valley Community College is an institution focused on your future. We are bound neither to traditional forms of education nor to traditional methods of communication. Our mission centers around meeting the needs of our community, our nation, and those who come to us in search of a better life for themselves and their families. We believe learning is a life-long process, that all education is education for employment, and that we can make a difference.

Kalamazoo Valley Community College is a two-year, comprehensive, public institution. This means that we offer a broad array of programs and courses designed for immediate employment as well as transfer to four-year institutions. Our "go-to-work" programs will give you skills necessary for immediate employment in today's highly technological and skill-based work force. Our transfer programs will give you solid grounding for success in a four-year college or university. Graduates in programs designed for immediate employment are highly successful, both in terms of job placement and in terms of entry salaries. Those who seek the bachelors degree have found that the first two years at KVCC prepare them well for upper division work.

Our Home Page contains a lot of information! We invite you to explore the many facets of Kalamazoo Valley Community College. We further invite you to visit our campus and to call us. Learning is rudimentary in today's economy and today's world. Our byline is "a community of learning". This is more than a slogan. If you desire to join a group of people committed to learning, committed to your future, join the learning community that is Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

Sincerely,


Marilyn J. Schlack
President

• Mission Statement

• History of Institution

• Virtual Tour

• College News and Information

Mission Statement

(Modified by the Board of Trustees - October 12th 2004)

We are committed to enriching the lives of our students and communities through quality educational programs and services.

To accomplish these ends, we will: 

• Support student goal achievement through access to learning experiences and assessment.
• Support a balance between a comprehensive curricular base and innovations in education, personal development and technology by strategically utilizing resources.
• Provide curriculum and supportive services relevant to the needs of individuals, enterprise and government.
• Maintain a learning environment built upon the inclusivity of ideas of all cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
• Support economic vitality and stability through development of a skilled local workforce.
• Integrate the components of campus-based instruction, M-TEC and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum to support student and community needs.

Adopted:   June 14,  1994
Modified:  October 9, 2001, October 12, 2004

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History of Kalamazoo Valley Community College

Kalamazoo Valley Community College was established by vote of the people in 1966. It is a comprehensive, public, two-year college. Our enrollments total between 10,000 and 11,000 each semester. The College offers certificate programs in over 20 areas of study and associate of applied science degrees in 25 areas. These "go-to-work" programs include business careers, health careers, human and public service careers, and technical and industrial careers. Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) also provides a quality experience for transfer students, offering the associate of arts degree in education and liberal arts, and the associate of science degree in pre-science and pre-engineering. We are a fully accredited institution.

KVCC has two campuses: the Texas Township Campus and the Arcadia Commons Campus. Designed by Aldon Dow, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, the Texas Township Campus is housed on 187 acres of rolling woodland west of Kalamazoo. This campus is just off I-94 and the I-94/US 131 interchange. Additional acres are also available for future expansion at this location. At Texas Township, students may participate in athletics and intramural programs, play tennis, use the pool or exercise facilities, or maybe cross country ski on the College's wooded trails.

The Texas Township Campus, which totals about 430,000 square feet, is home to the Advanced Technology Center, a showcase for cutting edge developments in design and manufacturing technologies. The Advanced Technology Center features a manufacturing floor and demonstration area, an auditorium with uplink/downlink and teleconferencing facilities, a computer-integrated manufacturing cell, a lab dedicated to computer-assisted drafting, design and manufacturing, and other state-of-the-art facilities. Staff of the Center work with industry to assess new manufacturing technologies, demonstrate new products, train employees in new processes or tools, and share these developments with KVCC students.

Located in downtown Kalamazoo, the 58,000 square feet Arcadia Commons Campus was constructed in 1994. This campus is part of a community/business/education partnership which has renovated and revitalized a significant portion of the historic downtown area. In addition to occupational and general studies programs, the Arcadia Commons Campus provides customized training for business and industry, a wide array of non-credit seminars and workshops, and coordinates KVCC's off-campus offerings.

Located on the Arcadia Commons Campus is the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. This public museum of history, culture, science and technology was opened in February 1996. Its construction was financed entirely by private contributions --$20 million worth. Governed by KVCC, the museum houses an interactive learning hall with shows hosted by a people-loving robot, an interactive planetarium and theater, a "mini-museum" for preschoolers, incredible hands-on exhibits, the best in traveling exhibits, and a Challenger Learning Center for young and not-so-young space explorers. The museum provides a unique learning environment for students of Kalamazoo Valley Community College, as well as the general public.

Many special services and programs are available at our two campuses. For example, we have a thriving Honors Program. An International Studies Program includes over 130 courses which emphasize the international aspects of everything from accounting to wellness. The Achievement Plus program offers non-traditional students support and connections to overcome barriers to success. Project Focus assists minority students who intend to transfer to Western Michigan University through establishing support and mentor relationships.

Our Learning Center provides one-to-one tutoring, study skills development, assistance to students with special needs, and other tools for your educational success. Other services include a friendly and knowledgeable financial aid staff, touch tone as well as in-person registration, and counselors who are dedicated to you, the student. Student activities and clubs provide opportunities to connect to other students as well as to develop skills which will add to your learning experience and make you a better job candidate.

Unfortunately, reading the materials on this Home Page will not truly convey the things that set Kalamazoo Valley Community College apart from other institutions. We believe these include the high quality teachers and the learning process, a strong commitment to student success from all of us, and the caring and friendly environment KVCC has developed and nurtured throughout its history. Come visit us and experience for yourself the learning community of Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

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