Our celebration of the April commencement on Sunday was delightful.
MISSION STATEMENT Kalamazoo Valley Community College creates innovative and equitable
opportunities that empower all to learn, grow and thrive.
May 1, 2025
Greetings College Community,
Our celebration of the April commencement on Sunday was delightful. It was another great day for our students, college faculty and staff, and for the broader community who will continue to benefit from the skills and abilities of our graduates!
The successful completion of a college credential is an amazing accomplishment. The graduates who we celebrated have overcome every obstacle placed in their way. I am so proud of them.
I want you to know how much I appreciate all that you have done to assist those completing a credential. Our students frequently report how much they value their classroom instruction and the assistance they receive from various college employees. The care you put into your work truly impacts their lives and is what makes Kalamazoo Valley a place where everyone can thrive.
Sincerely,
L. Marshall Washington, Ph.D.
President
Congratulations to our April 2025 Graduates Thank you to everyone who came to our 92nd commencement ceremony. It was a great day to celebrate all our students� hard work! Two hundred and seventy students took to the stage to celebrate their accomplishment. To see photos, click here.
Children of Employees Visit Campus Take Your Child to Work Day was a fun two days for all, as children got a chance to job shadow and get a glimpse of the working world through the guidance of their parents. More than 28 children participated during the two-day event.
Power Outage Planned for Sunday, May 4 A temporary power outage impacting the Arcadia Commons Campus is scheduled for Sunday, May 4 to allow Consumers Energy to perform electrical system upgrades in the area. To ensure this work is completed safely, the Kalamazoo Valley Museum will be closed on Sunday, May 4. The museum will return to normal operating hours beginning on Tuesday, May 6.
TTC Parking Lot Resurfacing Begins Next Month Starting Monday, May 5, Lot A (the faculty lot), shown below in ORANGE, will be closed for the week for resurfacing. Anyone who usually parks in that lot should park in Lot B or an alternate location. The following week, improvements will begin on ATC drive from the intersection of Cougar Drive north to the intersection of Cougar Drive west, shown below in YELLOW. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for your patience while we make these improvements.
Email Security Reminders Think you�ve received a suspicious email?
If you�ve received what you think is a suspicious email, there is no need to email IT to report it. You can simply right-click the message and report it as phishing right from your email client.
Remember to look for the blue banner at the top of the email message indicating that it originated outside of the college. While this isn�t always grounds for suspicion, it�s a good indication that the message probably didn�t come from a college employee or department. Always check the sender�s email address, including hovering over the visible address or sender�s name.
If you are unsure and you want IT to look at the message for you, email it@kvcc.edu and include some details about the message, but do not forward the actual message. We will view the message through our administrative console and let you know what we think.
Quarantined Message Notifications
You will receive a quarantine notification email letting you know when Microsoft has quarantined an email message for you. Quarantine notification emails are sent approximately every four hours.
What does the Microsoft quarantine notification email look like?
Here is a sample. Please note, this email is not junk/phishing. It is telling you about other emails that were identified as such. Do not mark this email as junk/phishing.
What do I do when I receive a quarantine notification email?
Follow these steps:
Verify that the quarantine notification email is from: emailquarantine@kvcc.edu.
Verify that the subject is �Microsoft 365 security: You have messages in quarantine�
Review the message(s) listed. If you recognize the message as legitimate, click its "Release" button to have it delivered to your Inbox.
Note: Certain messages require an admin to release. In these cases, instead of a "Release" button, you will see a "Request Release" button.
If you would like more details about a particular message, click its "Review Message" button. This will launch the Microsoft Defender portal with details displayed about the message.
If you recognize the message as legitimate, click the "Release Email" link to have it delivered to your Inbox.
If this message does not seem legitimate, you do not need to do anything. Messages in quarantine will be automatically purged after 30 days.
If you are unsure about a message�s legitimacy, please email it@kvcc.edu with details about the message in question (do not forward the email itself) and we will review it for you.
I did not receive an email that I was expecting. Do I need to wait for a quarantine notification email to arrive before acting?
No, you do not need to wait for notification. You may login to Microsoft Defender portalat any time and see messages that have been quarantined, even before your quarantine notification arrives in your Inbox.
Have additional questions?
Please email it@kvcc.edu.
Campus Tours Now Available for Employees We have developed the structure for again offering campus tours to new employees or anyone else who would like a guided tour of buildings, other than the Texas Township Campus. Those interested should register for the specific tour they would like in Power School. Employees must provide their own transportation.
Arcadia Commons Campus | 60 min. | 2 p.m. May 13, July 8, Sept. 9, Nov. 11
Bronson Healthy Living Campus | 90 min. | 8:15 a.m. April 22, June 24, Aug. 26, Oct. 28
Kalamazoo Valley Groves Campus | 30 min. | 11 a.m. June 10, Aug. 12, Oct. 14
Tour participants should work with their supervisors in scheduling tours, so that the work of the department is minimally impacted. To sign up for any of our campus tours, please go to this link: Campus Tours.
Banner Self-Service Upgrades On April 16, the Personal Information and Employee sections of Banner Self-Service was upgraded, bringing significant changes to the user interface. Please refer to the Employee Self-Service Guide for instructions on navigating the new pages. This is also an excellent opportunity for you to review your personal information and submit any necessary updates to Human Resources using the Employee Change of Information form. Stay tuned for additional updates. If you experience issues accessing the new Banner Self-Service, use a different browser or clear your cache. Email it@kvcc.edu if that does not work.
Employee Benefits Employee Assistance Program Did you know that all employees at Kalamazoo Valley have access to our Employee Assistance Program? This is a confidential work-based program that offers resources to employees. For more information, click here.
You Are Not Alone � Community Resources Available Some of our students, co-workers, friends, relatives or even ourselves may need assistance from time to time. The college has a list of community resources on our website. Click here. We encourage you to share the list with others.
Diversity and Bias in the Search Committee Trainings Diversity and Bias in the Search Committee is a required training for all staff and faculty wishing to serve on a search committee. Participants will explore the basics of serving on a search committee and gain insight into how implicit or unconscious bias can influence the decision-making process.
May 29 | 9 - 11 a.m. | Room C1410-1 Groves |Register Here
Retirement Services and Voya
For those who have a MPSERS and/or a Voya account, Voya offers one-on-one virtual appointments and webinars. To sign up for a session or to view dates and times, click here.
TIAA
Do you have an account with TIAA? A listing of webinars in May and June can be found by clicking here. Would you like to save more for retirement? The supplemental retirement plan gives you the opportunity to continue to save toward retirement. Kalamazoo Valley Community College offers three plans through TIAA. The deduction can either be a percentage of your check or a fixed dollar amount. To learn more on the different plans, clickhere.These options are for employee-only contributions.
The Pool App
Is your healthcare coverage through Kalamazoo Valley Community College? Have you downloaded the app for The Pool? On the app, you will have access to pain management, diabetes management, health management, diabetes and heart health and virtual second opinions. To learn more, clickhere.
Maven � Maternity and Postpartum Support
Employees who are covered under the Kalamazoo Valley Community College medical plan now have additional support. Whether you�re an expectant parent or excited partner, Maven can support you in answering questions, connect you with qualified professionals and more.
AFLAC Accident Plan
If your medical plan is through Kalamazoo Valley Community College, you also have AFLAC Accident for no additional cost. The AFLAC Accident covers all dependents who are enrolled on your medical plan. For more information on AFLAC Accident, click here.
Collegewide Luncheon Scheduled for May 2 As part of the Summit on Friday, May 2, a collegewide luncheon will be held from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. on the Texas Township Campus in the Student Commons and Cafeteria. All employees are invited to attend.
Fall Summit Planning Underway The Summit planning team has been working hard to create an engaging Fall 2025 Summit event. We want to maintain features that work well and implement a few minor adjustments that will help us connect better with your creative ideas. The deadline to submit a proposal is Thursday, May 22.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Kimberly Dupree, training and development coordinator.
REAL ID Required for Travel Starting May 7 Starting May 7, 2025, the TSA will require a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or another acceptable form of identification, such as a valid U.S. passport or passport card to board domestic flights. If you are planning to fly for professional development, please make sure your ID is ready. A REAL ID typically has a star in the upper corner. If your driver's license does not, consider upgrading now to avoid travel disruptions. Visit tsa.gov/real-id for more information.
Time Sheet Submission Reminders Due to the start of summer hours and the Memorial Day holiday, your Payroll Department wanted to send a friendly reminder of how to process these events on your time sheets:
Summer Hours
Full-time hourly staff who work in buildings that close on Fridays during summer hours should record four hours of TOP (time-off paid) on each Friday of their time sheet during summer hours which start on May 5 and go through Friday, August 1.
Additionally, during summer hours, the increment for full-day leave use is nine hours. You would follow regular increment guidelines per the handbook for leave of less than a full-day. Staff who do not work a regular Monday � Friday shift, or who work in buildings that are open on Fridays during the summer should follow the same procedures as in prior years for recording time worked.
Memorial Day
Full-time hourly staff should record nine hours of TOP on their time sheet for the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 26. If a full-time hourly employee worked on the Memorial Day holiday, please refer to the employee handbook (Section 30 - Holidays) for assistance on how to record your time worked on the time sheet.
If you are unsure if or how you should record TOP time for summer hours or the Memorial Day holiday, please check with your supervisor or Human Resources for assistance.
Any questions may be directed to the Payroll Department. Call Anita Gonzales at x4872, Megan Collins at x4898 or Molly Riley at x4239; or you may send an email to payroll@kvcc.edu.
Thank you for your continued effort to ensure proper and timely completion of your timesheets.
Thank You for Participating in Giving Week The college received $2,438 in donations last week as part of Giving Week. In addition, several of you give regularly through payroll deduction, which provides a combined total of over $8,000 a year for our students.
You don�t need an official Giving Week to donate a gift to help our students. We anticipate higher need in the upcoming year, so every gift is greatly appreciated.
If you would like to arrange for a small amount to be withheld from your paycheck that would be directed to the general unrestricted fund for student scholarships, visit the Employee Portal and look for the link under Payroll Resources. If you would like to make a one-time donation by credit card, visit the Foundation website. We can also accept cash and checks in Room 3388, TTC. Questions? Contact Alisha Siebers, executive director of the KVCC Foundation.
2025 Year-End Student Celebration Exhibit, Ned Foskey Poetry Reading Opens Tomorrow Come join us this Friday, May 2, to celebrate the hard work and creative achievements of students who have taken Studio Arts and Applied Arts and Media Technology classes at Kalamazoo Valley!
The 2025 Year-End Student Celebration Exhibit will open during Art Hop on Friday, May 2 at 5:30 p.m. and will showcase art and design works created by students. It will remain on display through the end of the month.
Following the art show, please join us in celebrating our award-winning student poets at the Ned Foskey Poetry Prize Reading at 6:30 p.m.
Call for Entries for Student Planner Information and Promotional Item Ordering Begins Today Beginning today, your department will be able to submit events and important dates for inclusion in the college's 2025 - 2026 Student Planner. This printed piece will serve as a compass for campus engagement as students navigate through the academic year. The call for entries period closes Thursday,June 5 by 5 p.m.
Prior to submitting information for inclusion in the planner, event requests must be submitted to Event Services via Astra Schedule for review. Once your events have been approved, please click here to submit your information for inclusion in the planner. If you need promotional items for your event(s), please click here to request the items that are needed for fiscal year 2025 - 2026 (July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026).
Note that non-event information, such as important academic calendar or application dates, do not require an Astra Schedule review.
For questions about the call for entries form for the Student Planner, contact Khadijah Kabbani.
For questions about Astra Schedule, contact Jessica Potter.
For questions about promotional item ordering, contact Allison Lay.
Photographer on Campus Are you in need of a headshot? A professional photographer will be available to take employee photos May 13 in the lower level area of the Student Commons on the Texas Township Campus. Appointments are available in 10-minute increments from 9 to 10:50 a.m. and from 1 to 2:50 p.m. Sign up now here.
Summer Reading Consider reading a good book this summer! We have books that support both discipline-related and personal interests.
Lead with Your Strengths Our strengths-based journey continues. We are committed to helping every team member explore and leverage their unique talents through the CliftonStrengths Assessment, developed by Gallup. Whether you are new to the assessment or simply looking to revisit your results, now is a great time to engage. These sessions are open to everyone, not just our newest employees.
Haven�t taken the assessment yet? Join us to discover your Top 5, and other reports, to learn how to invest in your strengths.
Already have your Top 5 report and still curious about your full 34? Let�s explore.
Just want a refresher or to re-engage with your strengths? You are welcome to join as well.
Wherever you are on your strengths journey, these sessions are designed to help you focus on what you do best. Sign up today and keep leading with your strengths.
Here is how to get started:
With supervisor approval, register to attend one of the Explore Your Strengths sessions below:
Wednesday, May 28 | 11 a.m. | AWH Room 128 | Register Here
Thursday, June 26 | 3 p.m. TTC Room 4520 | Register Here
Tuesday, July 29 | 9 a.m. CAH Room 223 | Register Here
Then, if needed, you will receive a code from one of the Strengths coaches before the session. This code will allow you to complete the CliftonStrengths Assessment. The assessment will take approximately 45 minutes.
Next, attend the session to learn more about how to read your report, dive into your top strengths and truly invest in your strengths.
Second Annual KVAAP Alumni Gala The Second Annual KVAAP Alumni Gala was an evening dedicated to celebrating the achievements of KVAAP graduates. This special event brought together alumni from various cohorts to network, reconnect and engage with career resources that support their continued growth and success. The event took place on Friday, April 18 from 6 - 8 p.m. in TTC Room 4240. Additional photos from the event can be found here.
Upcoming KVAAP Info Sessions
Wednesday, May 7 | 10 a.m.
Tuesday, May 13 | 5 p.m.
Attending a KVAAP Info Session is a required part of the application process. Interested students can register here.
KVAAP is still accepting applicants for the Summer 2025 semester. Please direct students to the KVAAP webpage for more information regarding benefits and eligibility. They can access the webpage here.
Bookstore Accepts Summer Financial Aid Starting May 5 May 5 is the first day that students can use summer financial aid to make purchases at the Texas Township Bookstore. Both in-store and online purchases are eligible. Note that the Bookstore has transitioned to summer hours. It will be open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from May 5 to July 31. Shop in person or 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 shipped for $5.
What's for Lunch on the Texas Township Campus? The Cougar Cafe is adjusting their menu during the summer. They will be serving Subway, salad and pizza options. The Cougar Cafe will continue to serve hot coffee and snacks. Summer hours are Monday - Thursday, 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. The Coffee Den is closed for the summer.
Softball and Baseball Seasons End This Week Up for a road trip? Away games this week will conclude the season for both the softball and baseball teams, and they�d love your support! The softball players end their season on Friday, May 2 at Lansing Community College with games at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Meanwhile, the baseball team�s final games will be Saturday, May 3 at Glen Oaks Community College in Centreville at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Keep up with the scores by clicking here for the Athletics website. To read the head softball and baseball coaches� season outlooks, click here.
Player Spotlight Player Spotlight is an occasional feature highlighting outstanding student-athletes at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. The honorees have been nominated by their coaches. Today we are spotlighting four softball players and two baseball players.
SOFTBALL
BROOKLYN BOWEN Position: Pitcher / First Base Hometown: Portage, Michigan Major: Early elementary education Why outstanding: Brooklyn is a freshman who has maintained a GPA of 3.52 throughout the year. She is a very kind and humble leader who has helped lead her team on the mound and with her bat. She is always a team-player, cheering on her teammates and making sure everyone is included. Her confidence and ability to communicate has grown so much over this past year.
CALEY KERWIN Position: Outfield Hometown: Schoolcraft, Michigan Major: Health and physical education Why outstanding: Caley is one of the hardest workers on our team. The sophomore has upheld a 3.61 GPA at Valley. She plays with the passion, heart and grit that all teams need and makes sure to have fun while she's doing it. She plans on attending a four-year university to continue her education and potentially play softball.
KARLIE KNISELY Position: First Base / Catcher Hometown: Coldwater, Michigan Major: Psychology Why outstanding: Karlie is a leader on and off the field. She has an incredible work ethic and inspires her teammates to be the best they can be. The sophomore has maintained a 3.6 GPA during her time at Valley. Her love for the game and willingness to do whatever is best for the team never goes unnoticed. She plans on continuing her education at Western Michigan University and studying speech therapy.
SELAH MILLER Position: Shortstop / Third Base Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan Major: Pre-Med Why Outstanding: Selah is a transfer student who came to Kalamazoo Valley Community College this year. She had a 3.3 GPA throughout the year. She is a compassionate leader and does a great job picking her teammates up when they need it. She is always willing to put her team first with whatever is needed. After Valley, she plans to attend Western Michigan University to continue her education in business sales and business management.
BASEBALL
JACK CRITTENDON Position: Right-handed pitcher Hometown: Byron Center, Michigan Major: General education Why outstanding: Jack is an incredibly hard-working student-athlete who approaches practice every day with a ready-to-work mentality. Through the hours Jack puts in on and off the field, he shows his commitment to the game and a relentless work ethic. His dedication to the game and his team has made him a respected figure, logging accolades such as Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Pitcher of the Week and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II National Pitcher of the Week after throwing his first career no-hitter. Looking ahead, Jack aims to build on his successes, pursue opportunities at higher levels of collegiate baseball and earn his bachelor�s degree. After baseball, Jack hopes to join the firefighting academy to pursue a career in firefighting.
BRETT REED Position: Shortstop Hometown: Novi, Michigan Major: Exercise science Why outstanding: As a sophomore and the Cougars� everyday shortstop, Brett has anchored the infield, not missing one inning all season � a testament to his durability, consistency and value to the team. Offensively, he leads the team with a .325 batting average and boasts a .422 on base percentage with 39 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. His standout performance earned him Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Western Conference Player of the Week honors twice this season. Beyond the box score, Brett is known for his leadership and steady presence both on and off the field. He plans to finish his degree at Valley and pursue a career in physical therapy, continuing his passion for helping others achieve ideal performance.
Free Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep Exhibit Opens May 17 Step into the environments of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep to explore their contraptions, antics and escapades through dramatic play and interactive opportunities, as part of a new traveling exhibit at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. Designed for children ages three through nine, the exhibit encourages playfully solving STEM-based and social-emotional problems in fun and engaging ways. �Wallace & Gromit� and Shaun the Sheep�: Shear Genius!� was created by Minnesota Children�s Museum and Ardman Animations� Limited � 2025. It runs May 17 to Aug. 31. Find more details at kalamazoomuseum.org.
Two Fun Exhibits Highlight Items from the Museum�s Archives Have you seen the new �Colorful Collections� and �The Art of Advertising� exhibits at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum? �Colorful Collections� features items from the Kalamazoo Valley Museum�s permanent collection displayed in a rainbow of hues. Delve into the color spectrum like never before as you enjoy some of the brightest and boldest examples from the KVM's collection. �The Art of Advertising� showcases nostalgic signs and advertisements from area businesses from the museum�s archives, offering up an eclectic mix of advertising paraphernalia from bygone eras. The exhibits will beon display until Aug. 31.
