The Digest
What’s Happening at KVCC
What’s below in this edition
Adios, summer hours (Page 1) Oral-history how-to (Page 4)
No Worker Left Behind (Pages 1/2)Portfolio Day (Pages 4/5)
School supplies (Page 2) Historic buildings (Page 5)
Our callers (Pages 2/3)Honors grad (Page 5)
Workplace diversity (Page 3) Screening center (Pages 5-7)
Cougar Connection (Pages 3/4) And Finally (Page 7)
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Summer hours end this week
KVCC’s 2007 version of “summer hours”ends Friday (Aug. 24).
On Monday through Thursday, the work week has been from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. And on Fridays, the college shuts down at noon.Friday will be the last day for that.
Meanwhile, food-service hours on the Texas Township Campus this week will be from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7:30 to noon on Friday. The week of Aug. 27-31, the hours will be from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Normal food-service hours resume on Tuesday, Sept. 4 – 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 7:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Fridays.
The fall semester’s Faculty Seminar Days are slated for Aug. 28-30, with the Wednesday segment starting at 11 a.m. and extending into the early evening.
No Worker Left Behind birthed at M-TEC
Gov. Jennifer Granholm came to the KVCC M-TEC last week to launch the No Worker Left Behind job-training program.
It calls for providing up to two years of free tuition – up to $5,000 annually -- for 100,000 Michigan residents at any state college or university that leads to a degree in a high-demand job – such as biotechnology and renewable energy – or allows them to gain entrepreneurial skills to start their own businesses.
Other high-demand jobs include advanced manufacturing and health care.
Eligible participants include any person who is currently unemployed, has received a notice of termination or layoff from employment, or whose family income is $40,000 or less. They must be at least 18 years old, must not have graduated from high school within the last two years, and must not be full-time college students. They have three years to sign up for No Worker Left Behind.
Granholm proposed the initiative in her 2007 State of the State address as part of a plan to transform Michigan’s economy.
Calling an educated workforce the most important component of job creation, she has pushed for higher standard in elementary and secondary education, a $4,000 Michigan Promise scholarship to every child to attend college, and a new focus on worker training to ensure that every employee has the opportunity to succeed in a global economy.
Partnering with the state in the No Worker Left Behind venture are Michigan’s 28 community colleges, the Michigan Community College Association, the 25 Michigan Works! agencies, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, and four-year institutions of higher learning. The estimated cost of the program is $40 million a year.
According to the department, Michigan will have a shortage of 334,000 skilled workers by 2012. It estimates that 70 percent of the fastest-growing jobs by 2010 will require a post-secondary degree or training.
Any surplus school supplies?
The KVCC Focus Program is collecting backpacks and school supplies such as pencils, pens, paper, folders, and notebooks for the New Direction Outreach Center.
The center in turn will be distributing all of that to 500 needy children at the Campground Family Festival at the Lincoln International Studies School on Saturday,(Aug. 25).
Backpacks and school supplies can be dropped off at the Focus Program/Transfer Resource CenterOffice in Room 1364 on the Texas Township Campus.
For more information, contact Robyn Robinson at extension 4779.
73 made calls for KVCC
Calloused fingertips and raspy greeting voices later, a cadre of KVCC volunteers made telephone calls to 4,140 students to alert them that they risked losing their fall-semester classes if they did not meet the tuition-payment deadline.
They would have willingly made another 1,689 calls if those students had left their telephone numbers with the college.
Led by retired English faculty member Elizabeth Miller, who read about the effort in The Digest and drove over from her South Haven digs to take part, here are the caring folks who lent a hand -- and a few fingers:
Lauren Beresford,Brenda Moncreif,Judy Rose, Patricia Wallace, Annette Arkush, Kristina Bazali, Kim Campbell, Jackie Cantrell,Lisa Peet, Barb VanSandt, Sheila White, Amy Winkel;
Amy Louallen,Tammy Saucedo, Karen Way, Bruce Kocher, Candy Horton, Andrea Gallegos, Steve Doherty;
Kandiah Balachandran, Jack Bley, Theresa Hollowell, Lisa Winch, Marylan Hightree, Lynne Morrison, Verna McIntosh, Bonnie McGee, Cindy Tinney, Betty VanVoorst;
Brian Graeing, Kevin McKinney, Dave Lynch, Pedro Soto, Kathy Anderson, Ruth Baker, Mary Johnson, Rose Crawford, Michael McCall, Sommer Hayden, Kate Zepp, Pamela Siegfried, Shawna Vander Veen, Diane Vandenberg;
Roger Miller, Chris Robbins, Mary Lindsley, Nancy Roberts, Bonnie Bowden, Jenny Buysse, Laura Cosby, Robyn Robinson, Davy Mayfield, Bonita Bates, Gloria Norris, Lisa Gruber, Gerri Jacobs;
Jeff Donovan, Amelia Hoppe, Laurie Dykstra, Pat Sulier, Ray Andres, Colleen Olson, Marie Arrieta, Karen VanStaverson , Jaime Robins, Margaret Lester, Louise Wesseling, Tom Thinnes, Karen Visser, Tarona Guy, and Pat Pojeta.
Workplace diversity is seminar topic
Tolerance, diversity in the workplace, and understanding the components of sexual harassment will be addressed in a one-day workshop at KVCC’s M-TEC on Friday, Sept. 7.
These topics will be covered in “Diversity in the Workplace” that opens at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. The fee is $295, which includes instructional materials and meals.
Jacob Arndt, a communications instructor at KVCC who specializes in culture and gender issues in society, will explore the influence that diversity has on professional relationships in the workplace for males and females.
In “Teaching Tolerance: Understanding the Components of Sexual Harassment and Diversity in Workplace Dynamics,” Arndt will also outline communication behaviors that can produce an uncomfortable environment.
Drawing upon recent case studies, activities and research, Arndt will provide participants with the tools to understand what constitutes sexual harassment and how to function effectively in a diverse workplace while learning to prevent conflicts and to deal with existing issues.
Call (269) 353-1253 for registration details or reply to .
Cougar Connection 2007 on Sept. 4
KVCC programs, departments and services will be welcoming fall-semester students atthe 2007 Cougar Connection on Tuesday, Sept. 4 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the Texas Township Campus.
This year’s "Connection" for new and returning students will feature:
♦ door prizes and other give-aways, including a computer
♦ a variety of games
♦ free food provided by vendors
♦ fitness orientations by the KVCC Wellness and Fitness Center.
♦ a scavenger hunt
♦ massages by the Kalamazoo Center for the Healing Arts
♦ a local radio station’s remote broadcast
♦ food and refreshments.
♦ displays by college organizations and programs.
♦ and promotions by local financial institutions, restaurants, and businesses.
All will be free at the sixth Cougar Connection
Volunteers for Cougar Connection are needed for staffing tables in the Commons.
KVCC programs and services to students that would like to gain exposure during the 2007 Cougar Connection should contact Mary Johnson, student activities and programs coordinator in The Student Commons.
To arrange for a table and any other preparations, contact her at extension 4182 or e-mail her at .
Preserving personal histories
The “Kalamazoo Oral History Symposium,” which will cap off a year-long project of capturing oral histories of African Americans, Mexican Americans and Native Americans in Southwest Michigan, is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 29.
Co-sponsored by the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, the Western Michigan University College of Education, and WMU Archives and Regional History Center, the session from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the downtown-Kalamazoo museum is free and open to the public.
Participants will hear firsthand the experiences of both interview subjects and the interviewers in a panel discussion.
They will attend mini-workshops on topics related to conducting interviews, on the pleasures and pitfalls of doing oral histories, on preserving family histories and heirlooms, and how technology aids these efforts. The sessions will be held in the museum’s Mary Jane Stryker Theater.
Call the museum at 373-7990, or check the website at for registration details.Participants will receive a binder with additional resources.
Center for New Media hosts ‘Portfolio Day’
Students enrolled in Center for New Media courses will showcase their projects and programs to their fall-semester counterparts and college recruiters as part of “Portfolio Day” on Tuesday, Sept. 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“This is a chance for new students and faculty members to learn more about our unique mix of programs from animation to web development, our integrated learning environment, and the successes of our students,” said Van Muse, dean of instruction at the Arcadia Commons Campus and director of the Center for New Media.
Also invited are representatives of four-year colleges and universities. “We want them to show them how our graduates can distinguish themselves at their institutions,” he said. “They can meet with current CNM students, view their portfolios, give valuable feedback, and recruit them. They also will have a chance to view our facilities, talk with our faculty and administration, and perhaps develop an academic partnership.”
The CNM blends the professional and academic with programs in animation, digital prepress, eBusiness, graphic design, illustration, visual communication, video game art, web design/interactive media, and web development. The curriculum merges intense foundational coursework with industry-standard instruction while challenging students through team projects and client-based interactions.
Recent graduates have continued their studies at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, the Kendall College of Art, Western Michigan University, and College of Creative Studies in Detroit. They are employed throughout the region and in such cities as Chicago, Portland, and San Francisco.
For more information, contact Char Gibson at or 373-7920. Refreshments will be provided. Muse can be contact at 373-7849 or .
A chance to look at historical Kalamazoo
With KVCC continuing to build upon its presence in the community’s hub, faculty, staff and students will be able to visit the city’s rich history by taking part in the Downtown Kalamazoo Historic Homes Tour on Saturday, Sept. 15.
The upcoming edition of the annual tour of historic homes and restored buildings begins at 9 a.m. and concludes at 5 p.m.
Organizer Leslie Decker of the Stuart Avenue Association said “not only do historic homes have their own personalities, each is infused with the owner’s personalities and ideas, making each stop a new adventure in history, decorating and individuality.
“While the exteriors of the homes closely reflect their original looks,” she said, “the insides will surprise and delight you with their uniqueness. Old homes embrace a mystery and nostalgia that are unmatched. Some are little changed in a century.”
Among this year’s stops are homes and commercial buildings located at 1005 Davis, 627 S. Burdick, 131 W. Kalamazoo Ave., 824 Lucas Court, 610 S. Rose, and 631 Summer.
The tour’s prime sponsor is Downtown Kalamazoo Inc. with Jeff Bertolissi Prudential Preferred Realtors and the city of Kalamazoo also playing support roles.
The cost of tickets in advance is $10 and $5 for students.
They are available at: Cork Lane Decorating Center, 1101 E. Cork St.; Douglas and Sons Paints Inc., 231 W. Cedar St. and 5024 S. Westnedge Ave.; Epic Center, 359 S. Burdick Mall; Miller Auditorium on the Western Michigan University campus; Schafer’s Flowers Inc., 4315 W. Main St.; the D & W Food Centers at 525 Romence and 2103 Parkview Ave.; Harding’s Markets at 5161 W. Main St. and 800 Gull Road in Richland; and the Stuart Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast, 229 Stuart Ave.
The price jumps to $13 and $6 on the day of the tour.
For more information, contact Decker at 344-7432 or
Next stop pharmacy school for Honors grad
Leslie Lukins, a graduate of the KVCC Honors Program, has been accepted into the Ferris State University School of Pharmacy.
She told program director Steve Louisell that, in preparation for the fall semester, she “got more out of KVCC” because of the Honors curriculum and that she was pleased “to have met the people I did on the way”
Screening center making its mark
KVCC’s Michigan High Throughput Screening Center (MHTSC), located in its M-TEC since mid-2005, is in full operation, has expanded past its initial staffing level, and enjoys a larger client base than originally expected.
Much of its story is told in the current edition of “The Official Membership Newspaper of the Society for Biocellular Science.
The need for a screening center initially evolved from life-science start-up companies in Southwest Michigan.
The first validation of that need came when KVCC, through the screening center, was quickly invited to be the first non-founding member of Michigan’s Core Technology Alliance (CTA), which was established by the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, and the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids.
Since then, Western Michigan University and Grand Valley State University have also joined the CTA while Henry Ford Hospital has requested membership.
When the screening center started operations in the M-TEC, it joined a collaborative network of advanced technology facilities that included the Michigan Animal Models Consortium at the Van Andel Institute, the Michigan Center for Biological Information and the Michigan Proteome Consortium that are both part of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus, the Michigan Center for Genomic Technologies at Wayne State University, and the Michigan Center for Structural Biology at Michigan State University.
Through its connection to the CTA and the alliance’s cadre of life-science and biotechnology research partners, KVCC thus joined such academic institutions as Harvard, the University of Wisconsin, Rutgers University, the University of Alabama, Stanford University, and the University of Kansas in providing not-for-profit services in throughput screening for early-stage investigators.
It remains the only community college in the nation boasting of a high throughput screening centerwhose functions are metaphorically described as providing the robotic and computerized technology that allows medical and drug-discovery researchers to find the proverbial “needle in a haystack” when it comes to identifying compounds with therapeutic potential.
The MHTSC now enjoys a growing client base of:
Local start-up companies, both as customers and/or strategic partners.
Small biotechs/pharmaceutical companies inside and outside the state.
Universities, both inside and outside the state.
A research institute.
A major government agency.
Large pharmaceutical companies.
Not only is the center a boon to small biotech enterprises, but also to "big pharmas" that are beginning to outsource this function. The latter is something that KVCC planners did not expect, but this surprising development has added to the center's growing success, reputation, and financial stability.
What clients -- large and small -- appreciate is that the collection of compounds is highly diverse and broad-based, making it cost efficient to use. Small enterprises or start-up biotech companies can prove the viability of the research they are doing without mortgaging their financial futures. They can afford to have a miss.
In addition to Kalamazoo-based PharmOptica and the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, other clients include the system of Walter Read hospitals in Washington and Schering-Plough, as well bio-tech companies in Pennsylvania, Ann Arbor, Utah, Boston, and a pharmaceutical company based in Europe. Also pending are contracts with Eli Lilly and Abbott.
The MHTSC has been working with researchers across the United States and with the company in Europe who are probing for breakthroughs in:
● Cancer
● Malaria
● A variety of infectious diseases
● Diabetes
● Inflammation
● Obesity
● Muscular dystrophy
● Alzheimer’s
● e-coli prevention
And finally. . .
Time for a few yuks, compliments of dead-pan comic Steven Wright:
I woke up one morning and all my stuff had been stolen, and replaced by exact duplicates.
I’d kill for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Borrow money from pessimists. They don’t expect it back.
Ninety-nine percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
All those who believe in psychokinesis, raise my hand.
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
I almost had a psychic girlfriend, but she left me before we met.
We know the speed of light, but what is the speed of dark?
How can you tell when you are out of invisible ink?
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