Category: Institutional Announcements

College Visits Go Beyond Campus at K

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College visits in the summer are similar to bands going on tour. You go to new cities, meet new people, have a good time and receive an enthusiastic welcome! When you are planning your college visit tour, put Kalamazoo College on your list. Here’s why Kalamazoo College makes a good stop this summer.

There is a lot to do in Kalamazoo

College Visits Lunch Burger and Fries
College visits should go beyond campus. Check out the local food scene.

Kalamazoo College is located in a metro-area with over 335,000 people. After your campus visit, go explore downtown. Check out local restaurants, the art scene, take a walk on the Kalamazoo Valley River Trail or go to a Growler’s baseball game. There is a reason Kalamazoo has Fortune 500 companies, two major hospitals and an international airport. Kalamazoo is a city full of excitement, and opportunities for the whole family. “Kalamazoo is an amazing little-big town nestled exactly half way between two major cities and a short drive from some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. While you are visiting, be sure to leave time to try some of our excellent dining opportunities, take a tour of Bell’s Brewery or just sample some of their specialties if you’re of age. Kalamazoo has so much to offer – most within a short walk of campus!” says Scott Swope, Guest Experience Manager.

Explore Discover Kalamazoo’s website for visit ideas

Hit the Beach After Your Visit

Sunset at Lake Michigan on your college visit
You deserve to relax after all your college visits. Check out Lake Michigan!

A great perk of visiting K in the summer is the close distance to Lake Michigan. We are only 35 miles from the beach! Come explore all Kalamazoo has to offer and then head west to the lake.

During the spring term students get a day off, called the Day of Gracious Living, where students flock to the beach. “Coming from Colorado, it is exciting to be so close to a Great Lake. My friends and I love to escape to the beach on a hot day,” says senior Anne Waugh. Close access to water is a major perk of both attending K and visiting it.

Explore Pure Michigan’s website for more information on Lake Michigan

You Can Take it Slow

Fire pit
Make sure you stop and explore the campus on your college visits.

Take your time during your visit. With most students off campus for summer break, you can take everything in without the hustle and bustle on campus. We are still fully staffed; the cafeteria is open and campus is beautiful. Summer provides the most laid-back visit experience for those who want to take their time during their visit. “A college campus is going to be home for the next four years. Exploring K means envisioning yourself as a student when you look around our library, quad, academic buildings, and all the other hidden gems you will find along the way. This process should be fun, and visiting campus is the first step in exploring all of the wonderful opportunities that lay ahead,” says Admission Counselor Shelby Long.

Schedule your visit online.

Get Your Questions Answered

Admission Counselor at College Visit
Admission Counselors are here to answer questions during your college visit and beyond.

Visiting in the summer gives you the opportunity to ask questions before the application opens in August. Learn about our experiential education, the application process and how to make K affordable. Throughout the summer we have counselors on call and in the office to answer questions, present on our K-Plan and sit down with you for an interview. Here at K we take a personal approach to the college admission process. Meet with your counselor one-on-one so they can learn more about you and you can learn more about K.

Learn more about the application process on our website.

Touring is not just for bands, hit the road and make us a stop on your college visit tour. Just like your summer road trips, we want your application process to be as smooth as possible! Plan your visit today, and we promise you’ll leave informed about what Kalamazoo College has to offer and how to apply. See you soon!

Kalamazoo Promise Fulfills its First Class at K

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Kalamazoo Promise Student Druanna Darling with a dog
Druanna Darling ’19 said she had not considered attending Kalamazoo College until the Kalamazoo Promise was extended to Michigan Colleges Alliance schools in 2015. Photo by Catalina Gonzalez.

When students in the Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) receive their diplomas, 92 percent of them are eligible for an outstanding graduation gift: a tuition-free post-secondary education thanks to the Kalamazoo Promise.

KPS graduates who have lived in the district and have been students for at least four years can have as much as 100 percent of their in-state tuition and fees paid for thanks to the Promise, a program funded by anonymous donors. The program is applicable to community colleges, public universities, and since 2015, to 15 private institutions in the Michigan Colleges Alliance, including Kalamazoo College.

Fortunately for Druanna Darling ’19, this promise was made at just the right time.

“I remember there being a press conference during the summer before my senior year (in high school) and my mom was the one who showed me the Promise was being extended” to private schools, said Darling, whose family moved to Arizona when she was 6, only to return because of what the Promise offered her. “We had heard a lot of great things about Kalamazoo College and it was a part of our community, but it never seemed accessible to me. K wasn’t even on my radar.”

A chance to attend K with smaller class sizes and one-on-one opportunities to work with professors was extraordinarily appealing. The opportunity to have her tuition covered convinced her to visit campus. Two campus tours and an overnight stay later, Darling was sure she had found her second home.

“It felt like the students were more of a priority at K,” she said. “Elsewhere, the colleges accepted a huge group of students and the students paid their tuition. At K, faculty and staff were more personal and invested in students. I felt accepted immediately.”

Darling, a psychology major and Loy Norrix alumna, applied to the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Western Michigan University. Ultimately, she decided K was the only place she wanted to experience college. That college experience will culminate Sunday, June 16, when she will be one of eight KPS graduates to graduate from K, representing the College’s first class of Promise-eligible students.

Promise-eligible students have added a perspective of their own to K’s student body, Director of Admission Suzanne Lepley said. They are smart, well-prepared for college and know the community well, although most just start to learn of K’s distinctive offerings—including the K-Plan, the College’s approach to the liberal arts and sciences—shortly before applying.

“They have been educated in the richly diverse KPS system and that learning perspective transfers to the community at K,” Lepley said. “Despite being raised in the city, many spend little, if any time on our campus before attending. They tend to experience the College in a special way as they explore a part of the community they might not have known.”

Darling said she will graduate with a very limited amount of debt that she feels won’t be a burden thanks to the Kalamazoo Promise. And four years after first falling in love with K, her passion for K hasn’t changed.

“I keep thinking I might want to declare a second major and stay for a fifth year,” she joked. “I don’t think my view of it has changed at all. As an entering student, I was overjoyed. The environment is so warming. I have felt supported every day.”

Much of that support has come directly from the faculty. Darling worked with Assistant Professor of Psychology Brittany Liu in Liu’s research lab, and she has received assistance from professors in applying for jobs and graduate school as she hopes to one day work with autistic children.

“Personally, I know a lot of individuals who went to big universities,” Darling said. “There are a lot of things their education has lacked such as an opportunity to learn about social justice issues. At other universities, you might learn about physics or writing a good paper. But at K you learn about how to be a better citizen.”

Zhang Financial Contribution to Help Students

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Zhang Financial, one of the nation’s top fee-only financial advisory firms, will help Kalamazoo College support key initiatives in its strategic plan, Advancing Kalamazoo College: A Strategic Vision for 2023. Their generous contribution will help to better position K students for their first jobs after graduation.

Charles and Lynn of Zhang Financial
Charles Zhang serves as managing partner and CEO, and Lynn Chen-Zhang is the COO and chief compliance officer at Zhang Financial.

Zhang Financial, based in Portage, Michigan, is establishing the Zhang Financial Student Professional Development Fund, a permanent endowment that will underwrite campus-based programs to enhance student experiences and prioritize their professional development.

Some of those programs, coordinated through the Center for Career and Professional Development, include:

  • K’s annual Career Summit, which offers two days of interactive breakout sessions, themed panel discussions and networking opportunities with distinguished alumni and other professionals. This annual event, traditionally held in April, provides students of all majors with priceless information about how to position themselves for success in an unpredictable global job market.
  • Passions to Professions, which allows small groups of interested students to connect with local and visiting professionals over a casual meal to ask career-related questions.
  • Confident at Commencement, a weekly lunch series that delivers relevant content, from saving and investing to taxes and salary negotiations. This event caters to seniors as they prepare for Life after K.
  • Sophomore Retreats, which helps students in their second year at K develop public speaking and networking skills during a weekend with alumni and community professionals.

Collectively, these and other programs reinforce K’s strategic vision and its mission of preparing graduates to better understand, live successfully within, and provide enlightened leadership to a richly diverse and increasingly complex world.

“We are grateful to Zhang Financial for this contribution, which will help Kalamazoo College continue to provide students with amazing opportunities to develop their skills, experiences and future careers,” Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez said. “We are excited and honored by their trust and confidence in our efforts to provide a broad-based education through the liberal arts and sciences.”

Charles Zhang serves as managing partner and CEO, and Lynn Chen-Zhang is the COO and chief compliance officer at Zhang Financial.

“The professional landscape is dynamic—companies are constantly searching for candidates who contribute new skills, and who can adapt to an evolving workplace,” they said. “We are excited for the competitive advantage that The Zhang Financial Student Professional Development Fund will offer Kalamazoo College students.”

Kalamazoo College Trustees Elect New Board Chair

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Board Chair Charlotte H. Hall '66 Mumma8753R (002)
Kalamazoo College Board Chair Charlotte Hall ’66
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Si Johnson ’78 will begin serving as Kalamazoo College Board Chair beginning July 1, 2019.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees has unanimously elected Si Johnson ’78 to become chair of the Board effective July 1, 2019.

A retired Stryker executive, Johnson follows Charlotte Hall ’66 as chairperson. Johnson has served on Kalamazoo College’s Board of Trustees since 1996, and has been vice chair since 2010. Johnson says the Board’s terrific chemistry and passion for K places it in a strong position to execute the College’s new strategic plan.

“Si cares deeply about K,” said President Jorge G. Gonzalez. “His involvement with the College during the past three decades and his experience as a trustee are a tremendous asset to K. This decision continues Charlotte’s legacy of strong leadership, and provides the entire Board great momentum moving forward.”

A long-time leader in United States journalism, Hall has served on K’s Board of Trustees since 1999 and as its chair since 2012. During Hall’s tenure as Board chair, the College has increased its student population and become a more diverse and inclusive community. She was chair of the Board at the conclusion of the College’s most successful comprehensive fundraising campaign in its history, and she participated in the selection of K’s two most recent presidents, Gonzalez (2016-present) and Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran (2005-2016). She will stand for re-election for another three-year Board term in June.

“Charlotte’s counsel in the first years of my presidency at K has been invaluable. I am deeply grateful for her support and encouragement,” said Gonzalez.

Campus Visit Opportunities Can Help You Decide on K

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Choosing where you will spend the next four years of your life is a big decision, and a college campus visit is a great tool to help you decide. Talking to current students, eating in the cafeteria and attending a class can give you a sense of whether the college you’re exploring will be a good academic and social fit.

Prospective Students on a Campus Visit
Whether you’re just starting your search or you’re pretty sure Kalamazoo College will be your academic home, campus visit options such as individual visits, open houses and Visit the Zoo are beneficial.

“Our programs are designed to give prospective students a real feel for life as a student at Kalamazoo College,” says Admission Event Coordinator Sarah Matyczyn. “We want students to leave campus knowing whether or not K is the right fit for them.”

Whether you’re just starting your search or you’re pretty sure Kalamazoo College will be your academic home, the following campus visit options are available:

  • Individual visits are designed to fit a prospective student’s needs and schedule. A weekday campus visit provides the broadest number of activities and the best opportunities to learn about K. A class visit is an option along with an info session and campus tour. Saturday visits are available, but activities are limited because classes won’t be in session. When you arrive on campus, you will even find a designated parking spot waiting for you. No parallel parking required.
  • Open houses are designed with a broader audience in mind. There are student-led panel discussions, guided campus tours and other prospective students to talk with. Parents are encouraged to join their student to learn more about K. Open houses are held twice in the fall and twice in the spring. They are perfect for high school juniors or seniors who want more information on K.
  • The most in-depth campus visit option is the Visit the Zoo program, designed for admitted students and their families. This is a two-day event to help students make a final decision before the deposit deadline. Students may spend the night, talk with alumni and meet faculty members. Parents can sit in on a parent panel and ask questions about K. This is a fun and informative event for the whole family that covers topics such as financial aid. There are typically four Visit the Zoos in the winter and spring terms.

By choosing the campus visit option that fits your needs, you can leave confident about moving forward in the application process, whether you’re a junior choosing to apply or a senior making your deposit. Plan your campus visit today. You can sign up online or call the visit team to get started.

Happy Holidays from Kalamazoo College

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Happy holidays and holiday greetings from Kalamazoo College
Happy holidays from Kalamazoo College!

Dear Friends,

As we celebrate 60 years of study abroad being a hallmark of Kalamazoo College’s experiential education, Suzie and I are reminded of our own international experiences during our college years and how they changed our lives.

Holiday Card 2018
Happy holidays from Kalamazoo College! Click on this image for our holiday video.

Now, as we travel around the country and the world meeting with K alumni, we hear how important their study abroad and study away experiences were to their growth as people. How immersing themselves in another culture made them open to different perspectives. How navigating unfamiliar environments made them empathetic. How tasting new foods made them willing to take risks. How overcoming language barriers made them more resourceful. We are also mindful that because K is a study abroad site, for our international students, those same life-changing experiences are happening right here on our fair Arcadian hill.

During this celebratory time, we are grateful to be part of K’s global family. Where ever you find yourself in the world this season, we wish you peace and joy.

Happy holidays,

Jorge G. Gonzalez and Suzie (Martin) Gonzalez ’83

K Names New Chief Academic Officer

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Kalamazoo College has named a new provost to provide vision and direction for the academic program. President Jorge G. Gonzalez tapped Danette Ifert Johnson, currently the vice provost at Ithaca College in New York, for the top academic position. She will begin her role on July 1, 2019.

New Provost Danette Ifert Johnson
Danette Ifert Johnson, currently the vice provost at Ithaca College in New York, will be Kalamazoo College’s new provost.

Johnson brings a wealth of experience to Kalamazoo College. A tenured professor at Ithaca College, Johnson has spent four years as vice provost. She also served as the inaugural director of Ithaca’s Integrative Core Curriculum, experience Gonzalez says will serve her well at K.

“In addition to her extensive administrative experience, Danette has a long record of teaching success, and her scholarly accomplishments are considerable,” said Gonzalez. “K is reimagining our signature K-Plan, the individualized academic and experiential path each student creates, to ensure it meets the needs of this generation. Danette will lead a talented and engaged academic community and partner with other leaders of the College to build upon and support an innovative vision to advance Kalamazoo College.”

Johnson says K’s reputation for excellence in residential liberal arts education, and integrating rigorous and meaningful classroom and experiential opportunities drew her to this role.

“My interactions throughout the search process confirmed that the community-wide commitment to prepare students for an ever more complex and diverse world is genuine,” said Johnson adding, “I am especially eager to collaborate with K’s outstanding faculty and staff as we look for ways to enhance the outstanding educational experiences already in place. I am excited to begin working with President Gonzalez and the entire K community.”

An alumna of West Virginia Wesleyan College, Johnson served her alma mater as president of the Alumni Council and a member of the Board of Trustees. She has been a faculty member at West Virginia Wesleyan and Texas Tech University in addition to Ithaca College. She served as the executive director and president of the Eastern Communication Association (ECA), which honored her as a distinguished teaching fellow and distinguished research fellow.

Johnson earned her bachelor’s degree in speech communication and history from West Virginia Wesleyan College, a master’s degree in educational psychology from West Virginia University, and her master’s degree and Ph.D. in communication studies from Northwestern University.

Kalamazoo College’s previous provost, Michael A. (Mickey) McDonald, left the College to become the president of the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) of which Kalamazoo College is a member.

Johnson was selected after a national search conducted by an on-campus search committee and assisted by the firm Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, an executive search firm specializing in the education and non-profit sectors. The search committee was chaired by Rosemary K. Brown Professor in Mathematics and Computer Science Alyce Brady. Also serving on the committee were: Greg Diment ’84, Information Services; Dennis Frost, History and East Asian Studies; Binney Girdler, Biology and Environmental Studies; Shanna Salinas, English; Mary Beth Sarhatt, Trustee; Sarah Westfall, Student Development; and Jordan Wiley ’19. Wendy Fleckenstein provided administrative support.

“My thanks go to Alyce and the entire search committee for their hard work and success in evaluating a highly qualified pool of candidates. I am delighted with the outcome. Danette will be an excellent leader at the College,” said Gonzalez.

Recent-Graduate Trustees Ensure Board’s Decisions Empower Students

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An idea from the Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees is ensuring that K’s students will continue to thrive in the K-Plan. The board has decided that three of its members, elected to three-year terms, will serve as recent-graduate trustees. The advantage is that trustees with better knowledge of how current students navigate their educations and experiences will help the board make more informed decisions in guiding the College.

Mark Ghafari among recent-graduate trustees
Mark Ghafari ’14 serves as one of three recent-graduate trustees on the Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees.

As the board convenes this month, the recent-graduate trustees are:

Ghafari is beginning his first year on the board, Morales is in her second year and Howlett is in his third.

In his years as a student, Ghafari majored in economics, played men’s basketball, studied abroad in Strasbourg, France, with travels through Belgium and the Netherlands, and learned about internships while working in the Center for Career and Professional Development.

Asia Liza Morales is among the recent-graduate trustees
Asia Liza Morales ’15 serves as one of three recent-graduate trustees on the Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees.

“It’s an unbelievable honor to provide the board with the perspective of a recent graduate,” Ghafari said. “I applaud the College for having this role, and it’s a great opportunity to advance the mission of the College. It’s an exciting time with President Gonzalez and a new strategic plan. It’s exciting to be able to help.”

The board is comprised of 33 trustees including Gonzalez. Its members reflect major sectors of society and represent nationwide locales as well as the Kalamazoo community and College alumni. All are tasked with serving current and future students by assuring K’s continued place among the top private liberal arts colleges in the country.

Morales says to those current and future students, “There are so many experiences to be had at K that don’t happen at other colleges. This place fosters an experience unlike any other. It can be anything and everything you want it to be. Once I got in the workplace, I knew how far ahead I was because of Kalamazoo College.”

Jerrod Howlett among recent-graduate trustees
Jerrod Howlett ’09 serves as one of three recent-graduate trustees on the Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees.

Morales was a Posse scholar on campus, majored in biology, minored in anthropology and sociology, served as a president’s student ambassador, and spent a semester abroad in Cáceres, Spain.

Howlett as a student sought outside-the-classroom activities such as intercollegiate athletics including tennis; arts experiences such as Premium Orange, an a capella group; and a summer internship through Compuware, a software company. He also wanted the personal access to faculty that K provided.

“The relationships I built with my professors and the level of care they took to invest in me were the pinnacle experience of attending Kalamazoo College,” Howlett said. The faculty “always ensured they could take time out of their day so we could learn more. I know I could always go to them to ask questions.

“I have no idea if I’d be in the same place without K. I know it helped me get here.”