The Digest
What’s Happening at KVCC
What’s below in this edition
Auto Tech ‘tune-up’ (Pages 1/2)Festival of Space (P-13/14)
Spin to begin (Pages 2/3)Why invest? (Page 14)
‘Branding’ meetings (Page 3/4)Bound for WMU? (Pages 14/15)
KAFI attracts 555 (Pages 4/5)Science careers (Pages 15/16)
Ron Miazga (Pages 5/6) Exec training (Pages 16/17)
‘About Writing’ (Pages 6/7)Murders, he wrote (P-17/18)
Motown moment (Pages 7-9)Corrections III (Pages 18/19)
Deaf humorist (Pages 9/10)Civil rights’ impact (Page 19)
Hospitality grads (Pages 10/11) Finding a job (Pages 19/20)
Organ donations (Pages 11/12) Louie, Louie (Pages 20/21)
And Finally (Page 21)
☻☻☻☻☻☻
Auto program passes national muster
KalamazooValleyCommunity College’s training program in automotive technology has retained its national accreditation.
The master certification, initially awarded in 2002 to KVCC, has been extended by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF).
One of the factors in granting the recertification is the fact that KVCC, in addition to offering both degree- and certificate-granting programs, also is home to an automotive academy that offers more intense, targeted training.
“What this means,” said Larry Taylor, director of KVCC’s auto-tech program, “is that students who complete our courses can transfer them to any NATEF-certified school in the country because we are meeting national training standards.
“It means to Southwest Michigan employers in the automotive business,” Taylor said, “that the people who they hire from KVCC have passed muster in a rigorous training curriculum that is up to date and meets national standards. They are job-ready to be employed as entry-level technicians with up-to-date working skills. That means better service to the motoring public.
“And what it means to the college,” he said, “is that KVCC has maintained its position to be the recipient of equipment and other kinds of training-related materials because many in the industry only make donations to NATEF-certified programs.”
Leading the re-accreditation effort was instructor Ron Hofman, who shepherded the self-evaluation phase of the lengthy process that involved instructors, administrators and members of the program’s advisory committee. They examined the program’s mission, administration, learning resources, financial support, services to students, quality of instruction, training equipment, and working agreements with local businesses. The process identifies both strengths and weaknesses.
Next came the on-site evaluation that is arranged by NATEF and includes Southwest Michigan master mechanics and automotive educators who come in from the outside to judge whether the KVCC program meets or exceeds national instructional standards.
“Ron did an excellent job in planning for these evaluations and arranging for the on-site assessment,” Taylor said.
The concept of program accreditation can be traced to the late 1970s when representatives in the automotive industry and vocational educators gathered in concern about the quality of automotive education across the nation. By 1982, an evaluation system was in place to establish training standards for certification.
National certification is granted if the program meets all the standards. KVCC is one of 866 high school and college programs in the country to receive NATEF’s “master” blessing – 21 of which are located in Michigan.
KVCC’s program has been designated by NATEF as a certification site for those who want to gain the status of “master mechanic” in eight areas -- automotive performance, air conditioning and heating, brakes, steering and suspension systems, automotive transaxle and transmission, engine mechanics, and manual transmission and drive train.
In addition to teaching to national standards, KVCC is designated a regional training site for Michigan’s recertification program for mechanics. KVCC offers both a two-year degree in automotive technology and a one-year certificate.
There have been several studies on the effects of national certification on student learning. The most recent was conducted in 1995 by OhioStateUniversity. The conclusion was that program certification “has a significant, positive effect on the learning that takes place in automotive-technician training.”
Energy will be blowin’ in the wind Feb. 18
Kalamazoo will start laying claim to be called the new “WindyCity” on Wednesday, Feb. 18, when KalamazooValleyCommunity College’s 145-foot, 50-kilowatt wind turbine goes on line.
Gubernatorial, congressional and legislative representatives have been invited to join with KVCC, local officials and community leaders to take part in the official “commissioning” of the $250,000 wind turbine at an inauguration ceremony set to begin at 9 a.m. in Room 5830 of AdvancedTechnologyCenter. The center is located on the west end of the Texas Township Campus under the shadow of the giant energy producer that will installed on Jan. 26.
Scheduled to make comments are U. S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph), KVCC President Marilyn Schlack, and Jeff Patton, chairman of the KVCC Board of Trustees. Also slated for lectern duty is Jim DeHaven, vice president for business and economic development at KVCC, and a representative of Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
Following these remarks, attendees will step outside to the base of the unit where it will be officially powered up to begin producing up to 15 percent of the electricity needed for the college’s technical wing. These events are also open to the college community.
Another invitation-only happening is slated for Thursday, Feb. 19, at the M-TEC of KVCC. The designer and manufacturer of the wind turbine, Entegrity Wind Systems Inc., will be hosting a 10 a.m., two-hour seminar on “So You Want to Install a Wind Turbine.”
In addition to Becki Meadows, director of sales for Entegrity who will speak on the specifics of the wind turbines the company produces and site engineering, an official from Kent Power Inc. of KentCity, whose crews lifted the 40-yard unit into place, will talk about the installation process. Joining Kent Power’s Kahn Spencer in that segment of the presentation will be Entegrity’s Andrew Trapanese.
KVCC’s Kathy Johnson, who served as the project manager for the installation, will explain the college’s decision to move into the wind-energy era, the process, and what it all means to the community and to students interested in careers in this field. These presentations will be followed by a question-and-answer segment.
This, in effect, will be a dry run for future M-TEC seminars on the topic that will be open to the public. In the works is a website that will contain information about the upcoming sessions –
The 145-tower, as a powerful teaching and learning tool for KVCC’s technical programs, will serve as the symbol of the college’s plans to establish a WindEnergyCenter in the M-TEC, which DeHaven believes will have educational, job-training, employment, entrepreneurial, and research-and-development ramifications for Southwest Michigan.
KVCC’s technical programs are infusing wind-power components into their curriculums. A one-year, 35-credit-hour certificate for wind-energy technicians will begin in the 2009 summer semester.
College’s ‘branding’ process continuing
Feedback-and-reaction sessions on Feb. 19-20 will be the next phase in KVCC’s “branding” initiative.
On those two days, representatives of the Chicago firm of LipmanHearne will be meeting with groups of eight to 10 as findings and perspectives collected last fall continue to be shaped and forged into the messages that KVCC wants to foster in positioning its future, to pinpoint what distinguishes it from similar institutions, and how all of these factors can define strategies for future actions in presenting itself to the public.
The branders will meet with eight groups in all – two cadres of staff, two faculty, two groups of students, and two made up of community leaders.
So far in the process, six “branding” objectives have been identified: build awareness of KVCC’s full portfolio; establish a consistent brand image; recruit and retain students; increase private support; build alumni affinity; and clarify opportunities for growth.
Among the “research” objectives that have come forth are: identify gaps between proposed positioning and current perceptions of KVCC; determine the “proof points” essential to ensuring the brand promise; evaluate how tone, manner and voice might impact messaging.
The group sessions will focus on these concepts.
5thKAFI attracts record number of entries
Some 555 films have been submitted from animators in 41 nations for the fifth Kalamazoo Animation Festival International (KAFI) set for May 14-17 in downtown Kalamazoo, and they will vying for $15,000 in prize money.
The 2007 KAFI attracted 502 from animators in 36 countries as the Kalamazoo event lives up to the international aspects of its name.
Meanwhile, the festival’s benchmark event, the “Cartoon Challenge,” has attracted inquiries from colleges and universities across North America. Ten will be chosen by judges to take part in that competition.
The entries from Europe came from Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Finland, Bulgaria, The Czech Republic, France, Estonia, Georgia, Switzerland, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Portugal, The Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Romania, Spain, Serbia and Russia.
In addition to the 287 entries from 32 of the 50 United States, animators from Argentina, Mexico, Canada, Chile, and Brazil have submitted entries in the various categories of competition. Africa is represented by South Africa and Nigeria.
Other countries in the “United Nations of Animation” include Australia, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Turkey, Singapore, The Philippines, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, Iran and India.
Now held every other year and sponsored by KalamazooValleyCommunity College, the four-day festival salutes the art form of animation and its entertainment, education and entrepreneurial functions. Entries in past KAFIs have been nominated for Academy Awards and were awarded Oscars at the prestigious event.
During that Thursday-through-Sunday period, attendees can experience a film festival targeted for both adults and children that includes screenings of the entries chosen as finalists in the KAFI competitions.
Professional-development seminars, training sessions for students, distinctive family-oriented events, and a one-day conference for educators are offered to enhance animation skills, prep young people for careers, and use this creative medium as a tool for teaching and business ventures.
In addition to programs tailored for those who view animation as a profession and an art form, the 2009 KAFI will offer free events for people who equate cartoons with fun and entertainment. One new addition to the fifth KAFI will be hands-on activities designed for children and family-oriented attractions.
Another new twist will be festival events that link the worlds of music and animation as majors in those artistic fields at WesternMichiganUniversity and KVCC combine their creative talents to produce animation based on original compositions. These teams will compete for $5,000 in prize money.
Their productions – under the umbrella of what is called the Kalamazoo Animation and Music Competition, will be part of the festival agenda.
Already booked for a presentation is Mike Mitchell, who is directing “Shrek Goes Fourth” for DreamWorks. One of the highlights of the 2007 KAFI was a special preview screening of “Shrek the Third.”
The “Cartoon Challenge” will have teams from animation programs spanning North America engaging in a “24/4” cartoon-creating competition prior to the convening of the 2009 KAFI.
The 10 teams selected to compete will arrive at KVCC’s Center for New Media in downtown Kalamazoo on the Sunday preceding festival week and bivouac there. Their objective will be to conceive, script, design and produce a 15-to-30-second animated feature on a public-service topic over the four days. The teams don’t know the topic until the competition begins.
All of the activities and events will be held in KVCC’s Center for New Media, Anna Whitten Hall, and the KalamazooValleyMuseum, with the major screenings booked for the historic State Theater.
Kalamazoo’s Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, who has joined with the college as the prime sponsor of the four previous festivals, is again the key financial supporter of the event.
Nutsandbolts information about all KAFI activities, the new Kalamazoo Animation and Music Competition, and the Cartoon Challenge – date, time, location and cost – will be available at this webpage -- or by calling Maggie Noteboom at the festival office at (269) 373-7883.
Miazga memorial service is Friday
The memorial service for Ron Miazga, who logged 26 years at KVCC as an English and communications instructor, will take place Friday (Feb. 6) at 1 p.m. in the DaleLake Auditorium
Miazga, who joined the KVCC faculty in the fall of 1986 after 18 years on the campus of GlenOaksCommunity College, died Jan. 15 after a six-year bout with cancer. He was 68.
The native Chicagoan formed his work ethic in the family’s wall and floor-covering business. Following his graduation from high school in Woodstock, Ill., he earned his bachelor’s in English and journalism from IllinoisStateUniversity and added a master’s from the same school in 1967.
By the fall of 1968, he was based in St. JosephCounty, teaching courses in composition, literature, journalism, speech, photography and film on the Glen Oaks campus east of Centreville. He also held offices in the Faculty Senate. When he moved north to KVCC, he continued to teach those kinds of classes, including one with colleague Dave Posther on the creative genre of film.
Posther, faculty and family members are planning the memorial service.
“He was just the best and I already miss him,” said Posther, who is being assisted by Sadie Miles and retired instructor John Mulay. “Many people are speaking, and there will be music -- live and recorded -- poetry, and testimonials.
“Ron had specific wishes for his memorial, especially in reminding us all that he wanted this to be as uplifting as possible,” Posther said. “We are all heartsick with Ron's passing. But his written wishes that the memorial be joyful and ‘humorous, because the best of times have always been full of joy and laughter,’ is so in keeping with the way he lived and with the true spirit of his life. We will be crying and laughing on this day.”
“Every time I spoke to him,” says son Mike,“he mentioned those at KVCC who gave him as much joy as he gave them. If wealth were judged by friendship, my father died a very wealthy man.”
“I can't express enough how much this means to us and everything that you are doing,” said daughter Colleen Conkle. “My Dad loved all of you very, very, much and spoke so often of his wonderful KVCC family. I will miss my Dad for the rest of my life, but his joyful spirit and love of life will forever be in my heart and soul.”
Along the way, Miazga added to his own literary expertise by completing courses at MichiganStateUniversity, WesternMichiganUniversity, the University of Mississippi, and post-graduate studies in southern literature at SoutheasternLouisianaUniversity.
During his quarter of a century-plus at KVCC, he served in many faculty capacities, chaired the English department, led the faculty association, and headed up the committee that planned the college’s Faculty Seminar Days. As he did at Glen Oaks, Miazga served for many years as the faculty adviser for the student newspaper at KVCC.
Chosen by Glen Oaks students to deliver the 1977 graduation speech, he was honored with the same duties at KVCC’s diploma ceremonies in December of 2002. He retired in July of 2007.
As reported in The Kalamazoo Gazette’s obituary notice, “Ron's tremendous sense of humor and compassion for people made him a mentor for many students and aspiring teachers. He was highly respected for his tenacity to teach and to lead by example. Ron was admired for his independence, integrity, and strong sense of personal responsibility. He received a prestigious award from KVCC for his expertise and dedication to the college.”
Friends and colleagues say he was an avid biker, bread baker, woodworker, and lover of jazz. He enjoyed cruising IndianLake on "Summer School," the family pontoon boat.
The self-described “trip of a lifetime” was the six weeks he spent biking and writing his way through Ireland in the spring of 1997.
Survivors include his wife, Marcia, four children, five grandchildren, and two sisters.
Poet David James here Feb. 19 for ‘About Writing’
The “About Writing” attraction for Thursday, Feb. 19, is poet David James, a WesternMichiganUniversity alumnus who currently is an English instructor at OaklandCommunity College.
James will talk about the craft of writing – both poetry and plays -- at 10 a.m. in the Student Commons Forum and return at 2 p.m. to read from his works. All “About Writing” presentations are free and open to the public
Wrapping up the 2008-09 series on two days in March will be Terry Tempest Williams.
James has published three poetry collections – “A Heart Out of This World,” “Do Not Give Dogs What is Holy,”and "I Dance Back.”