KCC Students,
Welcome to the Fall 2020 semester at Kellogg Community College!
We are thrilled that you will be taking classes at KCC this fall and continuing your higher education journey as a Bruin. As always, we at KCC are ready and eager to assist, guide and teach you as you pursue your goals.
If you have never visited one of our five campuses, or if it has been a few months since you were last here, I would like to tell you about the new safety and convenience measures KCC has put in place since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
The rest of this post, organized by topic, describes new practices, expectations and rules related to KCC classes, services and access. KCC has taken these steps to enable a safe, healthy learning environment. We recognize that the pandemic has impacted everyone, but our mission as an institution of higher learning has not changed.
With Bruin Pride,
Eric J. Greene
Chief Communications Officer
Textbooks
KCC’s Bruin Bookstore is now selling books and materials for fall classes. In order to reduce congestion and lines in the bookstore, we encourage students to order their books online at bookstore.kellogg.edu. We’re currently offering free shipping! Online orders can be shipped to a student’s home or picked up curbside at the Bruin Bookstore, 450 North Ave., Battle Creek.
The capacity of the bookstore will be limited to 10 customers at a time. Students who want to shop inside the bookstore are asked to wait in the first-floor hallway of the Lane-Thomas Building, space themselves at least 6 feet apart and wear masks. Students won’t be allowed in the textbook area of the store, but KCC personnel will retrieve each student’s requested textbooks according to their course schedule, which can be printed on a computer in the hallway. Remember to sanitize the computer’s keyboard and mouse prior to each use. In order to prevent crowds, students are discouraged from bringing friends, children or family members with them, but they are permitted if their presence is necessary.
Current bookstore hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Curbside pickup is available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. For more information about ordering textbooks, call the store at 269-965-4128.
Virtual Services
In order to maximize your safety and provide you the services you need at KCC, we have created new ways to access and schedule appointments with Academic Advising, Admissions, the Bruin Bookstore, Career and Employment Services, Counseling, Disability Services, Financial Aid, the Morris Library, Placement Testing, Records/Registration and Tutoring. Visit Kellogg.edu/virtualservices to schedule online, telephone and in-person appointments for services.
KCC Coronavirus Web Page
KCC regularly updates its coronavirus web page at Kellogg.edu/coronavirus to update students and the public regarding impacts to our campuses and operational plans. Visit this site often to see the latest pandemic-related news at KCC.
Public Hours
Beginning Aug. 31, the first day of classes for the Fall 2020 semester, KCC will resume its traditional hours of public access in alignment with in-person class and service schedules. This means KCC’s North Avenue campus in Battle Creek will be accessible to students and guests from 6:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, plus regular operating hours on Fridays and Saturdays. Although there are no in-person classes on Saturdays, the Morris Library and other areas will be open to students.
Regional Centers
Beginning Aug. 31, the Grahl Center, Fehsenfeld Center and Eastern Academic Center buildings will be open for their regular fall hours to accommodate classes, but Student and Community Services offices within those facilities will only be available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
RMTC Hours
Beginning Aug. 31, the Regional Manufacturing Technology Center labs and Resource Room will be open for students from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Thursday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. On Fridays, the RMTC is open only for non-instructional services from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Public/Campus Events
Public events on KCC’s campuses are prohibited through Dec. 31, 2020.
Facial Coverings
Students, campus visitors and employees are required to wear face coverings in all classrooms and within all campus buildings, in accordance with a State of Michigan executive order that requires such coverings in any “indoor public space.” KCC will deny entry and service to people who aren’t wearing a face covering in compliance with state law. At KCC, indoor public spaces include all common areas, such as the Student Center; classrooms; other instructional spaces and hallways.
Social Distancing
KCC is encouraging all students, guests and employees to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from each other whenever possible. This applies in classrooms, computer labs, hallways and common areas. In some cases, computer stations and seats have been placed out of service to accommodate social distancing. Faculty may direct students with regard to seating and how to enter and exit classrooms to promote social distancing. Please do your part to prevent crowds and congestion in all areas.
Self-Assessments
Students are encouraged to perform a quick self-assessment prior to arriving at any KCC campus each day. Several online tools and smartphone apps are available for this purpose. KCC employees are using one from the Mayo Clinic.
Classroom Cleaning
Classrooms will be cleaned and disinfected at least once a day by custodial workers, but students also are asked to use provided supplies to wipe their keyboards, mice and table surfaces prior to each use.
Online Classes
This fall, KCC is offering a record number of course sections in an online format, which enables students to learn and complete their coursework at places and times that are most convenient to them.
Face-to-Face Classes
This fall, KCC is offering many face-to-face courses with modifications. Depending on the course, classroom occupancy is reduced by up to 50 percent to allow students and faculty to maintain a 6-foot social distance.
Hybrid Classes
Hybrid classes take the benefits of online learning and combine them with traditional face-to-face learning. In hybrids, a portion of the class is face-to-face while the other portion is online. To learn more about hybrid options inside the current Class Schedule, read the “Additional Information” note inside the “Section Details” of any given available section or contact the class instructor directly.
Campus Congestion
Beginning on the morning of Aug. 31, the first day of fall classes, KCC Public Safety and campus security personnel will proactively monitor the Student Center, Whitmore lobby, hallways, student lounges and parking lots to discourage the formation of groups of people. This practice will be in keeping with current public health guidance to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Morris Library
Beginning Aug. 31, the library will be open from 7:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
Bruin Blast
Our annual campus celebration is going virtual this year. Watch your KCC student email and the KCC Facebook page for details!
Student Clubs
KCC’s registered student organizations are planning various activities for the fall semester. Visit the Student Life web page for more information.
Drinking Fountains
KCC drinking fountains have been placed out of service in accordance with guidance from health experts. Please remember to bring your own water to campus or purchase beverages from the vending machines or Bruin Bistro.
Bruin Bistro
Although our on-campus dining service was suspended earlier this year, we are reopening the Bruin Bistro on Aug. 31 so students have a convenient dining option for breakfast, lunch and dinner on the North Avenue campus. The hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Fridays.
Temperature Checks
At KCC’s Regional Manufacturing Technology Center, 405 Hill Brady Road, Battle Creek, students are required to have their body temperature checked with an electronic thermometer every time they enter the facility. This temperature check is not currently required at any other KCC campus. It’s required at the RMTC to accommodate the large number of area workers who train at the RMTC and whose employers insist on the practice in order to keep their own employee populations virus-free.
COVID-19 at KCC
As of today, there has been only one confirmed case of a person with a COVID-19 diagnosis who has been on a KCC campus. In that instance in mid-July, KCC followed its response protocols, worked with the Calhoun County Health Department and temporarily suspended the use of a campus building for deep cleaning.
Fall Athletics
Following the guidance of the National Junior College Athletic Association and Michigan Community College Athletic Association, KCC has adjusted its competitive athletics schedule for this fall. Men’s and women’s cross country are still planning to compete in the fall, but the other sports are modified as follows:
- Baseball: Fall practices permitted; competition allowed after Jan. 21
- Men’s and Women’s Basketball: Fall practices permitted; competition allowed after Jan. 21
- Men’s and Women’s Bowling: Fall practices permitted; competition begins Jan. 8
- Women’s Soccer: Fall practices permitted; competition allowed after April 1
- Women’s Volleyball: Fall practices permitted; competition allowed after Jan. 28
Fall Music & Theatre Performances
Although music and theatre performances are canceled for the fall semester, KCC’s Music and Theatre classes are continuing in an online format, including Individualized Voice, Piano and Instrumental Lessons and Acting.
Student Center
There are few better places at KCC to study, eat, hang out with friends or rest between classes than the Student Center. We get it. At the same time, we all have to maintain a 6-foot social distance in the Student Center, too, as well as any other quiet study area on our campuses. These spaces will be cleaned often; access will be restricted if necessary to prevent crowds. And remember, facial coverings are required in the Student Center except when you’re eating.
Student Employees
Although KCC didn’t employ any student employees over the summer, the College is employing a limited number of student employees in the fall semester to provide opportunities for our Bruins while also helping with productivity in our workplace. Check the Career and Employment Services web page for the latest openings.
Have questions? Need help? Try the online chat window on the KCC website or call us at 269-965-3931!