2023-2024 Academic Catalog 
    
    Dec 09, 2024  
2023-2024 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Instructional Information



Academic Integrity Policy

Ethical conduct is the obligation of every member of the KCC community. Breaches of academic integrity constitute serious breaches of ethical conduct. Academic Integrity requires that all academic work be wholly the product of an identified individual or individuals. This policy demonstrates KCC’s concern for academic integrity and guarantees a fair procedure for handling these concerns. For additional information, please refer to the KCC Operating Policies and Procedures (26.000 Instruction - Students).

Class Attendance

Regular class attendance is considered an essential part of your educational experience and a requirement for an adequate evaluation of student academic progress. Faculty are required to report to the Financial Aid Office students who have never attended class. Federal aid may be reduced if you do not begin attendance in all classes. Absenteeism is a matter to be resolved between you and the instructor. Continued absenteeism may lead to administrative action.

Consultation

If you need to meet with a member of the faculty concerning a class, you are encouraged to do so. Generally, members of the full-time teaching faculty are available for consultation about seven hours a week during office hours. We urge you to seek help with small problems before they grow. Consultation hours are posted on office doors and usually are announced in class. Appointments are recommended.

First-Year Seminar

All Students who obtain an Associate degree or an Associate of Applied Science degree must complete the FYS 101 - First-Year Seminar  course with a grade of a C or higher. This degree requirement can also be achieved by earning a degree from an accredited institution or transferring 24 or more credits from another accredited institution applicable to their degree. See an Academic Advisor, or connect with the Integrative Learning Department, for course completion and/or any questions pertaining to the FYS course.

Learning Opportunities

Apprenticeship - Industrial Trades 

Apprenticeship programs are registered by companies. Students enrolled in apprenticeship programs are employed and sponsored by the registering companies. These programs are generally four (4) years long and consist of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 576 hours of related training instruction. Successful completion of these programs will result in an apprenticeship certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship.

Industrial Trades programs at Kellogg Community College are recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship for registered apprenticeship programs and are used by many regional companies for related training instruction. Faculty at the Regional Manufacturing Technology Center will help companies develop apprenticeship programs, or update existing apprenticeship programs, to meet today’s changing industrial standards. 

Apprenticeship Transfer Credits

Students who possess a journeyman’s card, state license, or apprenticeship certificate from a labor organization in a qualifying trade/craft may receive thirty (30) transfer credits from KCC. This credit will show on your transcript as an Apprenticeship Transfer course (APPR 130) and may be used to meet the core curriculum requirement for the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Skilled Trades. To determine whether a credential qualifies, contact the Director of Industrial Trades Education.

Customized Training for Business and Industry

The KCC Workforce Solutions department supplies customers with job-related educational training, skills, and technical services, significantly improving their ability to compete and grow in a local, national, and global market. We deliver these services when and where our customers need them, maximizing our customers’ benefit-to-cost ratio.

We help our customers assess the skill needs of their employees, then design training uniquely tailored to fit their needs. We also deliver training to meet customer needs at any time. We are committed to delivering training on-site at our customers’ facilities or at another location of their choosing.

Our courses produce results and have been delivered to dozens of businesses and other entities in Barry, Branch, and Calhoun counties. For further information regarding customized training courses, contact the Director of Workforce Solutions at the Regional Manufacturing Technology Center, 269-965-4137, ext. 2802.

Distance Learning

Online Courses

Many traditional courses are now available in an online format; where assignments, activities, and communication are all completed online. Though some tests are completed online, most courses require you to take at least one (1) or two (2) tests at a proctored site. Online courses are available from other Michigan community colleges through Michigan Colleges Online (MCO). Even though you are taking the course from another college, you still receive support services from and maintain your academic record at KCC.

Online Learner Orientation

The Online Learner Orientation (KCCS C100) is a prerequisite for all online courses at KCC. This one-time-only, online Continuing Education Unit (CEU) takes approximately fifteen (15) minutes to complete and is free of charge. The Online Learner Orientation may be completed at any time prior to registering for any online course.

Hybrid Courses

The goal of hybrid courses is to join and balance the best features of in-class teaching with the best features of online learning to promote active, participatory, and independent learning. Unlike an online course, the hybrid course does have designated times and places the class meets, but the amount of time spent in the classroom has been reduced by moving some of the learning activities to the Internet, usually by 25% to 75%. Though the same time commitment is required to complete the course as with traditional delivery, the hybrid course provides you with more flexibility in your school and personal schedule.

Independent Study

If a course is not offered at a time when you need it for graduation, or if a specialty course is listed in the catalog but has not been offered, you may request to earn the credits through independent study options. You will work with an instructor to gain the required competencies and learning outcomes; however, the work will be done independently of the lecture or typical instruction. You must be prepared to learn on your own with the instructor as a coach only. The independent study agreement must be approved by the faculty and department Chair/Director.

Individualized Instruction

The benefits of individualized instruction are flexibility and convenience. Students use this self-paced mode of learning primarily for skill-building courses for the skilled trade fields. Students engage in the coursework independently and in small groups under the guidance of an instructor. The students use print, audio-video, or computer-based information sources as their primary cognitive learning materials. The focus is on performing activities, normally in a lab environment, that reinforce the skills explained or presented in the learning materials. Instructors in the lab work individually with, and provide feedback to, students to overcome any hurdles to learning. The labs are open many hours to make it easy to fit individualized instruction into the toughest schedules.

Learning Communities

A learning community is an innovative approach to learning that links and integrates two or more courses. Disciplines are taught together, for example, Freshman Composition and Art History. In this pairing, students write about art. The same group of students, faculty, and an advisor work collaboratively in a friendly, supportive atmosphere, which may include special workshops and field trips.

Student-teacher interaction creates a closely-knit, supportive community of learners. Students begin to see the connections between the courses and develop knowledge on a broad range of subjects. As active, progressive learners in linked courses or learning communities, students gain confidence and communication skills, becoming better lifelong students.

Accelerated Learning Program

Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) is an innovative classroom approach that advances students through two levels of coursework in one subject in one semester, and research has shown this to be a highly successful completion strategy. Eligible students test into the transitional course but are motivated to complete the freshman course concurrently. Students have the same instructor for both courses, and the transitional section is limited to twelve (12) students.

Lecture-Based Learning

You will typically learn through this method of instruction which consists of lecture, group work, lab projects, and other traditional types of activities. Most courses are taught through this type of instructor-student interaction model. However, lecture-based learning can be supplemented with online components.

Honors Program

Honors Program students have unique opportunities for academic challenges, as well as, interaction with other motivated students, Honors faculty through coursework, and fellowship activities. The Honors Program promotes leadership and fosters partnerships and mentoring between students and faculty.

Honors students are as unique and varied as the scholarly, artistic, humanitarian, and societal passions that spark their intellect. What unites them is the excitement of working and studying with outstanding instructors and other talented students.

Benefits of Completing the Honors Program

  • Attract transfer institutions and increase scholarship opportunities.
  • Conference and field trip opportunities.
  • Honors designation on transcripts.
  • Mentorship opportunities with faculty and staff.

Learning Outcomes Honors Program

  1. Collaborate in college, local, and global communities.
  2. Demonstrate expertise and research skills in select areas of study.
  3. Develop an interdisciplinary perspective across the liberal arts and sciences.
  4. Demonstrate intellectual independence through verbal and written work.
  5. Demonstrate research skills, including critical analysis of information and perspectives from diverse sources.
  6. Develop plans and skills specific to furthering both academic and professional careers.

Admission to the Honors Program

To be eligible for the Honors Program, students must meet one of the following requirements:

High School Students
  • High school GPA of 3.50 or higher, or
  • ACT composite score of 24 or higher, or SAT score of 1160 or higher
Current KCC Students
  • Minimum, cumulative GPA of 3.20
Transfer Students
  • Combined transfer GPA of 3.20

Honors Program Requirements

To graduate from the Honors Program and earn recognition during the KCC commencement ceremony, members must complete the following program requirements:

  • Maintain a minimum, cumulative GPA of 3.20
  • Complete two (2) honors courses, an honors seminar, and a capstone project

Honors Program Coursework

Students will complete two honors courses in the first year, choosing from the list of Honors Course Options, and in the second year, will complete HNRS 110 - Honors Seminar  in the fall and HNRS 200 - Honors Capstone  in the spring.  Students will meet at least once a semester with the Honors Program Faculty Steward. 

Honors Program Course Options:

Service-Learning and Civic Engagement

Kellogg Community College is committed to the development of students through service-learning and civic engagement and strongly encourages students to participate. The College has developed many community partnerships to ensure students obtain meaningful experiences that also meet the needs of their community. There are several options to get involved, both in and out of the classroom.

Service-learning is a teaching and learning method that engages students in deep academic inquiry and reflection related to their field of study while they are actively engaged in their own community. It allows students to solidify concepts taught in the classroom, apply their learning, and discover how they can strengthen communities and positively impact society through their actions. Students gain skills and knowledge, to help them develop personal and professional success, gain essential life skills, and become civically engaged citizens.

There are several methods for obtaining the service-learning transcript endorsement at Kellogg Community College, including:

  1. SERV 100 , a one (1) credit course where students gain leadership and career development skills through a service-learning experience.
  2. SERV 200 , a three (3) credit class dedicated to the history, goals, and a practical application of service-learning.
  3. Academic classes with a service-learning endorsement. Endorsed classes provide students with academic credits and service-learning experience which is recorded on academic transcripts.

Many four-year institutions are requiring service-learning or civic engagement experience from students and the above options are intended to meet those requirements. Students are responsible for checking with their chosen four-year institutions to confirm service-learning and civic engagement requirements.

Co-curricular opportunities for civic engagement at KCC include: volunteering at Bruins Give Back (a KCC, community partnering organization project); student organization events and projects; and special events organized by College faculty and staff.

Students who obtain an Associate degree or an Associate of Applied Science degree will be required to complete a service-learning experience. The final grade in the course must qualify for academic credit in order to receive the service-learning endorsement. Please contact an Academic Advisor for courses that offer a service-learning experience, or search in the class schedules.

Short Courses, Seminars, and Workshops

Kellogg Community College’s Lifelong Learning department designs a variety of classes, workshops, and short courses each semester based on national trends, local market needs, and input from the community. These personal enrichment learning opportunities come without homework, tests, or grades and are offered as Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The classes are held both in the daytime and evening at KCC’s North Avenue campus. Lifelong Learning also provides a selection of online courses for personal development that can be taken at any time, day or night, weekday or weekend. In addition, the department offers a Lifelong Learning membership that includes reduced pricing on classes, travel opportunities, a book club and social events for its members. Each summer a full schedule of camps for youth is available through the Bruin Youth Program. Contact Lifelong Learning for more information about any of its programs or classes at 269-965-4134, or visit www.kellogg.edu/campus-community/lifelong.

Small-Group Option

When a class has low enrollment, but an instructor is willing to teach it on the basis of meeting half or more of the designated time and develop additional independent work for students, the Small Group Option may be offered to those students enrolled in the class. This option allows you the choice of dropping the class and re-enrolling in a different semester or taking the class in a small group, which means the class will meet half or more of the scheduled time, and independent study projects will be required for the rest of the class time.

Work-Based Learning

Cooperative Education

Cooperative education (co-op) is a structured educational strategy integrating classroom studies with learning through productive work experiences in a field related to a student’s academic or career goals. It provides progressive experiences in integrating theory and practice. Co-op is a partnership among students, educational institutions, and employers with specified responsibilities for each party. A co-op experience at Kellogg Community College allows the student to have a portion of the work experiences be unrelated to the outcomes of the student’s program, so for co-op experiences the focus is more on the student as a worker than is the case with an internship. The work-based hours are monitored by the employer. The work experience must be paid, not voluntary.

Internship

An internship is an employer monitored work or volunteer experience in which an individual has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout the experience. An internship experience at Kellogg Community College is predominantly a learning experience. The learning is focused on student-specific course outcomes that lead to the attainment of one or more program outcomes in the student’s program of study. The work-based hours are monitored by the employer. An internship experience can either be paid or unpaid.

Practicum

A practicum is a course of instruction aimed at closely relating knowledge or skill learned in the classroom to their application in practice through a supervised experience. At Kellogg Community College, a practicum involves time in the classroom and time for integrated field applications supervised by the practicum instructor. The field application must be an activity normally performed by employees in the field of study. Typically, the practicum will have the activity performed at a worksite, though the field application can be performed in a campus lab if appropriate to the activity. The practicum differs from a co-op or internship in that all the time associated with the field application is supervised by the instructor, not the worksite supervisor.

Clinical

A clinical is a practicum course in a health care facility that includes the examination and treatment of patients under the direct supervision of a clinical instructor.

Field Experience

Field experience integrates classroom learning with the application of learning in a realistic setting through a supervised experience. At Kellogg Community College, a field experience course is where the work-based learning activity, or type of learning supervision, does not fit the definition of other work-based learning courses. Field experience could involve field applications managed by the instructor, the worksite organization, or a combination of the two. It differs from a practicum in that the instructor might not directly supervise all hours that the student works.

Library Services

The Emory W. Morris Learning Resource Center provides support for student research and learning needs. Open over sixty-five (65) hours per week, evening and weekend services are available.

Resources Available

The staff of the Learning Resource Center encourages you to seek their support in locating the best information available for research and learning needs. A collection of over 60,000 books and media titles is available. To further assist you in gaining information research skills, orientations are held for classes.

The Learning Resource Center participates in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) and other interlibrary loan programs to obtain information that the College does not own. The Reference/Information Desk staff assists users in linking up with these external resources.

A statewide database of e-journals and e-books provides students with access to needed research materials. Students can use the materials in other Michigan libraries by participating in the State’s program, available in the Learning Resource Center.

Resources provided:

  • Book Collections - Books are shelved in several collections: Current, located on levels two-three (2-3), and Classic, located on level one (1). Additionally, there are children, paperback, young adult and media collections. Use the library website to search for materials. Books are checked out to students with a valid KCC student ID for three weeks.
  • Digital Collections - The library provides you with an array of online articles as well as other resources, including eBooks, test preparation materials and specialized databases.
  • Information/Research Service - Get help with research and other information needs at the Information Desk on Level 3. Chat service, available 24/7; link to Research Help Now from the library’s website. Use our research guides at guides.kellogg.edu.
  • MeLCat (Michigan e-Library Catalog) - Our library is a member of MeLCat, a statewide resource sharing service. Students can place a request from our library catalog and items from other libraries will be delivered here where they can pick them up for a three-week loan.
  • Group Study Rooms-Spaces are provided for student group work on a first-come, first-served basis. A room can be checked out for four hours at the Checkout Desk.
  • Technology in the Library - There are 100 computer workstations with networked printers and several scanners for use. Additionally, you can borrow a laptop or iPad for use within the library. The library offers wireless access.

Tools for Student Success

Academic Support

The Center for Student Success

The Center for Student Success is devoted to enhancing student success, persistence, and retention. Located on the upper level of the Ohm Information Technology Center, our facility offers computer stations, tables for group work, and comfy chairs to read and study.

The Center for Student Success provides opportunities to utilize tutoring assistance. Students can drop-in to receive professional tutoring in most subject matter or program areas, such as anatomy and physiology, business statistics, biology, chemistry, computers, English, mathematics, reading, study skills, and writing. Experienced tutors will help students with homework assignments, research papers, and other projects.

Academic make-up and online testing can also be found in The Center for Student Success. Tests can be conveniently scheduled by visiting The Center for Student Success. Testing support includes make-up, online, and academic department credit by exam.

Transitional Studies

Transitional studies courses are designed to help bridge the gap between a student’s current skill level and being college-ready. Many of the general education courses require students to demonstrate college-level competency by meeting scoring requirements on a placement test or by completing a related transitional studies course. For some students, placement test scores will require enrollment in transitional studies courses prior to enrolling in other courses (see course prerequisites for a listing).

Courses include English (TSEN), mathematics (TSMA), and reading (TSRE). Take the placement test and meet with an academic advisor who can help you determine which courses would help ensure your success.

Student Placement Testing

The Testing and Assessment Center provides placement testing for KCC courses.

If you are enrolling for the first time at Kellogg Community College, you may need to take one or more of the placement tests for mathematics, reading, and/or writing. The purpose of a placement test is to ensure you are properly placed into courses for which you are adequately prepared and have the most opportunity to succeed. Placement scores, or high school level coursework used to meet a prerequisite, must be less than five (5) years old. Placement testing is offered at the Testing and Assessment Center in the Ohm Information Technology Center and at the Eastern Academic, Fehsenfeld, and Grahl Centers. There is no fee for initial placement testing. If you would like to retest, there is a twenty-four (24) hour wait period and a retesting fee. Completing the placement test is required before you meet with an academic advisor to plan your initial class schedule.

 2023-2024 Placement Chart   

Alternatives to the Student Placement Test

A final high school, unweighted, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, within the last five (5) years, allows students to meet the prerequisite for entry-level college courses and waives the requirement for placement testing.

If you took the ACT, SAT, or PSAT assessment, you may choose to use those scores in lieu of taking the placement test. Scores must be less than five (5) years old. Some portions of the placement test may need to be completed even if you are using ACT, SAT, or PSAT scores. If you wish to use ACT, SAT, or PSAT scores, you will need to provide a copy of your scores to the College before you plan to register for classes.

If you already have a degree (associate’s degree or above) from an accredited college or university, you will be exempt from some Next Generation ACCUPLACER® prerequisites. In order to receive this exemption, you must ensure the College is provided with an official college transcript indicating the degree earned. Note that a degree from another college does not exempt you from any other prerequisites. However, certain courses accepted for transfer may meet additional prerequisite requirements.