Welcome to the official page of the academic Communication Department at Kalamazoo Valley Community college!
Full-time COM Faculty:
Jacob Arndt
Pat Conroy
Sadie Miles (COM/English)
Jenny Ott
Steve Ott
Bruce Punches
Part-time Faculty (Winter 2014):
Diana Berkshire Hearitt
Sara Dillon
Jill McCaughan
Kate Nicholson
Caitlin Rickert
Jennifer Ptacek
Angela Pruis
Raquel Hellenga
Department Purpose Statement
Communication is critically important in the personal, professional, academic and civic lives of students. People who communicate well have stronger, more productive relationships, more happy and satisfying lives, and live longer. Communication is a pervasive human activity—it is intuitive, but does not come with inherent expertise. We provide our students with the necessary communication skills needed to enhance their lives. As a result, our discipline touches the greatest number of students in higher education and thus makes a significant contribution to their lives.
Beyond the pragmatic needs of departments to offer a range of communication courses, there is a sound educational rationale for remaining central in general education offerings. Communication competence equips students with skills that align with KVCC’s mission of inclusiveness of ideas and people from diverse backgrounds, while supporting economic vitality and stability through development of a skilled local workforce.
