The following statement defines the institution’s mission and objectives of the institution and a description of how all development contemplated or defined by Kalamazoo College advances the goals and objectives of the institution.

Mission & Objectives

The mission of Kalamazoo College is to prepare its graduates to better understand, live successfully within, and provide enlightened leadership to a richly diverse and increasingly complex world.

Highly selective, nationally renowned, and globally oriented, Kalamazoo College offers a personalized and integrated approach to the liberal arts and sciences. A K education combines rigorous scholarship, study abroad, career development, and civic engagement in a flexible curriculum that allows students to make
the most of their unique interests and gifts.

Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, K was founded in 1833 placing it among the 100 oldest colleges and universities in the nation. It currently enrolls 1,398 students from 39 states and 29 countries, with an enrollment goal of 1,500 students.

Nestled in the West Main Hill neighborhood adjacent to the campus of Western Michigan University and downtown Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo College offers a competitive advantage to many small colleges in that it provides a vibrant small city environment where opportunities for community service, employment, and entertainment are abundant, and town and gown relations are strong.

As part of its focus on experiential education, the College is deeply engaged in the Kalamazoo community and values the mutual benefit of this reciprocal relationship. The College continues to enhance and support civic engagement in our local and regional communities through service-learning opportunities and community partnerships forged through the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement (CCE), local internships, and externships through the CCE and Center for Career and Professional Development and work through the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership.

The College is also deeply intertwined with the arts and cultural community in Kalamazoo offering musical ensembles comprised of students and community members, partnering with organizations like the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, presenting theatrical productions and guest lectures to the public, and providing spaces like the Dalton Theatre and Stetson Chapel for community use.

The 2022 Campus Master Plan will support the College in its pursuit of its 5-year strategic plan, Advancing Kalamazoo College, which focuses on four strategic areas: Curriculum and Co-Curricular Programs, Community, Campus, and Endowment.

Curriculum & Co-Curricular Programs

The College seeks to advance existing programs and identify new opportunities and resources to help students pursue the various elements of K’s curriculum known collectively as the K-Plan. Within this area, K continues to assess technological developments that might improve educational opportunities and enhance marketing and communication to bolster its prominence in a crowded higher-education landscape. The Campus Master Plan provides recommendations for helping K stand out with the physical environment to continue to attract students to campus.

Community

Kalamazoo College is a community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni who are committed to making it an exceptional place to learn, live, and work. The College will invest in its people and implement programs that foster an inclusive and supportive campus for students, faculty, and staff. Keeping alumni connected with the College through programs that contribute to the personal growth and development of alumni is also a high priority. The Campus Master Plan supports community with safe and accessible pathways, inclusive gathering spaces, and parking for public events.

Campus

While it has a celebrated campus and a distinguished history, Kalamazoo College’s campus has present-day needs that must be addressed to ensure the quality of its facilities matches that of its exceptional students, faculty, and staff. To this end, the College is working to modernize instructional spaces and upgrade technology to encourage active, engaged learning. The College will continue to improve facilities that support healthy co-curricular programs including athletics. In addition, K will develop a plan for major residence hall renovations and potentially a new residence hall to accommodate a student body of 1500.

Endowment

Kalamazoo College is working toward building a stronger endowment to support priorities in this plan and to provide a sustainable source of revenue for years to come. Keeping K and all elements of the K-Plan affordable for talented students, regardless of their economic means, is critically important. The Campus Master Plan documents a vision that can be realized in part through the generous support of our alumni, families and friends.