Kalamazoo College Guilds:
Bridging Communities, Connecting Professionals, Developing Leaders

The Kalamazoo College Guilds are communities of practice that bring together students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the College around common professional interests. For students, Guilds connect elements of the K-Plan into a more integrated educational experience and develop networks and professional relationships useful after graduation. These intergenerational networks benefit alumni participants as well, and alumni involvement in the Guilds offers a meaningful lifelong connection to the College.  Faculty and staff find opportunities in the Guilds to integrate classroom and community experiences within a curriculum that values learning through study, action, and reflection.  Community members find opportunities for collaborative action and professional connection. Guild members develop and strengthen vocational networks and undertake collaborative projects that build upon members’ interests and professional expertise to seek new perspectives and insights into current issues.  Guilds offer opportunities for personal interaction and utilize new information technology to link the campus with members around the globe.

Four charter Guilds launched in early 2008: Business, Health, Justice and Peace, and Sustainability. Join the on-line discussions of the charter Guilds at guilds.kzoo.edu.  Additional Guilds are beginning to coalesce around other interdisciplinary issues. 

For information on how to become part of a Kalamazoo College Guild, contact Joan Hawxhurst, Director of the Center for Career and Professional Development, at (269) 337-7384 or joan.hawxhurst@kzoo.edu.