How COVID-19 is changing the face of college

What we think of “college” depends on our exposure, expectations, and aspirations. One thing that we can all agree on is that college will look very different in the fall. SEMCOG recently convened leaders from two community colleges and two four-year universities for a webinar to ask, What will college look like in the fall?

Our goal was to discuss the challenges facing colleges and the decision-making process of leaders and boards as they plan for the fall. Panelists discussed:

• How COVID-19 has changed their programs and classes
• The biggest challenges
• Financial changes
• The future of higher education

How COVID-19 has changed programs and classes

Since mid-March, just about all education – both K-12 and post-secondary – has been remote. Colleges had to pivot to this new normal in a very short period of time during the winter semester. Some made the transition to online learning easier than others. Over the last few months, two- and four-year colleges have focused on training faculty to create user-friendly programs and coursework. For the fall, the majority of colleges will offer a hybrid model, with most classes being taught remotely, with labs and hands-on programs offered on campus. In many cases, student services, student organizations, and some college events will also be remote.

Before this year, Washtenaw Community College (WCC) already had built a strong online presence and was ready to offer just about all programs remotely prior to COVID-19. However, as President Rose B. Bellanca told us, the suddenness of the pandemic made it necessary to create an environment where students who preferred face-to-face instruction could also succeed. This led to WCC creating a Virtual Classroom where students meet every day at the same time with their fellow students and faculty. This was well received by faculty and students alike. In the spring and summer, all programs were remote, except for career technical education (CTE) programs – which require hands-on activities – for professional certifications. These offerings were split – half online and half face-to-face.

For Oakland Community College (OCC), there were 1,500 face-to-face classes in the winter semester. In just over a week, all were converted to a remote platform. Chancellor Peter Provenzano said surveys at the end of winter showed students were pleased with the transition because their focus is on “quality classes and choice.” Enrollment was up about six percent in the summer with all classes except CTE and some skilled-trades programs offered remotely. He anticipates this continuing in the fall, because remote classes avoid the need to shift should COVID-19 trends worsen in the state.

Like Washtenaw Community College, University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-D) had been planning to offer more programs online prior to the pandemic, so it was an easier transition. Ken Kettenbeil, Vice Chancellor for External Relations at UM-D, said that 80 percent of fall classes will be remote, and students will only be on campus for design projects and labs. UM-D students took more credit hours this summer compared to previous summers even though all classes were remote.

Michigan’s public universities have been working together to plan for the fall. Ahmad Ezzeddine, Associate Vice President for Educational Outreach and International Programs at Wayne State University (WSU), said the university is “working every scenario possible” to provide the safest and best education. On July 15, WSU President Dr. M. Roy Wilson announced that in the fall, 20 percent of classes will be on-campus, half will be online, and about 30 percent will be through dissertations, theses, and individual projects. The move to a more remote environment provides colleges and students with a safer and more predictable learning environment during the pandemic.

The biggest challenges

While colleges made major changes in the winter to ensure students could continue learning, several challenges remain. President Bellanca summarized the five challenges that many colleges are facing:

• Maintaining safety protocols
• Providing quality online learning
• Having resources to help fill the digital divide
• Ensuring mental health services to students, faculty, and staff
• Evolving leadership during the crisis

Chancellor Provenzano echoed these and added that his greatest challenge is “trying to predict the future,” while balancing learning and safety. OCC is moving to online learning to ensure safety, but certain programs such as the police academy and culinary arts programs need to be face-to-face.

Despite the increased cost of transitioning to online programs, each of these colleges expect to offer more programs in the fall; some consolidation may be necessary due to the difficulty in finding enough adjunct faculty.

An additional challenge in a remote learning environment is access to high quality, reliable internet services and devices. As many families only have one device at home with multiple users, colleges are taking steps to ensure students have internet access. This includes providing devices, promoting free time-limited internet services from private providers, allowing access in college parking lots or structures, and asking faculty to be flexible with students that may have limited access to broadband.

Financial changes

The pandemic has impacted state revenues, and this is expected to affect state support for higher education. At the same time, college costs have increased with investments in technology needed to strengthen remote programs and train faculty to develop quality user-friendly courses.

While summer semester enrollment went up for several institutions and leaders are optimistic for the fall, the full enrollment picture will not be known until August. Ezzeddine said that Wayne State University will not increase tuition although expenses have increased. WCC has instituted a flat rate for in-district residents whether classes are remote or on campus.

Increased enrollment will help reduce the financial difficulties. Community colleges could also be helped by a new state program being developed for front-line workers, which would offer free community college tuition next year.

Future of higher education

While college may look very different this fall compared to previous years, online education is likely to remain an important part of higher education in years to come. Two- and four-year colleges have shown their ability to pivot from mainly face-to-face to almost exclusively remote in a very short time. Increased enrollment in the summer suggests that this is agreeable to students and possible for colleges.

Remote learning also provides flexibility to students of all ages, including working adults, those with limited mobility, as well as young people who are generally more comfortable in a digital environment. However, quality online education requires reliable and affordable internet access and devices, user-friendly platforms, and trained instructors. On the downside, campus life is an important part of the “student experience” for many students, and this needs to be a consideration for colleges as they plan for future semesters during and after the pandemic. Ultimately, college is about preparing individuals for success in the workplace and in life. Our colleges have shown that they are up to the challenge by continuing to offer high-quality education, while focusing on keeping students safe.