EDUCATION
Post Pandemic Higher Education
Lessons learned from COVID will change higher education forever .
By Tom Worley Chief Operating Officer , Clear Tunnels Publishing Solutions
After completing their initial semester attending in-person classes , most New Jersey college students in 2020 were looking forward to resuming campus life after winter break . When COVID-19 hit , the pandemic dramatically changed the lives of students , essentially robbing them of the traditional college experience .
Like many businesses around the Garden State , college campuses found themselves needing to quickly pivot to a remote solution . Rider University sophomore Karl Stever was among the thousands of freshmen in the state whose campus experience was interrupted by the pandemic . According to Stever , “ Rider University did an outstanding job transitioning to remote learning , but the vibe was slightly off .” Like many of his fellow students , he felt cheated out of the total on-campus college experience .
Remote learning , like working remotely , requires an adjustment . College students with strong self-discipline have easily navigated the transition while students who require a more structured environment have not been quite as successful .
Most college students around the state are looking forward to the Fall 2021 semester and hoping that campus life returns to the pre-pandemic norm . Stever asserts that his school has been forthcoming and transparent with regard to its plans for resumption of in-person classes and campus life , but if it becomes necessary to return to remote classes due to a COVID spike , Stever , like many of his contemporaries , hopes to live on campus to get as much immersion into college life as possible .
Christine Harrington , Ph . D ., an associate professor at New Jersey City University ( NJCU ) relates that a combination of approaches were employed to make the best college experience possible for students , faculty , and staff . Using Zoom for synchronous class meetings and office hours worked well , since students already had that time blocked out for class . Employing the virtual lecture hall to traditional online coursework is more difficult due to student schedules , but Zoom allowed the online learning community to stay connected with the university .
Some NJCU faculty recorded lectures and screencasts ; they found this methodology successful for brief and targeted instruction . Like the students , the faculty and staff adapted to the technology in short order . Building on this success paved the way for learning . Most of the student support came directly from the faculty , while the faculty was supported by NJEdge , a non-profit technology services provider specializing in education , research and healthcare organizations .
At NJCU , college professors are considering ways to weave technology into the traditional classroom . For example , assignments can be configured so students can work in Google Docs when collaborating on a project , and use Zoom breakout rooms rather than in-person project or study meetings . There is no doubt that more online options will be available moving forward .
Ramapo College in Mahwah took adoption of new teaching technology to an entirely different level , adding three new technology-based course delivery modes to complement their pre-pandemic methodologies . Instructors also experimented with various best-practice remote technologies like prerecorded lectures , virtual class meetings , instructor-created asynchronous learning experiences , and even simultaneous instruction of students on- and off-campus through the use of WebEx room kits . The article on the following
“ Most college students around the state are looking forward to the Fall 2021 semester and hoping that the campus life returns to the pre-pandemic norm .”
page describes Ramapo College ’ s approach to the pandemic in greater detail .
“ As a community college , County College of Morris ( CCM ) must be responsive to the needs of the community it serves ,” said Dr . Anthony J . Iacono , CCM president . Before the mandatory state shutdown , CCM , located in Dover , had approximately 8,000 enrolled undergraduate students and 4,000 students taking advantage of the college for continuing education coursework . Fortunately , enrollment hasn ’ t suffered due to the pandemic . Dr . Iacono attributes this to the efforts of the 1,000-plus full- and parttime employees , all of whom needed to learn how to perform their responsibilities remotely .
Initially an academic transfer school , CCM is now a full-service college facility . As a commuter school , students appreciate remote access to administrative functions like financial aid , and online advisor meetings . This saves them the trouble of having to drive to campus . Now that these functions have been made available online , they will continue on a permanent basis . Students , student organizations and clubs , faculty , and staff adapted to the virtual campus quickly , however , like the rest of the schools discussed , remote participation negatively affected camaraderie and interpersonal relationships . On balance , the virtual campus is a huge timesaver and will be incorporated into campus life moving forward .
While CCM was busy solving the virtual campus puzzle , the college still had time to earn multiple accolades during the pandemic :
In addition to these impressive achievements , CCM capitalized on public-private partnerships to open a new Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center . The center serves as a hub for innovation and helps close the skills gap in the engineering and manufacturing workforce . The college also started a Paramedic Science Program , and has experienced an increase in graduation rates .
Like all of the outstanding companies profiled in this issue , CCM gives back to its community . Through Dover College Promise , a grant-funded educational partnership with The Educational Center ( TEC ) Inc ., and the Dover School District , CCM faculty , students and staff serve as mentors to low-income middle- and high school students with the opportunity to secure a college path . They also partner with of Table of Hope Food Pantry , volunteering and hosting food distribution events at the college .
As of mid-May , less than 7 % of the state ’ s college age residents have received a COVID vaccine , and this number is expected to trend upward as the number of institutions like Drew University , Fairleigh Dickinson University , Kean University , Montclair State University , Mount St . Mary ’ s University , New Jersey City University , Princeton University , Rider University , Rutgers University and Stevens Institute of Technology require students to be fully vaccinated by the start of the fall semester . Many four-year colleges around the state have yet to announce a formal decision on mandatory vaccination , but there is a strong possibility that they will follow suit .
The pandemic challenged both four-year and community colleges to make change happen more quickly than they would have preferred . It forced them to explore strategies that might not have been possible only a few years ago . Although many faculty and students are excited to return to the campus and classroom , learning , campus life , and administration at the under-grad and post-graduate levels has changed , and improved forever .
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