Rise

But there was a more important lesson of [September 11, 2001], and it is infinitely more important that it be remembered. That morning marked the triumph of our best selves: the impatient martyrs of the fire companies who hurried up the stairs, the grimy angels with blowtorches who cleared away the steel ... People fell and people rose…. (Anna Quindlen)

Our COVID-19 pandemic is also a time that can mark a triumph of our best selves.  We the people – and our institutions – might be in the midst of a free fall, but hope glimmers as individuals and institutions rise to create safety nets.  I see this at the community college where I have worked for most of the twenty-first century.  

Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

For example, student attrition in my online classes (only one a transition from F2F to online) seems to arise from the digital divide exacerbated by COVID-19 domino effects.  It is taking many of my students much longer than expected to bounce back and be on track with their academics.  We transitioned to online in Week 9 of a 16-week semester.  Since then, I’ve heard from approximately half of my students.  In Week 12, a student emailed me that she had her family and job situations sorted, but she didn’t have a laptop and using her phone wasn’t helpful.  In Week 13, another student emailed to let me know that he and his mother had finally gotten home internet access.  I hear similar student stories from my colleagues.   

How am I, my colleagues or my institution rising? Since 2018, my institution has provided about 500 student laptops for 28-day checkout via the library.  With campuses closed and approximately 80 remaining, this service was moved to campus safety with the checkout period extended.  Two of my students indicated they had made laptop retrieval arrangements with campus safety.  Regarding home internet access, my college publicized Comcast’s COVID-19 response to aid low-income households and I informed my students about Charter’s response to aid students.

My colleagues and I have also endeavored to rise in virtual instruction and engagement.  Our provost’s recent weekly email notes that we are making what was thought impossible happen.  For example, faculty have created more than 4,000 video presentations within our course management system and provided more than 2,500 WebEx recordings while our support staff has responded to more than 2,500 inquiries.  

However, these are short-term actions to facilitate our students completing this semester.  In considering the longer-term effects of a 12- to 18- month pandemic existing within a recession, we must have stability and maintenance of our funding resources.  Community colleges’ primary funding sources are state appropriations, property taxes, and tuition and fees.  The state will have increased needs across many public sectors, so community colleges’ slice will likely decrease.  Home prices decline during recessions, which impacts property taxes.  Thus, our rock is tuition and fees, which my institution would not want to raise, and our hope is students want to return to us.

Dr. Frim Ampaw, a Central Michigan University higher education scholar with an economics background, noted that selective institutions will continue to attract students, while non-selective, residential institutions may find that students are staying home.  Fortunately, we are a local institution.  As a commuter college serving a multiple-county, metropolitan area, our students can stay near family during this tumultuous time and continue to take on-campus classes with us.   

Created by the author

In fact, my provost has shared a plan for returning to campus in fall, especially our programs that have mandatory hands-on instruction and were paused for spring.  Spaces are being reviewed to calculate how many people can be in a classroom or lab as well as in a building.  For example, one course may need to use two lab areas to maintain social distancing.  On a lighter note, I’ve been imagining college-colors duct tape inundating the campus grounds and floors.  

I think our actions reflect two pillars of American identity:  the capitalist economy and individualistic culture. In particular, Dr. Jason Taylor, an authority on 20th century  American economic history at Central Michigan University, highlighted some private sector/capitalists’ responses to COVID-19, noting efficiency, ingenuity, and compassion.  I see all three of these happening at my community college. Also, if our actions result in helping students complete their academic goals, we help to move them toward independence and self-reliance because community colleges, as open-access educational institutions, are touted as the primary opportunity for individuals to gain economic and social mobility.  

I have shared but a few snapshots of moments that mark the triumph of our better selves as my institution and I navigate through a COVID-19 pandemic-impacted recession.  To paraphrase Winston Churchill, let this time of crisis be our finest hour.

This image comes from Human Resource Executive.