The surveys are still being gathered, as parents across the nation are asked, “Will you send your child to school in the fall?,” and adult students are asked, “Will you return to college?” Along with those questions goes the follow up: “Under what conditions?”
It’s a great debate right now, especially as the medical community watches for a second wave of seriously ill patients impacted by COVID-19. It’s not just elementary education in question—and it’s not only about the students. These decisions affect the adults in the classroom, the administrators, and the parents.
A recent report commissioned by MOCAN from WHYSDOM, a data insights company, states: “As the pandemic continues across the nation, colleges are beginning to accept a new reality: campus life with COVID-19. This realization has had a dramatic reach, influencing discussions including course accessibility, campus living, faculty pay, campus life, and community economies.”
We’re hearing of schools that are shutting down, shortening their semesters, and eliminating majors. Colleges, universities and trade schools are all preparing for new challenges in order to move forward with classes. At the same time, students are becoming hesitant as they explore options, based on the school’s pandemic responsiveness and accessibility.
All of this is leading to revised student evaluations of higher education, which now include remote access, affordability, social justice, community responsibility, personal safety, and finding equilibrium in a new type of college experience. And, while much of it is worrisome, it’s not all bad. Here are a few important points to consider:
- The pandemic is giving people more time to explore their interests, along with permission to change their career path, which impacts their need for secondary education or training.
- As more services and careers move online, education needs are changing to address the requirements of remote work.
- People will be piecemealing their education with components from a variety of both traditional and new media sources.
In other words, there are opportunities here to take a new look at education and tailor it to an individual’s needs. We’re no longer in a one-size-fits-all world, and higher education is using this time to address the changes. It’s a healthy dialog, and one that we’re watching with interest as we at MOCAN work to serve Missouri students.
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