The increase of 3.14 percent more enrolled credit
hours than Summer 2019 represents a significant recovery compared to
the initial trend of enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The conversion of our Summer schedule to an all-online format was
initially a shock to the system,” said Sarah Diel-Hunt, Vice
President of Enrollment and Student Services. “Students who signed
up for face-to-face courses over the summer were de-enrolled as an
online version of the course was listed. At that time enrollment
fell 35 percent in comparison to the same time in 2019. The efforts
of our staff to provide resources and guidance for students should
be noted for how the Summer semester has turned around.”
COVID-19 lockdowns in March prompted the College, like many
institutions, to rethink face-to-face instruction without any
certainty of when pandemic measures could be lifted. This resulted
in the de-enrollment of 337 students enrolled in face-to-face
courses.
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To re-work the Summer term, Heartland Advising staff
worked with de-enrolled students, enrolling 81 percent of them into
online courses. Further efforts brought 2020 Summer credit hour
enrollment back up, surpassing Summer 2018 enrolled hours by almost
6 percent and 2019 credit hours by over 3 percent.
|
Summer 2019 |
Summer 2020 |
% change |
Unduplicated
Headcount |
2,060 |
2,076 |
0.78% |
Credit Hours |
10,131 |
10,449 |
3.14 % |
Conversion of the Summer term
toward online instruction helped faculty and support staff also
prepare for a Fall term where a shelter-in-place order may be lifted
but other health safety measures are still needed. For the Fall 2020
term the College is taking a blended approach where classes with a
clinical or hands-on component will take place on campus in a
classroom/lab setting with a limit of no more than 10 people per
meeting, employing health safety practices. All other classes will
be conducted either fully online or with a Zoom hybrid format which
increases real-time remote instruction.
[Steve Fast
Director, Public Information
Heartland Community College] |