OPINION: Tom Quinn — To change or not to change? There is no question.
The time is now to lead students toward a stronger future by adapting to our new global environment .
Business as usual no longer applies in the business of educating our local residents. Now more than ever, Kirtland Community College and higher ed institutions across the state have the opportunity to serve our community and enrich the lives of our students. To do that, we have to adapt, and adapt quickly to challenges we never could have anticipated.
Over the course of just a few weeks, we watched our world change drastically in the face of COVID-19. We adjusted quickly, implementing physical distancing, moving more classes online, transitioning all advising and counseling to virtual meetings, and eventually closing our campus through the end of this semester.
Colleges and universities nationwide have been forced to adapt rapidly while making seemingly impossible decisions—from postponing well-deserved graduation ceremonies, to delaying in-person clinical training and hands-on technical and lab work. As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds and we’re adjusting on a day-to-day basis, we’re faced with the ultimate question: What does the future hold?
This is a big question, but not a new one. New generations of students require fresh approaches to learning, and it’s becoming glaringly necessary that we evolve to meet those needs. The blow dealt by this pandemic has only heightened the urgency to look at how we are innovating and adapting to serve our students.
Fortunately for Kirtland, change is something we’re especially good at. We’ve evolved tremendously in recent years in order to meet students’ needs, and this environment is no different. We have taken immediate measures to help students navigate this crisis, and have been looking at long-term ways to adapt in order to come out stronger on the other side. We’re already moving in the right direction, with changes that include:
- More online programming. Kirtland has been voted 24th in the nation (and first in Michigan) for best online community college. In the past few weeks, we’ve moved from having around 35% of courses online to holding all courses that we can online. While hands-on experiences and labs will continue to be vital in the future, we’re evaluating additional ways we can incorporate online learning into current courses, in order to provide flexibility for students who face physical and scheduling barriers to attending classes.
- Physical safety measures. We already have a state-of-the-art HVAC system for air filtration. Now we’re looking at implementing safety measures like facemasks, temperature checks, enhanced sanitation procedures, and rotating office days to minimize staff on campus at one time. We’re taking physical distancing seriously, and expect that once classes resume we’ll have rearranged classrooms and altered traffic flows on campus.
- Training students in digital skills. Knowing how to use remote working tools like G Suites, Zoom and iOS and Android applications are necessary life skills these days. As digital skills are becoming increasingly essential to the workforce, we’re evaluating how to integrate digital skills training into general education and programs that are traditionally fully hands-on.
- Optimizing our physical spaces for the community. While our Gaylord campus is closed, it’s being operated as a temporary medical supplies distribution center for local hospitals fighting the virus. It has prompted us to consider how we can better use our physical spaces to serve community needs, beyond meeting locations and community education courses.
- More convenient support. We’ve expanded virtual professional development opportunities for faculty in order to enhance their ability to teach online and share their stories with the public.
- Even more digital communication.The majority of social media users are between 18- and 29-years old, and over 70% of prospective students say their engagement with a school on social media directly correlates with their interest in it. In order to communicate effectively with our students, answer their questions, provide them support, and make them aware of the opportunity that exists here, we’ve increased our use of social and digital media.
Is all this change really necessary? The answer is a firm yes. If we return to our campuses conducting business as usual, then we risk falling behind in meeting the needs of our communities and the goals of our students. In the past decade, higher education has seen an 11% decline in total enrollment—and community colleges are especially vulnerable with an 18% enrollment decline in the midwest and northeast. Now, with our Governor intent on increasing education rates across the state, we must make sure we’re set up to help as many students as possible succeed.
Adapting is important for Kirtland’s future, yes. But more importantly, it’s for our students. With many industries having to scale back or even shut down for the past few weeks, companies will be looking for employees who have strong essential skills and can adapt those skills to learn quickly and pivot when necessary (think auto companies making ventilators for hospitals). If we hope to equip students with these skills, we have to exemplify that in the way we educate them.
Now is the time, while campuses are closed and students are looking to us for leadership and direction, to embrace the innovation and adaptability we know that we’ve needed all along. We are well on our way.