The coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench into a lot of plans this year, especially for those attending, or wanting to attend, college.
In a matter of days, bustling campus life came to a screeching halt, classes went from in-person to totally online, high school seniors lost the last few crucial months of their school year and many students started to feel uncertain about what the future would hold.
In other words, the pandemic added a lot of stress to young people that already had very full plates.
The staff at Macomb Community College recognized the struggles students were having and sprang into action developing ways to ensure a safe, but still productive, 2020 school year.
“Our main concern is protecting student health and safety while doing everything we can to create a great learning experience,” Aimee Adamski, the director of admissions and outreach at Macomb Community College says. “Our enrollment process doesn’t look that different — it’s the same steps we’ve always had — but we’re expanding the way we’re reaching out to students.”
To do this, the college took a look at different populations to find out what they need. New students, for example, might need one-on-one time with counseling, older students might need a run-down on virtual learning, and students that had planned to transition to a four-year institution but decided against it this year need reassurance that classes taken at Macomb Community College will transfer.
Once the college figured out exactly what students needed, they put all of these resources online in what is called the Virtual Campus.
“(The Virtual Campus) introduces students to the online platform we host classes with and provides them with tips to be successful with online learning,” Adamski says. And, as the new semester gets closer, students will find more online support from their advisors, student seminars with the college’s career service department, tutoring, books, payment options and more.
“We’re trying to put all those pieces into place that they’d have when they walked in face-to-face,” Adamski adds.
When the fall semester begins, all classes will be conducted online until at least Labor Day. After that, and when determined safe to do so, Macomb will offer classes in three formats: hybrid, online and web enhanced. Hybrid classes are a combination of virtual classroom and face-to-face instruction. Online classes take place entirely in virtual classrooms. In web-enhanced courses, primarily in the health and occupational areas, all teaching occurs in the traditional classroom employing online tools to support instruction.
Registration for the fall 2020 semester at Macomb Community College kicks off on July 15, 2020 and classes are set to pick up for the semester on Aug. 17, 2020, giving potential students time to ask questions or start the enrollment process.
“If you’re feeling a little uncertain, it’s not too late,” Adamski says. “I encourage you to reach out to us so we can get you on the right path — we’re here to support you from start to finish.”
For more information on Macomb Community College or for details on life in Macomb County, visit the Make Macomb Your Home website.
