Addressing the Needs of All Students to Weather the Storm

A few weeks ago, the temperature along the Colorado Front Range plummeted from 90 degrees one day to 34 degrees the next day. As the first snowfall for the year came down, the sudden shift in weather seemed in keeping with the changes of this time, particularly how COVID-19 impacted postsecondary education and the economy last spring. Just as the rapid temperature drop sent us rushing for coats and gloves, the pandemic sent institutions rushing to figure out how to serve their students during this crisis, and in the process, perhaps they are beginning to better see who their students are and what they need to succeed.

The last decade has shed much needed light on the fact that the typical college student is no longer an 18 year old recent high school graduate (if it ever was), but instead is over age 25, likely balancing school with work, and caring for children. Recognizing that higher education must adapt to meet the needs of students, several states and institutions embraced this reality and created programs to help adult learners succeed. One feature of the comprehensive programs in Minnesota and Tennessee is coaching for returning adult students as a means to help each student navigate their postsecondary journey and stay on course to completion. At Shasta College, certain degree programs are offered in a hybrid, cohort model with all in-person courses scheduled during the same evening time blocks throughout the program — a consistent schedule that allows students to balance the program with work commitments during the day. What these and myriad other programs have in common is a deep commitment to serving adult learners that is reflected in their thoughtful, student-centered design.

But it’s not just adult learners who need greater support. COVID-19 has brought greater awareness to the overarching needs of all students as well as to what they are experiencing right now. For instance, the pandemic has exacerbated the food and housing insecurity, and subsequent mental health challenges that many college students experience throughout the academic year and how these factors negatively impact their chances for success. Through its #RealCollege Survey, the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice at Temple University found that nearly 3 in 5 students, from roughly 40,000 respondents, were experiencing food or housing insecurity due to the pandemic. Perhaps most alarming, less than 15 percent of survey respondents applied for emergency aid or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, a data point that clearly shows assistance programs will be ineffective if those in need do not know how to access them.

The institutions of higher education where leadership, staff, and faculty understand and address the challenges their students face are the ones that will weather the pandemic and emerge positioned to grow and enable their students to successfully complete degrees and credentials of value. Take for example Paul Quinn College, where its president, Michael Sorrell understands the economic vulnerability of its students and announced early in the summer the college would be fully remote during the fall semester. Opening a campus too soon, and then once again transitioning to remote instruction mid-semester, would likely cause many students to stop out. Paul Quinn College also reduced tuition by $2000 and sought to provide laptops and wifi hotspots to students with need — further efforts to address challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. Where I live, Metropolitan State University of Denver suspended its mandatory bus pass fee as a cost-saving measure for students since 90 percent of them will be engaging in fully remote education this semester. While this fee reduction may seem like a minor change, to me it shows a primarily non-residential institution proactively considering the changing needs of its students and doing all it can to reduce the impacts of this challenging time.

Now that fall semesters are underway, we will read many stories of failed campus re-openings and mid-term closures. But, we will also read examples where college leaders set a consistent and transparent course, put students first, and created a supportive, caring, effective and safe learning environment for students. Higher education advocates and state leaders must highlight these success stories as best practices, not just in response to a pandemic, but also as ways to support the needs of today’s students, encouraging other institutions to adopt similar measures. Many of the policies and practices that work in the pandemic will remain critical to student success and institutional sustainability moving forward.