Spring term at Lane Community College officially started on April 6 with many students and faculty scrambling to figure out how they will access computers, internet and other resources during the online term.
In regard to enrollment impact, LCCEA President Adrienne Mitchell said, “We will know a lot more by April 6 and April 13, but, so far, it looks like our enrollment will not be as low as some other community colleges in Oregon, which are seeing 15-20% decreases.”
A number of courses – including the Nursing Assistant program, the Certified Nursing Assistant 2 classes and Aviation Maintenance program – have been postponed until summer term due to restrictions implicit in online instruction such as clinical hours and hands-on learning requirements.
This has led the Lane Community College Education Association to make swift and strategic decisions regarding funding and support for both faculty and students.
“We’re seeing that some part-time faculty are having classes canceled and losing employment,” said Mitchell, adding that, “we’ve been busy setting up an emergency fund for our union members and figuring out various options for support.”
She further stated that – as a public employee labor union – the LCCEA’s membership dues will contribute to this fund.
“We are also working with our state affiliate union Oregon Education Association and national affiliate National Education Association, which help provide crisis funds for members.”
Regarding computers and other devices, LCC is repurposing all existing devices as well as purchasing new ones for both faculty and student use, according to Mitchell.
“Many campus computers are outdated and were slated for renewal or replacement already,” she said. “Any new Chromebooks will be put to good use for general faculty, staff and student use after the pandemic also.”
Summer and fall term currently look uncertain for LCC, though Mitchell said the school is ultimately anticipating a spike in enrollment due to unemployment caused by COVID-19.
Historically, community college enrollment typically increases with unemployment rates as displaced workers pursue higher education and technical training. During the financial crisis of 2008, for instance, enrollment in Oregon’s public universities increased significantly as unemployment rates across the state peaked in 2009.
“This is a trying time,” said Mitchell, “but we are striving to fulfill our community college mission in continuing to provide higher education access to students with an opportunity for economic and social mobility and ultimately social justice for our students.”
“We also recognize that we, as a community college, will play a critical role in economic and workforce development to help rebuild Oregon after the pandemic,” she said. “So LCCEA is advocating for funding from both the state and the federal level to help us maintain services and staffing to get through this challenging period.”
