On mobile? Don’t forget to read your location director’s letter or the other articles in this semester’s newsletter!
Who would ever have thought the term “pandemic” would become a household word? At the start of the pandemic when we were told to work from home to flatten the curve, I sent the staff home with their computers and told them to take enough office supplies with them to function for two or three weeks. Two or three weeks!
I am very proud of how adaptable our staff and faculty were in the face of the uncertain. They continued to serve students, to master the technology, to teach classes over Zoom, and we continued to see our students complete degrees. While there were some logistics to work through, Columbia College was able to pivot easily to a virtual class format because of our long history of using technology. Our goals have not changed, and we hope yours have not changed either.
It is no secret that the pandemic brought many challenges to our students – financial, health-related, childcare, and more. One of the good things that came out of this experience was the creation of the virtual education format. In addition to our healthy online course offerings, we are committed to continuing to offer in-seat and virtual education course options so that students do not face added hurdles in trying to complete a degree. In-seat, online, and virtual – where YOU are!
If you are reading this and have taken a break from classes that lasted longer than you had anticipated I invite you to reach out to your advisor or to me personally. We want to help you to reconnect with your goals. If you are just thinking of starting a degree do not let the pandemic slow you down, Zoom is here! And, if you are among those that are nearing completion of a degree or who graduated during the pandemic, kudos to you for persisting and congratulations! My own daughters persisted as well, one completing her bachelor’s degree at the start of the pandemic and the other graduating high school and off to college this fall. It is not what any of us imagined, but their accomplishments and yours are remarkable, nonetheless.
We look forward to a day when “pandemic” is no longer a household word, but until then, grab your mask and head over to Crystal Lake. (Do feel free to phone first, of course, as the pandemic has been unpredictable to say the least!) We look forward to seeing you in person again!
