Brock University, Niagara College altering lesson plans
Significant number of courses likely to be available online only for fall term
There will likely be significant changes to the way classes are held at Brock University and Niagara College in September, depending on the latest public health recommendations regarding COVID-19.
And with tens of thousands of students attending classes at the two institutions, the impact of those changes may be felt throughout the region.
Brock University president Gervan Fearon and Niagara College president Sean Kennedy joined Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Mishka Balsom for an online discussion Thursday about how the institutions and the community they serve are being affected by the pandemic.
Although details are still being worked out, Fearon said a significant portion of programs Brock offers might only be made available online for the fall term — allowing many of its 19,000 students to remain in their homes in other communities, rather than return to student housing in Niagara.
“We will have to have significant modifications,” he said. “A substantial amount of course offerings will be online.”
But with an annual economic impact of $640 million in Niagara — including about $4.5 million spent on transportation and about $100 million a year to local agrifood industries — he said “our responsibilities to the entire region” as well as financial implications on the university need to be considered when developing plans for the coming term.
Kennedy said the situation at the college is similar, noting both institutions employ thousands of people.
“We want to continue to be very strong employers within the region,” he said. “Certainly, we are looking at the impact of a declining enrolment in the short term, but keeping our eye on the ball in terms of the longer term. We expect a real rebound and a very strong enrolment.”
Considering the college’s $800-million economic impact on the region — including direct and indirect financial benefits — he said the college will “do everything we can to both be a strong employer and also to continue to be directly connected throughout 100 different programs that re
flect the employment needs of every sector.”
Kennedy said final decisions have yet to be made regarding the fall term.
“We’re not going to make or announce any more definitive plans for at least a few weeks … We do want to incorporate the most recent modelling by public health into our plans for the fall,” he said. “We don’t know for sure yet what the fall will look like. We do know it won’t be the same as usual.”
He said there will be additional public health guidelines that the college will need to follow, as well as fewer large gatherings and a mixture of online programs. The college, which welcomes students from 90 countries each year, is bracing for a short-term drop in enrolment among international students with travel restrictions in place.
In the long term, however, he said there will likely be increased demand for post-secondary education from both domestic and international students.
“I’m hopeful there will be government support to help Canadian workers who may have been laid off and are unemployed to be able to access post-secondary education to offset some of the costs,” he said. Allan.Benner@niagaradailies.com 905-225-1629 | @abenner1