Enrollment higher than expected

More than 12,000 students enroll for Sinclair’s summer term despite uncertainty caused by virus.

More than 12,000 students are enrolled in Sinclair Community College’s summer terms — higher than officials expected, given the economic downturn and uncertainties brought on by the COVID19 pandemic.

The summer enrollment period started just as the coronavirus was spreading, and Gov. Mike DeWine

ordered schools and non-essential businesses to close. Registration for the summer term was down about 30%, compared to the same period in 2019, so school officials delayed enrollment, said Scott Markland, vice president of student enrollment.

There were many unknowns and students weren’t sure if there would even be summer classes. But faculty and staff went to “heroic lengths” to convert the curriculum online, Markland said. The staff called every student to check on them and their families. They also informed students that there would be 1,300 online summer classes offered, and they passed on information about financial aid, the overall academic plan and other information that helped people make enrollment decisions.

Soon after that, officials saw a jump in enrollment, particularly two weeks before the first summer session that started May 11, Markland said. The 12,000 registrations, which are for the four summer sessions combined, are about 2% lower than last year’s summer enrollments.

“We recovered very quickly,” he said. “Normally it’s a pretty steady flow. But again, nothing else is,” normal, given the pandemic.

Although summer enrollment is almost flat this year, Sinclair officials consider it a victory for students who are able to continue their education during uncertain times and for staff who quickly transitioned to virtual learning while managing the disruption in their own lives, Markland said.

It’s indicative of the community’s Dayton strong mentality, he said.

“It’s a victory also for our community to say, ‘You know, we’re stronger than this, where we may get knocked down and beaten, but we’re going to come back yet again,” he said. “There’s so much emotional anxiety and worry. We need something that we can rally around.”

Through June 30, the college is offering free training and professional development courses in

topics such as effective communication, customer service, personal finance and creating web pages, according to a release. The college is also offering career specific online courses that can lead to in-demand jobs in supply chain management, respiratory care, small business accounting and other areas.

Traditional colleges and universities are trying to determine if they’ll offer in-person or online classes in the fall. Markland said Sinclair is getting inquiries from students who may opt to enroll at the community college to save money, given the uncertainties with COVID19.

The staff is working to accommodate those students, whether they decide to take a few classes or complete an associates degree and transfer to a four-year institution. But they are also preparing for the fall semester when they get up to 7,000 new students on average, Markland said.

On Wednesday, they conducted a virtual orientation for more than 300 students who have been accepted, but haven’t decided on a college. The staff is making arrangements to assist those students, should they choose Sinclair, as well as the thousands of other incoming students as they adjust to virtual learning while also dealing with the pandemic, Markland said.

“We’re going to get through this, and we’re going to be OK on the other side,” he said.