‘They were all hurting’
► Local community colleges a ected as pandemic hit their students ► Enrollment decline at Lord Fairfax; Germanna pivots online
As the COVID-19 pandemic settled into workspaces and homes, the intricacies of life got stripped down to basics.
“The pandemic hit hard in terms of basic needs,” said Vice President of Communications & Planning at Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC) Christopher Coutts.
Students were increasingly concerned over food and housing insecurity. When the ability to feed and shelter yourself comes into question, education is less of a priority.
Community colleges saw a nationwide 10% drop in enrollment. The decline in community college enrollment within the last few years has been the most severe in over 50 years.
On a national and local level, college enrollment has a direct historical
relationship with employment rates. When economic strains are high with increased unemployment, o en simultaneous increases in college enrollment re ect individuals turning to education to strengthen their skills for the job market.
The pandemic altered where people
turned amidst uncertainty, as heightened health risks and an unstable economy took college o the agenda. So much so, 25% of high school graduates and 15% of college students abandoned college altogether.
As college enrollment across the nation has been declining, LFCC was in the middle of its own minor trend in enrollment decline a few years before the pandemic. The quarantine over the 2019-2020 academic year catalyzed the fall.
LFCC lost over 250 students college-wide that year. The past academic year saw the same accelerated decrease in enrollment by about 4%.
Alternatively, Germanna Community College’s (GCC) enrollment grew more than 15% in the few years before the pandemic.
“We're one of few colleges in the nation that has seen enrollment increase during the pandemic,” said Media and Community Relations Special Assistant to the President Michael Zitz.
GCC President Janet Gullickson didn’t wait for other community colleges before transitioning instruction to being almost entirely online. Gullickson’s decision swi ly came in the spring of 2020 in the early stages of the pandemic. The move to action “removed the uncertainty” that otherwise plagued the nation, Gullickson said.
Both GCC and LFCC expressed the sentiment that online learning makes education accessible for more students.
Gullickson pointed out that the exibility of virtual learning “is not only attractive to many students but helps families” as they o en tightly juggle education and work. While GCC returned to in-person instruction in August 2021, they will continue to offer online learning. Coutts acknowledged that “moving interactions online [can be] alienating for students.”
No particular student demographic trends at LFCC re ected a higher impact from COVID, as the drop in enrollment was seen across the board.
“They were all hurting,” Coutts said.
Instead of trends in enrollment, GCC observed how the Black male student demographic completion rates were comparatively lower than other demographics.
Upon noticing the decreased trend in the successful graduation of Black students, GCC channeled its focus on “ensuring the academic success of its low-income Black students,” said Vice President of Academic A airs and Workforce Development Dr. Shashuna J. Gray.
Their concerted e orts align with their “commitment to (ensure) all students feel welcome and valued,” said VP of Student Services and Equity Development, Dr. Ti any Ray. “Germanna won a $2.2 million federal grant to enhance its support for African American students and deliver inclusive and innovative curriculum and instruction.”
The grant, awarded by The U.S. Department of Education, will be immediately utilized and span the next 5 years.
LFCC surveyed students to understand their experience throughout the pandemic and found that more than half referenced uncertainty in meeting their basic needs. Additionally, nearly half of surveyed students reported anxiety.
“It’s a combination, not only food and housing but also depression and anxiety,” Coutts said.
Discussions centered around how to raise awareness of funding available for students and provide holistic care. Coutts said LFCC’s goal “is to remove the barriers so people can focus on their education.”
A page of LFCC’s website is dedicated to community resources, one of which is Single Stop, which functions as a middle ground for assessing students’ situations and connecting them to applicable resources for assistance.
LFCC identi es as “a door to the workforce,” Coutts said. As such, they put an emphasis on the nancial support for programs that train students for critical-need careers. The Virginia G3 program is an example, o ering community college tuition assistance for eligible students.
“The jobs are available, the training is available and, in many cases, it’s fully covered,” Coutts said. “It’s right here, and we can help.”
In an e ort to overcome the challenges rooted in hesitancy, Coutts said LFCC’s recruitment e orts have been “focused on removing that paralysis and uncertainty” in conjunction with active outreach to nd students who would bene t from what the school can o er.
In terms of the need for mental health support, LFCC has risen to the occasion with a care team assigned to every student. Care teams consist of advisors, success coaches, counselors and more. Thanks to tirelessly dedicated sta and faculty, colleges have high hopes for the future.
The spring semester has signaled that community colleges are nding their way through, onwards and upwards.