Terra State may do online-only classes after Thanksgiving break due to rising COVID cases
FREMONT — As COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise in Ohio, Terra State Community College is considering a "non-return" to campus after Thanksgiving break for its nearly 2,000 students.
Bill Taylor, Terra State's vice president of academic affairs, told faculty and staff members at Thursday's State of the College presentation that he would be meeting with department deans next week to make a decision on whether to go to online-only classes for the final two weeks of the semester.
Taylor said the move would be similar to last year's post-Thanksgiving schedule and was meant as a precaution, particularly with students going home for the holiday and then potentially returning to campus.
"We want to minimize the exposure," Taylor said.
Classes were only online after Thanksgiving 2020
After the college's 2020 Thanksgiving break, Terra State conducted online-only classes for the remainder of the semester.
Terra State has put in place several safety measures to try and limit the possibility of students, faculty and staff contracting the virus on-campus.
The college put in place a mask mandate in August, where all faculty, staff, students, visitors, and vendors, regardless of vaccination status, were required to wear facial coverings while indoors in any Terra State campus building.
It has also installed bipolar ionization units on campus to upgrade Terra State's air handling systems to provide increased air quality and delivery.
President Ron Schumacher said Thursday he has no intention of mandating anyone on campus to get a COVID-19 vaccine unless he is required to do so.
"We're wearing the masks. We're doing the things we need to do," Schumacher said.
Schumacher briefly touched on national projections regarding community college enrollment.
Enrollment decline comes sooner than expected
The Terra State president said projections of declining student enrollment across the country were not supposed to hit until 2027.
He acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated that trend.
Garien Hudson, Terra State's vice president of student affairs and enrollment services, said the college's fall 2021 headcount numbers stand at 1,921 and 509 full-time equivalency (FTE) students.
"Right now, obviously we'd like to be in a better position," Hudson said.
The college's FY 2022 budget was based on projected flat headcount and full-time equivalent (FTE) student numbers, which would match final fall 2020 semester totals of 2,063 students and 555.7 FTE.
Hudson said the college trails its fall 2021 headcount by about 7% and its FTE enrollment goals by 8%.
He said he had been seeing some positive trends with transfer students and College Credit Plus enrollment numbers, as well as first-time students.
Hudson said the college hoped to boost its enrollment in spring 2022 with a new campaign titled, "It's Your Future, Complete It!"
419-334-1046
Twitter: @DanielCarson7