On March 17, Peter Hans, president of the North Carolina Community College System, advised North Carolina’s 58 community colleges to pause face-to-face instruction and move courses online. Since that announcement, community college leaders, instructors, and staff have worked tirelessly to do just that.
Focused on their students’ needs, each college is taking a different approach. Some extended their spring break while faculty and staff worked out how to move courses online. Many have paused laboratory-based and workforce classes that are difficult, if not impossible, to move online.
A common challenge faced by all colleges is ensuring students and faculty have both the technology and the Wi-Fi necessary to participate in online courses. This challenge looks different from college to college, and each is taking its own approach.