College Students and the Pandemic

College Students and the Pandemic

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to moderate a discussion among current and former community college students about how the pandemic is impacting their lives. The panel was part of the annual meeting of the Chief Information Security Officers Association (CISOA), which represents the IT professionals at California’s community colleges.    

I truly enjoy interacting with college students and take advantage of every chance I get to do so. Today’s conversation did not disappoint. I was inspired by their continued advocacy for one another during these trying circumstances. They spoke of how institutions have stepped up to help them continue their paths to educational success, whether by providing laptops and key technology items to essentials like clothing and food.

Yet challenges remain. Although these students and their peers are well-versed in technology and do not know a world without it, accessibility is still a problem. This was true before Covid-19 and the pandemic has exacerbated it. As one student said, “technology is not just about devices” – in other words, it’s everything that’s integral to utilizing the technology. This means finding an outlet to charge their devices or having a physical space to attend classes virtually and do coursework uninterrupted.  

Students also face difficulty finding valuable work experience outside of the classroom due to the pandemic. And those students who do find career-related opportunities have quite an adjustment to make, surrounded by new people, in a virtual environment.   

We can all agree community college students have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Yet the students I met yesterday gave me new perspective and confidence about the future of higher education – and our country. It is a future that uses technology to support student communication, works to improve classroom accessibility, and embraces the endless possibilities for upward mobility. It is a future for learners of all ages.

Debbie Salce

Sales and Events Consultant | Program Manager | Project Manager | Project Coordinator | Event Planner | Global Meeting Planner | Corporate Event Manager | Contract Manager | Communications Manager | Vendor Manager

4 年

Thanks for being inclusive with your statement: "It is a future for learners of all ages." After a successful career?at IBM, I have returned to school to prepare for my next career.? I am pleased with the online format and impressed with the transparency and?technology to learn, manage assignments, access grades, and?collaborate with teachers and students.?

回复

Thank you for facilitating our panel discussion at the CISOA Technology Summit. All of us who seek to improve our institutions, build a better community, and transform the world we share, need more dialogs with those we serve. Doing so with open hearts and minds will assist us to overcome preconceptions and build the systems and services so desperately needed.

I can’t image what could have happened if we did not have the technology and connectivity available to reduce the COVID-19 impact and enable distance learning. Even with this many students are still suffering from bad connections , lack of reliable personal computers and more importantly to adapt to the new ways in teaching and assessment in a very short period. Technology here saved the day but we still have ways to go.

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