Op-Ed: How the pandemic is changing higher education for the better
LA TimesStudents stroll to class at Los Angeles City College on Aug. 30, the day a portion of the student body returned to in-class instruction. Since the pandemic hit more than two years ago, 1.4 million students who were registered for college have dropped out, according to the National Student Clearinghouse. Grand Rapids Community College President Bill Pink — like almost every other college leader — discovered his Michigan institution was utterly transformed by the pandemic. After an initial 9% decrease during the pandemic, enrollment at Grand Rapids increased about 1% between 2021 and 2022 — at the same time national public community college enrollment decreased by about 8%. John Sygielski, president of Pennsylvania’s Harrisburg Area Community College, responded by creating a comprehensive student center focused on providing for needs such as food and housing insecurity — and round-the-clock mental health services.
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