While California is accustomed to earthquakes and has prepared for the Big One for decades, the state was caught off guard by the pandemic quake that shook our state in March 2020. Though the government’s response was swift and well-funded, one of the state’s most vital institutions — community colleges — are still recovering.

Enrollment in California’s two-year colleges fell by more than 300,000 the past two years. A disproportionate number who left were low-income students of color. These departures worsened an already low percentage of those students who earn an AA degree or career education credential.

Prior to Covid, the community colleges made progress on completion rates and closing equity gaps. A new Vision for Success and funding formula rewarded colleges that increased the number of students who earned a degree or certificate in a timely manner, or improved results for disadvantaged students and regions of the state with low college achievement.

When the coronavirus shut down in-person classes, however, California Community Colleges (CCC) were ill-equipped to adapt to the new environment.

Since 2014, the state provided funding to colleges that offered online classes to students statewide. By spring 2020, a majority of colleges participated, but relatively few courses were offered. The colleges and faculty made a heroic effort to transition immediately to online classes, but lack of expertise and preparation caused major disruptions.

Research undertaken early in the pandemic indicates that students who were least prepared for college struggled with the transition. Some lacked reliable internet access and computers. Others simply couldn’t adapt to the unfamiliar online format or missed the in-person interactions on campus.

To accelerate this progress, online courses must be engaging and easily accessible, with opportunities to interact directly with professors and students in class. Counseling and health services should be modernized to ensure that online students have equal access.

Read the full article about online courses in higher education by Thomas Epstein at EdSource.