As the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe and “social distancing” took hold, colleges and college students faced a different world of how to communicate and learn.
Thirty days later, with classrooms emptied and Zoom becoming the new handshake, Northeast State responded to the crisis by innovating to find the best ways to serve students. Using emails, telephone calls, texts, video streaming, and mailed letters, staff and faculty rallied to help students finish the semester.
The format has changed, but the mission is the same: We’re here to get you there.
The decision to move the College’s operations onto an online format came roughly two weeks before priority registration date of March 30 for the Summer and Fall 2020 semesters. An enormous responsibility to shift student engagement online fell to the Office of Admissions and Records.
The department revamped online orientation to include D2L and address critical topics such as financial aid and business office matters. The Admissions and Records team implemented electronic transcripts for students. With standardized admissions testing suspended nationwide, Admissions switched high school grade point averages as placement tools for incoming new students.
Admissions and Records worked to achieve the following goals in the past 30 days:
- Reached out to students enrolled in courses not needed for their degree (CPOS)
- Reevaluated each spring graduate to ensure they are still enrolled in courses
- Planned virtual graduation ceremony and additional in person graduation ceremony
- Communicated with graduates regarding changes in commencement and their concerns
- Transitioned course substitutions to online process so students’ financial aid cover courses
- Heavily communicated with students via text message (incoming and outgoing) regarding questions, concerns, needs related to admissions and records
- Contacted students via phone who submitted an admissions application
- Worked directly with high school guidance counselors to complete prospective student files for Early Bird registration.
- Processed incoming and outgoing mail twice weekly to ensure student processes are not held up
- Completed student residency verification through email.
Online Orientation
As someone said, it is best to start at the beginning. For incoming students, that means student orientation. Northeast State activated full online orientation for new students who began registering for summer and fall classes on March 30. The online orientation page found here: https://apps.northeaststate.edu/orientation/ introduces students to the Northeast State community. The online orientation includes the best ways to include online learning and using online resources offered around Northeast State.
Wayne G. Basler Library
Northeast State’s Wayne G. Basler maintained a deep well of online resources prior to the pandemic. The College’s dean of the Library, Chris Demas, said Basler staff assisted 130 students seeking help via online chat, email, and text messaging. Library staff provided help with research assistance, finding information, and evaluating sources since mid-March.
“The library has continued to be a valuable resource to help students succeed in their assignments and classes,” said Demas.
Demas also noted librarians were embedded within 34 classes being taught online. This allows librarians to help students in D2L individually and embed Library resources and instruction modules for easier access.
Enrollment Services
Jim Henrichs, director of Student Services at the Johnson City campus, and Beyond Reconnect guru Wendy Taylor let current adult learners know they were not alone. They threw their efforts into communicating with adult learners about the TN Reconnect program, submitting applications for admission, and financial aid. The enrollment team also transitioned new student orientations for online delivery for incoming students. The department also created an online orientation model for campuses at Johnson City, Kingsport, and Elizabethton.
Enrollment Services scheduled its first remotely delivered TN Reconnect information session for April 21st. The invitation event brings individuals into the TN Reconnect sessions. The TN Reconnect scholarship program extends a hand to adult students – a demographic greatly affected by the economic downturn left in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. Taylor organized the Beyond Reconnect outreach to schedule a Zoom meeting on April 23rd to connect adult students with student support departments. The Adult Success Coach and peer mentors conducted outreach with all 381 adult students in the grant program to offer assistance with D2L, advising, registration, and connections to support services.
Advising Resource Center
The Advising Resource Center team shifted into high gear to advise hundreds of students for the upcoming summer and fall semesters using the Zoom videoconferencing tool. Since mid-March, the ARC staff accomplished the following for students:
- 524 students advised for summer and/or fall utilizing Zoom, phone student email, texting
- Called 162 new students enrolled for spring who had not yet registered to get them advised for fall
- Conducting Virtual Early Bird advising/registration with high school seniors (will include 11 high schools)
- Processed 155 attendance Early Alerts
- ARC staff advised all Trade Adjustment Assistance / Workforce Investment Act students to prepare them for summer/fall.
- Virtual transfer visits were coordinated with ETSU, Milligan, and Tusculum.
- Virtual advising training is being developed for New Student Advisors.
- Virtual Pre-Advising homework being developed for incoming freshmen as a part of the newly updated Bear Beginnings orientation for summer and fall freshmen.
Financial Aid
The Financial Aid staff awarded 2,081 Pell grants for students for the summer. Of that number, 416 students awarded have enrolled for summer classes. Financial aid staffers responded to more than 180 emails sent to the office, many after hours. Financial Aid staff answered questions regarding dependency overrides, recalculations, summer and fall financial aid, dropping a class, and budget increases for computer among others. The staff stayed sharp by completing 114 combined professional development sessions completed by FA staff to help ensure we are maintaining compliance training.
Veterans Affairs
The Student Veterans Service Center team of director Jessica Kelso and John Adcox went on the offensive contacting approximately 300 of the College’s military-affiliated students. The department contacted via phone about 300 of military-affiliated students to discuss with them student resources, D2L, and benefit issues.
“There are around 500 military-affiliated students enrolled for 2020 so we are continually working on this,” said Kelso. “John and both of our student workers have been doing this from home.”
Veterans Affairs staff sent multiple emails to the military-affiliated students informing them of VA’s actions during COVID-19. The emails detailed how the Veterans Affairs office would go forward in certifying students using an education benefit. Student veterans were also asked to participate in a survey created by the College’s Student Veterans of America club explaining how we can best assist them now.
Kelso created an online Fee Deferment Request for the convenience of the military-affiliated students. This is form is required to each semester to earn military education benefits. Each student veteran received the fee deferment request via email. The document was also posted on the College’s website and D2L.
Northeast State C.A.R.E.S.
In one month, the Northeast State Foundation and its supporters have raised more than $21,100 to assist students with emergency resources in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The effort, titled College Aid in Response to an Emergency Situation (CARES), helps with food, transportation, childcare, living expenses, Internet and computer access, and community resources.
Counseling Services
The Counseling Services provided a wealth of services to students in need including counseling, accessibility, child care, and wellness. The department sectors completed the following duties for students from March 16 through April 14.
Testing Services
With in-person testing halted, Testing Services faced a dilemma of delivering critical exams for students. While Exit Exam tests for spring graduates were waived for 2020, Testing Services created a method for remote delivery and proctoring of the Accuplacer placement test using the popular Zoom videoconferencing software. Testing staff also developed handouts for proctors and students, and created a pilot to start proctoring via Zoom by late April.
Testing Services coordinator Melissa Ramsey answered a slew emails and built a database of inquiries. Students will be emailed with new test scheduling information as it becomes available. Testing Services also sought to create a spacing process to ensure test-taker safety when on-campus testing resumes.
CCAMPIS
CCAMPIS Coordinator Kurt Schmidt communicated via email, video conferencing or text with each of the 24 student parents on a weekly basis to determine child care options. CCAMPIS sought to help parents with strategies for balancing online classes with children, and gave campus resources and community resources. The CCAMPIS even reached out to former students no longer in the CCAMPIS program to offer support and resources.
Accessibility Services
- Conducted conference/discussions calls with over 20+ faculty or adjunct instructors on how to accommodate students with online classes. Accessibility Services became bridge for those students and faculty during the online transition. Other Accessibility Services moments during the transition included:
- Contacted 14 students referred through early alert referrals,
- Advised students registered with Accessibility Services for Summer and Fall 2020 semesters.
- Coached multiple students through the online class process and helped set them up with tutors and peer mentors.
- Acted as a bridge/support for students and faculty during the online transition
- Coordinated with the Academic Computer Manager and the sign language interpreter to make classroom videos accessible for a student with a hearing impairment.
Counseling Services and Health and Wellness
- Health and wellness provided 15 telehealth counseling sessions.
- Gathered resources and tips for students in recovery to create a Students Hope flyer. It was emailed to all students through the Health and Wellness email account and posted on Facebook.
- Coordinated with the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network to facilitate Zoom training on “Building Strong Brains” for faculty and staff to learn how to help students with high Adverse Childhood Experiences to be successful in a workshop for faculty, staff, and students by Zoom
- Created “Navigating NeSCC in Spring 2020” PowerPoint for EDUC 1030 classes with strategies and resources for managing stress, anxiety, and depression.
Student Life
The Office of Student Life focused on social media engagement conducting a photo share event, hosting a virtual dance competition, and posting videos from the gym for home workouts. Student Life also worked with C.L.A.S.S. student team to conduct outreach to classmates who had not register for summer or fall classes.
TRiO/Student Support Services
TRiO staff contacted all program participants individually about advising/registration for summer/fall semesters. TRiO tutors were trained to conduct tutoring via Zoom so that tutoring has continued without pause. TRiO students planning to transfer after graduation are participating in virtual college visits. The staff also created a virtual graduation cap decoration website for TRiO grads to celebrate their milestone.
Workforce Solutions
Registering and monitoring participants in online courses. Ed2Go course completions include 332 contact hours and 192 newly registered contact hours for upcoming courses.
Workforce Solutions staff also kept hard at work with regional industry in designing and implementing customized training for employees. Workforce staff transferred several face-to-face courses to online Zoom courses. This transition required staff to work with national certification organizations to revise testing to fit online, virtual format requirements.
The College postponed the Honors Convocation, the spring commencement ceremony, and numerous other events which were staples of the spring season for many institutions. The College’s virtual graduation ceremony takes place May 12 to recognize all our upcoming graduates.
These are but a few efforts made by Northeast State to serve students in the time of Coronavirus/COVID-19. All summer courses have been moved to remote delivery per instruction of the Tennessee Board of Regents.
The Northeast State family extends our deepest thanks to our students, faculty, and staff for the adjustments made during these trying times. We could not do it with you.
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As the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe and “social distancing” took hold, colleges and college students faced a different world of how to communicate and learn.
Thirty days later, with classrooms emptied and Zoom becoming the new handshake, Northeast State responded to the crisis by innovating to find the best ways to serve students. Using emails, telephone calls, texts, video streaming, and mailed letters, staff and faculty rallied to help students finish the semester.
The format has changed, but the mission is the same: We’re here to get you there.
The decision to move the College’s operations onto an online format came roughly two weeks before priority registration date of March 30 for the Summer and Fall 2020 semesters. An enormous responsibility to shift student engagement online fell to the Office of Admissions and Records.
Admissions and Records worked to achieve the following goals in the past 30 days:
Online Orientation
As someone said, it is best to start at the beginning. For incoming students, that means student orientation. Northeast State activated full online orientation for new students who began registering for summer and fall classes on March 30. The online orientation page found here: https://apps.northeaststate.edu/orientation/ introduces students to the Northeast State community. The online orientation includes the best ways to include online learning and using online resources offered around Northeast State.
Wayne G. Basler Library
Northeast State’s Wayne G. Basler maintained a deep well of online resources prior to the pandemic. The College’s dean of the Library, Chris Demas, said Basler staff assisted 130 students seeking help via online chat, email, and text messaging. Library staff provided help with research assistance, finding information, and evaluating sources since mid-March.
“The library has continued to be a valuable resource to help students succeed in their assignments and classes,” said Demas.
Demas also noted librarians were embedded within 34 classes being taught online. This allows librarians to help students in D2L individually and embed Library resources and instruction modules for easier access.
Enrollment Services
Jim Henrichs, director of Student Services at the Johnson City campus, and Beyond Reconnect guru Wendy Taylor let current adult learners know they were not alone. They threw their efforts into communicating with adult learners about the TN Reconnect program, submitting applications for admission, and financial aid. The enrollment team also transitioned new student orientations for online delivery for incoming students. The department also created an online orientation model for campuses at Johnson City, Kingsport, and Elizabethton.
Enrollment Services scheduled its first remotely delivered TN Reconnect information session for April 21st. The invitation event brings individuals into the TN Reconnect sessions. The TN Reconnect scholarship program extends a hand to adult students – a demographic greatly affected by the economic downturn left in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. Taylor organized the Beyond Reconnect outreach to schedule a Zoom meeting on April 23rd to connect adult students with student support departments. The Adult Success Coach and peer mentors conducted outreach with all 381 adult students in the grant program to offer assistance with D2L, advising, registration, and connections to support services.
Advising Resource Center
The Advising Resource Center team shifted into high gear to advise hundreds of students for the upcoming summer and fall semesters using the Zoom videoconferencing tool. Since mid-March, the ARC staff accomplished the following for students:
Financial Aid
The Financial Aid staff awarded 2,081 Pell grants for students for the summer. Of that number, 416 students awarded have enrolled for summer classes. Financial aid staffers responded to more than 180 emails sent to the office, many after hours. Financial Aid staff answered questions regarding dependency overrides, recalculations, summer and fall financial aid, dropping a class, and budget increases for computer among others. The staff stayed sharp by completing 114 combined professional development sessions completed by FA staff to help ensure we are maintaining compliance training.
Veterans Affairs
The Student Veterans Service Center team of director Jessica Kelso and John Adcox went on the offensive contacting approximately 300 of the College’s military-affiliated students. The department contacted via phone about 300 of military-affiliated students to discuss with them student resources, D2L, and benefit issues.
“There are around 500 military-affiliated students enrolled for 2020 so we are continually working on this,” said Kelso. “John and both of our student workers have been doing this from home.”
Veterans Affairs staff sent multiple emails to the military-affiliated students informing them of VA’s actions during COVID-19. The emails detailed how the Veterans Affairs office would go forward in certifying students using an education benefit. Student veterans were also asked to participate in a survey created by the College’s Student Veterans of America club explaining how we can best assist them now.
Kelso created an online Fee Deferment Request for the convenience of the military-affiliated students. This is form is required to each semester to earn military education benefits. Each student veteran received the fee deferment request via email. The document was also posted on the College’s website and D2L.
Northeast State C.A.R.E.S.
In one month, the Northeast State Foundation and its supporters have raised more than $21,100 to assist students with emergency resources in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The effort, titled College Aid in Response to an Emergency Situation (CARES), helps with food, transportation, childcare, living expenses, Internet and computer access, and community resources.
Counseling Services
The Counseling Services provided a wealth of services to students in need including counseling, accessibility, child care, and wellness. The department sectors completed the following duties for students from March 16 through April 14.
Testing Services
With in-person testing halted, Testing Services faced a dilemma of delivering critical exams for students. While Exit Exam tests for spring graduates were waived for 2020, Testing Services created a method for remote delivery and proctoring of the Accuplacer placement test using the popular Zoom videoconferencing software. Testing staff also developed handouts for proctors and students, and created a pilot to start proctoring via Zoom by late April.
Testing Services coordinator Melissa Ramsey answered a slew emails and built a database of inquiries. Students will be emailed with new test scheduling information as it becomes available. Testing Services also sought to create a spacing process to ensure test-taker safety when on-campus testing resumes.
CCAMPIS
CCAMPIS Coordinator Kurt Schmidt communicated via email, video conferencing or text with each of the 24 student parents on a weekly basis to determine child care options. CCAMPIS sought to help parents with strategies for balancing online classes with children, and gave campus resources and community resources. The CCAMPIS even reached out to former students no longer in the CCAMPIS program to offer support and resources.
Accessibility Services
Counseling Services and Health and Wellness
Student Life
The Office of Student Life focused on social media engagement conducting a photo share event, hosting a virtual dance competition, and posting videos from the gym for home workouts. Student Life also worked with C.L.A.S.S. student team to conduct outreach to classmates who had not register for summer or fall classes.
TRiO/Student Support Services
TRiO staff contacted all program participants individually about advising/registration for summer/fall semesters. TRiO tutors were trained to conduct tutoring via Zoom so that tutoring has continued without pause. TRiO students planning to transfer after graduation are participating in virtual college visits. The staff also created a virtual graduation cap decoration website for TRiO grads to celebrate their milestone.
Workforce Solutions
Registering and monitoring participants in online courses. Ed2Go course completions include 332 contact hours and 192 newly registered contact hours for upcoming courses.
Workforce Solutions staff also kept hard at work with regional industry in designing and implementing customized training for employees. Workforce staff transferred several face-to-face courses to online Zoom courses. This transition required staff to work with national certification organizations to revise testing to fit online, virtual format requirements.
The College postponed the Honors Convocation, the spring commencement ceremony, and numerous other events which were staples of the spring season for many institutions. The College’s virtual graduation ceremony takes place May 12 to recognize all our upcoming graduates.
These are but a few efforts made by Northeast State to serve students in the time of Coronavirus/COVID-19. All summer courses have been moved to remote delivery per instruction of the Tennessee Board of Regents.
The Northeast State family extends our deepest thanks to our students, faculty, and staff for the adjustments made during these trying times. We could not do it with you.
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