‘Everyone is just excited.’ Merced College campus opens for in-person fall classes

Merced College looked as close to normal Monday as it has since before the COVID-19 pandemic began, as many students returned to a mostly open campus for in-person instruction.

“I think everyone is just excited to have students back on campus,” James Leonard, Merced College director of communications and external relations, told the Sun-Star.

“There’s some some pride and some excitement with being able to open.”

About 60% of classes are still being taught online, but 30% are fully in-person and 10% are hybrid courses.

Plus, masks are mandatory indoors and health guidance from the state and local public health department continues to evolve as COVID-19’s future remains uncertain.

While Merced College officials hope to remain in-person, contingency plans are in place should the state of the pandemic worsen significantly.

“The COVID concerns really aren’t going away,” Leonard said.

In addition to the COVID-19-related precautions at Merced College, the campus has changed for the better due to newfound funding opportunities.

The school received around $45 million in one-time federal COVID relief funds over the past year, with around $27 million for institutional use and $18 million for direct aid to students.

The money has been used for various improvements like better WiFi and increased outdoor seating for students to spread out and study without being in a confined space.

Also coming to Merced College are more new programs designed to meet the unique demands of the community.

For example, the college is finalizing details for a program to train truck drivers and hospitality industry workers — jobs that are highly-sought locally and are high paying, said Karissa Morehouse, assistant superintendent and vice president of instruction.

Merced College officials say they are optimistic that as new programs are up and running and the pandemic improves, more students will enroll at the college again.

Community college enrollment suffered throughout the pandemic locally and across California.

The new fall semester at Merced College counts 8,523 students compared to 10,318 in 2020, according to Morehouse. In 2019, Merced College tallied 10,777.

But Merced College officials say that summer enrollment numbers were strong and served as a positive indicator that numbers could rise again soon.

A total of 5,186 students took summer courses, with 1,555 being full-time students compared to 1,151 students taking full-time courses last year — a 35% increase.

When the campus opened to a lesser extent in July, summer instruction also offered a preview of how excited students and faculty alike are about face-to-face learning, Morehouse said.

Plus, the remodeling of the college’s vocational building and the new Raj M Kahlon Agriculture and Industrial Technology Complex are projects officials hope will also attract more students to the college moving forward.

Many students have gone into the workforce rather than return to school, Morehouse said. But continuing to permanently offer more online or hybrid courses could provide flexibility to people who are working but want to return to school.

“Some people need the face to face, some students need the asynchronous learning,” Leonard said, noting Merced College’s many adult learners with various responsibilities in addition to school. “Us becoming more nimble in what we offer just allows us to serve more (students).”

This story was originally published August 17, 2021 at 5:00 AM.