More students are coming to SUNY Jamestown Community College to take classes and live on campus.
Students living in 340-bed residence halls on the Jamestown Campus are on pace to match pre-pandemic numbers. Likewise, students registering for in-person classes are on the rise.
“If we can get 300 students in the halls, that’s pretty good for us,” said Tyler Silagyi, director of Residence Life. “We would be pretty much full with some wiggle room.”
be near capacity when the fall semester begins on Aug. 21.
The majority of 215 JCC students surveyed last summer said they would prefer to take classes on campus and wanted to see more fully in-person offerings. While they are getting what they want, Kirk Young, JCC’s vice president of Student Affairs, acknowledged that the delivery of higher education has forever been altered over the last three years.
“We definitely are seeing students coming back and there being a desire to get back on campus,” he said. “However, there are a greater proportion of students than before the pandemic that are looking for online options. Our online numbers are higher than they were before the pandemic. I think the pandemic opened the door to those opportunities.”
Online classes offer convenience, money savings, and flexibility for students who do not live on or near campus. They also offer challenges to some.
From the same survey, students shared their greatest obstacles as not having access to an adequate computer, reliable high-speed internet, and a quiet study space. The feeling of social isolation and trouble maintaining a healthy school-life balance are other hurdles online learners may face.
Historical research invariably proves that students perform better, and are less likely to withdraw from a class when it is in-person compared to online. One recent working research paper shows that holds true before and after the pandemic.
Tammy Smith, JCC’s Counseling & Career Center director, said research she’s studied shows that a mix of face-to-face and online courses often leads students to the most academic success, and prepares them for what they will likely face as a future employee.
“Some students feel strongly that they only can learn in face-to-face classes,” Smith said. “In today's world, you have to be flexible. Online learning promotes skills such as time management, self-motivation, self-reflection, and technology skills. These skills are important for success in college and in the workplace."
JCC offers programs that can be completed entirely online. Others, like Nursing, manufacturing offerings, and Occupational Therapy Assistant, require students to be in the classroom for labs and other hands-on activities.
While Young said many students are choosing to take online classes, “the majority of them who are doing that are also taking something on campus. That’s one of the best scenarios for students.”
In the survey of 215 JCC students, 84% said the college offered enough courses in their preferred learning modality to allow them to create a schedule that works in their life.
“We want to be able to meet the students where they’re at, with whatever format works best for them,” Young said. “We don’t want to force a student who is looking for the flexibility of the online option into something that is not flexible. But we do want to make sure that as many students as possible are aware of the opportunities on campus.”
JCC’s Admissions staff continues to focus on exposing more prospective students to the college’s locations in Jamestown, Olean, and Dunkirk through tours and open houses.
A centerpiece of on-campus life in Jamestown is its three residence halls, called Hillside Suites. As of the first week of July, Silagyi said 175 students had signed up to live on campus – compared to 104 at the same time last year. Many of them come from an hour away or more, including 60 international students.
Students residing in the suites, Silagyi said, “get a taste of what it’s like to be an adult. They get that independence versus living at home, yet you’re living in a building that has 24/7 supervision and there are security measures and fire alarms.”
“When they start looking at transferring to other institutions,” he added, “it just helps with that adjustment. It gives them the exposure of living away from home so it’s not a culture shock when they go to another institution.”
Students living on campus have access to transportation to Lakewood every other week for shopping. The Residence Life staff also hosts events and activities for students like cookouts, open gym at the Physical Education Complex, contests, and financial aid education and resume writing nights to support students.
“We really try to get students out of their room to come down and socialize,” Silagyi said.
As students increasingly choose life and classes on campus, Smith said her counseling and career staff has met with more of them in person in the last two semesters than virtually by Zoom or phone. Yet, she added that students don’t have to live on campus or even visit to receive the support they need.
“Any service that we provide for a face-to-face appointment, we can provide the same level of support for online,” Smith said. “To me, there’s no distinction in the services that we’re able to provide. Our goal is to provide holistic support for students so that they can achieve their life and career goals.”
Smith said the option to meet virtually makes her feel more connected to all students.
“We have worked to expand our virtual support offerings,” Young said, including those that deliver personal counseling and help students deal with stress and other mental health challenges.
Regardless of whether a student is on campus every day or doesn’t come at all, Young concluded: “We definitely want to make sure they have the support that they need to be successful.”
Fall semester classes at JCC start Aug. 21. To learn more about course options and to apply, visit sunyjcc.edu/fall.