Volunteer State Community College is reopening all campuses starting July 20: Gallatin, Springfield, Cookeville, and Livingston. It will be a safe reopening with masks and social distancing required for everyone on campus and an online screening form filled out before people come to campus. The goal is to get students and people considering college ready for fall classes. Safety is a primary consideration for the fall semester. Many traditional classroom courses have been changed to utilize online components. Vol State will still have some on-campus classes this fall. Those courses will be prioritized for those that most need a hands-on element for students. This will keep the number of students on the campuses at a safe level. Registration is underway now. New students will need to apply to the college first. The college can help university students who may want to stay at home this fall. Vol State class credits transfer to many university programs at schools across the county. Steps that visitors will need to take before coming to a Vol State campus can be found at www.volstate.edu. For those who want to stay at home, the college can still help via email and phone. A list of those contacts can also be found on the college website.
The college will offer fall classes in four formats:
· Online – Fully online classes using an online learning platform. These are labeled asynchronous, meaning students can log in and do work at any time that is convenient for them. There are no assigned class times, however there will be assignment due dates each week.
· Virtual – Using Zoom or another video system, these classes will meet at an assigned time to deliver live instruction. The online learning platform will be used to submit assignments or access additional materials. These are labeled synchronous, which means that they have assigned days and times for the online class meetings.
· Hybrid – A combination of online or virtual instruction and an in-person class. The idea is to limit the number of class meetings.
· On ground – Traditional classes occurring at one of the four Vol State campuses. This is primarily for classes that have a significant “hands on” component, such as some science labs, and Health Sciences, Art, and Music instruction, to name a few.
Vol State is ranked number seven in the nation, and first in Tennessee, for online learning at community colleges, according to the review group College Consensus. The college has videos and online information sessions to get new students ready for online learning using the successful eLearn system. Vol State had less course drops in the spring semester than in the previous year, despite going to online learning for all students in the middle of the semester. The college has years of experience teaching online and an extensive online support system that includes tutoring. For more information about eLearn visit: www.volstate.edu/elearnsuccess.
Vol State offers a tuition-free education with TN Reconnect for adult students who don’t already have a college degree. Spring high school graduates who have remained eligible for TN Promise can also use that program tuition-free this fall, even if they previously planned to attend a university. Fall classes start on August 24. The first step is to apply to the college at www.volstate.edu/apply. The application is free.
People can schedule an online or phone meeting with an Admissions Advisor at www.volstate.edu/recruiter. Academic Advisors are also available to help with questions about majors and college programs, in-person, by phone or through a video chat. Email advising@volstate.edu or call 615-230-3702 to set up an online or phone appointment. The college has Zoom information sessions for people still considering college. Topics include everything from online learning to TN Reconnect. Those can be scheduled by visiting www.volstate.edu/virtual-sessions
