Dr. Seamus Reilly, President of Carl Sandburg College says uncertainty is the biggest factor in Fall Enrollment:
“Well I can tell you that everybody in the country is experiencing great uncertainty regarding Fall Enrollment and Summer Enrollment for that matter. We have been for the last couple of semesters, right on budget. We are under budget for full. There is still a ways to go. We are down about fifteen percent probably in enrollment. Up significantly in our remote learning classes,” Dr. Reilly states.
Reilly says they have ben seeing an increase in online enrollment over the past few years already. However, Reilly said it’s very difficult to teach virtual welding courses or dental procedures with in-person clinic instruction. Carl Sandburg College averages approximately 3,000 students for enrollment per year.
Meanwhile Reilly says technology and education will be a great transformation model for the world moving forward:
“The ways in which people are currently employed need to get upscale and come back and get new training in various different technology tools. I think one major change for everybody has been the notion of working from home is going to be potentially a new reality. For some corporations in the world understand think they are more efficient or get more work done. So certainly a familiarity with technology and technology by distance, learning Zoom and being able to utilize those Microsoft platforms. We are working on providing some guidance for free for people who need to come back and get some general orientation and get some help with their resume,” reports Dr. Reilly.
