Classes impacted by withdrawals

Student enrollment has dropped by about 4%

BY EDUARDO GARCIA

Enrollment dropped about 4% this year because students withdrew from at least one class, and data suggested it's because of COVID-19.

This change is between March 12 through April 12 compared to last year when the drop in enrollment was at about 2%.

“This is not saying that 35% of our Pell-eligible students are dropping out,” Williams said. “That's not what this means. It means ‘of’ all the drops.”

Luis Morales, a student worker at Pierce College Dream Resource Center, wrote in an email that his job at Pierce is not enough to help his family during this pandemic.

“I have had to seek extra help because, in my family household, we are quite a few so groceries are very necessary,” Morales said.

CalWORKS student workers funded by the CalWORKS Workforce Investment Board are prohibited by law from working remotely. These students will automatically be paid at the fulltime equivalent value, through June 30, assuming the Safer at Home order continues in Los Angeles, according to the email sent by Gutiérrez on April 14.

“My job is essential for the school because I provide students with information, updates and contact information with faculty who can help them further in specific categories,” Becerra said. Many student workers have felt that creating a schedule has allowed their mental health to be stable during the pandemic. Some feel that their job has allowed them to find a sense of distraction and has given them the ability to take breaks in between classes.

Workers are using their own resources, ranging from laptops to hotspots, to work from home. However, any impracticalities workers experience with the transition will be provided with alternative assignments to insure jobs.

Despite that, Pierce College is providing online help, online counseling and scholarships available for students.

Student workers are now expected to complete their tasks from home amid campus closure apena.roundupnews@gmail.com

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, CAS had exclusively relied on inperson tutoring that was dependent on the hours that the CAS building was open. “There are some tutors who can tutor outside of our normal hours of operation,” Kiekel said. “It's always been the case that a tutor could do extra hours after the Center for Academic Success closes.”

Communication between tutors and faculty has been crucial in making the transition to online tutoring effective for students and professors.

English professor Marra Kraemer said in a Zoom interview that she has resorted to sending English tutors weekly surveys.

“They're going to tell me what they need, what's working, what's not working and what they would change,” Kraemer said.

She noted that because the tutors are familiar with their independent Canvas shell, they know what works and what doesn’t.

Kiekel expressed that the education system still struggles with either online or in-person learning because addressing one equity concern can neglect another.

“It’s wonderful that we now have more access to people who work full-time jobs, for people who are homebound for any reason and for people to learn better in this modality,” Kiekel said. “But I think we also need to remember that there's a huge class gap and equity gap associated with technology right now. I know a lot of students who are just working on their phones because they don't have a computer.”

Kiekel also said that faculty and staff have responded positively and reacted quickly to ensure that their students would be supported by embedded and independent tutors.

“Our big push is trying to get students to know that our tutors are still here,” Kiekel said. “They have not abandoned them.”

Dean of Institutional Effectiveness Amari Williams provided charts to compare dropped classes and how many students withdrew with an "Excused Withdrawal" (EW) since the transition announcement.

“What we're seeing is that for many of the populations that are more vulnerable, they're being impacted greater with the [COVID-19] crisis,” Williams said.

Williams said the 2% was used as a baseline for the comparison and is normal. He said these are students who choose to take a "W" in their courses.

Williams said the 4% comes from the average in the college that varies from each discipline.

For instance, he said enrollment in technical theater decreased by 44%. However, the discipline is smaller compared to English. Because it’s smaller, that means there is less enrollment and fewer classes offered.

To prepare to go to the summer and fall semesters, Williams and his team are looking at specific populations and the daily enrollment drops. They’re also trying to see if there is a trend in the drop in enrollment.

This year, of those who withdrew between March and April, an average of 43% were female, and 57% were male, according to the graphs. For ethnicity, 61% were underrepresented, and 39% were represented.

Of those same students, Williams said eligible Pell Grant students who withdrew were consistent to about 35% to 40%. Depending on the day, the number would sometimes reach up to 60%.

A different graph focused on non-eligible and eligible AB 540 students. Williams said there was a positive disproportion happening with the AB 540 students, whom the vast majority did not withdraw within the first two weeks of the announcement.

Of those who did drop, about 3% of them were AB 540 students, compared to non-AB 540 students.

Williams said that after spring break ended, the drops increased between March 27 through March 29.

“There are some days going into the beginning of the resumption of spring, where AB 540 students represented about 10% ‘of’ all the withdrawals that happened,” Williams said. “Then you go into spring and maybe they're trying out, ‘How is this going for me? Am I adjusting to being in class online?’”

Williams said the data shows evidence that perhaps the online shift due to the COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact on vulnerable populations.

Williams advised students to speak to their counselor if they are thinking of withdrawing from at least one of their classes or are considering switching to a “Pass/ No Pass” grade basis.

“If you are looking to transfer, speak with the college you’re transferring to. Run whatever you're considering, withdrawing or changing to a ‘Pass/No Pass,’ by both of those areas,” Williams said. “So your counselor in your transfer school, by them first before you make a decision because you have the time. You still have several more weeks to make that decision.”

The last day to withdraw with an "EW" or petition a class to a "Pass/No Pass" is May 10.