Zane State College’s 2020 Soaring Summer Enrollment
Zane State College’s virtual classrooms are buzzing with activity this summer with a 92-percent increase in part-time students and an 8-percent increase in full-time students. Following the final week when students can drop classes, Zane State College is up by more than 16% over last summer.
How this Happened
“Zane State responded almost overnight to the changes caused by COVID-19. We rolled up our sleeves and flipped to a virtual experience across campus,” Senior Director for Outreach and Recruitment Molly Dunn said. “We are optimistic that this is a projection of our fall enrollment but for now, we are thrilled.”
In-Demand Courses
A large part of the success is because we offered specific, general education courses that fit the Ohio Transfer Module and are guaranteed to transfer among Ohio’s public colleges and universities. The top in-demand summer 2020 courses were: English, philosophy, biology, and math.
Affordability
Community colleges have been providing high-quality online classes for years, with highly qualified faculty and advisors who are able to meet the diverse needs of students. And the courses are affordable. Our semester tuition rate is only $179 per credit hour for residents of Ohio. We have FREE parking and students can sleep in their own beds and feel safe in their own home.
Supporting Student Success
A major contributing factor to why Zane State is successful and ranks top in the state for our graduation rate is because of our robust student support services. Leading up to summer term, the tutoring services department hosted 349 appointments and 290 hours during with virtual visits accounting for 210 of those hours. Of the students who attended tutoring sessions, 90-percent passed the course for which they were receiving tutoring. The average grade for those students who passed their class was a B. These students spent an average of three hours in tutoring over approximately four visits. The most requested subjects were accounting, English, math, and physics.
Many students also took advantage of the federal Pell grant. In addition, we anticipated that unexpected expenses would arise for our enrolled students. With the support of the Cares Act, Zane State College Foundation, and the United Way of Muskingum, Perry, and Morgan Counties, and TRIO Student Support Services, Zane State College was able to offer emergency funding to qualified students to help with these costs and try to help keep student loan debt to a minimum.
Preparing for Fall
Zane State College is preparing for our Fall Semester with a primary focus on the safety of our students, employees, and visitors. Smaller classes will be able to meet face-to-face each session while larger classes may utilize a blended technology approach. The College will have an aggressive sanitization plan to assure surfaces are clean and safe, and everyone will be encouraged to wear face coverings. Complete details about fall semester can be found here. We continue to promote the advantages of attending Zane State with our “Comfort of Home” messaging as well.
Focused on the Community
For over 50 years, Zane State has been a staple in our community. We have been here through thick and thin. With over 13,000 grads, we are in the official business of helping students achieve their goals. Zane State’s professors are your neighbors and friends who will know your name and care about your success. They are here for you more than ever. Give us a call to talk more at hello@zanestate.edu or 740.588.5000.
