ALLENDALE, Mich. — As the nation closely monitors the number of new COVID-19 cases, the debate continues over what the upcoming school year will and should look like. Many college students, and their parents, are grappling with the uncertainty -- some even considering taking a gap year until the pandemic passes.
Jodi Chycinski, director of admissions at Grand Valley State University discourages that idea.
"A gap year typically is a yearlong break where a student will engage in various educational experiences and developmental activities, such as travel or maybe some type of work experience. Those are going to be difficult to do right now," she says. "Really, the best thing for students to do is to pursue their college degree. Students really shouldn't let the pandemic derail their educational plans."
To that end, GVSU administration and faculty have worked hard to provide a variety of options for returning students and incoming freshman, as well as work to make the application process as safe and simple as possible.
"The president of the university has held several town hall meetings. So, we've been able to connect virtually with families for the last several months, through the course of all of this, to keep families up to date on what's happening on campus," she says.
RELATED: What will GVSU look like this fall?
Chycinski says instead of holding in-person, on campus advising and registration, GVSU has created virtual sessions where they meet on-on-one with faculty or professional advisors to choose courses for the Fall semester.
"And, we've been helping families understand information related to housing. You know, we're a residential campus. For new students we've, again, held a lot of sessions held online," said Chycinski. "We've had Public Safety host sessions. We've had Housing host sessions. Financial Aid has hosted sessions. We're just allowing families to get the latest information because, as you know, things just are changing daily, right. There's so much coming at us."
Recently, young adults around the country have been harshly criticized for disregarding social distancing guidelines. The temptation is strong for new college freshman, entering college with an abundance of freedom, to balk at safety recommendations. Chycinski says the university is launching a strong campaign to remind these young people about the importance of face coverings and social distancing.
"It's a matter of talking to students about how we can all keep each other safe and healthy and work through this together," she says. "New students will get that information through their transitions orientation program, which will begin a couple weeks before classes start at the university. This year, through our Student Life Office, they've been working on a new way to deliver that information. So, there will be a lot of different formats. Some will be held virtually before the students arrive. Some will happen in small groups when the students do arrive and it will be ongoing."
Fall 2020 classes begin Monday, August 31. Registration ends that Friday. According to the university's website, to apply, "The Admissions Office must receive your complete application at least 30 calendar days before the final day of registration for the semester in which you wish to enroll."
Chycinski says concerns over COVID-19 pandemic hasn't impacted admissions numbers.
"We're not seeing any surprises in the number and strength of our applicants for this Fall," she said. "You know, Michigan has fewer number of students graduating from high school and in spite of that, Grand Valley has held steady on enrollment. We're just really working hard to make sure that students know that we're prepared for Fall and we're ready to welcome them to campus."
New and returning students will have the option of taking advantage of in-person, online and hybrid courses. Chycinski says they are committed to helping students navigate this new academic landscape.
"I think the students need to understand that we're here for them, like at any other time, especially for new students. They're adjusting to a new environment and if they have needs they need to talk to us. More than ever, the students need to speak up and reach out. We have so many resources and services to help students. So, now more than ever, we need to support one another.
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