Volunteer State Community College has announced the reopening of all campuses starting July 20 — including Gallatin, Springfield, Cookeville and Livingston.
The goal is to get students and people considering college ready for fall classes. With safety being a primary consideration for the fall semester, many traditional classroom courses 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 in order to 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 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 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.
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.
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.
