Section G — Education

Friday, Feb. 19, 2021 Section G — Education Section G Section G of the Business Review and Forecastst focuses on colleges, universities,, area school districts and other educationalti l iinstitutions tit ti iin ththe region. Articles in this section show how schools handled the ever-changing challenges of conducting classes — online, in-person and as a combina- tion of the two — as the coronavirus tightened its grip in the region. Clarion University is featured in this section. While 60% of its teaching staff was already trained for online instruction, CU’s faculty, staff and IT department worked hard to make the transition to distance learning as seamless as possible. There’s a story inside about the University of Pittsburgh at Titus- ville’s Education and Training Hub, which continued in its efforts to equip local students with essential skills to enter the workforce. Contributed photo We also take a look at how local Carlson Library on the main campus of Clarion University has been instrumental in bridging the digital divide that school districts have handled the pan- can hamper online classes. As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold on the educational system, library staff worked to demic and how their budgets impact digitalize materials for professors and also loaned out iPads and other electronic devices for those in need. the local economy. DELI 16” XL PIZZA CALL AHEAD CALL AHEAD ORDERING ORDERING SALE ITEMS Sale ends February 28, 2021 Eckrich TURKEY BREAST $ 59 16” XL PIZZA 4 /lb (HONEY OR OVEN ROASTED) SAVE $2.00 OFF WITH COUPON Armour $ 79 VIRGINIA HAM 3 /lb Eckrich $ 69 JUMBO BOLOGNA 2 /lb Eckrich $ 59 HARD SALAMI 4 /lb 16”EXTRA LARGE $ OFF Kretschmar $ 99 2 ANY XL PIZZA PROVOLONE CHEESE 4 /lb Expires 3/31/21 Must present coupon to receive offer. PIZZA Limit 1 per customer. Not valid with any other offer. 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CLARION — In a year fraught with challenges, Clarion University rose to the challenges and not only survived, but thrived. In March, when COVID-19 cases began to rise in Pennsylva- nia, Clarion suspended face-to-face classes, and students became distance learners. To make the transition as seamless as possible for students, Clarion University faculty — 60 percent of whom were already trained in online instruction — staff, and the information technology department worked together. “Faculty and staff have spent the last week helping students to adjust. They’ve Clarion University, which was founded in 1867, is one of 14 universities that are part of the Pennsylvania done so many things, I can’t State System of Higher Education. list them all,” Pam Gent, provost, said in March. “They’ve Recognition of quality had online and Zoom discus- COVID-19 has revealed which colleges and universities sions with students to address were able to rise to the challenge during the pandemic to de- concerns or fears about this liver a quality education to students. Clarion University is new learning environment. among them. They shared tips with students Educate to Career ranked colleges according to their ability on how to learn in a new envi- to offer a quality education under any conceivable scenario: ronment.” in-classroom, online, and a blend of each format. Faculty became students as In order to be included in its Tier 1 listing, criteria includ- they learned techniques of on- ed: line instruction, often utilizing A physical campus for in-classroom instruction should Pam Gent, the university’s online plat- the health authorities allow colleges to open in September. provost form, as well as other tools for Robust software and systems to support distance-learning teaching such as Zoom for live programs. lectures, videos and email. “Faculty are using a variety of plat- Faculty experience in teaching online. forms, because the digital divide exists in rural parts of Penn- Reasonable tuition and fees on a relative basis. sylvania,” Gent explained. “Some of our students do not have Educate to Career stated the following on its website: reliable internet or cell service.” “With the COVID crisis everything has changed regarding Clarion University Libraries provided integral support. college selection criteria. With our new rankings system, a “The Clarion University Libraries have a long history and a ‘distance learning’ component is mandatory for a high ranking Price tabbed depth of experience supporting simply because there is a real possibility that at least some in- online classes. Our librarians struction will be done via the internet. Schools that have sys- provide research consultation tems and experience in distance learning, with a campus to to head College services via Skype, Zoom, support in-classroom teaching have the right formula for today. chat, text, email, and toll-free And factoring in that the U.S. is now in the midst of a deep phone services throughout the recession, tuition is also a primary consideration.” day, evenings and weekends,” Other organizations have ranked Clarion University pro- of Education said Terry Latour, dean of li- grams among the best. Clarion University braries. “Our library faculty These programs include early childhood education, elemen- School of Education re- provide information literacy tary teacher preparation, medical assistant and online account- turned to college status as and discipline-specific instruc- ing. part of the newly formed tion via Zoom software, and For more details, people may visit online at www.clarion. College of Education, tutorials developed for specific edu/rankings. Health and Human Servic- classes and needs. LibGuides, es. The change went into online research resource effect July 1. guides, have been developed Terry Latour, Gwyneth Price, educa- for many classes, disciplines tion dean, has been named and subjects,” Latour said. dean of libraries dean of the college. The library staff scanned Jeffery Allen, founding resources not originally in electronic form and provided them dean of the College of to faculty. Additionally, the libraries loaned laptops and iPads Health and Human Servic- to students for the remainder of the semester. es, has accepted a position Spring commencement was held via Zoom. at Youngstown State Uni- On campus, a COVID Response Team met regularly to dis- versity. His departure creat- Gwyneth Price cuss how to bring students and employees back to campus in a ed an opportunity for the safe manner. That included the installation of cameras and university to examine how merging the School of Edu- microphones in classrooms to facilitate remote delivery, ar- best to serve students, as cation with the College of rangement of spaces to accommodate physical distancing, and well as to align with a rec- Health Sciences and Hu- dining facility adjustments to make available more grab-and- ommendation of the univer- man Services, a college go options. with many accredited and sity’s Financial Sustainabil- growing programs, has the A national rise in COVID cases in the summer caused a ity Advisory Taskforce to pivot to remote learning. Up to 500 students were permitted to potential to open new doors streamline administration. for students. live in campus housing, and although competitions were can- “In March 2020, I com- celed, athletes were on campus for conditioning and practice; Jane France, left, and her husband, Christian Alli- “The inception of the missioned the taskforce in College of Education, because of the students’ adherence to face covering and dis- response to the PASSHE tancing requirements, few cases of COVID were reported. son, made a significant donation to help establish Health, and Human Servic- Clarion University’s Center for Engaged Learning chancellor’s mandate for all es allows for novel syner- Throughout the fall, the response team further refined the of its member institutions to plan to return to in-person operations. and Student Success. gies to arise among a vari- create a five-year financial ety of programs in the help- The university purchased and installed ionization units to sustainability plan,” Presi- clean the air in campus buildings and developed testing proto- Donation establishes Center for Engaged Learning ing professions,” she said. col for the maximum of 1,000 students living on campus in Clarion University has established the Center for Engaged dent Dale-Elizabeth Pehrs- Helping professions are spring 2021. Learning and Student Success to provide Clarion faculty, as son said. “The group, made those that emphasize the About 20 percent of classes are being offered face-to-face well as staff and faculty from across Pennsylvania’s State Sys- up of a cross-section of fac- physical, health and well- this spring. tem of Higher Education, with the tools they need to teach and ulty, staff and students, was ness, intellectual, or psy- Information about Clarion’s response to COVID is available deliver all modalities of academic programs.

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