Though Fuel Prices Add a Layer of Complexity, They Won’t Impact the Summer and Fall Schedules
By Maddison Willigar | Assistant Editor
Between the increasing availability of in-person courses at MWCC and the rising gas prices across the US, Business and Economics professor Elmer Eubanks brought a request to the Academic Senate on March 22 to consider increasing the number of online classes between the summer and fall semesters to combat this. However, because the schedules had already been set for both semesters, President Vander Hooven recommended that students communicate with faculty about any needs or struggles they might be facing.
Eubanks said he thought of posing this request after observing and “analyzing” the gas prices with students in his economics class and recalling a past semester when there had been a “spike in gas prices” and students had stopped attending because they couldn’t afford to travel. As a result, Eubanks thought there should be other options. “In fall, we are going pretty much back to normal…so my view was [that] maybe we should consider having a little bit of a balance so that people have a choice,” Eubanks said.
Having used Hy-flex technology in one of his classes, Eubanks said that this could be a possible option, but that it can take more effort, be more time consuming, and not be as convenient for more “interactive” courses that don’t rely on lectures.
Eubanks explained he hopes there will be “a balance of courses that are online, or solutions for students who can’t come;” however, he added that things could also change by the time fall rolls around.
Eubanks shared that he believes gas prices could remain high because “the permitting process” has been moved “from the local areas to Washington,” which makes it take longer to “get permits to drill or to explore more oil, so our production has gone down quite significantly.” But at the same time, he explained gas prices could drop if interest rates get high enough to cause a recession.
Eubanks elaborated that since inflation has increased, the federal government has been compensating by raising interest rates. But if they raise the interest rates too quickly, Eubanks said, the economy could crash, and gas prices would decrease as people lose their jobs and gas is no longer in high demand.
However, the cause for inflated fuel prices remains a debated issue. According to a March 15 article from The Washington Post, reporter Glenn Kessler said, “figuring out the root causes of inflation is subject to interpretation.”
Kessler explained that production-wise, “The oil business in the United States is run by private companies, not the U.S government,” and when the pandemic first hit, “production plummeted because it was no longer as profitable.” However, he explained that because crude oil is more expensive now, “there is more of an incentive to ramp up U.S production.”
President Vander Hooven, who attended this March 22 meeting, explained that though Eubank’s proposal was brought to him “as a new request” in that environment, he said, “it’s not a new concept for us to always be looking at what’s happening in our region…[or] world, to see if there are steps that we can take to help the students navigate, whether it’s difficult economic times or transportation issues.”
Vander Hooven said that classes are designed specifically to “anticipate the need” of students, and the method of delivery for a class is not easy to change once set. When Eubanks brought this request to the meeting, the schedules for the summer and fall had already been set. So, in the meantime, Vander Hooven explained that what the school is aiming to do is “directly assist” students either through the school’s foundation or student scholarship fund.
Besides the difficulty of the schedules for these semesters already being set, Vander Hooven said one downside to this potential change is that many students and faculty are eager to be back on campus. He said that though some learning styles may operate better in the virtual space, many students prefer and work better in an on-campus environment. In addition, classes like art or labs “lose a significant amount when you can’t do that in person.”
He added, “Across the board, we are really trying to get to a point where we’re getting students back on campus…to receive that level of interaction from the faculty and staff.”
Business Administration and Management major Janel Tralongo explained that while the gas prices have caused “more of a financial stress to drive,” she lives fairly close to campus, so the amount of gas she uses isn’t too bad. But Tralongo also added that she commutes to campus “almost every day.” Tralongo said, “Waking up in the morning when the tank is on empty is never a pleasant sight knowing I’m about to have to spend so much money just to fill it up on my way to school.”
Even so, Tralongo said she wants to continue with in-person classes. However, she recognized that “this…could be different for those who do not live so close.” Tralongo said she found online classes stressful, noticed there was a “heavier…homework load” and said she learned better in person. Tralongo elaborated, “I much prefer the interactive atmosphere and learning in-person as it helps with the workload of homework and gives a better understanding of the course itself.”
Regarding solutions, Vander Hooven said that conversations like these are “ongoing.” But he said he knows that “our faculty are very much in tune with the needs of their students.” With that in mind, he recommended that students let their professors or advisors know what challenges they may be facing and that faculty work to provide students with assistance where they need it.
Vander Hooven added that similar to gas prices, another factor that has impacted the convivence of students coming on campus is childcare centers continuing to be closed after the pandemic as more classes are now in person. So, he explained that the challenge right now is balancing focusing on the curriculum delivery best for students and faculty, while also keeping outside factors like these in mind.
Moving forward, Vander Hooven said that deciding factors for the method of delivery of classes would be determined by whether or not the content can be translated virtually and what learning environment is best for the students and faculty. Vander Hooven said, “while external forces like fuel prices…will inevitably play a role, it really has to be in how we can deliver the content so that the students are able to learn it in a way that will be useful to them for their careers.”
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