Newswise — MOUNT VERNON, Iowa -- As one of only a few colleges in the country teaching on a block plan, Iowa’s Cornell College is acting as a resource for other schools as they struggle to adapt to unpredictable scenarios during a pandemic.
“Colleges need to find a way to maintain a community and a quality experience online, and return as quickly as possible to in-person classes and activities, all with minimal disruption,” said Cornell College President Jonathan Brand. “The block plan allows that. It shines in times of health and prosperity, and it turns out the flexibility allows us to respond powerfully in a crisis too.”
Several colleges across the country have contacted leaders at Cornell College to provide expertise on block scheduling as schools cope with the disruptions of the pandemic. One Course At A Time–where students take one course at a time for 3 ½ weeks–is an established schedule at Cornell.
“While many schools across the country are testing schedules with similarities to our block system, it’s not our first time around the block,” Brand said. “We’ve been doing what most would consider a new thing, investing our time, treasure, and talents for 42 years and we’re virtually unique in the higher ed space.”
What is new is Cornell’s adaptation of the block schedule to ensure the ultimate flexibility for students. In a matter of days, college leadership drafted a plan and presented it to faculty. With overwhelming approval, Cornell’s eight-block One Course At A Time calendar now includes two additional “flex blocks.”
“Faculty stepped up to create a new plan that builds even more flexibility into our calendar,” Brand said. “This bold new plan will not only allow students, but the entire college, to adapt right along with this changing crisis.”
Across the country, the COVID-19 crisis left students with canceled athletic seasons and graduation ceremonies. They found themselves without the opportunity to say goodbye to their friends and facing a strange new reality of distance learning.
Because faculty only teach one class, they can focus intently on the needs and well being of those students during these tough times.
“This break in curriculum has reminded me, once again, why I like Cornell College so much,” said first-year Cornell College student Charlie De Poortere. “Sometimes schools are so worried about academics that they forget about the students and teachers. It means a lot to me that all my professors really care about how I am doing as a human, not just in their class. Honestly, it means everything.”
The block also gave Cornell College’s students a competitive advantage over their peers at other institutions.
“People were hopping right into midterms on the semester schedule so they had to turn around and adapt all of their learning to online right before one of the largest exams of the year,” said Cornell College junior Lindsay Smith. “For us, we just started a brand new class. It was an easy adaptation because it was the beginning of something new anyway for us.”
If COVID-19 continues or reemerges this fall, the block plan allows Cornell College to respond without negatively impacting students. Cornell is prepared to start the 2020 fall semester on campus, but the One Course At A Time schedule allows the school to take each block as it comes, pivoting back to campus when it’s safe.
For more information, visit our website: cornellcollege.edu/block
About Cornell College:
Cornell College is a national liberal arts college established in 1853, located in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The historic, hilltop campus has a population of more than 1,000 students from all over the world. Our undergraduate students learn on a distinctive block plan schedule, taking One Course At A Time for three and a half weeks before starting the next course. This curriculum allows them to fully immerse themselves in their chosen topic of study, including taking field trips to another country, diving into research, creating an art exhibit, or exploring issues in the local community.
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