Welcome to Pandemic University: Starting College During a Pandemic

College enrollment projections for Fall 2020 were expected to be around 19.7 million students nationally. Most of the students arriving on college campuses this year, however, would find a very different campus. In many cases, a campus that was shaped to help prevent COVID-19 outbreaks. As administrators worked around the clock to start the academic year safely — alongside health officials in their respective states — faculty were tasked with nurturing intellectual curiosity in novel ways. Through distance learning, outdoor classes, bubbles, and virtual events, students have experienced college life like no generation before them.  In this week’s episode, Gordon College student Luis Raoul Villalta-Santana joins our podcast hosts to discuss what it’s like to start college during a pandemic. He is part of a global cohort of students who have had to contend with unique challenges reflective of the times we live in. Join Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan for a conversation that’s happening across American households!