By William Hinson and Charmaine Johnson
Photos by Charmaine Johnson
As many Titans may already know, Guilford Technical Community College is making a transition to eight-week courses come Fall of 2025. The Amazing in 8 Forum held Feb. 12 presented an opportunity for students to ask questions and voice concerns about the transition. SGA President Catalina Aldana organized the event.
The panel consisted of Dr. Ann Proudfit, vice president of student services; Kirby Moore, associate vice president of student services; Dr. Jeremy Bennet, associate vice president of instruction; Anne Simpson, dean of STEM and Robby Griffin, associate professor in emergency medical science.
WHY DID THE COLLEGE DECIDE TO TRANSITION AWAY FROM 16-WEEK COURSES?
Aldana opened the forum by asking some of the biggest questions students have been asking about the transition. The first question asked was, “Why did the college decide to transition from 16-week courses to eight-week courses?” Dr. Bennet, Dr. Proudfit and Mr. Moore cited increasing flexibility options for students as one of the driving reasons behind the transition.
Moore added that research has indicated that institutions that had introduced eight-week classes as opposed to 16-week classes saw better performances among students who did not have to worry about taking four or five classes at a time. The shorter eight-week classes will help students avoid losing their financial aid because of dropped or failed classes, Moore said. He also pointed out that GTCC has for many years offered eight-week summer classes that have seen a very high rate of student success.
WHICH CLASSES WILL BE TRANSITIONING TO THE EIGHT-WEEK FORMAT?
Aldana asked the panel exactly which classes will transition to eight-week schedules. Dean Simpson responded by stating that “the majority of courses will be in the eight-week format” and that there is a process to review which courses will transition to an eight-week schedule, with certain classes with a high number of contact hours, accommodation restrictions and/or other more specific limitations remaining on the 16-week schedule. Dr. Proudfit also added that some students may find themselves taking two to three eight-week courses in addition to a single 16-week course at any given time.
HOW WILL CLASSES WITH LABORATORY PORTIONS WORK AND WILL COURSE CONTENT BE ALTERED TO FIT WITH THE NEW SHORTENED FORMAT?
When asked about classes with laboratory portions such as chemistry, physics and biology, the panel stated that contact hours for any given class transitioning from the 16-week to the eight-week format would remain the same. The panel made the point that any class that normally met once a week under the 16-week format would meet twice under the eight-week format. The panel also assured the audience that course content will not be cut because of the transition to an eight-week format and that students will still have access to the same quality of education as they would be receiving in the 16-week format. Prof. Griffin, who has taught the same class in both the 16-week and eight-week format, said he did not have to cut any content from his class.
WHAT RESOURCES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT STUDENTS DURING THE TRANSITION?
The panel said they plan to give faculty advising guides on how to adjust to the class and that academic advisors are ready to assist students with course selection and mapping out their path to a major. Bennet added that the Academic Achievement Specialists at the Center for Academic Engagement stand ready to help students with any further questions or in need of additional learning resources.
STUDENTS GET THE CHANCE TO ASK PANELISTS QUESTIONS
After Aldana finished with the general questions, participating students were allowed to ask the panelists questions pertaining to the schedule change. One question that was repeatedly brought up was how the schedule change will affect parents with young children enrolled at GTCC. The panelists referred these concerned students to the TitanLink service that assists with childcare. They also acknowledged that there would be certain classes such as welding that would be difficult for parents to participate in due to safety concerns with having small children around advanced and potentially hazardous equipment.
Another point brought up during the student questioning was concern over what had happened at Forsyth Technical Community College, which was forced to re-introduce 16-week courses after shifting to eight-week courses due to a poor response from students. The panel attempted to qualm these concerns by citing successful eight-week course transitions implemented at Isothermal Community College and Durham Technical Community College as well as other community colleges in other parts of the nation. The panelists also added that their research showed that students on average were able to graduate a half year earlier in some programs due to the transition.
When asked whether he believed the transition to eight-week classes would be a success, Dr. Bennet responded, “Based on research, absolutely.”
ONLINE FORUM MARCH 26
A second, online session will take place Wednesday, March 26, from 12-1 pm, via Microsoft Teams. A link to join the session will be emailed to students before the event. This is another opportunity to learn about how the eight-week sessions will work and what they mean for your education.
GTCC will shift to an eight-week model in Fall 2025, moving away from the current 16-week semester model. To read more about why GTCC is making this change and how it will impact you, please see our recent story detailing the ins and outs of the new model. You might also visit GTCC's Amazing in 8 webpage for additional information.
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