For Immediate Release – Monday, March 24, 2025
The following is an editorial from Lake Land College President Josh Bullock:
Education Your Way: Our Approach to Accessible Learning
The engine sputters once, twice, and then, falls silent. The student in the driver’s seat sighs and removes the keys from the car’s ignition, the clock ticking closer to the start of her morning lecture. Meanwhile, in an apartment across town, a father cradles a feverish toddler. He should have left home by now to make it to his own class on time, but being a parent comes first.
For both of these students, it could have been a day of frustration and mounting anxiety. But instead, there’s relief. The immobilized commuter opens her laptop and is greeted by her instructor’s voice through the screen. The father waits for his child to fall asleep before queuing up a recorded class video to catch up on everything he missed. These options were nearly unthinkable just a few years ago, but are now a possibility at Lake Land College thanks to HyFlex technology.
The College began investing in HyFlex in 2021 by equipping several classrooms with cutting-edge streaming equipment. In a time when online classes were a sudden necessity, the technology allowed students to enjoy a dynamic classroom experience from anywhere with an internet connection. Now, the format serves as a way to bridge college and life, providing students options to attend courses online or even view recorded class sessions if they cannot attend live.
The HyFlex format is one of many examples of Lake Land’s commitment to making education accessible. Affordable tuition plays a significant role in that mission, but true accessibility also means making education possible in the midst of life’s uncertainty. Take for example a recent survey that highlights the reasons students drop out of college. “Financial pressures” was indeed the most common response, but other prevalent answers, such as family obligations, time restraints, employment complications and health issues point to a crucial responsibility we hold as a college: we must ensure that inevitable curveballs – broken cars, sick kids and all – don’t stand in the way of success.
One way we accomplish this goal is by rethinking our class delivery to maximize flexibility for students and, when possible, even minimize the amount of time they need to spend on campus. In 2023 we enhanced our trades programs with Tech 2 Day, a format that requires students to attend classes just two days per week. This frees the rest of the week for students to hold steady work schedules or manage other responsibilities.
Our paramedic students also enjoy similar benefits, as we recently revamped the program with a hybrid model that requires students to attend on-campus classes just one day per week. What’s more, the program follows a 12-month timeline that allows students to quickly earn the high-demand certification.
In other cases, accessible education means empowering students to control their own schedules rather than forcing them to align their lives with ours. For example, new classes in our Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC-R) program begin every three to four weeks, allowing students to start the program at nearly any time rather than having to wait for a new semester. All HVAC-R classes are also held in the evenings to account for students’ work schedules.
Another example of this began in January with the launch of Flex Tech, an initiative that allows our Applied Engineering Technology students to choose a time to come to campus and complete lab requirements rather than having to follow a specific schedule. Lake Land technology instructors work together to cover the lab at all times, ensuring help is always available no matter the time a student chooses to come in. We’re excited to see how this format helps our Applied Engineering students, and we hope it serves as a blueprint for other majors in the future.
In many cases, accessibility also means equipping students with the technology and resources they need to thrive. At Lake Land, students in need of reliable laptops can borrow them from our campus library to access digital resources, submit assignments and attend online classes. Our extension centers in Effingham, Marshall and Pana are also all equipped with computer labs, providing local options to access technology for students who live on the edges of our district.
As you can see, accessibility is paramount in our mission to helping students secure brighter futures for themselves and their families. I look forward to discussing your ideas on how we can think outside the box to remove barriers to academic success. After all, education shouldn’t just be affordable, it should be possible for everyone.
For more of my thoughts about a range of innovative topics that impact higher education, our communities and our future, be sure to check out the Laker Advantage Podcast: Insights and Sidebars with Dr. B on Spotify.
