Ashland University - BRING BACK in-person class to the Elyria campus

*****Amendment

This petition has been created by an Ashland University student in hopes to increase the amount of in-person classes at all Ashland University locations. I am speaking on behalf of myself and students from main Campus and the Elyria Campus. Regardless of whether students prefer in-person or online classes they should have the option to choose their mode of instruction. Ashland is not an exclusively online college and enrolling in the college does not specify that classes will exclusively be offered online for students. Offering classes in-person at SOME locations does not fulfill the needs of the students as they may be attending a location that then does not offer the class in-person. ******

Ashland University has been removing many sections of in-person classes at the Elyria campus. Students do not have the option to take certain classes in-person because they are only offered at Main Campus. The Elyria campus is about 1 hour and 10 min away from Main Campus which deters students from attending Main Campus to take those classes. In reality we are not supposed to be going to main campus for classes. If we intended on taking classes at Main Campus why would we be enrolled in the partnership program?

We deserve to be treated as Ashland Students and given the choice for whether we want to take classes in-person or online. Early Childhood Education is not taught online and neither is Middle Grades or High school. We should have the opportunity to learn and experience our education through in-person delivery as it is the mode we will use to teach during our careers in education. This upcoming Fall semester has an alarming amount of online classes and classes not offered in-person on the Elyria Campus. I counted the amount of classes offered through Ashland in sections EDEC, EDCI, EDFN and EDIS and there are about 95 classes give or take 5 and not including field experiences. Out of all of those classes only 32 are offered on the Elyria campus. Additionally 21 classes were offered exclusively online.

As an education major who will be tasked with teaching the children of our future I do not believe we should have classes that are only offered in ONE mode of teaching. As an aspiring teacher I understand the necessity of meeting my students needs and using various modes of teaching in order to differentiate. Since when does this not apply to College students? If a college student feels they succeed while taking in-person classes rather than online should they not have the option?

Overall, students at the Elyria Campus should have the option to take in-person classes. Ashland University must meet the needs of their students and offer more in-person classes on the Elyria Campus. Additionally, classes in the education field should not be offered exclusively online unless they are teaching a subject which teaches about online instruction. Meet your students needs Ashland! Bring back in-person classes!