FAIRMONT, W.Va. — More than 280 students are enrolled in Fairmont State University’s virtual Winter Term which continues through Jan. 6, a first for the Marion County institution that coincides with an extended in-person instruction break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Really not having begun, in earnest, building and promoting it until mid-September, it’s a pretty good number to start with,” Dr. Rick Stephens, Fairmont State interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, told MetroNews of the enrollment.
As of last week, the specific number was 286 for nearly 50 FSU Winter Term courses.
In some cases, students were using the new term to try to catch up with coursework or, at the other end of the spectrum, working to accelerate their studies.
Some were retaking gateway courses to ease class loads during the fall and spring semesters.
Others were simply trying courses outside of their normal fields of study.
“Everything from broadening their perspectives in experimental models to very pragmatic steps toward earning enough credits to get their degree,” Dr. Stephens said of the range of reasons motivating those taking classes.
Because of the pandemic, courses for FSU’s Winter Term are fully online.
The term started on Nov. 30, the week after the end of Fairmont State’s Fall Semester.
The 2021 Spring Semester begins on Jan. 11.
For the Winter Term, students were given the option of taking one course or earning internship or field work experience.
Future terms could come with additional opportunities.
Additionally, plans called for the Winter Break model to be replicated at Fairmont State for two five-week terms in the summer as additions to an overlapping, more traditional ten-week summer term.
Dr. Stephens said he expected interest to grow with more advance notice to students, those currently enrolled at Fairmont State and those considered transient, meaning from other schools, and those not matriculating.
“It’s a great opportunity,” he said. “They can drop in and drop out of winter or summer terms, take a course, see what it looks like, how it feels, and I’m sure they’ll get some benefit out of it.”