Updated: Mar 17, 2021
I feel as though every article I have written this semester has been prefaced with some sort of diatribe about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been about a year, and I think it goes without saying that the virus has effectively changed all our lives in a multitude of ways.
When COVID impacted my industry in March of 2020 and I lost my job, I did not expect with it, the arrival of any new opportunities. But as restrictions were put in place and college classes transitioned to remote learning, new challenges were bound to show themselves on the precipice of change.
To subvert some of these arising issues, Passaic County Community College, in partnership with Phi-Theta-Kappa, started the Course Navigator program. The program allows eligible students to work closely with professors and students in an online-class setting to ensure a smooth and productive learning environment.
Connectivity and communicative issues can cause a variety of problems. Students may miss material in online lectures, and those that are more familiar with an in-person environment may have trouble navigating work in an online setting. Having a course navigator allows professors to focus on educating students, rather than dealing with mundane issues. It also allows for classes to take place with less hiccups, so to speak.
Equally important, however, is that the position allows students to gain useful work experience while receiving compensation for their time and effort. Participation in the program requires attentiveness, social interaction, timeliness, and task management skills; all skill worth developing to become more successful in the future.
As a course navigator, I have found the program to be beneficial to my time here at PCCC. As the world continues to change, I imagine that the position will still be necessary in the foreseeable future. Interested applicants, keep your ears to the ground and your eyes open.