For months now there has been a buzz all around NEC about a “Summer on Campus” experience. However, thus far the information available has not extended much further than hearsay regarding what exactly the school has planned. Eager rumors have circulated about free on-campus housing for students taking these courses, or about course prices being marked down significantly, but there has been little to no solid facts given about what exactly is in store.
To start, one big question needs to be answered, and that is: Why now? NEC has done the “summer on campus” in the past, but what is the motivation for bringing it back in 2020.
Ian Harmon, Director of Student Success and Advising, stated, “there is a task to work with students to offer a wider array of classes to help get caught up on credits, get ahead on credits, have more robust programming, and more job opportunities on campus for students, that way we can have a really immersive summer experience for students.”
In short, the school wants to help students who are interested in graduating early or pursuing a double major, or a minor, get caught up/ahead on courses, without interfering with their regular Fall and Spring schedules. A great way to achieve that is by keeping them on campus during the summer months.
While the official schedule is yet to be released (as of February 26th), Harmon did give some insight into what kind of courses can be expected. He explained that they will be offering many different “bundles” of courses revolving around different disciplines such as art, business, liberal arts and sciences, natural sciences, outdoor education, social sciences, and sports, with the schedule totaling over fifty courses.
As for the information provided regarding the prices of courses and on-campus housing, everything is still very vague, although Doreen Long, Associate Dean and Head of Housing, did deny rumors that on-campus housing would be free for students participating in the Summer on Campus. Harmon did state that the tuition rate would be “extremely competitive” compared to other schools in the area, implying that there would be a substantial enough discount on courses to encourage more students to take advantage of this opportunity.
More information on the Summer on Campus will be available in the coming weeks, if not the coming days, but until then students can at least be sure that NEC is working hard to make sure the Henniker campus will be a hub of activity this year, in the usually quiet summer months.
