With the calendar changed in the fall semester, an opportunity was born. SNU Faculty offered students 8 online courses over the winter holiday break or what has become known as the Winter Mini-Term. As this was a unique opportunity, administrators did not know what to expect. It turned out that more than 170 students took advantage of these courses. The courses offered represented a broad range of interests:
Exploring Leadership
Economics
Shakespeare
Exploring Public Administration
American Government
Diversity in the Workplace
Introduction to Astronomy
Health and Wellness
SNU’s administrative cabinet decided to offer these courses free to all students who were returning in spring 2021. This constituted a total tuition savings of almost $500,000 for the students involved. Dr. Heather Clemmer, Chair of History, Politics and Law and General Education Director along with Dr. Steve Betts, Vice President of Academic Affairs for the College of Undergraduate Studies did tremendous work to conceptualize and execute this initiative. Dr. Betts added, “Many thanks to the faculty members who taught these courses. We are grateful for their work in providing this learning opportunity to these 170 students.”