Freedom of Choice, Not One-Size-Fits-All: Why Core Classes Need Real Flexibility

 Update: Education is Not One-Size-Fits-All

Higher education at a community college shouldn't mean jumping through unnecessary administrative hoops just to get inside a locked classroom. Between grueling multi-hour commutes, transit delays, full-time weekday jobs, and unexpected life emergencies, adult learners are constantly facing hurdles that make punctuality a challenge and a rigid, one-size-fits-all model completely obsolete. When students are running late or struggling to make a physical class time work due to real-world responsibilities, a system with zero flexibility penalizes them for simply trying to learn.

True equity means freedom of choice. Students should have the flexibility to take core classes through the format that actually fits their lives—whether that is in-person, online, or hybrid. We already have the digital infrastructure (like Brightspace) in place, and when flexibility is granted on a case-by-case basis, it proves the restriction is purely arbitrary. It’s time to stop penalizing working adults and commuters with outdated attendance mandates. Give us options, give us equity, and let's make choice the standard.