SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Onondaga Community College is fast-tracking the enrollment process for students who attend one of its “Instant Admit Days.” The event serves as a comprehensive college orientation for students planning to begin their studies in the upcoming semester. OCC’s next Instant Admit Day is set for Saturday, Aug. 8 and will have anything a student needs to become fully enrolled for the fall 2020 semester available to those who attend.
OCC’s director of student onboarding Ryan Nellenback said the college compacted what was once a multi-day process into one that can be completed in less than six hours. Students are able to complete their application, meet with financial aid counselors and register for classes. Nellenback said even students who have yet to apply are able to take part.
“[Students] come here for a one-stop shop,” Nellenback said of the Instant Admit Days. “We have people ready to get [students] through the process.”
Instant Admits Days aren’t new to OCC. The college has been running them for several years and has found them to be very effective and efficient. Holding them on weekends as a single-day event prove especially convenient for the more non-traditional students, according to Nellenback. “Our students work during the week, have family members to care for. We want to work around their schedules,” he said.
The Aug. 8 Instant Admit Day will be the first the college has held since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Nellenback said that while the circumstances aren’t ideal, the college has transitioned the Instant Admit Day to be a fully-virtual experience.
Students can remain home while throughout the day, they will be contacted by various college offices to complete any necessary forms, ask questions and make sure they’re ready for the fall semester.
“We provide all the services any student may need to have them ready to go. We work with them, whatever they need,” Nellenback said.
OCC is planning a mix of in-person, online and hybrid classes for the fall semester. Hybrid classes will have students physically on campus part of the week and virtual for the other part. Students who are high risk or often need to interact with someone who is high risk are able to take their classes fully online no matter the style of the course they enroll in, according to Nellenback.
OCC begins its fall semester Aug. 31. Students who wish to participate in Instant Admit Day can register for the event on OCC’s website.
