Beyond the Digital Divide: Allowing for the Evolution of the College Community during the Pandemic

ABSTRACT

This study highlights how the Bronx Community College (BCC) community addressed the digital divide during the pandemic and explores the long-term implications of online learning for the community post-pandemic. BCC, located in the country’s poorest congressional district, serves the community that is traditionally most affected by the digital divide. While the digital divide had a major impact on student learning at the onset of the pandemic, analysis of primary data and surveys from the BCC Office of Institutional Research reveals that the community is adapting and the gaps in students’ online educational access and understanding are being filled. The latest student survey results show that most students prefer to continue fully online learning in fall 2021. Our study concurs with Deborah L. Floyd’s assertion that the “impact of this pandemic exacerbated some inequalities that already existed in our society”. The pandemic laid bare the health and safety concerns of the campus largely due to underfunding and aging infrastructure. While progress has been made in terms of providing students with access to online education, the pandemic has exposed the socioeconomic inequalities of the community and equally troubling issues in terms of health and safety remain.