by KYW's Dr. Marciene Mattleman
A student at Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts asked the professor what would happen if class members fell asleep. The unusual question was posed at the start of a semester dubbed, “Burning the Midnight Oil.”
Two introductory courses, one in college writing and the other in psychology are being offered 11:45pm-2:30am to deal with the 23% student surge this fall. To help the students, 18-46, stay awake, the college provides free Columbian coffee, tea, chocolate bars, cookies and other refreshments.
As a result of the recession, many more traditional students are starting their college careers at lower-cost community colleges and less traditional students, those who are older and are seeking career changes, account for the swelling of this year’s numbers.
Fourteen other Massachusetts community colleges and others across the country are watching this experiment closely as their own enrollments surge.
The Boston Globe quotes John Maguire, a 41-year-old waiter studying for a business degree, “It’s like going to a bar but with more intelligent conversation and no one gets drunk.”
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