The coronavirus has upended the semester for college students across the country—and thousands of incarcerated students are no exception. On the outside, professors are conducting classes over video conferencing and graduations will be live-streamed online. But in prison, the options for distance learning are limited. 

College administrators are scrambling to figure out how to finish the semester from beyond the prison walls. Many have found workarounds now that they can no longer enter the prisons. But they fear the coronavirus could undermine a critical component of college in prison: teaching in person.

One of the toughest challenges of remote learning is ensuring everyone has the same access to digital resources. Low-income, first-generation, and adult students are particularly vulnerable, as many struggle with additional personal hardships—loss of income, childcare, and personal responsibilities. 

In this interview, Joianne Smith of Oakton Community College discusses the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on community colleges, how online education approaches can be used for future upskilling programs, and what the current shift to remote education means for tomorrow's new normal.