National American University donates items while sharpening online focus – Rapid City Journal
National American University, which went from a traditional to an online school in 2019, is now parting with its desks, books and office supplies.
NAU President and CEO Ronald Shape said the transition to online learning is “particularly valuable today, given the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges involved in providing education in a traditional classroom setting.”
The Rapid City-based university had seen a 30% drop in enrollment in 2018 across its 24 campus locations in 10 states and online. What began as 8,000 students dropped to 5,600 by 2018. NAU soon cut programs and laid off numerous employees. By March 2019, 4,000 students were enrolled. Now, NAU enrolls approximately 1,750 students, Shape said.
A portion of the former NAU campus was purchased by the city in May last year, and later became the OneHeart campus and Care Center at 321 Kansas City Street, which now houses several departments and programs under one roof.