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WENTWORTH - Go to class or save the gas?

Leaders at area community colleges are hoping their students won't have to make that choice. And they are providing students with alternatives this fall to make going to class more affordable.

Rockingham Community College is offering a shorter academic week for some students this fall in response to gas prices that skyrocketed during the spring and summer months.

Faculty members reformatted some of their business and science classes. Some three-day-a-week classes have been consolidated into two, and some five-day classes into four.

RCC President Robert Keys said faculty will do the same for more classes in the spring, with the goal of operating on a four-day academic week by next summer.

However, Keys said, "We're stopping short of going to a four-day work week."

College staff began considering the move during the spring as they witnessed gas prices climb. For most of his students, Keys said, college is not their primary activity. They have jobs and families, too. If something has to give, it likely will be their educations.

"For many of them, education is a luxury because of the funding," Keys said.

RCC is also at a disadvantage because Rockingham County does not have public transportation. But the Student Government Association is helping to create a referral service for students who are interested in carpooling.

Public transportation isn't a problem for GTCC students, where bus service to and from the college's campuses can ease the pressure on the wallet for some. Still, there are others who drive two hours to get to campus, said Cuyler McKnight, GTCC executive vice president.

The college has increased the number of class sections it offers this fall, McKnight said. The idea is to give students more choices, so they can make their schedules fit around their jobs, family obligations or travel expenses.

"We're just trying to make it more convenient for students to be able to do that," McKnight said.

The "Learn More, Drive Less" feature on the GTCC Web site guides students on how to create a schedule that minimizes the time they spend traveling to campus.

At Randolph Community College, Christine Myers, dean of curriculum programs, said the college has not implemented changes in direct response to rising gas prices. Rather, Myers said, the changes take into consideration feedback from students about their scheduling needs.

This fall, Randolph students will be able to complete some courses in eight weeks instead of 16. Many of those courses meet just two or three days a week but for longer periods of time, Myers said.

The 45-minute drive to and from Walnut Cove put a dent in the wallet and social life of Adam Cardwell, a Rockingham Community College student, this spring. He was stuck on campus even during long breaks between classes and didn't hang out as much with friends on the weekends.

"I stayed at home more than normal," Cardwell said.

As president of the Student Government Association, Cardwell is helping create the car pool referral service for students who travel long distances. The SGA will use its Facebook page to communicate information about the service, he said.

Information about the referral service also will be available at the beginning of the fall semester.

Contact Jonnelle Davis at 627-4881, Ext. 126, or jonnelle.davis@news-record.com