At BC3, students embrace structure, studies on first day
BUTLER TWP — Steven Shaffer, a criminology professor at Butler County Community College, said students on his first day ranged from recent high school graduates to middle-aged adults trying to further their careers.
Shaffer hopes to use the first day to build continued relationships and help his students achieve their goals. What starts out as “professor to student” partnership, he hopes to turn into “colleague to colleague.”
“The biggest thing is that I need the students to understand, I’m here for them. That’s what this college is. I want to disarm them. I want them to get comfortable,” Schaffer said. “This semester is probably the biggest incoming criminology class I’ve had. It’s exciting.”
With its first day of classes Monday, Aug. 24, BC3 kicked off its 2026-27 school year welcoming students of all types: full time and part time, daytime and nighttime, young and old.
“It’s very exciting. This is my first time actually taking classes in the daytime, so I’m getting a new experience even though I’m a returning student,” said Jaidyn Grigsby, a returning engineering student and aspiring civil engineer. “I think the hardest part is finding everything, but I enjoy exploring the new places. This is my first time sitting in this library.”
With hundreds of students and teachers pouring onto campus for the first day, students largely took pleasure in having course lessons in person and with other students, as opposed to taking online summer courses.
“I think we’re feeling good. It’s nice to be back in a school environment. I for one took a lot of summer courses online, which is a totally different vibe, more isolated,” MJ Schirra, a returning student taking geography and microbiology classes on the first day, said. “It’s nice to see everyone here, everyone walking around. It’s a great time.”
While some BC3 students worry about having to readapt to a daily schedule based around classes and studying, others welcome the structure around the community college experience.
“I’m feeling pretty good, and I’m interested to see how my classes go. The classes here always seem interesting,” said Gabby Miller, a park and recreation management major. “A negative for me, I have to come here five days a week now, forcing me to adjust from what I was doing before. That impacts money. I’m going to the gas station more.
“But the social aspect is great, and I like getting back into the structure of things.”
BC3’s first day went mostly smooth, aside from a brief power outage on campus late Monday morning.
“It’s always wonderful to start the new year and to see the campus bustling,” said Josh Novak, BC3’s vice president for student affairs. “There’s a lot of logistics, making sure everything goes off without a hitch. We had a small power outage today that threw things for a bit of a loop, but that was quickly resolved. It takes a team effort and a lot of planning.”
