What to Consider Before Discontinuing a Program or Class

As the director or program coordinator for a senior center or community organization, you likely are engaged in a considerable amount of planning. There’s much to be done, from budgets to workshops and services.

For people involved in community outreach programming, the details of organizing and promoting classes can be labor intensive. That’s why it’s so tough to put a lot of work into a program, only to have it fail. You might discover the hard way that no one is interested in signing up or that attendance is lagging among those who did enroll. It’s easy to take the program’s lack of success personally.

Before you write the class off completely, take the opportunity to figure out what may have gone wrong. One avenue for doing so is to survey members, formally or informally, for feedback. Especially make a point of talking with those who signed up and then dropped out. Here are a few pointers to help you evaluate what went wrong.

Why Was a Community Program Unsuccessful?

A few factors to discuss with members to determine why a program wasn’t the success you hoped it would be include:

Is the time bad?
Something as simple as scheduling a program, even a virtual one, during the evening news or a popular television program can derail a class or program.

Is the location a barrier?
If the program is being held away from the center, is the location easy to get to? This is especially important for members who rely on public transportation or ride-sharing services.

Does the problem seem to lie with the instructor?
It’s an unfortunate reality programming staff encounters from time-to-time, an instructor who is supposed to be very knowledgeable on a subject turns out to be a dud as a teacher.

Is the class content different than what was described?
If those who enrolled begin dropping out, another issue to consider is whether the class description lines up with what is actually being offered. It’s possible that the instructor veered away from how the class was promoted.

Are the fees or supply costs a barrier?
While most senior centers and community organizations work hard to offer classes free of charge or at a nominal fee, that’s not always possible. If special supplies are involved, too, it might be a matter of finances. Make sure your survey includes a question about cost.

Did the class just run its course?
Finally, the class might have simply been around long enough that people lost interest. They may have learned all they wanted to and are ready to move on to something new.

How to Cancel a Program or Class

If low enrollment or declining attendance is making an offering more work and expense than you can justify, it’s best to just be honest and let people know. If it’s a class that involves a project, give the instructor and enrollees time to wrap up. Let them know you’ll talk with other members to see if there might be a way to bring the course back in the future based on feedback you receive.

Updated on 03-19-2024