The coronavirus pandemic has provided challenges across all industries and higher education is no exception. In March, colleges and universities closed for the spring semester sending students home with the hopes of slowing the spread of COVID-19 and returning to normalcy in the near future. It is now July and amid all the uncertainty that the pandemic presents colleges are faced with an impossible decision: how to conduct a fall semester of education?
With the semester starting in the coming months, colleges are running out of time to finalize operating procedures and plans for how the fall semester will play out. Some universities have already announced how they plan to conduct the term and the strategies have varied widely. Some schools will be fully operational with moderate guidelines placed on large classrooms while other schools have announced the complete opposite and told students to stay home as the campus will be closed and all classes will be conducted remotely (except for labs and other research-based academia). There are also colleges that have adopted hybrid plans for coming back to school such as, the campus will only be open to certain students or only a percentage of a student’s classes will be remote. No matter what method a school chooses one thing is clear: the college experience will look a lot different this year.
Ultimately, the schools are responsible for the health and safety of thousands of individuals, many of whom will be away from home for the first time in their lives, and that is the nature of their business. Colleges and universities have an obligation to their students and their parents to offer a quality experience that is also safe. However they also have an obligation to the staff, the trustees and to the institution itself to adequately fund their operations. After all, these schools are businesses and must provide a quality service that generates revenue.
So how will these institutions convince parents that their children will remain COVID-free? How will they also offer a true college experience while maintaining health and safety guidelines? How will they justify tuition prices being the same with all the added variables the pandemic has introduced? But most importantly, what can we take away from the decisions that colleges across the U.S. are being forced to make?
1. There Is No Clear Consensus
The most apparent conclusion from all these fall semester plans being introduced is just how different they are. There is no right answer to the COVID problem and now is the time to get creative to suit your company’s needs. For example, Stanford has proposed a plan where they divided the normal semesters into quarters, where they will invite Juniors and Seniors to campus in the Winter and Spring while freshman and sophomores attend in the Autumn and Summer quarters. The lesson? Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. This is uncharted territory.
2. Safety Is Now The Bottom Line
Schools will make every effort to create a safe environment that is conducive to safety regulations, even if it incurs a cost. MIT announced that the economic efficiency of having roommates in dorms is foregone and every student on campus will have their own room. Complimentary COVID tests, masks, and increased medical personnel are among other costly, yet necessary, updates coming to schools in the fall.
3. Live Within Your Means
In order to fund these safety expenses, schools everywhere are making budget cuts across the board. Uconn announced they are removing 4 of their sports programs to cut expenses, and many other universities have done the same. Other initiatives include voluntary pay cuts for administrations and deferring any pay-raises or bonuses for staff. That said it might be time to take a look at your business and evaluate what you can afford.
4. Something Is Better Than Nothing
While somewhat obvious it is important to note that no matter what it looks like, these colleges are holding classes. They cannot possibly please everyone and whether classes are in-person, remote, hybrid, or the campus is closed, fully-open, half-capacity, the college experience will be different… but it will still be available. Everyone is adapting to this “new normal” and it is imperative that you find what that means for your business.
5. Every Situation Is Different
Bowdoin college: less than 2,000 students, located in southern Maine, and closing campus to house only freshmen and other select students. All others will be online.
USC: almost 20,000 students, located in Los-Angeles, California, and anticipating only online classes with very restricted on-campus living.
Bates College: less than 2,000 students, located in southern Maine, and opening campus to students in the fall.
Michigan: 30,000 students, located in Ann-Arbor, Michigan, and adapting a hybrid model, but welcoming students back to campus with moderate guidelines.
No matter the location, funding, size, or prestige of the college there is no consistency in the fall plan. Take note of other business’ responses to COVID, but don’t let it influence your decisions. Every situation is different and must be handled accordingly.
This pandemic has caused a sea of disruption across a variety of industries, but there are lessons to be learned in every response plan. New ideas, new solutions and new methods to operate all contribute to the ‘new normal’ that we find ourselves in. If you find yourself struggling with how to move forward during this pandemic, it can help to consult with a third-party that could prepare a plan for your business to safely return to work.