In this week’s Wednesday roundup:
Safety guidelines for reopening, preparations for a second wave and The Chronicle of Higher Ed talks to Dr. Fauci.
Stay tuned each Wednesday for our roundup on trends we’re seeing across institutions, how individual schools are responding and what national policy changes are affecting higher ed in the times of COVID-19.
Week of May 20-26
- A plan for ongoing diagnostic testing for every student, staff and faculty is common among institutions announcing safety guidelines for reopening campuses in the fall. However, figuring out how many tests each institution will need as well as the feasibility of such a plan is still uncharted territory.
- Amid criticism and lawsuits from state education leaders over the U.S. Department of Education’s restrictions on emergency aid, the Trump administration suggested it may adjust the CARES Act funding implementation for higher ed.
- The American Council on Education released a summary of key findings from their latest Pulse Point Survey, the second in a monthly series. The May survey, College and University Presidents Respond to COVID-19, included responses from 310 presidents about their current plans for fall, actions they may require for reopening and the likely impact of the pandemic on future revenue and recruitment numbers.
- A growing number of class-action lawsuits are being filed by students seeking tuition refunds related to in-person classes being cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education interviewed Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, about his thoughts on strategies universities are planning to employ for reopening campuses.
- Some institutions are planning for another remote semester in the fall while many other colleges and universities are planning for an early end to the fall semester, with students not returning to campus after Thanksgiving break, in consideration of a predicted second wave.
- Colleges and universities are experiencing pressure to increase endowment spending as they work to balance budgets in the wake of pandemic-related economic uncertainties.
