Even with its limitations, now is the time for online graduate education
“Despite two decades of strong performance as a solid proof of concept, many traditional universities and employers have regarded online degrees with suspicion and even derision,” said Stephen Taylor, Research Director for Liaison’s BusinessCAS community, in a recent op-ed published online by the Boston Business Journal. “Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, sending all schools scrambling to develop reasonably viable experiences via online education. The sudden stresses on established educational models forced a radical overhaul of the learning environment for institutions delivering face-to-face courses that is quite likely to serve as a catalyst to the full acceptance of online learning… As schools like Harvard University and the California State University system announce all-online courses for the coming academic year, it is clear that the GME community must embrace online education. What is less clear is how GME can ensure that the distribution of — or standards for — skills related to online teaching is sufficient to meet the sudden and dramatic increase in demand for these skills.”
Source: BizEd
More college presidents plan to focus on racism in wake of pandemic; fewer expect “severe” financial losses
Several months into the pandemic, more college and university presidents now say they plan to address systemic racism, and most expect to see an increase in “racial justice-motivated student activism.” Also, compared with March, “fewer presidents expect severe revenue losses of more than 15% or cuts in faculty positions.” According to the president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, which commissioned the report, “if higher education is to emerge strengthened by the ongoing crisis touched off by the COVID-19 pandemic, we must intentionally prioritize quality, equity, and inclusion in any of the possible futures ahead of us.” Although the survey revealed that fewer presidents now plan to cut academic programs, it also found that “more presidents now expect to lay off staff, implement across-the-board cuts, cut administrative jobs, and cut benefits.”
Source: University Business
Administrators’ top concerns revolve around students’ safety compliance
The top three concerns cited by 70 college and university administrators who were recently surveyed about the impact of COVID-19 on campus this fall all focus on whether students will comply with health and safety guidelines. Those worries surpass administrators’ fears about funding or having enough time to prepare. The top concerns include: getting students to follow social distancing guidelines in residence halls and in other on-campus housing (72%), ensuring student compliance in on-campus common areas (57%) and students not following safety measures while off campus (52%). Fewer than one-third of administrators (31%) “expressed high confidence in their ability to promote social distancing among undergraduate students.” Regarding proposed penalties with non-compliance, “the top concern was to ensure they are enforced equitably (52%).”
Source: eCampusNews
Average tuition discount exceeded 50% in 2019/2020
Private nonprofit colleges offered record-high tuition discounts during the 2019/2020 academic year, averaging 52.6% for first-time, full-time students in their first year of college. “Among all undergraduates, discounts averaged 47.6% for the 2019-20 academic year, with bachelor’s institutions just under 53%. The data, which was gathered before the pandemic, shows net tuition revenue and enrollment decreased year-over-year across the 366 schools polled — issues the crisis stands to worsen.” Approximately 80% of undergrads received such assistance in 2019/2020, an increase of six percentage points during the past decade. Overall, net tuition revenue was down by 1.3%. It declined 1.8% at bachelor programs, 1.2% at master’s programs and 0.4% at research/doctoral programs.
Source: Education Dive