How a Virus is Forcing the United States to Reimagine Higher Education

As colleges gear up to begin a new school year, albeit off campus, deans, professors and career centers have been tasked with rolling out the most radical changes to the university experience that the world has seen in decades.

Dr. Anthony Davidson, Dean at Fordham University in New York, points out the immense financial strain tuition-dependent universities are facing, as refunding payments for student housing and meal plans, and a decline in international and visiting summer students, translates to a huge loss in revenue.

“Universities have had to display great agility and nimbleness to adapt to the new order — something they are not usually known for!” he said.

Dr. Michael Baston, President of New York’s Rockland Community College, agrees.

“Colleges of all sizes and functions have been myopic in how they approach the classroom experience. Many have been asleep at the wheel in terms of adapting to an online environment, while for-profits and corporate educational systems have long been ahead of the curve.”

A few months into the pandemic, it is quickly becoming apparent that COVID19 has been a wake up call for most universities, as they begin preparations for a new normal, rather than stopgap measures to tackle a temporary crisis.

Research From Home

One of the most significant challenges universities have faced in recent months has been keeping research labs up and running remotely. The move is made more difficult by the dearth of alternatives to equipment, essential technology and long-established laboratory processes that must now be adapted for remote work.

However, an effort to move more research online could have long term benefits, since reduced reliance on in-situ work opens up myriad opportunities for increased international collaboration.

Anne Robinson, Head of Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, said that while the university has adjusted fairly well to giving lectures online, transitioning to virtual research has proved more difficult given that 50% of the work involved relies on laboratory experiments.

“However, it’s in times like these that we see innovation really flourish,” she said.

“From a research standpoint, this is an opportunity to be creative. Can we build new computational models to replace the experimental processes that currently need to be done in the lab?”

Classrooms of the Future

While the global pandemic has necessitated a rapid shift to online lessons, it has also caused universities to rethink the overall learning experience they might make available to students in the future.

Several are developing “blended learning” programs that combine Internet learning with offline sessions, which some research suggests could actually improve performance.

For example, a study by the U.S. Department of Education indicates that students who undertake blended or online learning courses perform better than those that learn in traditional classroom settings.

Davidson explained how over 200 members of faculty, administrators and students at Fordham contributed ideas for a new model of learning at town halls and in focus groups.

Aside from that, several dozen administrators with expertise in technical areas of the operations offered feasibility assessments, and a group of twenty one members from an academic review team made recommendations, he said.

“The quarantine has forced many universities that were skeptical about online learning to reconsider their standpoint and instead say, ‘How can I provide an outstanding and transformative education in an online format?’” he says.

“When we talk about disruption in higher education, this is it!”

Digital Skills for a Digital World

Across the board, experts agree that the COVID19 crisis has proven that it is in the best interest of higher education institutions to groom students for digital careers that are resilient to economic and geographic turmoil.

This means rejigging budgets that have long catered to the in-class, in-dorm student in favor of remote externship and distance learning programs. It could also mean a greater focus on imparting vocational skills and opening up more affordable online courses to attract a new breed of student — working adults, who tend to benefit from the flexible schedules that online courses can offer.

Mike Huseby, CEO of Barnes & Noble Education, a solutions provider for the education industry, believes there is value in adopting digital models that promote skills needed in the current economy, even beyond the needs that have arisen because of the COVID19 crisis.

“I believe we will see a drastic increase in hybrid approaches to learning moving forward — combining both in-person and online teaching. And this will not just be a short-term solution,” he said.

“The job market today’s students will graduate into has changed drastically due to COVID-19, and students need assurance from their schools that the money they’re investing now will lead to a successful future.”

Davidson also notes that in times of high unemployment, adult students typically return to school to upgrade and update their education.

“When the job market becomes more competitive, a credential from a respected institution goes from being a ‘nice to have’ to a ‘need to have’,” he says.

While the jury is still out on how successfully universities will cater to these changing needs in the academic year 2020–2021, it is amply clear that this is the year the student experience will be completely reinvented.