Higher Education in the Wake of COVID

The global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the face of education here in the United States. In my home state of Ohio, the governor is closely monitoring daily positive test rates and warned that we must see a decrease in cases before decisions are made about re-opening public secondary schools. School districts are employing a number of methods to adjust to the realities of COVID-19, from full virtual learning to resuming classes as normal, or some hybrid of the two. Many of the larger public school districts in my city have planned to move to virtual instruction for the first semester, which will impact staffing levels at the colleges and universities.

I have worked in higher education as a student affairs educator for over 20 years, and the COVID-19 preparation conversations on my campus are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. We are making plans to move students to campus in a few short weeks. Faculty are deciding whether virtual or in-person instruction is necessary, while teams of staff from all across campus are working to make non-classroom spaces safe. One might argue that if all of these precautions are necessary, colleges and universities should move to online instruction for the safety of the entire campus community.