You have experienced one of the most disorienting periods not only in our country’s history but surely in higher education. You have remained at home, working virtually; you have stopped out for a term or a year; you have moved back to half full residence halls; you have deferred admission, if you were a new student last fall. One of my own students remained in Texas for the first term of his freshman year, returned to campus for the winter term…but still took all classes online from a residence hall single with few students on his floor. Hardly the sense of community he was anticipating!
Your colleges and universities have been weighed down by uncertainty: can they open? If so, what are the guidelines? Will they be institutionally imposed or will municipal authorities intervene? How much enrollment have they lost? Can families still afford tuition? What have institutions learned about how they teach and provide services? Believe me, every institution in America is asking these
