College And University Presidents Respond To COVID-19: April 2020 Survey – ACE
In a time of unprecedented crisis, the American Council on Education knows that it is more valuable than ever to have an up-to-date record of the concerns and challenges faced by college and university presidents. In early April, ACE fielded the first of 12 monthly Pulse Point surveys to gather presidents’ insights and experiences with COVID-19 and its effects on their institutions and the larger higher education landscape. In this first survey, 192 presidents* shared their most pressing concerns and assessed their institution’s capacity and needs on prominent COVID-19 issues, including financial impact, remote learning, and student mental health.
Most Pressing Issues for Presidents
From a list of 14 issues, presidents were asked to select up to five they deem most pressing (see Figure 1). Overall, 86 percent of presidents selected “fall or summer enrollment numbers,” 64 percent selected “long-term financial viability,” 45 percent selected “sustaining an online learning environment,” 44 percent selected “laying off of faculty and/or staff,” and 41 percent selected “mental health of students.”
Across all sectors, presidents most commonly selected “fall or summer enrollment numbers” and “long-term financial viability.” However, the third most selected issue differed by sector: presidents at public four-year institutions selected “emergency aid for students” (54 percent); presidents at private four-year institutions selected “laying off of faculty and/or staff” (49 percent); and presidents at public two-year institutions selected “sustaining an online learning environment” (61 percent).