College in the age of corona: Will it ever be the same? – AEI
The coronavirus pandemic has upended America’s colleges and universities. Last spring, schools shut mid-semester, kicking students out of dorms and hurriedly moving classes online. The results were pretty dismal, with students feeling ripped off and professors lost at sea. After this rocky spring, it’s natural to wonder: What’s ahead this fall?
For starters, while there’s still much uncertainty, plenty of colleges have announced that they’ll be going remote this fall. Institutions from the mammoth Cal State system to Harvard University have told students that they’ll be taking courses on their iPad — but will still be paying full freight.
For the slice of students enrolled in four-year institutions, this is a lousy deal indeed. After all, students are typically told there are three big benefits from attending a recognizable college or university: the campus experience, the exquisite academic instruction, and a brand that offers a big leg up in the labor market. Well, that campus experience has evaporated.