Insufficient government support for higher ed, exacerbating years of underinvestment, means we are forcing boards to choose between institutions dying or people dying. (1/2) https://www.chronicle.com/article/Are-Colleges-Ready-for-a/248710

That shouldn’t be the choice. If we care about opportunity & economic recovery, we need huge government intervention in higher ed so leaders choose public health. Without that, many boards will save institutions & risk people. Which may ultimately imperil institutions too. (2/2)

I’ll say again that we shouldn’t be framing this as an institutional problem requiring institutions to come up with their own answers. That’s a bad approach.

This is a public policy problem, & with the right public policy, institutions can make better decisions. (2/2)+1

This is where our decentralized, market-based higher ed system falls apart.

We’ve immediately asked, “what are campuses doing in response to covid?”

The question should be, “what is the government doing to create a public policy solution to a public health crisis?” (2/2)+2

We should be engaged in a national fight against covid.

Higher ed should be part of that fight, and its role includes *not* opening before it’s safe to do so.

Institutions should be given the resources to survive in the event they can’t open. (5?)

Students, parents, and others need to realize the scope of the problem, too.

They’re likely applying pressure on college leaders that’s not helpful.

I’m sorry, but the lawsuits over insufficient refunds need to stop. (6)

Assuming no massive government response, if I’m a leader and I decide to open campus in the fall, I better have explanations ready if someone falls ill and dies.

It can’t be we thought we could keep campus clean and enforce social distancing. (End)