Six months ago, anyone reasonable knew that universities would end up in their untenable position. But rather than mobilize faculty / parents / students to demand federal stabilization, most institutions soldiered on in vain.

That has left us where we are now:
—No Fed fiscal support for at-risk higher ed institutions
—Perverse incentives for universities to overhype their safety regimens, shift blame to students when things go belly up
—Concealment of what is at its core a national governance failure

What if instead of institutionalized optimism, underwritten by overpriced consultants, colleges and universities used their power to coordinate making claims on government for support?

Among other things that must be smashed is the use of the word “bailout”, a term that has increasingly been used to discredit valid claims on the state.

If our institutions fail, it won’t be because we weren’t “innovative” enough or we didn’t use the right mix of interventions or strategies, or because students were “irresponsible.” It will be because the federal government failed to govern. Over and again.