I don't see the move to on line in great numbers based on the market feedback we are getting. The school I work at is a very expensive liberal arts college. We have no problem filling our classes, and early returns do not suggest the 10-30 percent drops in enrollment the interviewee suggested (of course we'll see who shows up this fall). Our families are telling us, unequivocally, that they value the residential instructional experience and are willing to pay that price. In fact, what I am hearing from many students from many different colleges and universities, is that if classes go on-line they will opt out. They see little value in such instruction. My own kids have told me repeatedly that they have learned almost nothing since they had to leave their respective campuses. They are just doing assignments and marking time, but not gaining anything intellectually. One son of mine is science and engineering. Trying to replicate the necessary pedagogy on line is almost impossible. I have a daughter that is very actively involved in campus activities, and these are guiding her possible career choices. I just don't see this "Apres le pandemic, le deluge" market shift happening.

He is very quick to dismiss the educational component of on campus instruction. I recall about 10 years after I left the University I was talking with someone in the Provost's office about my UVa experiences. I remarked that probably 50% of what I learned that was useful in life was learned outside the classroom. The representative from the Provost office sniffed, "what do you mean, are you saying our instruction was not valuable?" Not all, I had wonderful professors and most of my classes were very intellectually stimulating. But my experiences with my friends, with extra-curriculars, etc. were as equally valuable, if not more so.

I will end by saying that I have been known to be wrong before, often spectacularly so. If you read my claim that the basic residential model for higher education isn't going anywhere anytime soon, you would be well advised to invest like the interviewee of the article suggests and ignore me.

[Post edited by PK German at 05/19/2020 09:30AM]