As we begin to see the first slivers of hope that we might be approaching the end of this tumultuous year, there is a sense of joy and relief in the air. I hear people making plans to get together with friends, to travel, and to celebrate the holidays with loved ones. While we are all longing for things to “return to normal,” it’s hard to imagine a world that won’t be forever changed by the events of this past year, and perhaps nowhere is this more obvious than in higher education. While we all hope that all students will have the opportunity to return to their colleges next fall, while they might be going back to the same campus, they will not be going back to the same place.
In his excellent piece, A Year and Change, Jeff Selingo explores the lasting impact the pandemic will have on the higher ed industry. He predicts that colleges will continue to offer a hybrid teaching model, that there will be more paths to a college degree, and that colleges will work harder to find more money to attract and retain traditionally unrepresented populations.
What students will notice when they return to campus next fall are changed protocols in the dining room, more classmates taking classes online, and fewer large gatherings. But those little rumbles that they will feel hint at the seismic shifts in higher ed that are taking place below the surface. We will watch to see how colleges use the experiences of this past year to find ways to make a college education more accessible, equitable, and affordable to all. In the end, there’s really no going back, and that just might be a good thing.