College Presidents Say a Fall Opening Is Likely, According to Survey

A majority of college presidents surveyed by the American Council of Education say a fall opening is likely.

The survey is the second of a 12-month Pulse Point surveys of college and university presidents on COVID-19. Three-hundred and ten presidents responded to the survey on topics such as “their current plans for the fall, including actions they may require to consider reopening campus, the impact of the pandemic on future revenue, and the projected impact on fall enrollment numbers.”

More than half of college presidents (53 percent) said it’s “very likely” their institutions would resume in-person classes for at least some portion of the fall term, and another 31 percent reported it was “somewhat likely,” according to the survey of 310 presidents.

Of the 230 presidents in the survey whose institutions offered on-campus housing, a little over half (51 percent) say it was “very likely” that they would resume on-campus housing for at least some portion in the fall and nearly 40 percent reported it was “somewhat likely.”

The presidents also weighed in on the actions they’re planning to take in order to resume in-person classes and on-campus operations. Sixty-five percent of presidents of institutions with on-campus housing reported they plan to “establish residential space on campus for individuals who test positive to quarantine.” About half of presidents reported they’re planning to “require masks to be worn on campus” (53 percent) and “provide PPE to faculty and staff” (48 percent).

To read more about the survey results and insights, head over to the American Council of Education.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Minnesota District Opens New PreK–12 School

    Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Schools in Gibbon, Minn., recently announced that construction is complete on a new, $68.9-million school for students in grades PreK–12, according to a news release.

  • Minnesota District Converts Middle School into Community Hub

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the end of a major renovation project that converted a former middle school into a new centralized district and community hub, according to a news release.

  • UNH Marks Construction Milestone on Oceanic Exploration Facility

    The University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H., recently celebrated a major construction milestone with a beam-signing ceremony for the new Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and Great Lakes Mapping, according to a news release. The facility’s ultimate goal is to support research, training and technical assistance in ocean mapping.

  • Florida Gulf Coast University Selects Builder for New Academic Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla., recently announced that it has selected development and construction firm Skanska to build a new academic and health sciences building, according to a news release. Marieb Hall South will become the campus’ largest academic building at 158,040 square feet.