Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

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

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 05/26/20

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

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • Arizona District Breaks Ground on Community Training, Learning Center

    The Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD) in Tolleson, Ariz., recently broke ground on a new Training & Learning Center (TLC) for both district professionals and the community at large, according to a news release. The 90,000-square-foot facility has an estimated completion date of spring 2027.

  • Pitzer College

    Designing for Change in Higher Ed Learning Environments

    Higher education will continue to evolve, and learning environments must evolve with it. By prioritizing adaptable infrastructure, thoughtful reuse, strong energy performance, and wellness-centered design, campuses can create spaces that support learning today while remaining flexible for the future.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.