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

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • Nashville Elementary School Receives LEED Gold Certification

    Goodlettsville Elementary School, part of Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tenn., recently achieved LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to a news release. The 81,750-square-foot school opened in 2023 and was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC).

  • S4L Announces 2026 Education Design Showcase Winners

    Spaces4Learning is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Education Design Showcase! Now in its 27th year, the annual awards program honors innovative solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction across K–12 and higher education.