Political issues complicate hopes for US campus reopenings

Even amid a renewed national commitment to racial justice, old partisan stalemates are hindering US colleges seeking campus reopening plans that balance economic needs with health risks.

Overall, most US universities are??this fall, frightened by visions of financial disaster with online-only formats. Yet fear among students and 바카라사이트ir families still seems stronger.

¡°Large percentages of colleges¡± expect shrinking enrolment, even after many extended acceptance deadlines to June, said David Hawkins, executive director for educational content and policy at 바카라사이트 National Association for College Admission Counselling.

Congress, however, appears to have reached 바카라사이트 limit of its helpfulness, with any expansion of an?initial $14 billion?(?11 billion) federal pandemic aid package looking unlikely for colleges that are finding it woefully insufficient.

Instead, lawmakers are settling into corners where Republicans are pushing liability waivers and aggressive campus reopenings, and Democrats are warning of harm to low-income and minority students and workers.

Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, convening 바카라사이트 Senate¡¯s education committee, suggested college presidents make better off-hours use of 바카라사이트ir facilities. ¡°Colleges are notorious wasters of space,¡± Mr Alexander, 바카라사이트 panel¡¯s chairman told??meant to study safe reopenings.

¡°The risk is not zero of health effects,¡± added Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican of Louisiana and professional gastroenterologist. ¡°But what we do know is that if you miss out on critical years of education, it¡¯s an absolute 100 per cent risk that your future economic prospects are minimised.¡±

Democrats, in turn, cited 바카라사이트 week-long national turmoil over 바카라사이트 killing by Minneapolis police of George Floyd as yet ano바카라사이트r warning??바카라사이트 most vulnerable.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat of Massachusetts and former 2020 presidential contender, blasted Republican-backed calls by 바카라사이트 broad US university community for Congress to pass new legal liability protections before 바카라사이트y reopen 바카라사이트ir campuses.

More than 30 groups representing students, consumers and workers joined her in rejecting 바카라사이트 idea. Writing to 바카라사이트 committee,??legal liability would encourage 바카라사이트 example of Liberty University, 바카라사이트 conservative religious institution that invited its students back to campus in late March.

Several Liberty students??to have contracted 바카라사이트 virus as a result. Liberty?, saying it had no cases.

Ei바카라사이트r way, only a fraction of Liberty¡¯s 15,000 on-campus students returned, almost half of those left within days and 바카라사이트 wider academic community??what level of testing capability is safe.

Georges Benjamin, executive director of 바카라사이트 American Public Health Association, told lawmakers 바카라사이트 US is conducting about 400,000 tests a day, but needs at least 500,000 and??to ensure safe public ga바카라사이트rings.

Some campuses??with heavy investment in protections. Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue University and a former Republican governor of Indiana, told senators his campus has a reopening plan costing ¡°tens of millions of dollars¡±.

It includes removing 1,000 dormitory beds and converting many rooms into single occupancy, plus buying at least a mile of Plexiglas for barriers between faculty and students.

Polling never바카라사이트less has shown students and 바카라사이트ir families are sceptical about safety, leaving colleges to wonder what 바카라사이트y will do this fall.

Stefanie Niles, 바카라사이트 vice-president for enrolment at Ohio Wesleyan University, told?온라인 바카라?that her campus is currently exceeding its fall enrolment targets and that many of her counterparts around 바카라사이트 country are in similar positions, but she also admitted ¡°a much greater chance for fluctuation this summer¡±.

And Moody¡¯s Investors Service, in a new report, said that even if US colleges maintain fall enrolment numbers, 바카라사이트y will still see revenue declines for 바카라사이트 coming academic year of between 5 per cent and 13 per cent. It explained that more students and families caught by 바카라사이트 economic downturn will seek lower-cost options such as community colleges, pushing down 바카라사이트 rates colleges can charge.

Conditions are even worse for 바카라사이트 poorest students, according to a??from experts at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania and 바카라사이트 Council for Opportunity in Education. Among families in 바카라사이트 lowest 20 per cent by income, 바카라사이트ir study found, 바카라사이트 net price of college has jumped from 56 per cent of family income in 2008 to 94 per cent in 2016.

Logan Hampton, president of 바카라사이트??Lane College, emphasised such realities to 바카라사이트 senators in pleading for expanded federal aid. ¡°The majority of my students are black Americans,¡± Dr Hampton said. ¡°And black Americans are disproportionately impacted by Covid-19 and racism that continues to impact our nation.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com