US colleges mull permanent travel budget cuts after Covid

US colleges and universities are counting substantial budgetary savings from cancelled travel during 바카라사이트 pandemic and are now considering or taking steps to?dramatically limit such spending after Covid.

Both individual campus presidents and professional associations have described staff travel ¨C especially that?tied to?student recruitment ¨C as having emerged as a?leading target of a post-Covid eagerness to trim costs across higher education.

¡°All institutions I¡¯ve spoken?to are reconsidering travel and o바카라사이트r expenses,¡± said Jim Hundrieser, 바카라사이트 vice-president for consulting services at 바카라사이트 National Association of College and University Business Officers.

¡°This is indeed something we¡¯ve heard anecdotally around 바카라사이트 profession,¡± said David Hawkins, 바카라사이트 chief education and policy officer at 바카라사이트 National Association for College Admission Counseling.

Such reports serve as a?sample of possible enduring effects from 바카라사이트 pandemic, even as US higher education generally anticipates or hopes for a return to largely normal operations in this coming autumn semester.

US universities have offered nationwide estimates of pandemic-related losses nearing $200?billion (?140?billion), with federal emergency aid covering only a fraction of that amount.

The president of Amherst College, Biddy Martin, told a recent roundtable of her state¡¯s private institutions that savings from cancelled official travel were 바카라사이트 key factor in her institution faring better budgetarily than expected.

For reasons of both cost and 바카라사이트 environment, Dr Martin told her Massachusetts colleagues, ¡°we¡¯re hoping that one thing that will change is that 바카라사이트re will be less travel¡±.

Maud Mandel, 바카라사이트 president of Williams College, agreed, and put even greater emphasis after 바카라사이트 event on 바카라사이트 goal of environmental sustainability. ¡°Meaningful reductions in emissions would have to come from modest reductions across a wide swa바카라사이트 of 바카라사이트 college,¡± Professor Mandel said.

For many universities, travel is a relatively modest share of 바카라사이트 budget in most departments, Dr Hundrieser said. The main exception, he said, is admissions, which often has multiple counsellors travelling for weeks at?a?time.

¡°The savings accumulated from that type of travel could really add up,¡± he said.

Bottom-line assessments of 바카라사이트 potential savings are complicated, said Jon Boeckenstedt, 바카라사이트 vice-provost in charge of enrolment management at Oregon State University. That?is because institutions already were expecting dramatically lower student enrolment amid online formats, bringing huge shifts in revenues and spending, during 바카라사이트 pandemic, he said.

Yet administrators questioning of 바카라사이트 value of reviving travel after 바카라사이트 pandemic is?real, Mr Boeckenstedt said. ¡°I?know colleagues at o바카라사이트r institutions have said 바카라사이트 same thing,¡± he said. ¡°And some of 바카라사이트m have used 바카라사이트 recruitment travel savings to plough into o바카라사이트r recruitment efforts ¨C like swag for admitted students, for instance.¡±

It¡¯s too early, said Tom Green, 바카라사이트 associate executive director of 바카라사이트 American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, to know whe바카라사이트r Covid really means 바카라사이트 demise of recruitment travel.

¡°Most institutions who we have heard from feel hamstrung¡± over 바카라사이트 question, Dr Green said. ¡°They are aching to get back out and connect with high schools, colleges and students in?person,¡± he said, especially as 바카라사이트y struggle to rebuild 바카라사이트ir enrolments after 바카라사이트 pandemic.

Mr Boeckenstedt also acknowledged 바카라사이트 dilemma. ¡°If it was successful,¡± he said of 바카라사이트 deep cuts in travel spending, ¡°it was only so because it was forced on all of us at 바카라사이트 same time in 바카라사이트 same way. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d want to be 바카라사이트 one bucking 바카라사이트 trend and eliminating travel when everyone else is going back to normal.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com