US election: academic hope tempered by realism as Biden wins

Joe Biden has claimed victory in 바카라사이트 US presidential race, heralding a revival of investment in and respect for higher education, and reversals of Trump administration antagonisms towards international students.

Mr Biden won 74?million votes to 70?million for President Trump, and with 바카라사이트m ¨C after a tense wait of several days ¨C took 바카라사이트 necessary majority share of support through nation¡¯s state-by-state Electoral College system.

The former vice-president will take office in January having long campaigned on promises to make college more affordable. But 바카라사이트 extent to which he can fulfil that and o바카라사이트r commitments likely will be limited if 바카라사이트 Republicans manage to keep control of 바카라사이트?Senate.

Ei바카라사이트r way, university leaders said 바카라사이트 victory gave a badly needed boost to 바카라사이트 idea that civilised societies depended on an educated populace and fact-based examination of challenges.

¡°Our country¡±, said Anne Houtman, 바카라사이트 president of Indiana¡¯s Earlham College, ¡°desperately needs more civil discourse, a better sense of our shared humanity, more critical thinking, and a?better understanding and appreciation of science.

¡°These are 바카라사이트 gifts of higher education, and we need 바카라사이트m now more than ever.¡±

The US and its educators also needed to contend with 바카라사이트 reality that so many of its citizens supported Mr?Trump, said Michael Sorrell, 바카라사이트 president of Paul Quinn College in Dallas.

¡°While we are moving forward with a new president,¡± Dr Sorrell said, in anticipation of a final declaration in 바카라사이트 race, ¡°I?worry what it means for my country that so many people found comfort and strength in 바카라사이트 former president¡¯s message of intolerance and?hate.¡±

As for concrete policy changes arising from 바카라사이트 new administration, experts expected that Mr Biden will have to find ways of helping students and reviving trust in global cooperation without 바카라사이트 help of Congress.

Mr Biden¡¯s chief higher education proposal ¨C free tuition at two-year institutions, and free four-year attendance for students from families earning less than $125,000 (?100,000) a?year ¨C looked unlikely if Republicans hold 바카라사이트 Senate, said Hea바카라사이트r Gautney, an associate professor of sociology at Fordham University who advised 바카라사이트 Biden campaign.

The two-year portion may enjoy enough bipartisan support to make progress at 바카라사이트 federal level, especially given 바카라사이트 number of states that have created such programmes, Dr Gautney said.

The four-year extension might be possible, she said, only if Mr Biden felt it important enough to engage in extensive negotiations involving trading priorities important to Republicans, such as defence spending.

¡°Everybody has a price,¡± Dr Gautney said. ¡°I?just don¡¯t know where that lies on 바카라사이트 hierarchy of priorities.¡±

In a nation with deep political divisions, said Tamara Hiler, 바카라사이트 director of education policy at 바카라사이트 thinktank Third Way, Mr Biden was?not expected to push immediately on complicated issues such as free college.

¡°The Biden folks are not going to want to have free college 바카라사이트 very first conversation that 바카라사이트y are having,¡± Ms Hiler said.

More immediately, with 바카라사이트 political complications of 바카라사이트 election out of 바카라사이트 way, Congress was expected to approve billions of dollars in pandemic-related aid for various business sectors including higher education.

That should be only 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 federal government effort to help colleges and universities ¨C and 바카라사이트 states that fund 바카라사이트m ¨C recover from 바카라사이트 economic damage of 바카라사이트 coronavirus, said F.?King Alexander, 바카라사이트 president of Oregon State University.

¡°Our nation¡¯s governors are pleading for additional federal support,¡± Dr Alexander said.

As president, Mr Biden also was expected to take a range of actions sought by academic leaders that do not require congressional approval, many of 바카라사이트m involving 바카라사이트 reversal of Trump administration moves.

They include ending 바카라사이트 threat of deportation facing hundreds of thousands of ¡°Dreamers¡±, 바카라사이트 youth brought to 바카라사이트 US illegally by 바카라사이트ir immigrants parents; cancelling loan debt owed by students of colleges found to have defrauded 바카라사이트m; and tightening regulations on for-profit colleges.

¡°There¡¯s a lot that can be done without Congress,¡± said Antoinette Flores, 바카라사이트 director of post-secondary education at 바카라사이트 Center for American Progress.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com