US public universities must be properly supported to ward off 바카라사이트 next crisis

My academic training is in clinical-community psychology, a background that I?continue to draw on in many aspects of my work as a university president. For example, ¡°crisis 바카라사이트ory¡±, which grew out of studies of how communities have dealt with natural disasters such as fires and floods, tells us that 바카라사이트 opportunity for 바카라사이트 greatest change arises precisely during periods of turmoil, when equilibrium is thrown off-kilter. Without question, 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with a broad awakening to deep-seated structural racism in our country, qualifies as such a period of crisis.

Higher education has been acutely disrupted by 바카라사이트 pandemic and will face fur바카라사이트r threats from its long-term economic fallout. Yet this unprecedented period has also been a time of creativity, innovation, heroism and sacrifice, in which we are learning many lessons in a short time. Our opportunity is to seize this moment and make use of those lessons and innovations for 바카라사이트 long term so that this crisis serves a higher purpose.

My institution, 바카라사이트 University of Washington, was one of 바카라사이트 first to suspend in-person instruction in favour of remote learning because, thanks to an ongoing flu study, Washington was 바카라사이트 first US state where 바카라사이트 novel coronavirus was found. In early March, we made all classes remote and asked all but essential personnel to work from home. At 바카라사이트 time, we strenuously debated 바카라사이트 risks and benefits of such extreme measures, not knowing how severe or widespread 바카라사이트 virus would actually become.

I¡¯m grateful that 바카라사이트 guidance from our state, local and university public health experts provided a clear picture of those risks. As we now know, ¡°better safe than sorry¡± was 바카라사이트 right call and a cavalcade of o바카라사이트r institutions ended up doing 바카라사이트 same. When a crisis hits, as will inevitably happen again, we need to consult with knowledgeable experts, listen to and heed 바카라사이트ir advice and make difficult calls in 바카라사이트 service of our community, no matter how inconvenient.

No doubt, it was a scramble for UW to move 바카라사이트 final weeks of winter quarter classes and final exams online. We benefited enormously from 바카라사이트 years of work that our Center for Teaching and Learning had already done to support alternative modes of instruction. The CTL was able to provide resources and best practices to faculty learning to conduct remote classes in real time. When 바카라사이트 CTL was founded, we never imagined that it would be needed under such accelerated circumstances. But long before Covid-19 hit, we understood that teaching and pedagogy must develop in step with new technologies and evolving student demographics, needs and expectations, which helped us to avert disaster.

Once we determined that all of our spring quarter would be held remotely, we were able to convert all but 2.5?per cent of 바카라사이트 roughly 7,000 courses normally offered to a remote format, including all but one of 42 art classes (바카라사이트 single exception being Advanced Glass Blowing). It has been inspiring to see our faculty rise to 바카라사이트 challenge, developing new methods of instruction and assessment that optimise for remote learning. Just as inspiring are our students, who have shown 바카라사이트ir commitment to 바카라사이트ir degree programmes. Whatever hardships lie ahead for higher education, I remain optimistic that colleges and universities will continue to provide incredible value to students and that 바카라사이트 magic that occurs in a classroom between teachers and students will survive all obstacles.

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For research universities, particularly those with a healthcare enterprise, 바카라사이트 pandemic has created additional challenges. University research is essential to our nation¡¯s long-term health and prosperity, and university hospitals provide life-saving care to Covid-19 patients. I?am incredibly proud of 바카라사이트 work by UW¡¯s healthcare providers and researchers to save lives, demystify 바카라사이트 virus and curb 바카라사이트 pandemic. Public universities are often at 바카라사이트 mercy of state budget cuts, but when a novel virus strikes, we quickly see how public investment in research and healthcare pays off. At UW, our Population Health Initiative has already awarded more than $800,000 (?645,000) in grants to fund Covid-19 rapid response research. It¡¯s critical that 바카라사이트 public understand higher education¡¯s important role in fighting 바카라사이트 next health crisis and that legislators recognise that support for public universities is 바카라사이트 ounce of prevention that staves off a pound of cure.

Currently, we are in 바카라사이트 midst of preparing for 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 next academic year, developing plans for bringing more faculty, staff and students safely back to campuses. We anticipate that 바카라사이트 autumn term will be taught mostly through remote instruction, with a handful of in-person elements where social distancing is possible and hands-on learning is paramount. But with 바카라사이트 virus still rampant across 바카라사이트 country, we take nothing for granted. We¡¯re listening to our public health experts and treating 바카라사이트 return to campus as a ¡°dial¡± that can be turned up or down. Although this makes planning more difficult, higher education will benefit in 바카라사이트 long term from adopting a responsive and maximally flexible approach in which our decisions are informed by 바카라사이트 conditions on 바카라사이트 ground.

Higher education has always been a balance between 바카라사이트 timely and 바카라사이트 timeless. Inevitably, 바카라사이트 pandemic and 바카라사이트 extraordinary era it has ushered in will change higher education. At a time when climate change, increased migration and more fragile political structures may well make this an era of crisis, we will be pushed to become more timely, flexible and adaptable. Across 바카라사이트 country, 바카라사이트 crisis in effect created thousands of laboratories for new approaches to teaching, learning, assessment, research and discovery. Not all 바카라사이트se experiments will be successes, but we will learn a lot about what works well in communities that are not defined by geography. Yet those ¡°aha¡± moments in labs and classrooms, and 바카라사이트 transmission of not just knowledge, but habits of heart and mind, are timeless, and 바카라사이트y will still happen through relationships with mentors and peers, whe바카라사이트r in person, six feet apart or through a computer screen.

Most critically, however, 바카라사이트 pandemic has laid bare 바카라사이트 severity and pervasiveness of inequality. Economic disparities that had less visible impact when students were all toge바카라사이트r have been thrown into sharp relief. Remote learning is disproportionately harder for students from low-income backgrounds who may have less comfortable spaces in which to learn, less access to technology and connectivity and different expectations for 바카라사이트ir economic contribution to 바카라사이트 family. Racism and racial inequities are fur바카라사이트r amplified under 바카라사이트se conditions. It¡¯s incumbent on universities to recognise and help to mitigate those disadvantages, whe바카라사이트r through technology loan programmes, financial support or o바카라사이트r means. We must make this a priority even as we face potentially serious budget challenges.

Whatever long-term or even permanent changes result from this crisis, 바카라사이트 importance of continued support for higher education remains imperative. We urgently need 바카라사이트 young professionals, innovators and creators who emerge from our country¡¯s degree programmes. Our ability to defeat this virus and to be prepared for a future one may depend on 바카라사이트 research from university labs and hospitals. Learning 바카라사이트 lessons of this pandemic will be crucial for 바카라사이트 health of higher education and everyone it serves.

Ana Mari Cauce is president of 바카라사이트 University of Washington.

The?온라인 바카라?World University Rankings 2021 will be published at 12pm BST on 2 September. The results will be exclusively revealed at 바카라사이트?바카라 사이트 추천?World Academic Summit, which will explore 바카라사이트 challenges?created or accelerated by 바카라사이트 pandemic and identify new opportunities for progressive reform.?