Impacts on Higher Education in the U.S. by COVID-19

During the week of March 1 – 7, U.S. state leadership began declaring numerous states of emergency in order to direct the necessary funds and other resources to aid in the treatment of and combat the further spread of COVID-19. In the weeks that followed, colleges and universities throughout the country have notably begun to either close their doors entirely to all students and staff, or to shift all coursework to online formats for the next few weeks or the remainder of the spring semester. In order to better understand how prevalent this expanding situation is around the country, ICAS has produced a web application that visualizes which parts of the country have seen the highest density in college and university closures. This is a living map that will be updated as schools continue to enact social-distancing policies.

Even within the states themselves, the responses from these higher education institutions have varied immensely. As of this writing, the majority of U.S. college and university campuses and services have remained operational, though many have restricted large gatherings and almost all have canceled international travel programs. Regions where states have declared a state of emergency have seen the highest number of colleges and universities cease in-person classes and athletic programs. In some cases, students are being told by their administration that they are to vacate their dormitories campus entirely. For some students who live locally or have the means to return home, this does not pose too much difficulty. However, for international students who cannot return home or other low-income students who rely upon campus jobs to pay for living expenses and schooling, many have been left in an increasingly difficult situation with few or no alternatives. 

The effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the American education system and the students who have placed their faith and livelihood in it are only just beginning to unfold. This is an unprecedented situation for university administrators to take on, especially during such a time-sensitive situation where inaction could lead to greater rates of infection. There are no easy solutions to these side effects of social-distancing policies by colleges and universities, however, it is clear that consequences will be far-reaching.