2020: The Year in Review (Part 3)
This article is a summary of all of the blog articles that appeared on the Wally Boston blog from October through December of 2020. It is part 3 of a three-part series.
2020 – The Year in Review (Part 2)
The following article is a summary of all of the blog articles that appeared on the Wally Boston blog during the second half of 2020. This article is part 2 of a three-part series.
COVID-19 Vaccine: Logistics, Logistics, and More Logistics
On Friday, the news that we have been waiting for finally arrived. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it had authorized Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. Headlines indicated that the first shipment would be distributed around the United States through FedEx and UPS.
Is This the End of Traditional College as We Know It?
Doug Belkin’s article in last week’s Wall Street Journal poses the big question: “Is this the end of college as we know it?” Mr. Belkin opens his article with the education paths and career paths of a married couple living in Tampa, Florida.
The Hits to Higher Education Keep Coming (and Will Continue!)
In an article published Monday by the New York Times, reporter Shawn Hubler writes that the resurgence of the coronavirus has forced universities to make deep cuts to close widening budget shortfalls. Some of the examples that she provides include the elimination of low-participation liberal arts degrees at liberal arts colleges, pausing admissions to Ph.D. programs in liberal arts, eliminating undergraduate programs in higher education, and furloughing employees.
Observing the Pandemic Effect on the Restaurant Industry
When the March closure of non-essential businesses occurred, I was splitting my time between Austin, Texas and Baltimore, Maryland, and I happened to be in Maryland. Great friends of mine (Charles and Susan) owned a restaurant in Baltimore and closed it, even though restaurants were allowed to provide food through carryout and delivery. When I asked Charles why he was not providing carryout, he said that he needed to understand how his restaurant could provide carryout and keep his employees and customers safe.
The Link Between Football Game Attendance and COVID-19
I enjoy watching football, pro and college. The resumption of the NFL season three weeks ago was a welcome respite from watching reruns of last year’s games. But as college football resumed its play, I noticed one difference.
COVID-19 Has Forced a Radical Shift in Working Habits
In March, the governors of many states ordered social distancing and remote work for non-essential workers. Companies with offices scrambled to enhance their technology platforms in order to accommodate so many additional people working online and remotely.
What U.S. Colleges’ Spring 2021 Plans Look Like So Far
Over the weekend, I watched college and NFL football. The scenes of fans in the stands for Saturday’s televised college football games were as interesting as the scenes from the field. While it was clear that social distancing and masks had been mandated, it was also clear that more than a few did not take it seriously.
Higher Ed Finance and the Need to Understand It Thoroughly
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the finances of colleges and universities globally. With many colleges and universities in the U.S. reversing course and going online, some families are asking for tuition discounts. It’s too soon for final reports on enrollments, even as some universities report unprecedented numbers of incoming freshmen who requested an enrollment deferral (also called a gap year).
There have been more than a few articles written about the financial impact of COVID-19, and a few more have attempted to rate or rank the financial risk of institutions based on publicly available data. Recently, I read an article written by a professor who argued that institutions should increase financial aid in a situation like this rather than discount tuition.