Many higher education institutions across the globe are seeking to reopen their campuses in the coming months. Read on to discover the factors they must consider.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has dramatically reshaped educational delivery in 2020 and institutions are understandably keen to resume on-campus education.
A recent survey of 92 UK institutions found that 97% of those surveyed will provide in-person teaching at the start of the academic year, and 90% have communicated their current plans to prospective and current students.
However, as institutions begin to reopen in the upcoming academic year, there are a number of factors that must be considered.
The first thing to consider is what this reopening will look like, and what operational and strategic changes institutions will have to implement to ensure they limit the risks of the coronavirus.
In our latest coronavirus report, How Universities can Support and Protect Prospective and Current Students in the Upcoming Academic Year, we explore the various reopening strategies and tactics that institutions are proposing.
This ranges from staggered class times to phased cohorts, temperature checks, protective bubbles, zoning policies, social distancing markers, and a variety of other measures.
There is also a clear emphasis on blended learning, providing both online and on-campus education to ensure students can adhere to social distancing guidelines and those that need to shield can do so.
Other areas that institutions must consider are the financial ramifications of the coronavirus crisis on students and what concessions they’ll offer in the 2020/2021 academic year and the mental health and emotional support services they’ll provide (both online and on campus).
On-campus education may return in the coming months, but higher education will look very different to what we’re used to.
To discover how institutions across the globe are meeting these challenges, download a free copy of our latest coronavirus report: How Universities can Support and Protect Prospective and Current Students in the Upcoming Academic Year.