{"id":20154,"date":"2020-06-12T07:18:07","date_gmt":"2020-06-12T07:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fortunestudyabroad.com\/\/?p=20154"},"modified":"2020-06-12T07:18:28","modified_gmt":"2020-06-12T07:18:28","slug":"the-impact-of-coronavirus-on-higher-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fortunestudyabroad.com\/2020\/06\/12\/the-impact-of-coronavirus-on-higher-education\/","title":{"rendered":"The impact of coronavirus on higher education"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Universities and college campuses are places where students live and study in close proximity to each other. They are also buzzing cultural hubs where students are brought together from nations around the world. Recently, the foundations of this unique ecosystem have been impacted significantly by the rapid spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, creating uncertainty regarding the implications for higher education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over the past weeks, education officials have been forced to cancel classes<\/a> and close the doors to campuses across the world in response to the growing coronavirus outbreak. In addition, US institutions have switched classes to online learning, cancelled spring break trips<\/a> and students studying abroad in China, Italy and South Korea have been encouraged to return home<\/a> to complete their studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While class closures, dips in enrollment at the beginning of a new semester and cancellations may be temporary, it\u2019s hard to foresee whether the novel coronavirus will result in long-term disruption to the higher education system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Understanding the economic impact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the biggest concerns for the sector at large is the percentage of international students that make up the domestic higher education markets. In the US alone, Chinese students make up 33.7 per<\/a> cent of the foreign student population, while Indian students comprise of 18.4 per cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While travel restrictions to and from China have been helpful in slowing down the spread of the disease, they have also left international students stranded. According to a Covid-19 Survey by the Institute of International Education (IIE)<\/a>, 830 Chinese students have been unable to return to the US to continue their studies. While this may be a small percentage of the overall international student population, the question remains: How long will this last? If the restrictions remain in place, the US higher education system could bear the brunt of an economic downturn<\/a>. So, how should universities and colleges around the world adjust their learning styles to retain program enrollment and provide accessibility to students?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maximise online learning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The most effective tool in keeping student retention and maintaining access to learning has been online courses. Universities across the US, in particular, have adjusted their programs in response to the spread of the coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stanford University has called off the remaining two weeks of in-class lectures<\/a>, urging its professors to move any remaining lessons online. The University of Washington announced a ban on on-campus classes<\/a> until after spring break, after a member of staff was diagnosed with coronavirus last week. Other universities, including New York\u2019s Hofstra University, New Jersey\u2019s Princeton University and Seattle University are making starting to make the move to virtual classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Develop robust systems<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While the majority of colleges and universities around the world integrate some form of online education into their coursework, moving all programs online may prove challenging. While some universities may already have strong online systems, smaller universities may struggle under the weight of the demand. University course creators should work closely with their IT departments to ensure their programs are able to be supported online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n