Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 in China in late 2019, a lot has happened in the world. While a few countries are lifting bans and recovering from total lockdown, the effects are still very much around. Cross-border travel for recreational and leisure purposes is forbidden. For many months, it seems the world was put to a purse, and everything stood still. This period will be among research paper topics in the nearest future.
With a cure or vaccine still not available, it is not sure what the next action should be, especially if another outbreak should occur soon. More alarming is in the fact that pandemics trigger a change in consumer behaviour. Consumer spending has been tightened due to fear of a new outbreak.
Several experts have predicted that many countries will be hit with high unemployment rates and bring consumer spending to a record low. Of course, this will affect all sectors of the economy, including higher educational institutions.
What are the major issues in education today? Forecasts have predicted that up to 25% decline in enrolment may be seen, and it may take high education up to two years to recover from the impact of the epidemic. The virus has placed antiquated financial models, strict admission and registration processes, and graduation rates in the spotlight.
Colleges and universities all over the world are closed. And it is possible that in-person on-campus instructions may not resume until the spring of 2021 semester. This then is one of the challenges in higher education today.
The government and regulatory bodies are then poised with questions of importance around the crisis in higher education. Let’s discuss some of the problems that higher education will face and how to solve them.
Should they create a vision statement for the institution?
A vision state is one that emphasized intent and is different from a mission statement. Vision statements expect that you think from the end backward. Universities and colleges need to think about what they have to offer their students, both present and future, after the pandemic. They also need to begin to look into what they have to offer that other universities won’t.
Many experts agree that such a problem in higher education can be solved even if all facts are not gotten yet. In a crisis like this, good now is better than perfect later.
Higher education must realize that vision plans are different from strategic plans. And hence, while a lot of people are tasked with creating vision plans and statements, thinking outside the box might not be the answer. Universities and colleges might have to think with no box.
How does higher education create recruitment programmes for both domestic and international students?
Universities are also poised with the question of how to deal with their recruitment process if their calendar will change due to the pandemic. Will recruiters travel to attract international students or focus mainly on domestic students? How do they also intend to cater to international students when they return to their countries, and the autumn semester is to start?
It is doubtful that these questions will get straight answers. It is like when lecturers can tell students to check out our education essays examples physically, but due to the absence of in-person tutoring, a means online needs to be provided. Free essays on education can help you save time.
Admission departments and recruiters need to find a working solution that is efficient, effective, and that takes care of all stakeholders. What do you think universities should do? Create a partial virtual recruitment and admission system, maybe.
How does higher education with year-long academic programs combine online learning and in-person tutoring?
One of the things that Covid-19 has brought to all facet of human endeavour is change, and this a problem higher education will struggle to combat. There are so many possibilities to choose from that many universities are not exactly sure what to do. Should they eliminate the traditional semester-based system and embrace online tutoring 100 percent or find means to combine the two?
Indeed, these are trying times. It is possible that higher education begins autumn semester later than usual, moves the autumn semester to spring or allows students to take one course at a time for a few weeks. So, many possibilities and a lot of factors to consider.
The Covid-19 will, indeed, change the face of higher education forever. What solution universities and colleges will resolve to might not be known for sure, but it is true that the traditional educational system, as we know it, maybe out for good. And it took a pandemic for that to happen.
