NEWS
The 34th Cornelson Distinguished Lecture: March 17
Dr. Christina H. Paxson
The 34th Cornelson Distinguished Lecture: Accessibility, Affordability and Innovation: Higher Education in a Post-COVID World with Dr. Christina H. Paxson, President of Brown University and Professor of Economics and Public Policy.
Many of the problems in U.S. higher education that existed before the pandemic have become exacerbated over the past year. The problems include limited access and affordability for students whose high-school educations have been disrupted and whose families are facing challenging economic circumstances; colleges and universities whose financial positions have gone from difficult to dire; and pressures on state budgets that threaten future funding for public higher education. At the same time, many colleges and universities are actively exploring how the lessons they’ve learned in remote and hybrid instruction can be used to deliver lower-cost, high-quality education in the future. This lecture will address how the pandemic will force change—both good and bad—in educational attainment and the way colleges and universities function after the pandemic abates and discuss policy options for strengthening higher education.