Cover Story
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Looking Back on 2020
The Year That Pushed Higher Ed to the Edge
The pandemic exacerbated long-simmering problems confronting colleges.
Highlights
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The Pandemic
Campuses Say Their Fall Semesters Were Safe. One Student Felt Anything But.
At Cornell University, few students who got Covid-19 fell seriously ill. But Stella Linardi did. -
The Review
Are College Students Killing Townies?
Selfish, hard-partying students make an easy villain. Uncovering the truth about Covid-19’s spread, on campus and off, is harder.
Also in the issue
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Pandemic Aid
Congress Will Give Colleges $20 Billion in Relief and — Surprise! — Some Long-Awaited Policy Reforms
While leaders said the Covid-19 stimulus bill offered far less than what higher ed needs, they cheered policy reforms like the second-chance Pell and a simplified application for student aid. -
Academic Freedom
His University Celebrated His Success. Then It Fired Him.
The dismissal of Garrett Felber, a tenure-track scholar of history, has ignited charges of retaliation by the University of Mississippi. -
Fresh Data
Fall’s Enrollment Decline Now Has a Final Tally. Here’s What’s Behind It.
Numbers of undergraduates, men, and at community colleges are all down. But they’ve increased at the graduate level and at for-profits. -
Advice
The Ph.D. Isn’t Working Right Now
A new book offers a prescription for how to “build a better graduate education.” -
Advice
When My College Attacked Me, Professional Insurance Saved My Bacon
Protection against disgruntled students, dangerous colleagues, and abusive administrators. -
The Review
That Op-Ed About Jill Biden Is Awful. Northwestern’s Response Might Be Worse.
No, it’s not OK to scrub an emeritus faculty member from a university website. -
Advice
Where Are the Career Paths for Staff on Campus?
Unlike professors and administrators, staff members have few-to-no options for moving up.