This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Messer and Jason Kelly on Bloomberg Radio. We do want to bring in our next guest, who are delighted to have back with us, Barnard College President Sean bilic uh c On. Nice to have you here with us, and thanks very much for
your patients. As we listened to Mayor do Blasio um your home city, you know, it's interesting we're listening to the mayor of New York and his tone and demeanor are really at odds with what we're hearing from the President and other officials who are beginning to talk about reopening up the US economy. How are you on a daily basis assessing the situation? How have you been assessing
this situation? Well, there's a lot of information coming in and when we're really thinking specifically about New York City and New York City right now, and our goal has been to first and foremost to support the health and safety of our faculty, students, and staff. And we've transitioned to online learning for the remainder of the semester and really focusing on helping our student and continue during this really you know, unprecedented time and so what does that
look like and what are you learning so far? President by like in terms of the mechanics and the logistics of you know, really keeping students engaged and helping faculty and staff, I would imagine sort of manage their home lives, and all that I think is we're all discovering in this remote, uh scenario. It's complicated. It is definitely complicated.
And you know, I think the role of an institution here in a place like Barner that prides itself on a world class education, our faculty and our teachers they're also scholars, is helping support the faculty and the students so that they can all learn together. Um, whether that's giving faculty tutorials about using zoom and how to engage classes and also giving students the same sort of tutorials and helps and just tips for staying focused and engaged.
Just like you would in a classroom, having your cell phone right next to you, it's not so great for focusing and being attentive. And that's certainly true online as well. We just want to mention a headline crossing the Bloomberg Facebook seeing um a weakening ad market. Let me just bring it up. I just lost it here. Facebook seeing weakening and ad business due to COVID nineteen. That's expected as we see a lot of businesses UM seeing a
retrenchment in everything that's going on. President Pylock, I do wonder too about what kinds of things that you guys are implementing, whether it's online learning or virtual tours for folks who want to come see you know, the college um that you think might actually stick around longer term. Yeah, I think there are really some opportunities here to make sure that we're able to engage students and parents, families,
interested parties, alarms from across the globe. So some of the virtual tours we're doing UM check in with faculty, even for alms to learn about what's happening in the classroom. I've already heard that many parents are peeking over their students shoulders that they're taking part in classes. And I think there's there's an opportunity to get more folks engaged
in education. And so President Biolack, and I'm saying this out of a place of self interest, and I'm guessing Carol is thinking the same thing, especially as an alum of your notable institution. We both have college juniors. You know whose s A T s were delayed. We've got the ap s being UM executed in a different way. High school students, especially high school students are in their junior year and a little younger and a little older are really going to be affected by this. How is
your institution? How our institutions sort of thinking about that? And I've got to say, this was going to be a week where we were touring colleges. You weren't even supposed to be here today. I was not supposed to be here. Well, I hope you're visiting us online because we have a fantastic tour. She is the students and
and you really get a flavor UM. And we're certainly thinking about students who are younger UM in high school, and we're going to make sure that no one is penalized for not being able to take a test or for disruptions. We know this is a time when things are going to change and that requires flexibility. And one of the fantastic things about a small institution like Barnard, even though it's situated within the larger Columbia University, We're
able to give that one on one attention. So I I do want to ask you, um if we can about an area of expertise that you have. You gave an amazing ted talk the Carol sent around uh and two million people. I think plus have seen you understand you you were a psychologist, a cognitive scientist. I should say, by training, you understand stress and this is a stressful time. How do you what what's the lens that you're looking through to help us maybe cope with everything that's going
on around us. Yeah, I think you know. I've I've spent my career setting anxiety in the brain and in a way that makes me well situated to think about these times and how we support our community. I think the for thing is to really understand that it's okay to feel anxious right now. We often feel anxious when we have a loss of control, when we don't know
what's going to happen. In fact, in my research, when we actually peek inside the brain, when we use neuro science techniques to look inside the brain, we see the areas in the brain involved in fear, involved in negative emotions are most activated before something negative happens. It's kind of the what if you don't know what's going to happen. And so this is a time where we have a lot of these what ifs, and it's okay to be anxious.
But in doing and knowing that, this is also a time to cut yourself from slack to have self compassion. We know that we often are harsher on ourselves than we are on everyone else around us. It's that little voice in your head, and it's time to be compassionate with ourselves to say it's okay to be stressed. We don't have to have everything planned out, and our goal is to focus on the little things that are taking
us one day at a time. Well, especially in a situation where we have really no control over what's happening. I mean, our world has been turned completely upside down present by luck, and we've just got to kind of, you know, wait for the answers or wait for the situation to change. And I would say, now is it time to focus on what you can control. So for our students, we talk a lot about making schedules. So even though you're not maybe having all your normal routines,
what schedules can you have? You have class? Can you also set as signs some time to study? Maybe you have a Zoom study group with friends, um are there are times when you can just get on Zoom socially to hang out, actually compartmentalizing that time. Having some control, of course, getting away from your device, looking out the window, going outside, even as your social distancing. Making that part of a schedule routine can give us a sense of
control that can actually reduce some of the anxiety. That's a great piece of advice because I have found that since we've shifted, I'm just going on almost a week at home now, that it's very easy to not stop working and kind of keep going. No, please go ahead,
It's very easy to do that. Um. And actually, one of my senior team said to me today her office is across the street from mine, and she said, I realized I missed running across the street to your office because it was a couple of minutes to just get outside and not have my phone. And so I'm creating the virtual running across the street. She said, yeah, no, it is interesting too, And and to that point, I mean, I think as much as we do virtually, and I see this in my kids, I see this in myself.
You know, I'm looking at Carol sort of via video conference right now. But you know, we are usually about three feet from each other for many, many hours a day, our whole team is together, and I mean there is some I think anxiety and worry sort of embedded in that of not having that sort of physical connection, even if even just physical proximity, right, Yeah, And we know that loneliness can affect, helps confect how we feel, so I think it's important to try and get some of
those connections where you can. Um. We are talking to our students about making sure, even in a larger lecture crash, that they turn on their video just to have that connection. We know that looking at people's face gives you a lot of information actually about how their thinking, thinking, how they're feeling, even their body postures. So be engaged in that way and then figure out what time you're going
to turn your computer off. And if you have family or friends around in your apartment or in your home, you know, spend some time with them. Figure out what you can do that is um really meaningful. Present by like I've got to ask you just got about a minute left. I mean, this has been a tough year for barnard Um and anybody who follows the news knows that you guys lost a student earlier this year and
it was in a really horrific way. I think your leadership has been pretty incredible, and I do think we're at a time where we are looking for leadership. Any any thoughts, UM, you know, justing on your experience this year, UH, to our listeners and to those folks who are running companies UH and just trying to figure out how to get through and they're and they're managing a personal life, a professional life, concerned about their family, concerned about their workers.
And I do apologize just got about forty five seconds. I think really showing your company or the community that you know you you are in this with them, that this is anxiety provoking for you, but here are the steps you're going to take. Really being part of the situation can be really effective for people knowing that we're all on the same thing. Well, thank you so much,
and UH, take care and be well. And I really appreciate getting some time with you, Bernard College President see on by like joining us on the phone here in New York City, and I think some really helpful advice. I think some of the leaders that we've been talking to, UM, what she had to say, um, and really, you know, remember to be kind of part of your community, taking
some time out not being so hard on yourself. I think when we talked to Michael Ansley about meditation, like these are things that have really stuck with me, that we are all being turned upside down and you really have to think about these things and you have to sort of own it to the extent and really be honest with yourself about what's going on around you.