This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Messer and Jason Kelly on Bloomberg Radio. Well, the world of academia, as we've been talking of throughout our broadcast, that of academia and higher education definitely changing in the midst of this health crisis. So the questions are we've been you know, pursuing Jason, is what's going to be the longer term impact. Let's bring in Hell and John and she is president of Simmons University. She joins us on the phone from Boston.
President John, and nice to have you here with us. You guys have been closed like um, much of academia is certainly in the hardest hit areas and cities. UM. Now, I think for about a month or so, give us a little bit of an update about how you came, you know, you know, how things are operating, um, and what you see for the outlook like when we get on the other side of this. Well, hello, and thanks for having me. Happy to do this. Yeah, I would say that things are going about as well as anyone
could possibly imagine they could go under the circumstances. And and I say that with recognition that there is great disruption and difficulty and challenge all around. I'm not trying to be in the least bit pollyannish about this. So UM, I would say the fact that we were able to pull off within two weeks almost across the entire nation, finding an alternative way to deliver on the goals that students finish their courses and graduate if they're eligible for graduation,
is astonishing. And I think we're all just sort of living with the with the speed and the change that that required. But we're also settling down to this maybe business as usual for some time, and so business as usual for some time. Let's dig into that if we can, President Rondon, because I do feel like that is the big question when it comes to education. You know, Carol and I have high school juniors. They're sort of looking at a very different landscape as they apply to college.
We have a lot of you know, friends who are of college students who have come home to uh you basically have like they feel like they're in high school again, you know, living their parents house with nowhere to go. Um, how do you sort of keeping sort of keep an eye on everybody as well as sort of keep in
touch with them to anticipate and an unanticipated future. I guess even looking as as far ahead or or as close at hand as the fall, well, maybe maybe I should just throw out a couple of things that I think are clearly the considerations until the fall, and then we can talk about we're staying in touch on that
kind of thing. So most places have have been extremely clear nothing is going on on summer campuses that otherwise would have for example, summer programs of any level to the extent possible, many many people are moving those online because many summer students need those opportunities to fill in credits that they're trying to finish before they finish a degree, that kind of thing. So there's a certain sense of urgency about continuing this level of provision of the education,
at least through the summertime. The big deal is, of course, the go no go decision from what are we able to do on September one? In around September one, and there are a couple of major considerations here. Nobody wants to bring students back if it's not safe, and how will we know when it's safe. So everybody is following all of the medical information we see every single day
to try to get up six on this. I would say that most of us are going to be in the position of having to make a decision about opening on September one, no later than July one, But will we have the data that we need even then. So that's a big, big issue. If we can't open on the first, can we open later? Are there alternative ways of doing a deferred opening? So a lot of people are thinking about that. The last, of course option is to have a have a plan ready to go their way.
So is it possible to offer a high quality virtual experience for a semester or a part of a semester in the events that we think we can open second semester or partially through for a semester. That is a very tall order because it's so much bigger than what anyone is delivering today. I doubt that very many institutions could entertain that option. And what do you do then? You know, this is a conversation we had with one
of our reporters earlier, like what's the financial adjustment? Potentially, because part of a big part of you know, going to a great institution, a great college, you know, like your own, is the experience of being around other students from all over the place, and you know, face to face with professors and you know teachers. That's a big part of it, and it takes the learning to a
whole other level. You know what financial adjustments might have to be made if it's a virtual online class, Well, there's no question, and Carol that the cost of the education will have to be discounted. There is excuse me, there is a different experience if you're doing this online. You're perfectly correct. And actually Simmons has about five years of experience with graduate professional education. Now I said graduate professional,
not undergraduate professional, and it's very different. But we have enough experience to say, if done well, it's a great alternative. It is not a replacement for a four year undergraduate coming of age experience. Nobody would argue that that is not the same thing. But if it's the way to step in and it's high quality and it's a discount,
that could be a viable alternative. And if you think of it that way, it actually becomes a tool for a student over the course of his or her education too, maybe still in a course that they need in the summer. With an online course, that kind of thing not not the steady state plan, but a good alternative in the short term. But when I say good all alternative, it's not what we're looking at that's out there today. Nobody would claim that what we're doing now is a good alternative.
It's it's a it's to get us through the problem alternative. That's it. So we've only get about a minute left in this segment. But then we're going to bring you back President trying and so quickly. What are what are the communications you're you're making to your incoming class, because I would imagine that's different from returning students. You're absolutely right about that, good question. We have had so far
too admitted students events on a virtual basis. They have been attended at almost double the rates are on campus events. Our admissions today look pretty flat to last year at this time. So there's no question in my mind people are still in the process. They're probably hoping against hope that this gets all resolved in a reasonable way. So but so far, we are working very hard with our students to say we will have a plan for you
in the fall. Now I think they're doing what we expect them to do, which is to keep working at their best choices, and I think to the extent you can do virtual admissions opportunities like this, people are remaining engaged. Helen Droning is our guest. She is president of Simmons University. She's joining us on the phone from Boston. So, you know, President, you were talking about, you know, the incoming class for fall of I am curious though about what this means
for the incoming class of fall of one. Jason and I both have you know, juniors and seniors. I'm just curious about we've already heard about. Maybe test scores aren't so important. I know my daughter is, you know, concerned about interviews um the school she's interested in, or reaching out to her virtually about you know, do a virtual tour. But how do you approach that? So I think that the gods, Carol, is the class of Ken step back a little bit, uh and not yet too urgently concerned
about this as they watch how this goes through. Unfortunately, the class that would graduate in this year and the class that would enter in this fall both are going to be the ones that are the test cases. And as you can imagine, the disappointment around the end of year is just awful and uh, There are no easy answers to that, because you don't you know, you know, you can't remake the experience of the moment right here.
You can't redo it now, that's right, that's right. So I would say the class of take any opportunity that comes along, a virtual opportunity, physical opportunity, when that day comes. Take any of these opportunities, because I think what's happening now is your all of us are showcasing how much can we offer to a student. How much can we offer a student flexibility? How much can we offer a student the kinds of services that you would expect on campus,
even if you're not on campus. How flexible are we in addressing the questions and concerns you have relative to what we already think you're gonna worry about. I think it's a great opper time opportunity to be a consumer if you're in the class of Yeah, I do think. I do think that, um, you're going to see such a wide variety of responses from different colleges and universities. They can learn an awful lot in this process. It does seem like that, I mean, that's certainly how we're
trying to spend it with our junior in high school. UM, so president trying to I have to ask you, and we've had some really interesting conversations with the number of university presidents about this. What's the effect on a on a you know, one year old sort of going through I mean, this is traumatic in a lot of ways. You alluded to that a minute ago. I mean, you can't get this moment back. How do we help them? Well, you know, we all in higher education are extremely aware
of the burden this is placing our students. And it's not a surprise to either of you. I'm sure that you are very aware already. That's a level of anxiety, depression, and other associated mental health issues on college campus is today is a major concern long before we were worried about coronavirus or you know, or or the pandemic so
um for example. In our case, we have maintained our health center and our counseling center, and students do, indeed stay in touch with the therapists that they've been working with or the health care providers that they've been working with, and we will provide that to that opportunity to students if they find that a useful alternative when they're not physically present for as long as they're students, which will obviously end in the May semester, I mean in the
May time frame. So I know many, many, many colleges and universities are doing the same thing. Um. Lots of schools are doing check in. They have their student life staff calling students, especially students that they know had a difficult time leaving campus because you know, there was no preparation. There was no opportunity to say, but how do I
get home? As these are my circumstances, and most of us have retained some portion of our students on campus are off campus but under our supervision, because they just couldn't I mean, they couldn't go home. Yeah, the international students could not get out of the country in many cases, so there was no option. So we've had to maintain all of these services and sports systems to the greatest ability virtually that we possibly can. I think it is um.
You know, it's such a loss to not complete your senior Psychologically, it's a loss. It's um socially, such an enormous loss because even if we plan, which certainly we do in many other places, do an alternative event in the future when we can do it, you know for sure not all those classmates will be able to make that. Life goes on and it will never be the experience they helped for. So that the grief about this is
pretty profound, and it's and it's natural and normal. Yeah, I've got to say from someone who I deferred for semesters, who started in January and then I of course graduate in December, it's just not the same experience. I know that, And it's certainly not on the magnitude of what everybody's going through now, but you certainly miss something in the experience, and I know that. Um. One last question just got
about forty five seconds. How do you think when we get on the other side of this our world will be changed? I actually think, Carol, if we're smart, we will have learned so much about how to be better in the work that we do and better in our relationships with people that will use things like all these technologies we have to their best advantage rather than sometimes
to the lowest common common denominate or worst advantage. And I also think that people will have such a greater appreciation for in the moment relationships that they will never take them for granted. Again. Well, this is a great way to end. And I have to say Gloria Larson, former president of Bentley University, a friend of mine and a friend of Bloomberg, who has been on this air a lot, you know, said we've got to talk to you, and she was so right. So thank you so much.
I know this is a hard time for everyone, but I feel like your words will certainly stay with all of us and certainly our listeners. Helen Joyn and thank you. Thank you, President of Simmons University joining us on the phone from Boston. I have to say the conversations that we've had with heads of colleges and universities, Jason, have been um, just fantastic and at least of the best
we've had. Absolutely very thoughtful about where we are today, and it's interesting to, you know, to think about sort of the commonalities but also some of the differences, you know, depending on their populations and depending on what they're doing.