Page 27 - BusinessWest January 10, 2022

OUTLOOK 2022/HIGHER EDUCATION >>
ing ability to succeed; I see it on both sides of the equation.”
When asked if the phrase ‘pent-up demand,’ which is being heard in many contexts as the economy continues to grow, also pertains to high- er education, those we spoke with offered a quali- fied ‘yes,’ noting that there is demand for educa- tion that is career-focused.
“I think we’re going to see increased enroll- ment in the online space, and I think it’s because
and making sure our curriculum aligns with workforce needs.”
Thompson agreed, noting that, as the number of high-school graduates continues to decline, colleges and universities need to increase their focus on those who may have tried college and stopped because life got in the way.
“Now, they’re probably looking for opportuni- ties for growth and moving up in their jobs,” she noted. “So we need to do more to reach adult
aging through the pandemic has been difficult and exhausting on many levels.
“Across higher education, and across all indus- tries, for that matter, people are tired,” he said.
“If you ask any college president, they would
say they and their teams are ... fill in your favor- ite word — they’re on edge, they’re tired, they’re demoralized. And we’re paying attention to all that.”
Elaborating, he said ‘all that’ means paying more attention to the needs of students, obvious- ly, but also faculty and staff, many of whom are coping with pandemic-related issues off the job as well as on it, and also focusing on the mental health of students.
“Students have different ways of coping with the uncertainty of the time,” he said. “And we’re seeing, across all campuses, a lot more students with mental-health issues, and COVID is exacer- bating that.
“All of these things have created a whole lot
of challenges, and there’s been very little let-up,” Dumay said in conclusion, adding that this trend, in addition to all the others, will almost certainly continue into the new year.”
Thompson agreed. “I think we’re going to be living with this virus for a long time,” she said. “I see it continuing to mutate; I see us having to be vigilant with hand washing, wearing masks, pay- ing attention to our health and well-being, and doing whatever we need to do.” u
— George O’Brien
LINDA THOMPSON
“We’re looking at more things we can do with community colleges. We need to streamline pathways from high school to community college to four-year institutions. These are the things that are going to much
more prevalent moving forward.”
populations; fac- ulty are starting
to look at the way they offer courses, and probably will be offering more things in a blended format.
“Also, we’re look- ing at more things we can do with community col- leges,” she went
on. “We need to streamline path-
women know that, to advance their careers and to realize their career aspirations, many of them need a credential, a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree — if you’re going to teach in Massachu- setts, eventually you’ll need a master’s degree,” Doran said. “There’s a lot of momentum around educational attainment, particularly for our stu- dents. That’s because we’re really focused on stu- dent services, internship, career development,
ways from high school to community college to four-year institutions. These are the things that are going to much more prevalent moving forward.”
Beyond enrollment and a long list or protocols to be followed and updated as necessary, COVID has brought other challenges as well, and these will certainly continue in 2022, said those we spoke with. Dumay told BusinessWest that man-
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