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U.S. educational institutes report financial constraints as a major challenge, says survey

By Yashasvini on Aug 26, 2021 | 03:36 AM IST

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A recent survey spanning over 700 higher education professionals reported that around 74% of its respondents cited financial constraints faced by their school as the most significant challenge.

The survey by the Association of American Colleges and Universities noted the challenges faced by campuses, as COVID-19 spread throughout the country and the social justice movement that ensued after a police officer, Derek Chauvin committed a racial murder of George Floyd, a man of African-American descent.

The report stated that the five most significant challenges cited by respondents were—financial constraints (74%), recognizing and overcoming persistent inequities (46%), capacity-building for institutional change/ transformation (37%), articulating the value of the liberal arts for career preparation (30%), and communicating the overall value of liberal education (24%).

Schools with a lesser number of students faced major difficulties as compared to those with more students. The report stated that 79% of schools with fewer than 5,000 students said financial constraints are a significant challenge, compared to 52% of those from schools with more than 30,000 students.

With the coronavirus pandemic, colleges shut down due to lower finances, a crunch in enrolment numbers, and technological disruption.

A USA Today report stated that even big schools such as Stanford had to let go of their workers due to a financial crunch. Meanwhile, Concordia College, in Bronxville, New York announced that they will close and Mills College, in Oakland, California, a women’s college, announced that instead of granting degrees, it would continue as an institute promoting women’s leadership.

The survey also reported that the main priority of most of the test cases was to improve student retention and completion.

Picture Credits: Times of India

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