A Proposal for American Colleges and Universities During Covid-19 - CLOSE!

Prof. Benjamin Goldfrank had his say, "Re-opening universities will contribute to the spread of COVID-19," on the op-ed pages of the Star-Ledger about the need for New Jersey's colleges and universities to continue remote learning.

I, too, think colleges and universities should close, but I mean lock the doors, shutdown, cease to operate, for the coming school  year.

He writes,

After years of proclaiming its exceptionalism, the U.S. today distinguishes itself mainly for leading the world in cases and deaths from COVID-19. Yet our leaders – including many university presidents – continue pretending everything is fine. As a result, college faculty, staff, and students face a triple threat: a malevolently* incompetent federal government, state governments pressured to restart their economies, and anxious university administrations bringing students back to campus prematurely. Even in states like New Jersey, which managed to lower rates of transmission, reopening universities next month could have terrible consequences.

(Ed's note - he just had to get that comment in there, didn't he.)

To many in academia, American exceptionalism is a sin, something to recant at every opportunity including in what could have been a more thoughtful column on the alleged dangers of reopening schools.

In any event, I wrote a letter to the editor that did not see the light of day in either printed or on-line pages of the Star-Ledger in response to Prof. Goldfrank.  Here it:

July 29, 2020

Via E-mail to eletters@starledger.com
The Editor
The Star-Ledger
1 Star-Ledger Plaza
Newark, NJ 07102

Re Re-opening universities
Prof. Goldfrank

Dear Sir:

If re-opening colleges is the problem that Prof. Goldfrank says it is, I recommend this solution:  All universities and colleges close for the next school year.  No classes via Zoom, no webinars, no tuition, no anything.

Giving America’s college students the year off will allow them to volunteer for many worthwhile causes, the Peace Corps comes to mind, and I’m sure Star-Ledger readers could name dozens, if not hundreds, of charities here in New Jersey that could use some help.  A year of helping others is just the type of education our New Jersey boys and girls need.

With campuses closed, money will be saved on the reduction of hard costs associated with running a campus and by furloughing staff (including teaching staff.)  It will also save on the costs of defending lawsuits brought by students and parents who claim a remote education is not what they bargained for when they enrolled.

Stephen M. Flatow

You can read Prof. Goldfrank's column on-line at NJ.COM
If you have a problem viewing, let me know and I'll send a PDF file.

Well, that's what I have to say.  What do you think?