COVID-19: Going Back to College Safely, Senate hearing transcript (June 4, 2020), GovInfo CHRG-116shrg45220, PDF
Summary
This is the Government Publishing Office PDF of S. Hrg. 116–507, “COVID–19: Going Back to College Safely,” a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on June 4, 2020 under Chairman Lamar Alexander. The witnesses were Mitchell Daniels, president of Purdue University; Christina Paxson, president of Brown University; Logan Hampton, president of Lane College; and Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. Alexander's opening statement says “All roads back to college lead through testing” and lists federal help, including the $14 billion in the CARES Act to address lost revenues. The volume adds material including the notice that Purdue will require all students to be tested for COVID-19 before start of the fall semester.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
Full text
S. HRG. 116–507
COVID–19: GOING BACK
TO COLLEGE SAFELY
HEARING
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION,
LABOR, AND PENSIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON
EXAMINING COVID-19, FOCUSING ON GOING BACK TO COLLEGE SAFELY
JUNE 4, 2020
Printed for the use of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
(
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
45–220 PDF WASHINGTON : 2021
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COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS
LAMAR ALEXANDER, Tennessee, Chairman
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming PATTY MURRAY, Washington, Ranking
RICHARD BURR, North Carolina Member
RAND PAUL, Kentucky BERNARD SANDERS (I), Vermont
SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine ROBERT P. CASEY, JR., Pennsylvania
BILL CASSIDY, M.D., Louisiana TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
PAT ROBERTS, Kansas CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY, Connecticut
LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts
TIM SCOTT, South Carolina TIM KAINE, Virginia
MITT ROMNEY, Utah MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire
MIKE BRAUN, Indiana TINA SMITH, Minnesota
KELLY LOEFFLER, Georgia DOUG JONES, Alabama
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
DAVID P. CLEARY, Republican Staff Director
LINDSEY WARD SEIDMAN, Republican Deputy Staff Director
EVAN SCHATZ, Minority Staff Director
JOHN RIGHTER, Minority Deputy Staff Director
(II)
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C O N T E N T S
STATEMENTS
THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020
Page
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Alexander, Hon. Lamar, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions, Opening statement ...................................................................... 1
Murray, Hon. Patty, Ranking Member, a U.S. Senator from the State of
Washington, Opening statement ......................................................................... 4
WITNESSES
Daniels, Mitchell, President, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN ................ 8
Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 10
Paxson, Christina, President, Brown University, Providence, RI ....................... 11
Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 13
Summary statement ......................................................................................... 16
Hampton, Logan, President, Lane College, Jackson, TN ..................................... 17
Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 18
Summary statement ......................................................................................... 30
Benjamin, Georges, M.D., MACP, FACEP(E), FNAPA, Hon FRSH, Hon
FFPH, Executive Director, American Public Health Association, Wash-
ington, DC ............................................................................................................. 31
Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 33
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
Statements, articles, publications, letters, etc.
A Plan to Safely Reopen America’s Schools and Communities .................... 62
Purdue will require all students to be tested for COVID-19 before start
of the fall semester ....................................................................................... 76
Letters ............................................................................................................... 78
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Response by Georges Benjamin, M.D., to questions of:
Senator Collins ................................................................................................. 90
Senator Sanders ............................................................................................... 91
Senator Casey ................................................................................................... 91
Senator Rosen ................................................................................................... 92
Response by Dr. Logan Hampton to questions of:
Senator Collins ................................................................................................. 93
Senator Scott ..................................................................................................... 94
Senator Warren ................................................................................................ 95
Senator Sanders ............................................................................................... 98
Senator Casey ................................................................................................... 103
Senator Murray ................................................................................................ 107
Senator Rosen ................................................................................................... 107
Response by Dr. Christina H. Paxson, to questions of:
Senator Collins ................................................................................................. 110
Senator Scott ..................................................................................................... 111
Senator Warren ................................................................................................ 111
(III)
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IV
Page
Response by Dr. Christina H. Paxson, to questions of—Continued
Senator Sanders ............................................................................................... 112
Senator Casey ................................................................................................... 114
Senator Murray ................................................................................................ 116
Senator Rosen ................................................................................................... 117
Response by Mitchell E. Daniels, to questions of:
Senators ............................................................................................................. 118
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COVID–19: GOING BACK
TO COLLEGE SAFELY
Thursday, June 4, 2020
U.S. SENATE,
COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:04 a.m., in room
SD–430, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Lamar Alexander,
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
Present: Senators Alexander [presiding], Collins, Cassidy, Mur-
kowski, Scott, Braun, Murray, Baldwin, Murphy, Warren, Kaine,
Hassan, Jones, and Rosen.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR ALEXANDER
The CHAIRMAN. Good morning. The hearing of the Senate Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will please come to
order. We want to thank our staff for working through some tech-
nical difficulties this morning and thank the Senators and our wit-
nesses who are joining us from around the country in various of-
fices. We are all following the attending physician’s protocol for
safe distancing and those of us who are here are wearing masks
on our way in and sitting at least six feet apart while we are here.
Senator Murray and I will each have an opening statement.
Then we will turn to our witnesses for their statements of about
five minutes each, if they could please summarize them in that
time. And then Senators will each have five minute rounds of ques-
tions. We have a vote at 11:40 a.m. so we will need to finish this
hearing by about noon and hopefully all the Senators will have
had, by that time, a chance to ask their questions. The question for
administrators of 6,000 colleges and universities is not whether to
reopen in August, but how to do it safely.
Most are working overtime to get ready for one of the surest
signs that American life is regaining its rhythm, 20 million stu-
dents going back to college. Our witnesses today are here to tell us
their strategies for reopening safely. Mitch Daniels, President of
Purdue in Indiana, Christina Paxson, President of Brown Univer-
sity in Providence, Rhode Island, Logan Hampton. President of
Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, Georges Benjamin, Executive
Director of the American Public Health Association in Washington.
Purdue, University of South Carolina, Rice, Creighton, University
of Notre Dame, and others, will finish their in-person classes before
Thanksgiving to avoid further spread of COVID–19 during flu sea-
son. Vanderbilt University will require masks in classrooms. To
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make social distancing easier, colleges are rescheduling classrooms
that are usually empty in early mornings, the evenings, on week-
ends and summer. Concerts and parties are out. Grab and go
meals, flu shots and temperature checks will be in. Campuses will
offer more online courses.
Recently I was on a phone call with about 90 chief executives of
Tennessee’s 127 higher education institutions. They are planning to
resume in-person classes, almost all of them, in the Fall, but they
want Governments to create liability protection against being sued
if a student becomes sick. Bucking the trend, California’s State
University system has announced that it will offer most of its
courses only online. All roads back to college lead through testing.
The availability of widespread testing will allow colleges to track
and isolate students who have the virus or have been exposed to
it so the rest of the student body doesn’t have to be quarantined.
Campuses are exploring using mobile phone apps for tracking
and creating isolation dormitories to isolate students who have the
virus or have been exposed as University of Tennessee, Knoxville
is doing. Widespread testing not only helps contain the disease, it
builds confidence that the campus is safe. Fortunately, U.S. Assist-
ant Secretary Brett Giroir told our hearing that there will be 40–
50 million tests available per month by September. That is 4 to 5
times the number of tests available today and more than any other
country.
Dr. Francis Collins, who led the Human Genome Project, now
leads a competitive so called Shark Tank, an enterprise at the Na-
tional Institutes of Health to discover new ways to conduct tens of
millions of additional accurate tests with quick results. Should ev-
eryone on campus be tested? On a webinar for institutes of higher
education on Friday, May 29, Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention officials said that they are not recommending that at this
time you test every student, but they are encouraging campuses to
work with their state and local health officials.
However, that does not take into account testing for peace of
mind. Some schools may want to test everyone before they come
back to campus. At least schools may want to think about ran-
domly testing to detect asymptomatic cases and have the ability to
test everyone in certain categories, health care, food service, clean-
ing workers, older faculty, students with medical conditions, stu-
dents who are arriving from virus hot spots, all students in a class
or dorm where there is an outbreak or a person infected. Adminis-
trators ask me, where will I find tests? The answer is, consult your
local health department and your Government—and your Gov-
ernor. Each state submits a monthly plan to the Federal Govern-
ment outlining testing supplies and needs. Admiral Giroir’s team
then helps fill the gaps.
My recommendation is you want your school’s testing needs to be
in your state plan. A school can also contract directly with labora-
tories who conduct tests, review the Food and Drug Administration
list of authorized tests, or ask for help from a local university or
hospital that has created its own test. COVID–19 plans should last
for at least the full school year.
The Government is pursuing vaccines at warp speed, but no one
expects one in August. In the second semester there should be
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more tests, more treatments, better contact tracing and vaccines.
But amidst the flu season and the return of COVID–19, it will be
the Fall of 2021 before we begin to approach normal. But students
returning in the Fall and their families will want and need to have
peace of mind that they, and their loved ones, are heading back to
a safe environment. Testing is the key to providing that. There are
several reasons colleges have an advantage in providing a safe en-
vironment for students and faculty. One, younger people have been
hurt less by COVID–19. For example in Tennessee, nursing homes
account for around 5 percent of cases but 36 percent of the deaths.
Compare that with Tennesseans under the age of 30, 30 percent of
cases of infection, less than 1 percent of deaths. Still, there is much
we are learning about the virus, and Dr. Anthony Fauci has
warned us not to be cavalier about assuming that young people are
not at risk.
Second, colleges are notorious wasters of space. Former George
Washington University President Stephen Trachtenberg once esti-
mated that a typical college uses its facilities for academic purposes
a little more than half in the calendar year. He said that he could
generate—he said that continues to generate maintenance, energy,
and debt-service expenses that contribute to the high cost of run-
ning a college. He said that he thought he could run two colleges
in the space that he has one college if he organized efficiently.
Well, he was never able to do it that way.
Keeping students six feet apart will be easier if colleges embrace
a new efficiency and use more of their classrooms and spaces
throughout the day and throughout the year. And maybe that is a
lesson that will last beyond the COVID–19 crisis. Third, tracking
and tracing will be easier to do at colleges. We know what classes
students attend, and what dorms they live in. If colleges take it a
step further, assign seats in classes, infections will be easier to
track. Fourth, a college can presumably require students to wear
masks. Perhaps campuses can make mask-wearing a part of the
campus culture. But college environments pose a couple of chal-
lenges as well. 19 and 20-year-olds especially don’t always choose
to do the healthiest thing. A national survey on drug use and
health found that a third of college students admitted to binge
drinking in the last month, for example.
Fifth, 86 percent of undergraduate students are not living on
campus, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
That means that many students will leave and return, potentially
exposing themselves and others to the virus, making social
distancing and CDC recommended health status all the more im-
portant. What should the Federal Government’s role be in helping
colleges and universities safely reopen? Providing advice from the
CDC, funding for innovation such as the Shark Tank I mentioned
for tests, encouraging universities to work with states to get in-
cluded in their testing plans, helping supplies—provide supplies
that the states don’t have, funding such the $14 billion in CARES
Act to address lost revenues, and the Federal Government could
provide some liability protection.
Beyond that, decisions, in my view, ought to be left to the indi-
vidual campuses. From the small technical universities to Harvard,
from MIT to the four-year Berea College in Kentucky, which is tui-
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tion free, they are best abled to make their own decisions. When
I became a university president in 1988, I asked the president of
the University of California, David Gardner, why the University of
California was so good. And he said, well first autonomy and sec-
ond, the Government money follows the student to a college of their
choice.
The United States is home to 6,000 colleges and universities, ar-
guably the best system in the world and it has gotten that way be-
cause the institution, campuses have had maximum autonomy and
minimum direction from Washington on everything from their cur-
riculum, tuition, admissions, policies, health care plans for stu-
dents, compensation for faculty. The campus systems themselves
determine what their policies will be for student behavior and con-
duct, housing, safety, and a host of other things.
I would suggest that we follow the same tradition here. President
Trump and Congress should not be telling the California State Uni-
versity system that it has to open in person in the fall, nor it
should be telling Notre Dame and Purdue they cannot in person in
the fall, nor should be telling Brown University they can’t test ev-
eryone if Brown wants to, and telling the Indiana that it has to,
or Purdue that it has to even though they don’t want to. We know
that a single lost year of college can lead to a student not grad-
uating and set back career goals.
Already, disruption of university research projects has erased
much of the funding that Congress has given our research univer-
sities. Many American colleges will be permanently damaged or
even closed if they remain, as our witness today, Christina Paxson
of Brown says, ghost towns. Two thirds of college students want to
return to campus, according to the Axios survey. Mitch Daniels, an-
other witness today, says that at Purdue tuition deposits by incom-
ing freshmen broke the last year’s record.
Colleges and universities are microcities. College presidents and
administrators can make them among the safest small commu-
nities in our country’s safest communities in which to live and
work during this next year. In doing so, they will help our country
take its surest step toward normalcy.
Senator Murray.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR MURRAY
Senator MURRAY [continuing]. So hard to make it possible for
this hearing to be safe and socially distant. Before we begin, I just
want to say that as we see people around the country, especially
young people, protesting for long overdue change, we must remem-
ber the opportunity institutions of higher education have to help
address disparities and systemic racism and their responsibility to
do so.
That means as we look at the dramatic impact COVID–19 is hav-
ing on institutions of higher education and discuss ways to keep
students, faculty and staff safe, we absolutely have to address the
unique impact this virus has on Black communities and other com-
munities of color. We have already seen that communities of color,
tribes, and other vulnerable populations face some of the harshest
impacts from this pandemic.
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It is our job to ensure that the students who have been, and will
continue to be, disproportionately impacted by COVID–19, don’t see
their education suffer or fall behind. So with that in mind, today
we must recognize and address the disproportionate impact this
crisis is having on those who were already facing challenges, stu-
dents of color, first-generation college students, students experi-
encing homelessness, and student parents, and we must let public
health and science drive decisionmaking. The coronavirus crisis has
deeply affected every single aspect of our higher education system
and it will have profound impacts on students and colleges for
many years to come.
The COVID–19 pandemic has forced institutions of higher edu-
cation to grapple with unprecedented challenges from widespread
closures, to rapid transitions to online education, to unprecedented
student financial need and unemployment, and sharp revenue
losses and looming budget cuts. Many may not be able to reopen
their doors, including many historic and under-resourced colleges
that serve high populations of students who have low incomes and
students of color.
Faculty and staff, from professors and adjunct instructors, to ad-
ministrative and support staff, to custodial workers and food serv-
ers, and much more, are wondering if they will have a job to return
to in the fall. And for students across this country, from graduating
high school seniors, to community college students, to students
pursing advanced degrees and more, this pandemic has completely
shattered their notions of a normal school year as they are forced
to navigate this new world.
Every single student across this country is experiencing unprece-
dented disruption. And many students will need additional sup-
port, like advising, tutoring, and mental health counseling to suc-
ceed in the new learning environment. But not every student is ex-
periencing equal disruption. The pandemic has hit certain commu-
nities, particularly communities of color, significantly harder than
others. And these disparities hold true for higher education, where
certain student populations are bearing a heavier burden of the cri-
sis than others. Before the pandemic started, students of color, stu-
dents who are parents, first-generation students, LGBTQIA+ stu-
dents, students with disabilities, and veteran students were al-
ready far more likely to struggle to meet basic needs like food,
housing, health care, and child care.
But with on-campus resources now widely closed, this pandemic
has exacerbated existing problems for many of these students. Mil-
lions of students who rely on dorms and college-managed apart-
ment buildings have been forced home. But for many students, like
students experiencing homelessness, former foster youth, students
with unsafe homes, and international students are unable to return
to their home countries. Going home is not an option. For many
students without access to a computer or the internet, or a safe or
quiet place to study, online learning is not an option.
With many on-campus and community child care providers
closed, the one in five college students who are parents have even
fewer options for child care. As we move toward solving the truly
countless challenges facing our colleges and students, we absolutely
have to keep in mind and address the unique needs of the students
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who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID–19 as col-
leges begin to reopen safely, physically or online. We need to en-
sure that colleges do not rush into a decision on how to reopen
without thorough consultation with public health officials. There is
a very real possibility, as Dr. Fauci told us the other week, of a re-
surgence of coronavirus. That is why colleges and universities need
a detailed plan for how to keep the campus community safe, re-
gardless of how the pandemic evolves in the coming months.
Our students, our faculty, staff and college communities need to
know that before colleges reopen their doors, they have planned for
every potential outcome, every contributing factor, and every sce-
nario. But colleges and universities can’t do this alone. They need
in-depth, actionable and detailed guidance from the Federal Gov-
ernment on best practices when it comes to how to house and feed
students safely, how to minimize class size and keep students so-
cially distant, how to ensure library books and other shared equip-
ment are cleaned properly and often.
When it comes to the broader community, how to keep faculty
and staff members of the larger community safe, and how to mini-
mize risk when students travel to and from campus. These are just
a few of the questions that need to be answered before schools can
open safely. Doing so requires a complex planning process that we
absolutely cannot get wrong. Colleges and universities need actual
support from Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who instead of
working with the higher education community on how to reopen
safely, is forcing colleges and universities to implement a new
harmful, ideological Title IX regulation during a pandemic that will
ensure one thing, that students, already worried about the pan-
demic, are now going to be more unsafe next school year when it
comes to sexual assault and harassment.
While I am glad we have the opportunity to hear from the wit-
nesses today, this Committee, and the American people, deserve to
hear directly from Secretary DeVos on how she is working with the
higher education community, as well as Secretary of Labor Eugene
Scalia on how we can safely protect workers from the virus, and
Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar on how the Ad-
ministration is responding to this health crisis.
Today, we need to not only address the immediate needs of col-
leges and students, but we need to begin to plan what the future
of higher education will look like in the wake of the coronavirus.
These truly unprecedented times require bold, responsive leader-
ship but right now colleges and universities are not getting what
they need from the Federal Government.
While I am fighting to secure additional funding and address the
ongoing needs of colleges and students across the country, I will
continue to push this Administration to not only implement the law
as intended by Congress but to step up and provide leadership and
guidance to our faculty, staff and students because they des-
perately need it. Thank you Mr. Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Senator Murray. We will
now move to the witnesses and then to Senators’ questions. Pleased
to welcome all four of our witnesses and will introduce all four, but
let me ask Senator Braun to introduce our first witness and then
I will introduce the other three.
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Senator Braun.
Senator BRAUN. Mitch Daniels. The first time I met you Mitch
was in 2015. I was a freshman legislator and you came into the
Ways and Means Committee. And I remember it was like the third
year I think into the tuition freeze and I think you had tuition in-
creases for 36 years prior to when you did that. And as a, entre-
preneur, I asked you the question, what are you going to do to ac-
tually lower costs? I remember it vividly, you said, I am going to
look at purchasing across all our locations, made sense. You were
going to tackle fringe benefits, especially healthcare costs.
I did that back in my own business in 2008 and that is a rowdy
affair when you do it, but when you make it sustainable, it is great
for your employees. There is no doubt about that. And you said you
would turn a four-year degree into a three-year degree. That im-
pressed me. That was the kind of entrepreneurial spirit I think we
need across the Federal Government for sure and it addresses high
education costs, post-secondary, and health care costs, the two most
uncontrollable sectors in our economy. It is noteworthy that you did
that without shifting from full-time faculty to part-time. You did
not increase your percentage of international and out-of-state stu-
dents, and you signed a book deal with Amazon that lowered costs
by 30 percent, making it to where now tuition is less in nominal
terms than it was back in 2012.
Also borrowing, down 31 percent. You got the back to boiler pro-
gram, which is an income share agreement model. Provides, I
think, a better alternative to the Parent Plus and private loans. All
of this is no surprise. As Governor of Indiana, you took a chronic
deficit situation, $800 million a year, turned our credit rating into
AAA. Every position you held from the time of chief of staff for
Senator Dick Lugar who’s seat I proudly occupying now, to advisor
to Ronald Reagan, to the Director of the OMB for President Bush,
you have demonstrated fiscal conservatism, business acumen.
Once again, Purdue leads, this time as a university, leads re-
opening for institutions of higher education following the COVID–
19 emergency. In a recent op-ed in the Washington Post, Mitch
rightly argues that not only is reopening campus in the fall pos-
sible, but it is the duty of the university to continue to provide high
value instruction, training, and research for which the university
is nationally respected.
I look forward to seeing how Purdue has, approaches this unique
challenge, how it plans to bring its campus back safely into edu-
cating. I am proud that an Indiana institution is leading the way
for others across the country. I am pleased to have its leader here
today to testify virtually in front of our Committee where we can
discuss these changes at Purdue more in depth.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Braun. I think I will ask you
to introduce me sometime. That was a good introduction as I have
heard of anybody. Thank you very much. Our second witness is Dr.
Christina Paxson. She is President of Brown University in Provi-
dence, Rhode Island. In April, Brown announced it’s plan to hold
classes in person this fall creating a healthy fall 2020 task force to
develop a plan to safely reopen campus. Dr. Paxson was appointed
President of Brown in July, 2012. Prior to that, she served as Dean
of the Woodrow Wilson School of International and Public Affairs
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and as the Hughes Rogers Professor of Economics and Public Af-
fairs at Princeton University. She has been active in the fields of
economics and public health, serving as the principal investigator
on several research projects supported by the National Institutes of
Health and serving on the Board of Directors of the Federal Re-
serve Bank of Boston.
Our third witness is Dr. Logan Hampton, President of Lane Col-
lege in Jackson, Tennessee. Lane College has announced it is con-
sidering bringing students back to campus in the fall. He was ap-
pointed President of Lane in June, 2014. And prior to that he
served as Vice Provost for Student Affairs at the University of Ar-
kansas at Little Rock among other positions serving students. One
of Lane college’s distinctions is it was the place where Alex Haley’s
father taught, raised four distinguished children. Welcome, Dr.
Hampton. And I would like to turn to Senator Murray to introduce
our next witness.
Senator MURRAY. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. I am de-
lighted that we have the opportunity to hear from Dr. Benjamin
today who is an expert on what we need to be doing in terms of
making sure that our colleges and universities and our public
health system is working correctly when it comes to having a safe
place to return to this fall. So I really want to thank——
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Murray. Now, we will thank
our witnesses for joining us virtually. We will ask them to summa-
rize their statements in about five minutes, which will leave more
time for questions by the Senators. And we’ll begin with President
Daniels. Welcome, President Daniels.
STATEMENT OF MITCHELL DANIELS, PRESIDENT, PURDUE
UNIVERSITY, WEST LAFAYETTE, IN
Mr. DANIELS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and the Committee for
this invitation and for the good advice I know we will receive dur-
ing the next couple hours. Purdue—we teach everything at Purdue
University, but we are the one of the most STEM centric schools
and therefore proceed from science and data when we can. And we
certainly did in this case. I will say that if we had to make the re-
opening decision in March or even early April, we would have not
been able to justify saying so, but it was only as data made plain
how highly focused the lethality of this terrible virus is that we
began to make—come to a different conclusion. As we now know
and nationally deaths in nursing homes alone represent over 40
percent of the reported fatalities. In our state, 48 percent and a
story this morning suggest maybe well over half.
Meanwhile on the other end of the age spectrum, the typical col-
lege age individual we now know has a 99.99 percent survival rate
much higher than from many other illnesses that do affect people
old and young. It doesn’t—the COVID fatality data suggests it is
not even in the top 10 risks facing our students every year, out-
ranked by many illnesses as well as accidents of different kinds
and I am distressed to say suicide. Meanwhile, students are telling
us very emphatically that they want to be on campus, they don’t
want their education interrupted. We believe that we have fash-
ioned ways and other schools have to deliver content online very
capably but that still deprives the student of many other experi-
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ences that are only available on campus, in encounters of some
kind with faculty and with their peers.
The plan we have assembled for our university is based on two
basic strategies. One is the protection of the vulnerable to minimize
the risk to those we now know are at serious or potential danger
from this virus. On the other end to maximize choice, we will say
to students and the faculty after you have surveyed all the pre-
cautions that we are putting in place, that if you are still uncom-
fortable, please don’t come. We have an online option for you as a
student. We have a myriad of hybrid options available to you as a
professor.
A week from today, our Board of Trustees will examine and I
hope approve the third of three sets of actions that taken together
constitute our plan to protect Purdue. Just to give you the flavor,
at least a third of all our staff will continue working remotely in-
definitely. We will lower the occupancy of classrooms by at least 50
percent.
There will be a 10-foot minimum between any faculty member
and any student, and those students will be wearing masks and
that faculty member will be behind plexiglass. I learned last night
our purchases of plexiglass now exceed 1 mile. We will de-densify
our dining. Indoor seating will be will not occur indefinitely. A
grab-and-go, as the Chairman said, will become the rule. In our
residence halls we have taken out over 1,000 beds. Many doubles
will now become singles.
We will rearrange the other so that there is a—we are looking
at 13 to 14 or 15 feet distance between roommates as they sleep.
Social distance will be achieved every way we can. No convocations,
concerts, large gatherings, no parties. We will spend the millions
already on HVAC and disinfection improvements. And of course,
testing. We will have a comprehensive screening on arrival and ex-
tensive testing from the first day, of course, testing of those who
have been in proximity to people testing positive, and probably a
lot of random testing during the semester. We have over 500 beds
already set aside for the quarantine of positive testers, and we ex-
pect to have many more.
All this will cost, before we are done, tens of millions of dollars,
but we are just going to try to leave nothing to chance. But I want
to finish by saying that we all recognize the single most important
change we must make is in behavior, is in culture. We will be—
we have already begun saying to our students, if you are uneasy
about any of this, please don’t come. We have another option for
you. On the other hand if you are going to come, please be pre-
pared to pitch in and to comply with the protect Purdue pledge,
which we have fashioned committing each person in our commu-
nity to all the changes that I have mentioned and many more. We
make no pretense to having all the best answers.
We made our intentions known early. And not to preach to any-
one else but because we need every day, we think, to implement
effectively a program that comprehensive. We are encouraged to
see now almost all schools coming to a similar conclusion. We look
forward to learning from them and from this morning’s Committee
meeting. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Daniels follows:]
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PREPARED STATEMENT OF MITCHELL DANIELS
I express my gratitude to Chairman Alexander, Ranking Member Murray, and
Members of the Senate HELP Committee for the invitation. On behalf of Purdue
University, I thank you for your interest in supporting the ongoing preparations to
protect students and employees in the coming fall.
We have learned much in the past few months.
On Feb. 1, watching the outbreak of a new virus in China, our university sus-
pended travel to that country. On Feb. 26, we extended that ban to visiting other
countries reporting the infection. On March 10, we decided to close the Purdue Uni-
versity campus for the spring semester and move to remote instruction. On March
17, we canceled our traditional commencement.
At the point when the campus was shut down, if we had needed to decide on our
plans for the fall, we would have felt compelled to resume with remote instruction
and keep the campus closed. For all we knew, COVID–19 posed a danger across all
lines of age and health status, and a place as densely populated as our campus
would be defenseless against it—operations couldn’t be responsibly restarted.
We have all learned a lot since then. What would have been a reckless and sci-
entifically unjustified decision in late March is now plainly the best option from both
a scientific and a stewardship standpoint, at least for our particular institution.
We’re not alone: Two-thirds of the more than 800 colleges surveyed by the Chronicle
of Higher Education have now come to the same conclusion and will reopen with
in-person instruction in the fall. 1
The most salient discovery the world has made during these terrible two months
is that COVID–19 is a very dangerous disease, specifically for the elderly and the
infirm, particularly those with diabetes, hypertension, other cardiovascular illnesses
or the obesity that so frequently leads to these disorders.
The companion discovery is that this bug, so risky in one segment of the popu-
lation, poses a near-zero risk to young people. 2 Among COVID–19 deaths, 99.9 per-
cent have occurred outside the 15-to-24 age group; 3 the survival rate in the 20-to-
29 age bracket is 99.99 percent. 4 Even assuming the United States eventually
reaches 150,000 total fatalities, COVID–19 as a risk to the young will rank way
below accidents, cancer, heart disease and suicide. In fact, it won’t even make the
top 10. 5
This is fundamental information for institutions with radically skewed demo-
graphic compositions. If you’re running a nursing home, it means one thing. New
York unintentionally ended hundreds of lives prematurely by ordering COVID–19
patients into such homes, the worst possible places for them. 6
But if you’re running a university, the science is telling you something diamet-
rically different. Our campus, including its surrounding community, has a median
age of 20.5. More than 80 percent of the total campus population is 35 and under.
We may have the population density of New York City, but we have the age dis-
tribution of Uganda. The challenge for Purdue is to devise maximum protection for
the unusually small minority who could be at genuinely serious risk in order to
serve the young people who are our reason for existing at all.
Here’s something else we’ve learned. Our students (and, one suspects, their
trapped-at-home parents) overwhelmingly are eager to continue their educations, in
person and on campus. We know it is not the case everywhere, but at Purdue, tui-
tion deposits by incoming freshmen have shattered last year’s record by double dig-
its and re-enrollments of upper-class students are at normal levels.
Forty-five thousand young people—the biggest student population we’ve ever
had—are telling us they want to be here this fall. To tell them, ‘‘Sorry, we are too
incompetent or too fearful to figure out how to protect your elders, so you have to
disrupt your education,’’ would be a gross disservice to them and a default of our
responsibility.
1 https://www.chronicle.com/article/Here-s-a-List-of-Colleges-/248626.
2 (2020). Estimates of the severity of coronavirus disease 2019: a model-based analysis. The
Lancet Infectious Diseases. doi.org/10.1016/s1473-3099(20)30243-7.
3 Data.CDC.gov.
4 (2020). Estimating the burden of SARS-CoV–2 in France. Science. DOI: 10.1126/
science.abc3517.
5 (2020). Estimating the Risk of Death from COVID–19 vs. Influenza or Pneumonia by Age.
Roy, Avik. https://freopp.org/estimating-the-risk-of-death-from-covid-19-vs-influenza-or-pneu-
monia-by-age-630aea3ae5a9.
6 2020. AP count: Over 4,500 virus patients sent to NY nursing homes. ABC News.
abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/ap-count–4300-virus-patients-ny-nursing-homes-70825470.
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Instead, we have spent every waking minute of the past eight weeks planning
changes to almost everything we do—how we house and feed students and preserve
the value of the tutelage and mentoring by faculty and advisers, while maintaining
a safe physical distance between the two groups. A panel of scientists and clinicians
is guiding our choices.
We will make our campus less dense in multiple ways. At least one-third of our
staff will be required to work remotely. Our technologists have applied what they’ve
learned about social distancing to redesign 700 classrooms and labs, and 9,500 dor-
mitory rooms, all of which will be reconfigured with lower occupancy limits. All
large-enrollment courses will be offered online as well as in person, to accommodate
those who cannot or choose not to come to campus, and to further reduce in-class
numbers.
We will test systematically and trace contacts of anyone testing positive for the
coronavirus. Large numbers of symptomatic Boilermakers will also be tested.
Among the options we are considering include random testing, tests for those with
potential exposure, and tests for those living in potential ‘‘hot’’ spots as determined
by contact tracing.
We will forgo the concerts, convocations and social occasions that ordinarily en-
liven campus life. It will be a quieter fall without fraternity parties, but first things
first.
Perhaps most important will be the cultural change on which we have to insist
because, in another lesson of the coronavirus spring, nothing makes a more positive
difference than personal behavior and responsibility. Wearing masks indoors and in
any close-quarters space reduces viral transmission dramatically all by itself. Com-
bined with rigorous hygiene and prudent social distancing, facial protection can
probably provide more protection than all the extra disinfecting, plexiglass-barrier
installation, HVAC improvements and other measures we take.
On arrival in August, each Boilermaker will receive a kit including face masks
and a thermometer for daily temperature-taking as well as the Protect Purdue
Pledge asking for a commitment to at least a semester of inconvenience, not pri-
marily for the student’s own protection but for the safety of those who teach and
otherwise serve them. I will urge students to demonstrate their altruism by com-
plying, but also challenge them to refute the cynics who say that today’s young peo-
ple are too selfish or self-indulgent to help us make this work.
A final thought: We recognize that not every school can or should view the deci-
sion to reopen as we do. Unlike Purdue, many colleges were already struggling with
low enrollment and precarious finances when the pandemic hit. But given what we
have learned, with 45,000 students waiting and the financial wherewithal to do
what’s necessary, failure to take on the job of reopening would be not only anti-sci-
entific but also an unacceptable breach of duty.
I thank the Committee for this invitation and any guidance you may offer us in
enabling 45,000 purposeful young people to continue their education without inter-
ruption.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, President Daniels, and thanks to you
and our other witnesses for interrupting demanding schedules to be
a part of our hearing.
Dr. Paxson, welcome.
STATEMENT OF CHRISTINA PAXSON, PRESIDENT, BROWN
UNIVERSITY, PROVIDENCE, RI
Dr. PAXSON. Good morning, Chairman Alexander, Ranking Mem-
ber Murray, and Members of the HELP Committee, and thank you
so much for inviting me to testify in today’s hearing. Before I begin,
I want to acknowledge the pain that our country is experiencing
over systemic issues of racial injustice. And in times like these, our
colleges and universities play and especially critical role in helping
communities build collective understanding and make calls for ac-
tion. So, thank you.
Now, Chairman Alexander, you might appreciate the fact that
my grandfather was a longtime faculty member at your University,
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the University of Tennessee, where he directed the experimental
research station. And I grew up hearing about the challenges that
University experienced during the Great Depression. And of course
the Great Recession, which I experienced, was another time of
great stress for colleges and universities. But I can say that wheth-
er you are a public or private institution, large or small, rich or
poor, we have never seen anything like this. Last spring, when the
coronavirus started to spread in the United States, colleges and
universities had no choice but to shutter our campuses.
Testing was scarce. There was no way to know if the virus was
silently spreading through dormitories and classrooms. So now, as
economies are reopening, we are developing plans to bring research
and students back to campus. And I want to underscore that
Brown will not open unless we can do so safely in compliance with
CDC and state guidelines. We will not compromise on safety. I am
cautiously optimistic that we can reopen if we continue to coordi-
nate closely with the State of Rhode Island and develop a sound,
science based public health plan for our campus. And this plan
must include all of the things we just heard about, very familiar
now, for preventing the spread of infection, testing and more test-
ing, tracing, isolation, quarantine, social distancing, masks, and hy-
giene measures. We are changing how we use lecture and class-
room spaces. We are adjusting living arrangements in dorms. We
are developing plans for remote teaching among a multitude of
other steps.
This work is complex. It is all-consuming. It is very expensive.
But if this is what it takes to make a safe opening possible, it is
well worth it because there is so much at stake. First, our students
are eager to come back to campus. Many say that they may delay
getting their degrees if they can’t return and that would be bad for
them and bad for the country. Second, a lot of federally funded re-
search is languishing on the bench—labs doing COVID–19 related
work throughout the spring but important work on things like Alz-
heimer’s disease, cancer, and new energy technologies, it simply
isn’t getting done. Third, the pandemic has created enormous fi-
nancial pressures with colleges and universities and this will get
even worse if students can’t safely return in the fall.
Brown is fortunate, we can weather this, but colleges and univer-
sities don’t have the resources to do so. And if they can’t reopen,
they will have no choice but to lay off even more of their employees
and possibly close forever. Colleges and universities, as you know,
have traditionally been some of the most stable employers and con-
sumers of goods and services in their regions. And our missions of
education and research drive upward mobility, reduce disparities,
increase innovation, and support standards of living.
I want to thank you for the support you have already provided
for colleges and universities. Going forward, the higher education
sector can’t reopen without your continued support. So we need
help implementing public health plans for the safety of our stu-
dents and employees and addressing declines in enrollment. An-
other major need is financial aid. Institutions will spend tens of bil-
lions of dollars on aid for students whose parents have lost their
jobs and they may be unable to return to school without emergency
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assistance even if colleges open and we can’t risk losing a genera-
tion of students.
Finally, universities, medical schools, teaching hospitals need es-
timated at least $26 billion dollars in emergency support for re-
search that has been adversely affected by the pandemic. This in-
cludes funding for grant contract extensions, facility support, post-
doctoral and graduate student fellowships. Now, this is a time
when partnership between higher education and Federal Govern-
ment and State Government more important than ever for the sake
of the research and innovation that is at the core of America’s
health care industry and economic competitiveness, the cities and
states that rely heavily on institutions as major economic drivers,
and especially and most importantly for the sake of our students.
So thank you for the opportunity to offer testimony today, and I
look forward to questions.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Paxson follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF CHRISTINA PAXSON
Good morning, Chairman Alexander, Ranking Member Murray and Members of
the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Thank you for inviting me
to testify at today’s hearing, ‘‘COVID–19: Going Back to College Safely.’’ I appreciate
the opportunity to share my views on one of the most important and challenging
decisions higher education has ever faced—how to return students, faculty, staff and
researchers to campus as soon as it is safe to do so, while continuing to provide ex-
cellent educational opportunities to our students.
I am the president of Brown University, an institution located in Providence,
Rhode Island. When our country grappled with the onset of the COVID–19 pan-
demic earlier this year, institutions of higher education, including Brown, took swift
action and were among the first to cease onsite operations. The rapid response that
occurred across the country stemmed from our concern for the health of our stu-
dents, employees and surrounding communities, and our recognition that college
campuses pose special challenges for addressing infectious disease.
Thus, when the time comes for colleges and universities to reopen, we must do
so safely and in accordance with the advice of public health experts. I recognize that
there is no one roadmap for reopening a campus. Colleges and universities vary
widely in terms of their financial resources, sizes, access to health care, and the
level of COVID–19 infection in their locations. However, I firmly believe we share
common priorities and principles that guide planning for reopening our campuses.
First and foremost, the health and safety of the students and employees who
make up a college community are the top priority. As I argued in a recent op-ed
for The New York Times, it should be a national priority to support colleges and uni-
versities in addressing the challenges and barriers they face in their efforts to re-
open safely. This is a time when partnership between higher education and Federal
Government and state governments is more important than ever—for the sake of
the educational attainment of students across the country; the cities and states that
rely heavily on institutions in their communities as major employers and economic
drivers; and the research and innovation that is at the core of America’s health care
industry and economic competitiveness. I’ll address all of these points in this testi-
mony.
First, it is important to understand that the mode of how we deliver the edu-
cational experience next year will very likely look different than in past years. It
is imperative that colleges large and small—urban and rural—have the resources
to ground our actions supporting teaching and instruction in evidence-based public
health protocols for safeguarding the health and well-being of our communities.
Institutions need the support of our Federal Government to gain the capacity to
develop public health plans that build on three basic elements of controlling the
spread of infection: test, trace and separate. At Brown, as at many colleges and uni-
versities, we are developing plans with the following features:
• Testing of all students and employees upon return to campus, testing for
all symptomatic students and employees, and random testing of asymp-
tomatic members of the community to monitor levels of infection over
time.
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• Traditional and technology-enabled contact tracing capacity, developed in
close coordination with the Rhode Island Department of Health, so that
the spread of any infection on campus can be quickly stemmed.
• Residence halls that are ‘‘de-densified’’ so that students have single rooms
and there are fewer students per shared bathroom, plus suitable dor-
mitory space set aside for isolation and quarantine.
• Classrooms, libraries and dining halls that are reconfigured to enable so-
cial distancing, and additional investments in cleaning and supplies for
appropriate hygiene.
• Large lecture courses that are converted to ‘‘flipped’’ mode, so that stu-
dents watch the lecture online, and gather together in smaller recitation
or problem-solving sessions with their instructor.
• The development of a robust public health education campaign, so that
students understand what they need to do to keep themselves, their
classmates, faculty, staff and community members healthy.
Additionally, even if most students return to campus, institutions will also need
to provide remote education for students who are unable to return because of travel
restrictions or health conditions.
Putting these elements in place will require an extraordinary effort, and will cre-
ate additional financial pressure on colleges and universities. Institutions will be re-
quired to innovate as they never have before. But in my view, if this is what it takes
to safely reopen our campuses, and provided that students’ privacy is scrupulously
protected, it is worthwhile. Institutions need to be supported in their efforts to safe-
ly handle the possibility of infection on campus while maintaining the continuity of
core academic functions.
This path to reopening college campuses requires close coordination with state
and local public health officials, not only to protect students and employees, but also
the local community members they interact with. At Brown, we are planning for a
gradual return to campus over the summer—starting with the reopening of research
laboratories—that aligns with plans recently announced by Governor Gina
Raimondo for the reopening of businesses and industries across Rhode Island. Even
though coordination between the leaders of our Nation’s 4,000 degree-granting post-
secondary institutions and state and local governments will vary, especially given
the differences in approaches to reopening, it is imperative that we all work to-
gether to maintain the health of our communities as we plan for a range of different
scenarios for the coming year.
It is important to underscore once again that college campuses should only reopen
if it is safe to do so and in accordance with the advice of public health experts.
Should there be a resurgence in infection as the U.S. economy reopens, it may not
be possible to bring students back to campus in the fall. As many institutions move
forward with resuming mission-critical campus and research operations over the
summer, we must remain vigilant and be prepared to slow or halt efforts to reopen.
The challenges institutions of higher education face as we develop plans to safely
reopen colleges and universities this fall are immense. This planning is necessary
for two reasons: institutions provide essential educational and learning opportuni-
ties to millions of students every year; and they make significant contributions to
our local communities as well as the national economy.
Last fall, over 19 million students were enrolled at an American college or univer-
sity to obtain some form of advanced learning or training. If students cannot come
back to campus, and if schools do not take steps to ensure students have access to
excellent educational opportunities, some students may forgo starting college or
delay completing their degrees. This would have a damaging effect on our country,
especially given the role higher education plays in preparing young people to become
productive and effective members of democratic societies.
As a sector, higher education is a significant component of the U.S. economy. De-
gree-granting postsecondary institutions employ about 3 million people, and as re-
cently as the 2017–18 school year contributed more than $600 billion of spending
to the national gross domestic product. Colleges and universities have traditionally
served as anchor institutions and have been some of the most stable employers and
consumers of goods and services in municipalities and states. Our missions of edu-
cation and research drive innovation, advance technology and support economic de-
velopment. Educational attainment, including college and graduate education, en-
ables upward mobility and is an essential contributor to the improvement of living
standards in the United States and around the world.
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If colleges and universities can reopen safely, they will have to contend with the
costs of implementing the comprehensive public health plans described earlier in
this testimony. In addition, they can expect their students to require significantly
more financial aid. This is especially true for those campuses that have fewer re-
sources to begin with and are more subject to state budget cuts. In a May 29, 2020,
letter, the American Council on Education and other associations estimated that
higher education will require $46.6 billion to address near-term financial needs, in-
cluding need-based aid for students and costs incurred due to campus closures. This
figure does not include additional costs for reopening in the fall, such as testing,
tracing and isolation. Additional assistance should go directly to institutions. (For
more detailed information please see the attached letter on institutional and student
financial relief needs from the American Council on Education: https://
www.acenet.edu/Documents/Letter-Senate-fifth-supplemental-request-052920.pdf).
Using my own institution as one example, consider that after the 2008 financial
crisis, Brown had to increase scholarships by 12 percent to meet the full financial
need of all enrolled undergraduates. Given that the unemployment rate in May is
expected to be about 20 percent, more than double the maximum during the Great
Recession, we anticipate that our students’ financial needs will increase much more
than in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Many schools cannot afford to in-
crease scholarships to meet this need. Without additional Federal support for finan-
cial aid, many of their students may be unable to return to college for financial rea-
sons, even if their campuses are open.
Furthermore, it is important to note that international students and scholars are
integral to our institutions. American colleges and universities attract the best and
brightest students from around the world. To ensure that international students can
continue to study safely in the United States, it is essential that the resumption of
visa processing occurs swiftly and international students receive expedited visas.
Additionally, it is critical that students and exchange visitors receive clear guidance
as soon as possible on any additional requirements they will have to comply with
in order to enter the country, including testing and quarantine requirements.
In the event that it is not safe to reopen college campuses, many institutions of
higher education will need relief and support from the Federal Government in order
to survive, especially those that were in precarious financial positions before the
pandemic. Already, the financial impact of the pandemic on institutions of higher
education is staggering and continues to climb. Using Brown as an example once
again, we expect a negative financial impact next fiscal year from COVID–19 on the
order of $100 to $200 million or more, depending on forecasted losses and increased
expenses associated with different scenarios for reopening.
While we have implemented a strict freeze on hiring and salary increases for fac-
ulty and staff—and senior leaders have taken pay cuts—we continue to feel deep
budget impacts of important measures that include supporting undergraduate stu-
dents with travel, moving and instructional expenses; crediting fees for room and
board; waiving the summer earning expectations of all undergraduate students and
providing more scholarship aid; providing support to graduate students; and con-
tending with loss of revenue from canceling summer programs.
Colleges and universities across the country are experiencing similar losses. Most
are heavily dependent on tuition, and so remaining closed in the fall means losing
as much as half of an institution’s annual revenue. If this happens, it is expected
that a number of institutions will be forced to permanently close. This would be a
devastating loss for students, lead to a fresh wave of layoffs, and harm local econo-
mies and our country as a whole.
Although most of the discussion around the reopening of college campuses has fo-
cused on students, it is important to acknowledge that the COVID–19 pandemic has
halted a significant amount of the federally funded research that takes place at re-
search institutions. Restarting this research must also be a priority.
Over the past several months, universities have kept open laboratories that con-
duct research related to COVID–19. It is likely that one of America’s leading re-
search institutions will contribute to the discovery of a vaccine for COVID–19. Re-
search universities are also working to identify effective treatments and better test-
ing methods. This is urgent and necessary work, and it has been gratifying to see
how university-based scientists across the country have stepped up to help end the
pandemic.
In the meantime, however, an extraordinary amount of federally funded research
is languishing on the bench due to this pandemic. This includes research in areas
such as combatting Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, and the development of sustain-
able energy sources. Putting this work on hold not only threatens the future of re-
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search and discovery, but also the country’s position as the world’s leader in innova-
tion.
Our research institutions need urgent relief to preserve research and lab infra-
structure as well as to protect our research workforce—both of which are needed
to emerge intact from this crisis. The Federal Government can provide assistance
in a number of ways, including but not limited to, additional support for major re-
search agencies; uniform guidance and policies from Federal agencies to provide
flexibility to cover salaries, benefits and tuition support for graduate students and
researchers; and temporary regulatory and audit flexibility from the Office of Man-
agement and Budget during the pandemic. (For more detailed information, please
see the attached May 27, 2020, letter on research relief recommendations from the
Association of American Universities, Association of Public and Land-grant Univer-
sities, Association of American Medical Colleges, and American Council on Edu-
cation: https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Letter-Senate-Research-Relief-
052720.pdf).
Unlike single-sector businesses and organizations in other industries, institutions
of higher education engage in every sector of the critical infrastructure necessary
to our communities. Universities operate hospitals and medical centers, full-service
utility companies, transportation services, and telecommunications and computing
networks. We provide housing and food services; run daycares, gyms, stadiums, li-
braries, performance venues and museums. In doing so, we employ hundreds of
thousands of workers in various trades and professions. In other words, unlike most
single-sector businesses, we must determine how to address safety concerns across
multiple operational settings.
Therefore, efforts at providing relief and support should recognize the unique role
of higher education institutions to serve and support a broad and complex popu-
lation of students, faculty and staff, and do so in as safe a manner as possible. I
recognize that the needs of students and employees are extraordinary, but a full
post-pandemic recovery requires a response that’s equally unprecedented.
In the coming months, we will learn how health conditions evolve as the U.S.
economy begins to reopen, and how quickly innovations in testing, contact tracing
and treatment occur. Institutions will evaluate these factors in order to make fully
informed decisions on reopening that are in the best interests of the health of our
respective communities and our country. I remain cautiously optimistic that cam-
puses can reopen in some capacity in the fall. As I wrote in my piece in The New
York Times, our duty now is to marshal the resources and expertise to make it pos-
sible to reopen our campuses safely. We are reliant on partnerships with govern-
ment to make that happen as soon as possible.
Thank you for the opportunity to offer testimony for this important hearing. I
want to express my appreciation to the Chairman, Ranking Member and the rest
of the HELP Committee for convening this forum to discuss an issue that is so im-
portant to the future of higher education, our students and our country.
[SUMMARY STATEMENT OF CHRISTINA PAXSON]
The health and safety of students and employees is the top priority in reopening
colleges and universities nationwide. Institutions must have the resources to sup-
port teaching and instruction that is based in evidence-based public health protocols
for safeguarding the health and well-being of our communities.
The support and partnership of our Federal Government is essential for higher
education institutions to gain the capacity to develop public health plans that build
on three basic elements of controlling the spread of infection: test, trace and sepa-
rate. Institutions will also need to be able to provide remote education for students
who are unable to return to campus because of travel restrictions or health condi-
tions.
Many institutions of higher education are developing plans with the following fea-
tures:
• Testing students and employees upon return to campus; testing all symp-
tomatic students and employees; and random testing to monitor levels of
infection over time
• Traditional and technology contact tracing capacity to stem the spread of
any infection
• Residence halls that are de-densified to minimize contact and preserve
space for quarantine
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17
• Campus infrastructures that are reconfigured to enable social distancing,
and additional investments in cleaning and supplies for appropriate hy-
giene
• Large lecture courses where students watch the lecture online, and gath-
er only in smaller sessions with their instructors
• Robust public health education campaigns, so each community member
understands what is required of them to keep the community healthy.
Institutions of higher education that reopen will confront the costs of imple-
menting comprehensive public health plans, and students will require significantly
more financial aid. The unemployment rate in May is expected to be about 20 per-
cent, more than double the maximum during the Great Recession, when Brown was
among schools that had double-digit increases in scholarship aid to meet student
need. Many institutions that cannot reopen will require support to survive deep fi-
nancial losses, and their communities will suffer economically.
To ensure that international students can continue to study safely in the U.S., it
is essential that visa processing resumes swiftly, and international students receive
guidance as soon as possible on any additional requirements for re-entering the
country.
An extraordinary amount of federally funded research is languishing. Research re-
lief is critical to ensure the future of research and discovery—including for treat-
ments and cures for disease—but also the country’s position as the world’s leader
in innovation.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Dr. Paxson, and I am glad to hear
your grandfather was at the University of Tennessee. My daughter
graduated from Brown.
Dr. PAXSON. There we go.
The CHAIRMAN. Now our next witness is Dr. Logan Hampton of
Lane College. Welcome, Dr. Hampton.
STATEMENT OF LOGAN HAMPTON, PRESIDENT, LANE
COLLEGE, JACKSON, TN
Dr. HAMPTON. Thank you, Chairman Alexander, Ranking Mem-
ber Murray, and Members of the Committee. Thank you for the op-
portunity to testify today. My name is Logan Hampton. I serve as
a 10th President Wayne College in Jackson, Tennessee. Lane Col-
lege is a historically black college founded in 1882 by former slave
Bishop Isaac Lane of the Colored Methodist Church. Lane is an
HBCU which consists of 36 buildings across 55 acres, truly creating
an exceptional academic and living environment. I was asked to
testify before the Committee about Lane’s plans to reopen our cam-
pus in the fall. Lane college began its moment to moment for re-
sponse to the novel coronavirus disease known as COVID–19 on
March 7th, 2020.
Initially, I created and met with a joint leadership team con-
sisting of 21 members of my direct reports, academic cabinet ,and
the marketing team to consider three options for the remainder of
the semester. Option one, vigilance. Continue face-to-face instruc-
tion with residential students while observing local, state, and Fed-
eral, practicing CDC, Tennessee Department of Health, Madison
County Health Department recommendations. The second option,
remote. Move all instruction online and direct non-essential em-
ployees to work remotely.
Third option, the nuclear option. End the semester on Friday,
March 13, 2020. Lane College joint leadership team decided to
move to remote instruction and service delivery. Each of the 819
residential students accounts was accredited $713 or total of
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18
$584,305, which is slightly less than 10 percent of the institution’s
auxiliary budget. 76 percent of the student body resided on cam-
pus. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, Lane College laid off 21
employees and continued its previously imposed spending freeze.
Nevertheless, Lane College students will not experience an in-
crease in tuition, fees, or room and board for the upcoming aca-
demic year. As a result of the consultation given by UNCL, Lane
College was able to quickly establish a crisis management team
with a strategy team to lead it. This team is charged with offering
overall leadership of the crisis management sector and coordinating
the weekly Lane College C–19 team meeting. That is comprised of
the FRSPH team, members of the Lane College joint leadership
team, and the pandemic proof team.
A strategy team is set to implement a detailed timeline for re-
opening that is further articulated in my written testimony. And
due to the fluid developments of COVID–19, the strategy team has
layered Lane College to prepare for three scenarios. Lane College
fast-start, face-to-face instruction. Lane College VR, all online
courses. Lane College Soar, a hybrid of both online and face-to-face.
I would be remiss if I did not thank Congress and this Committee
for passing H.R. 748, The CARES Act.
I also thank the President for signing this bill into law. Because
of the CARES Act, Lane College has access to a total of $5,278,608
in direct allocation. While I am thankful for this, I would be remiss
if I did not share with you that Lane College is bracing for revenue
losses that will impact our ability to operate. And our students are
in during tough economic times that presents unique challenges,
especially for students of color. With this being said, I have a num-
ber of important request to Congress in my written testimony, but
my two asks would be to ask that Congress provided an additional
$1 billion in funding for HBCUs, tribal colleges and universities,
and minority-serving institutions. I would also firmly ask that Con-
gress increase student grant aid in Title IV of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 by doubling the maximum Pell Grant award.
The majority of my students are Black Americans and Black
Americans are disproportionately impacted by COVID–19 and the
racism that continues to impact our Nation. If the majority of my
students are disproportionately impacted, then my institution is
disproportionately impacted and needs the investment. For more
information and details regarding my remarks I ask that you read
my written testimony submitted for your review. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Hampton follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF DR. LOGAN HAMPTON
Introduction
Chairman Lamar Alexander, Ranking Member Patty Murray, and Members of the
Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
My name is Dr. Logan Hampton, and I serve as the 10th President of Lane Col-
lege. Lane College is a strong historically black college and university (HBCU)
founded in 1882 by a former slave, Bishop Isaac Lane of the Colored Methodist
Church. Lane is an HBCU that seeks to enroll and educate those who may not oth-
erwise have an opportunity to receive a higher education, and we consist of 36
buildings across 55 acres creating a truly exceptional academic and living environ-
ment. On our campus, we offer award-winning and accredited academic programs
in dozens of majors and minors to include business, entrepreneurship, criminal jus-
tice, social work, health care, and more. We pride ourselves on being an institution
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19
that views our students as life-long learners and future leaders while viewing our
faculty as facilitators who utilize technology as an integral part of the teaching and
learning process.
Under my leadership, we have been able to establish a more conventional student
residential community with a robust first-year experience program and improve our
arts, recreation, and athletic facilities.
HBCU History and Statistics
Before I share how Lane College is preparing to reopen in the Fall semester and
the unique challenges caused by the virus named ‘‘SARS-CoV–2’’ causing a disease
named ‘‘coronavirus disease 2019’’ (COVID–19), 1 I think that it is imperative that
we all understand the history of HBCUs to better understand how COVID–19 im-
pacts these institutions exponentially.
HBCUs were created as early as 1837 to provide African Americans access to
higher education. Noted for their contributions in educating black, low-income, and
educationally disadvantaged Americans, the 101 accredited HBCUs today constitute
the class of institutions that satisfy the statutory definition of the term ‘‘HBCU’’ as
defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA). 2
HBCUs disproportionately enroll low-income, first-generation, and academically
underprepared college students—precisely the students that the country most needs
to obtain college degrees. In 2018:
• Nearly 300,000 students attended HBCUs; 3
• More than 75 percent of HBCU students were African Americans; and
• Over 60 percent of undergraduate students at HBCUs received Federal
Pell Grants, and over 60 percent of these students received Federal
loans. 4
HBCUs comprise 3 percent of all two-and four-year non-profit colleges and univer-
sities, yet they:
• Enroll 10 percent of African American undergraduates;
• Produce 17 percent of all African American college graduates with bach-
elor’s degrees; and
• Graduate 24 percent of African Americans with bachelor’s degrees in
STEM fields. 5
A 2015 Gallup survey confirms that HBCUs are providing African American stu-
dents with a better college experience than African American students at other col-
leges and universities.
• 55 percent of African American HBCU graduates say their college pre-
pared them well for post-college life versus 29 percent of African Amer-
ican graduates at other institutions. 6
HBCUs attained these results at an affordable price for students—that is, the cost
of attendance at HBCUs is about 30 percent lower, on average, than other colleges—
despite limited operating budgets and endowments that are roughly half the typical
size of other four-year public and private non-profit colleges and universities.
Since our founding, HBCUs have been, and continue to be, under-resourced insti-
tutions. An issue brief produced by ACE (American Council on Education) and
UNCF (United Negro College Fund, Inc.) revealed the following:
1 U.S. Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020).
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID 19). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
ncov/covid-data/covidview/index.html.
2 The definition of an HBCU can be found in Section 322(2) of the HEA.
3 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2020). Digest of
education statistics 2019 [Table 313.20]. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/
d19/tables/dt19l313.20.asp.
4 UNCF Public Policy and Government Affairs calculations using 2018 data from the U.S. De-
partment of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Edu-
cation Data System. Data shows that out of 257,451 total undergraduate students at HBCUs,
159,101 students were receiving Pell Grants and 162,179 students were receiving Federal loans.
5 UNCF Patterson calculations using U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Edu-
cation Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
6 Gallup, Inc. (2015). Gallup-USA funds minority college graduates report. Retrieved from
UNCF Website: https://www.uncf.org/wp-content/uploads/PDFs/USA-Funds-Minority-Report-
GALLUP-2.pdf.
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20
• Public HBCUs rely more heavily on Federal, state, and local funding in
comparison with their non-HBCU counterparts (54 percent of overall rev-
enue vs 38 percent);
• Private HBCUs depend a little bit more on tuition dollars than their non-
HBCUs counterparts (45 percent compared with 37 percent);
• Private gifts, grants, and contracts constitute a smaller portion of overall
revenue at private HBCUs compared to their non-HBCU counterparts (17
percent vs 25 percent);
• Public and Private HBCUs experienced the largest declines in Federal
funding per full-time equivalent student between 2003–2015; and
• In both the public and private sectors, HBCU endowments lag behind
those of non-HBCUs by at least 70 percent. 7
Despite being under-resourced institutions, HBCUs have a large economic impact
that often goes unnoticed by most. In 2017, UNCF released a report detailing the
economic impact of HBCUs. The report revealed that in 2014, the impact of HBCUs
on their regional economies included:
• $10.3 billion in initial spending, which includes spending by the institu-
tion for personnel services, spending by the institution for operating ex-
penses, and spending by students;
• An employment impact of 134,090 jobs, which approximately 43 percent
were on-campus jobs and 57 percent were off-campus jobs;
• $10.1 billion in terms of gross regional product, which is a measure of the
value of production of all industries;
• A work-life earnings of $130 billion for the Class of 2014, which is 56 per-
cent more than they could expect to earn without their 2014 certificates
or degrees; and
• A total economic impact of $14.8 billion. 8
In regard to Lane College specifically, my institution had the following economic
impact on its regional economy according to the UNCF report:
• $29,925,452 in total initial spending;
• $36,428,355 in output impact;
• $23,997,933 in value-added impact;
• $17,827,714 in labor income impact; and
• 475 jobs created in employment impact. 9
In addition to the positive impact HBCUs make on the overall economy, HBCUs
also have a strong impact academically when observed at the state and local level.
An upcoming report to be released by UNCF shows that:
• HBCUs comprised 8.5 percent of the four-year institutions across the 21
states and territories in the analysis;
• Across the 21 states and territories in the analysis, HBCUs enrolled, on
average, 24 percent of all black undergraduates pursuing a bachelor’s de-
gree in a college or university in 2016;
7 Williams, K. L. & Davis, B. L. (2019). Public and private investments and divestments in his-
torically black colleges and universities. Retrieved from American Council on Education Website:
https://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Pages/Public-and-Private-Investments-and-Divestments-in-
HBCUs.aspx.
8 Humphreys, J. M. (2017). HBCUs make America strong: The positive economic impact of his-
torically black colleges and universities. Retrieved from UNCF Website: https://www.uncf.org/
programs/hbcu-impact.
9 (1) Total initial spending accruing to the institution’s regional economy is the combination
of three types of spending: spending by the institution for personnel services (wages, salaries,
and benefits), spending by the institution for operating expenses, and spending by that institu-
tion’s students. (2) The output impact was calculated for each category of initial spending, based
on the impacts of the first round of spending and the re-spending of these amounts—the multi-
plier effect. (3) Value-added (gross regional product) impacts exclude expenditures related to for-
eign and domestic trade, thus providing a much more accurate measure of the actual economic
benefits flowing to businesses and households in a region than the more inclusive output im-
pacts. (4) The labor income received by residents of the cities that host HBCUs represents 72
percent of the value-added impact. (5) For the employment impact, on average, for each job cre-
ated on campus there were 1.3 off-campus jobs that existed because of spending related to the
HBCU. For all HBCUs combined, 13 jobs were generated for each million dollars of initial
spending in 2014.
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21
• Across the 21 states and territories in the analysis, on average, 26 per-
cent of all black bachelor’s degree recipients graduated from an HBCU
in 2016; and
• In Tennessee, HBCUs are 10 percent of the four-year institutions, but en-
roll 24 percent of all black undergraduates and award 20 percent of all
black bachelor’s degrees in the state. 10
Lane College’s Response to COVID–19
On the morning of Saturday, March 7, 2020, when I returned to Lane College
from a UNCF meeting, I was reminded that the Lane College Concert Choir would
depart campus on that upcoming Wednesday, March 11th, to begin their Spring
Resurrection Tour of the western United States. Having observed the spread of
COVID–19 and the cancellation of a few events across the Nation, I began to recon-
sider the choir tour. By midday, I had enough information to determine that it
would not be in our students, faculty, and staff’s best interest to travel on a bus
for parts of 2 weeks, perform for several churches, and visit historic sites all along
the way. So, out of an abundance of caution and in consultation with Daryll Cole-
man, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Alexis Rainbow, Choral Director, I
canceled the choir tour. Thus, Lane College began its moment-to-moment response
to COVID–19 that would be declared a pandemic the very week the choir was set
to depart campus. Since that fateful Saturday, not a day has passed when my col-
leagues and I have not discussed by phone, exchanged text messages, shared infor-
mation, participated in a webinar, attended a Zoom meeting, or made some type of
decision regarding COVID–19.
Facing the COVID–19 Storm: Initial Responses
Initially, I created and met with a joint leadership team, consisting of 21 members
of my direct reports, the academic cabinet, and the marketing team to consider the
following three options for the remainder of the semester:
1. Vigilant—Continue face-to-face instruction and residential students while
observing local, state, and Federal orders and practicing Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention (CDC), Tennessee Department of Health, and
Madison County (TN) Health Department’s recommendations;
2. Remote—Move all instruction online and direct non-essential employees
to work remotely; or
3. Nuclear—End the semester on Friday, March 13, 2020.
The Lane College Joint Leadership team decided to move to remote instruction
and service delivery. We sent emails and hosted the final mass meeting of 100-plus
students, faculty, staff, and administrators to discuss remote instruction on March
13, 2020. The institution requested, and was granted, approval by the Southern As-
sociation of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to move to remote instruc-
tion and proceeded to go on spring break.
Over spring break, the joint leadership team continued to meet and decided to ex-
tend spring break for an additional week to give faculty additional time to convert
courses from face-to-face to online. The joint leadership team further decided to deep
clean and fog all facilities with an antimicrobial agent. Finally, while Lane College
never closed, the institution did meet and exceed all Federal, state, and local orders
by closing the campus and allowing only essential employees and residential stu-
dents to visit. Initially, approximately 200 students remained on campus during
their spring break. As the second week of spring break expired, in response to the
extension of the Federal social distancing guideline through April 30th, Lane Col-
lege decided to close residence halls on Friday, April 3rd, and required all students
to vacate the premises, except for forty-two 12-month contract students, inter-
national students, and severely food and housing insecure students. Each of the 819
residential students’ accounts was credited $713.44 for a total of $584,305.31, which
is slightly less than 10 percent of the institution’s budget. Seventy-six (76) percent
of the student body (1,072 total Spring 2020 enrollment) resided on campus. Unfor-
tunately, due to the pandemic, Lane College laid off 21 employees and continued
its previously imposed spending freeze. Nevertheless, Lane College students will not
10 Saunders, K. & Nagle, B. T. (2018). HBCUs punching above their weight: A state-level anal-
ysis of historically black college and university enrollment and graduation. Washington, DC:
UNCF Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute.
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22
experience an increase in tuition, fees, or room and board for the upcoming aca-
demic year.
Facing the Storm: Strength in the Storm
I am pleased to report that while facing this health crisis, Lane College found it
instructive to observe the eagle and lean on the sacred texts. It has been said that
the eagle faces storm winds, waits for the precise moment for strong winds to blow,
and then spreads its wings with the wind to fly above the storm. The text informs
us, ‘‘they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up
with wings as eagles . . .’’ (Isaiah 40:31). In these perilous times, we have learned
anew to wait on the Lord and learned from the eagle to face the storm.
COVID–19 has disrupted learning and life at Lane College, but it has not, and
will not, defeat us. Like the eagle, Lane College faced the storm winds and soared
above COVID–19 to complete the Spring 2020 semester remotely with faculty and
students teaching and learning, respectively, from their homes. We learned that,
yes, we can deliver distance education, and, yes, to my staff’s great delight, I can
even complete a full Zoom meeting in 30 minutes. This storm has given us a new
perspective and language for our employees and while there was never any doubt,
we affirm anew that the faculty of our institution are essential. In addition, the resi-
dential staff, security officers, chefs, cooks, servers, the Team Clean custodial work-
ers, and the controller’s staff are essential as well.
Today, I celebrate Lane College faculty for their flexibility; the essential staff who
braved the virus to come to campus daily; those who worked remotely and learned
how to conduct Zoom classes and meetings; our precious students; and everyone who
faced the storm and soared above with vigilance, patience, and prayer. The entire
Lane College family responded well to the challenge to recruit, retain, and remove
barriers for students.
Lane College’s administrative staff, directors, chaplains, and faculty all joined to-
gether to email, text, and communicate with new or prospective students. The Lane
College Academic Division Chairs and Lane Institute employees led a renewed
movement to retain and re-recruit students by reaching out to current and return-
ing students, and the staff are re-recruiting any student who attended Lane College
between 2010—2019 but did not earn a degree. Faculty and staff have committed
to removing the barriers to graduation and registration, and COVID–19 has taught
us that some of the things we thought were important and necessary are neither
important, necessary, or really needed.
Facing the Storm: Soaring Strategies and Tactics
Situated in the city of Jackson in Madison County, Lane College pays close atten-
tion to the current developments in the city, county, and State of Tennessee. As of
May 26, 2020, Jackson-Madison County declared a state of emergency; ordered bars
to close and restaurants to limit capacity; ordered grocery stores and pharmacies to
reserve the first hour of each day for seniors; and canceled events for the next 30
days. In Jackson-Madison County with a population of 97,984, 11 the number of
COVID–19 cases equal 177; negative tests equal 4,736; 152 people have recovered;
and 2 people have died. 12
With this being said, Lane College is challenged to soar. To assist with strategy
formation, scenario planning, and tactical deployment, the institution was most for-
tunate to have UNCF and its partners to join us and provide their perspective in-
formed by the 37 UNCF-member institutions and high-level strategic and tactical
consultation and insights. Of special note, UNCF facilitated our partnership with
sophisticated online partners who have provided training for Lane College faculty
who are new to online instruction and courses to fill the gap for our students at
no additional cost to students.
My institution continues to rely heavily on the following sources to develop our
overall strategy, tactics, policies, and practices:
• CDC;
• UNCF;
11 U.S. Census Bureau (2020). Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April
1, 2010 to July 1, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/
demo/popest/2010’s-counties-total.html.
12 Tedford, K. L. (2020). Health department confirms 177 cases of COVID–19 in madison coun-
ty. Retrieved from https://www.madisoncountytn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9315/COVID-19-
Demographic-Information-PDF.
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• American College Health Association Considerations for Reopening Insti-
tutions of Higher Education (IHEs) in the COVID–19 Era;
• National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities;
• National Collegiate Athletics Association Core Principles of Resocializa-
tion of Collegiate Sport;
• Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference;
• Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association;
• Tennessee Higher Education Commission;
• Tennessee Department of Health;
• Tennessee Economic Recovery Group;
• Madison County Health Department; and
• The city, county, state, and Federal guidance and orders.
As a result of consultation given by UNCF, Lane College was able to quickly es-
tablish a Crisis Management Center with a strategy team to lead it. The Lane Col-
lege strategy team is made up of four (4) members: (1) Dr. Sandra Ramawy (Liberal
Studies and Education, Academic Division Chair), response lead; (2) Ms. Tangela
Poole (Lane College Controller), financial lead; (3) Mr. Terry Blackmon (Lane Col-
lege Registrar), academic/institutional research lead; and (4) myself. This team is
charged with offering overall leadership of the Crisis Management Center and co-
ordinating the weekly Lane College C–19 Team Meeting that is comprised of the
Fast Start team, members of the Lane College Joint Leadership team, and the Pan-
demic Proof team. My role is to keep the entire team focused on the institution’s
mission to ‘‘develop the whole student with academic excellence as its highest pri-
ority;’’ maintain rapid pace; ensure vertical and horizontal communications; and af-
firm that data drive our decisions. The strategy team is set to implement the
timeline below.
Fall Decision Timeline
• Thursday, June 11, 2020 Board of Trustees COVID–19 Update Meeting
• Monday, June 22, 2020 Dragon Academy Summer Bridge (online)
• Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Open campus to remote staff with COVID–19
restrictions in place
• Thursday, July 2, 2020 Board of Trustees COVID–19 Update Meeting
• Friday, July 3, 2020 Fall 2020 Announcements
• Saturday, July 18, 2020 Spring Commencement, Lane Field, 6 p.m. (or
JF Lane at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m.)
• Saturday, July 25, 2020 Student Leaders to return to campus
• Saturday, August 1, 2020 Freshman move-in to residence halls
• Monday, August 3, 2020 First day of freshman class
• Friday, November 20, 2020 Fall 2020 Semester ends
Due to the fluid developments of COVID–19, the strategy team has led Lane Col-
lege to prepare for three scenarios: Lane College FastStart (face-to-face instruction
in Fall 2020), Lane College VR (all online courses in Fall 2020), and Lane College
SOAR (a hybrid of both online courses and face-to-face instruction in Fall 2020).
Lane College FastStart
Should Lane College students return to campus for face-to-face instruction and
subsequently experience a more aggressive COVID–19 season in late Fall 2020, the
institution’s response will mirror the response of the Spring 2020 semester and con-
sist of the following:
• Protocols established across the campus, particularly the academic and
student affairs COVID–19 protections, to keep students safe and healthy
on campus prior to their departure;
• Faculty prior experience in delivering and moving instruction from face-
to-face to online;
• The practice of COVID–19 safety protocols for students, faculty, staff, and
visitors to include washing their hands, wearing their masks, social
distancing, and self-checking for COVID–19 symptoms;
• COVID–19 restrictions and recommendations by local, state, and Federal
entities;
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• Frequent and routine virtual recruiting, admissions, financial, orienta-
tion, and athletic presentations;
• The re-recruitment of majors by departmental leaders; and
• Preparations to see a decrease in overall enrollment and revenue.
Lane College VR
While small and independent, Lane College is primed to deliver responsive and
creative programmatic and curricular solutions. The institution has sourced digital
devices, platforms, texts, course material, and office applications to support Lane
College VR. We will need to pilot micro-credentials and new course offerings to en-
sure successful implementation, but we are cognizant that student success, includ-
ing retention and graduation, may be negatively impacted. We are also cognizant
that enrollment may decrease resulting in a 27 percent to 43 percent decrease in
revenue.
Although Lane College has a plan in place to implement Lane College VR, elimi-
nating face-to-face instruction and moving all classes to a remote format poses the
following unique set of challenges for Lane College:
• The quality of instruction may suffer greatly because neither the institu-
tion nor the faculty have the resources, human or technical, to fully man-
age this change;
• Nearly 90 percent of Lane College students receive Pell grants. Thus, the
typical student does not have the funds, equipment, or Internet access to
receive instruction remotely;
• Many students arrive on campus having endured food and housing inse-
curities at home. For some, the Lane College is the most safe and secure
place; and
• We do not have online resources to support secure virtual testing admin-
istration or the delivery of science lab instruction.
Lane College SOAR
Lane College SOAR, the hybrid scenario, offers the greatest opportunity and chal-
lenge for Lane College. Appropriately executed, this strategy could lift Lane College
to heights unimagined previously. This approach would incorporate aspects of both
Lane College FastStart and Lane College VR. To implement this successfully, the
technology will need to be greatly increased including the IT backbone, help desk,
and on-campus WIFI. A recovering local, state, and national economy may cause us
to see an increase in enrollment, but we have to also prepare for the likelihood of
a decrease in enrollment.
Prior to the UNCF consultation that led to the development of our Crisis Manage-
ment Center, Lane College also established three organizational teams to address
the future. The first, preceding the pandemic, was the Lane College FastStart team,
which is made up of 17 faculty and staff members. This team is charged with assist-
ing new students from the point of admission through the first 6 weeks of the Fall
semester. The team meets twice a week to report on recruiting, new student orienta-
tion, the Dragon Academy (a summer bridge program), housing, Discovery Week,
the first week of freshman class, etc.
As mentioned earlier, in direct response to the pandemic, the Lane College Joint
Leadership team was formed. The members of the joint leadership team continue
to meet twice per week to submit, receive, and review the most up-to-date informa-
tion available, make immediate decisions regarding the operation of the institution
and propose protocols, policies, and responses as needed.
Last, Lane College established the Pandemic Proof team consisting of 27 mem-
bers. This team is charged with developing tactical solutions to prepare for the three
aforementioned potential future scenarios of campus operations in response to
COVID–19 (Lane College FastStart, Lane College VR, and Lane College SOAR). The
Pandemic Proof team is developing tactical solutions for each area of the institu-
tion’s operation. 13
13 For an example of protocols being considered by the Pandemic Proof team, please see at-
tachment #1.
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25
Facing the Storm: Requests for Consideration
I would be remiss if I did not thank Congress, and those of this Committee, for
passing H. R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Your time, energy, and effort does not go unnoticed, and I also want to thank the
President for signing this bill into law. Because of the CARES Act, Lane College
has access to a total of $5,278,608 in direct allocations from Section 18004(a)(1) and
18004(a)(2) of the bill. Of this total, we have received the allocation for the emer-
gency grant aid for students and the allocation for the institutions in Section
18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act equaling $2,430,978. My institution will be using the
institutional funds to reimburse ourselves for COVID–19 related expenses and have
already began to disseminate the emergency grant aid to students. To disseminate
the emergency grant aid, Lane College established two dispersal tactics:
• Lane CARES Fund—$592 was distributed to each Spring 2020 enrolled
student to support their needs caused by the disruption due to COVID–
19 to include food, housing, and transportation. To establish this amount,
Lane College surveyed students and found that 78 percent of the students
asked for funds to support food and 73 percent asked for housing sup-
port. 14 The survey instrument was sent to each students’ Lane College
email address on April 16, 2020, which was approximately 5 weeks after
most students had been away from campus. CARES funds to support stu-
dent’s food, housing, and transportation were distributed to each student
(except the international students) on April 30, 2020; and
• The Lane Direct Support Fund—These funds are awarded on a case-by
case-bases. A student may request these funds to support allowable edu-
cational expenses.
As of May 28, 2020, a total of $659,396.56 has been distributed from Lane CARES
Fund and Lane Direct Support Fund combined.
Thanks to you, Lane College, with her 244 full-time equivalent employees, applied
for, and received, a Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Pro-
gram loan to help the institution pay salaries for the current eight weeks, a period
of needed financial support. We received a total of $2,059,856. We are also currently
participating in the HBCU Capital Financing program deferment of principal and
interest payments during this emergency. We received an HBCU Capital Financing
loan in March 2010 of $29,000,000 with 20-year fixed rate and variable rate financ-
ing and have been making annual payments of around $2,200,000 of principal, in-
terest, and fees. This deferment allows us to direct these payments toward sus-
taining the needed and necessary operations of our campus.
Please know, Lane College reflects the diversity of private, nonprofit higher edu-
cation in the United States. With over 5 million students attending 1,700 inde-
pendent colleges and universities, 15 and more than 1 million employees, the private
sector of American higher education has a dramatic impact on our Nation’s larger
public interests. On behalf of UNCF-member institutions, HBCUs, and small non-
profit colleges, I ask that you do the following:
• Invest an additional $1 billion in emergency funding for HBCUs, Tribal
Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions
(MSIs). The CARES Act provided a total of $1.046 billion dollars for
HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in Section 18004(a)(2). I believe that I can con-
fidently say on the behalf of my peers and myself that we were ecstatic
to receive the additional support of funding due to the nature of our insti-
tutions and that the amounts received by each institution will be helpful
in allowing us to financially navigate these present times. However, due
to the ongoing uncertainty around the duration of COVID–19, I believe
that it is imperative for Congress to invest an additional $1 billion in our
institutions.
These additional funds will allow us to access the resources necessary to
continue to provide quality academic instruction and learning experiences
to our students and these funds will help us remain afloat given the loss
in revenue that we are braced to receive. More specifically, my institution
could use additional funds to increase the technology infrastructure on
campus; pay for students to acquire personal technology; pay for WIFI or
14 See attachment #2.
15 National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. (2019). About the college pri-
vate sector. Retrieved from http://www.naicu.edu/research-resources/private-college-factfile-
2019/about-private-colleges.
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26
provide WIFI at no expense; use funds to hire staff to train faculty and
students to deliver and receive online instruction; provide funds to en-
hance the Internet backbone and infrastructure on campus; and provide
funding to lessen the threat of food insecurity for students who depart
my campus. I am thankful for the passage of H. R. 6800, the Health and
Economic Recovery Onmibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, led by
Chairwoman Nita Lowey as this bill provided an additional $1.71 billion
for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs. It is my request that the Senate include
this level funding for our institutions in the next stimulus package.
• Increase grant aid for students by doubling the maximum Pell Grant
award. Not only am I here to advocate for the needs of my institution,
but I am also here to advocate for the needs of my students. As I men-
tioned earlier in my testimony, 78 percent of the students at my institu-
tion asked for funds to support their ability to eat food and 73 percent
asked for funding for housing support. Because these were the top two
needs of my students, this information further affirmed what we already
knew about students who attend HBCUs being, largely, from low-income
families. Not only did my institutional student survey affirm this nar-
rative, but the recent information released by the CDC has exacerbated
it by sharing that black Americans are being disproportionately impacted
by COVID–19. 16 Because the majority of my students on my campus are
black, my institution, as a whole, is disproportionately impacted by
COVID–19 as well. This means that my students are experiencing house-
holds where their parents, or caretakers, are either not able to go to work
or have been laid off like so many other Americans. The unemployment
rate increased by 10.3 percentage points to 14.7 percent in the month of
April and Black Americans hold the second highest unemployment rate
out of all races at 16.7 percent. 17 In fact, all Americans of color hold
higher unemployment rates than White Americans, and this new reality
means decreased revenue in households of color, which equals a decrease
in the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) formula used to calculated
the amount of student financial aid. If more students would be experi-
encing a decreased EFC, then more students would need to access the
Pell Grant at greater amounts and greater rates.
• Provide funding for the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. The safe-
ty and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff cannot be com-
promised and must be addressed prior to re-opening the campus. Testing,
tracing, and treatment are essential tools to re-open. As effective COVID–
19 testing becomes available, institutions should be given the testing re-
sources necessary to safely reopen in a manner that will protect students,
faculty, and staff. This will require Federal funding to help institutions
adequately prepare and effectively execute the return of students to the
classroom as we protect our campuses and larger communities. Our stu-
dents need to heal in a safe and secure living and learning environment.
We also need assistance to help fund the enormous costs associated with
protecting our new online systems from cybersecurity attacks.
• Provide liability protection. The guidance for Federal, state, and local
agencies on COVID–19 is evolving, ever changing, and sometimes con-
flicting. Lane College and its sister IHEs want to provide a safe and
healthy environment for students, faculty, and staff based on the guid-
ance offered. When that guidance is inconsistent, it is difficult for the in-
stitutions and constituents. I ask that you make it clear what IHEs
should be doing to respond effectively to COVID–19 to allow us to con-
fidently provide a safe and healthy environment, which will also aid us
in combating any and all lawsuits that may arise due to the pre-
cautionary measures that institutions are planning to take when reopen-
ing in the fall.
16 The CDC released a report on April 17, 2020 that shared race and ethnicity data from 580
patients hospitalized with lab-confirmed COVID–19. This report found that 45 percent of indi-
viduals for whom race or ethnicity data was available were white, compared to 59 percent of
individuals in the surrounding community. However, the report also indicated that 33 percent
of hospitalized patients were black compared to 18 percent in the community. Information re-
garding this study can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/
mm6915e3.htm’slcid=mm6915e3lw.
17 U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2020). Employment situation
summary. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm.
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• Remove the $62,000,000 cap for the HBCU Capital Financing loan pro-
gram. In light of the nearly certain attrition of student and subsequent
decreases in retention and graduation rates, Lane College and other
HBCUs would benefit greatly from deferring payments in the HBCU
Capital Financing loan program. A loss of 100 students over Summer
2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 would cost my institution nearly
$2,000,000 in revenue. Lane College pays $181,329.96 per month for ap-
proximately $2,200,000 per year. Because we are uncertain of how long
COVID–19 will be considered a national emergency, HBCUs are likely to
reach the $62,000,000 cap well within 12 months. Currently, there are a
total of 80 loans outstanding to 44 HBCUs under this program with loan
amounts ranging from $10 million to $152 million, equating to a total of
$2.023 billion. 18 The HEROES Act includes this modification, and I ask
that the Senate included this change in any future stimulus package.
• Include a technology fund to allow institutions and students to access
broadband. Nearly 300,000 students attend HBCUs and over 6 million
students attend HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs combined. Our students are
largely from low-income households and while the E-rate program exists
in the Universal Service Fund, this program is primarily for students in
k–12 education and does not include low-income students attending post-
secondary education. In the CARES Act, our institutions were given the
ability to utilize resources to purchase technological equipment for our
students to help them complete their assignments online; participate in
virtual counseling; receive mentoring and tutoring services online; and
complete other required tasks in relation to their academic program
through distance education. While access to equipment is important, so
is access to broadband. With this being said, I want to offer my support
for S. 3701, the Supporting Connectivity for Higher Education Students
in Need Act, introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar, and ask that this bill
be included in the next stimulus packaged to be considered by Congress.
Representative Anna Eshoo introduced a companion bill in the House of
Representatives, H. R. 6814, and this bill has a total of 12 cosponsors and
counting. This piece of legislation takes a responsible approach to meet-
ing the needs of our low-income, first-generation college students and the
households they come from while prioritizing HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs.
According to an article released by the Pew Research Center, ‘‘roughly
three-in-ten adults with household incomes below $30,000 a year (29 per-
cent) don’t own a smartphone . . . and [more than four-in-ten [adults]
don’t have home broadband services (44 percent) or a traditional com-
puter (46 percent).’’ 19 It is imperative that HBCUs and our students have
the ability to access broadband to allow the students to continue their
academic program and complete their education.
• Remove the 500-employee limitation for all IHEs. The CARES Act allows
for IHEs with no more than 500 employees to apply for a loan in the Pay-
check Protection Program or apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan
(EIDL). One of the primary benefits to smaller IHEs is that they will be
able to receive additional assistance if needed and even have the oppor-
tunity to receive an advance of up to $10,000 in the EIDL program that
they would then be able to utilize as a grant. These additional opportuni-
ties are great options for our smaller institutions, and I firmly believe
that all IHEs should be able to apply for these programs. While I am
thankful for the interim final rule issued by the SBA outlining that stu-
dents participating in the Federal Work Study (FWS) program will not
be counted as student workers, institutions still have student workers
outside of the FWS program that would still be counted as employees
under the current law. I am thankful that the HEROES Act included this
change, and I ask the Senate to include this modification in any future
stimulus package.
• Allow all IHEs to be eligible to receive loans in the Main Street Lending
Program (MSLP). Colleges and universities are braced to experience de-
18 U.S. Department of Education. (2020). Historically Black College and University Capital Fi-
nancing Program. Retrieved from https://www.ed.gov/programs/hbcucapfinance/awards.html.
19 Anderson, M., & Kumar, M. (2019, May 7). Digital divide persists even as lower-income
Americans make gains in tech adoption. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://
www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/05/07/digital-divide-persists-even-as-lower-income-ameri-
cans-make-gains-in-tech-adoption/.
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28
clining enrollments for the Fall semester that will lead to a loss in rev-
enue. As I have mentioned previously in my testimony, Lane College is
no stranger to the loss in revenue projected across the higher education
industry, and I strongly believe that my institution should be able to
apply for any and all funding available to help us weather this storm.
The HEROES Act would require the Federal Reserve to expand MSLP to
nonprofits, including nonprofit private and public IHEs, and I strongly
urge the Senate to include this in any future stimulus package.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Lane College is an institution that not only has a history of contrib-
uting to society, but is an institution that also provides an invaluable experience
for our students, especially our students who are low-income and first generation.
It is my hope that my recommendations for a future stimulus package be incor-
porated and that HBCUs remain a priority not only for the Senate but also for the
House of Representatives and the Federal Government as a whole.
It is an honor to be asked to present this testimony, and I commend you for your
service and for addressing these important issues.
Thank you.
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Attachment #1
Pandemic Proof Campus
Health Attack Response Protocols
• Protect and Prevent
¯ Implement the Evaluate, Respond, Intervene, and Communicate (ERIC)
protocols
˛ Evaluate (what happened, who was involved, where, when and how)
˛ Respond (assess resources and seek help)
˛ Intervene (initiate direct action to address the situation)
˛ Communicate (who else needs to know, when do they need to know)
¯ Restrict, Remove, and Remote
˛ Restrict access to campus
˛ Remote instruction
¯ Operational Response
˛ Establish Command Center
˛ Communication Protocols
˛ Remote and online opportunities
• Remote courses
• Remote services
• Remote programs
˛ Financial budget adjustments and projections
¯ Restart and Return to New Normal
˛ COVID–19 protocols
˛ COVID–19 restrictions
˛ Office protocols
˛ Residence hall protocols
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Attachment #2
[SUMMARY STATEMENT OF LOGAN HAMPTON]
Chairman Lamar Alexander, Ranking Member Patty Murray, and Members of the
Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
My name is Dr. Logan Hampton, and I serve as the 10th President of Lane Col-
lege in Jackson, Tennessee. Lane College is a proud historically black college and
university (HBCU) founded in 1882 by a former slave, Bishop Isaac Lane of the Col-
ored Methodist Church. Lane is an HBCU, which consists of 36 buildings across 55
acres, creating a truly exceptional academic and living environment.
I was asked to testify before the Committee about Lane College’s plans to reopen
our campus in the Fall. Lane College began its moment-to-moment response to the
novel coronavirus disease, known as COVID–19, on March 7, 2020. Initially, I cre-
ated and met with a joint leadership team, consisting of 21 members of my direct
reports, the academic cabinet, and the marketing team to consider the following
three options for the remainder of the semester:
1. Vigilant—Continue face-to-face instruction and residential students while
observing local, state, and Federal orders and practicing Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention (CDC), Tennessee Department of Health, and
Madison County (TN) Health Department’s recommendations;
2. Remote—Move all instruction online and direct non-essential employees
to work remotely; or
3. Nuclear—End the semester on Friday, March 13, 2020.
The Lane College Joint Leadership team decided to move to remote instruction
and service delivery. Each of the 819 residential students’ accounts was credited
$713.44 for a total of $584,305.31, which is slightly less than 10 percent of the insti-
tution’s budget. Seventy-six (76) percent of the student body resided on campus. Un-
fortunately, due to the pandemic, Lane College laid off 21 employees and continued
its previously imposed spending freeze. Nevertheless, Lane College students will not
experience an increase in tuition, fees, or room and board for the upcoming aca-
demic year.
As a result of consultation given by UNCF (United Negro College Fund, Inc.),
Lane College was able to quickly establish a Crisis Management Center with a
strategy team to lead it. This team is charged with offering overall leadership of the
Crisis Management Center and coordinating the weekly Lane College C–19 Team
Meeting that is comprised of the Fast Start team, members of the Lane College
Joint Leadership team, and the Pandemic Proof team. The strategy team is set to
implement a detailed timeline for reopening that is further articulated in my writ-
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31
ten testimony and due to the fluid developments of COVID–19, the strategy team
has led Lane College to prepare for three scenarios: Lane College FastStart (face-
to-face instruction in Fall 2020), Lane College VR (all online courses in Fall 2020),
and Lane College SOAR (a hybrid of both online courses and face-to-face instruction
in Fall 2020).
I would be remiss if I did not thank Congress and those of this Committee for
passing H. R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Your time, energy, and effort does not go unnoticed, and I also want to thank the
President for signing this bill into law. Because of the CARES Act, Lane College
has access to a total of $5,278,608 in direct allocations. While I am thankful for this,
I would be remiss if I did not share with you all that Lane College is bracing for
revenue losses that will impact our ability to operate. Also, our students are endur-
ing tough economic times that presents unique challenges, especially for students
of color.
With this being said, I have a number of important requests to Congress in my
written testimony, but my top two asks would be that Congress provide an addi-
tional $1 billion in funding for HBCUs, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and
Minority-Serving Institutions. I would also like to firmly ask that Congress increase
student grant aid in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 by doubling the
maximum Pell Grant award. The majority of my students are black Americans and
black Americans are disproportionately impacted by COVID–19. If the majority of
my students are disproportionately impacted, then my institution is disproportion-
ately impacted and needs the investment.
For more information and details regarding my remarks, I ask that you read my
written testimony submitted for your review.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Dr. Hampton, very much for being
with us today. And our Final witness is Dr. Georges Benjamin.
Welcome.
STATEMENT OF GEORGES BENJAMIN, MD, MACP, FACEP(E),
FNAPA, Hon FRSH, Hon FFPH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMER-
ICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION, WASHINGTON, DC
Dr. BENJAMIN. Thank you, Chairman Alexander and Ranking
Member Murray, and Members of the Committee. Let me just
thank you for letting me be here. Just to remind all of us that pub-
lic health decisions are based on risk reduction and all of these de-
cisions ought to be science-based, data-driven, and done in close
consultation with the state and local public health authorities. All
the current evidence shows that we will continue to have unde-
tected broad community spread of COVID–19 and we will continue
to do so for many months to come. And we should therefore assume
for planning purposes that there will be people on campus with
COVID–19 infection regardless of what precautions are taken.
To this end, let me just briefly talk about five overarching issues
that I think should be emphasized. The first one, of course, is
maintaining alignment with your policies with the standards of the
surrounding community without utilizing public health protections
that are weaker than those in place in the community in which the
schools sit. The second one, of course, is recognizing that commuter
schools where the student body comes from relatively narrow slices
of the community, will have a very different risk profile than resi-
dential schools that attract students nationwide and of course often
from around the world. Number three, that guidelines matter. The
CDC guidelines are there.
I think people should use them, certainly focusing on issues
around physical distancing, responses to our hygiene, which course
fundamentally means masks, hand hygiene and routine cleaning
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and sanitation of services and facilities are important, and once
you think of these as stack protections that work together to reduce
the risk of infection. I also believe there should be enforceable
workplace regulations to protect all on campus and recommended
that Congress require OSHA to pose an emergency temporary
standard for infectious disease that will be able to protect all work-
ers from COVID–19. And also the State of California’s aerosol
transmissible disease standard could serve as a model for Con-
gress.
Number four, to achieve adequate disease control in all these sit-
uations, you need to have a very, very robust campus health pro-
gram, again, linked to the state and local health agency, to en-
hance rapid availability and support for current disease control
practices. Again, as you are working on that premise that there is
going to be a case on campus, we should obviously assume that
while most students are less likely to have severe disease when in-
fected, the risk for serious disease is not zero. So rapid PCR testing
for COVID–19 and contact tracing with the Center for Disease Con-
trol and a testing strategy and plan in line with public health au-
thorities is needed.
The elements should include clearly defined priorities on testing
in terms of who should be tested, the role of symptom based strate-
gies, as well as testing employees who are high-risk either because
of underlying disease or because of not only their own campus, but
also their off-campus occupations. One of the things we saw with
nursing homes was the off campus issue and other places where
nursing home workers worked, put them and their patients at risk.
Obviously, everyone needs to be adequately staffed and have
enough personal protective equipment to ensure protection.
Obviously, in the interest of time, I won’t go into all the physical
distancing things. You have heard a lot of those already from the
college presidents, and let me endorse that those are the right—
they are all on the right track on the things that they are going
to need to do. Also, let me just re-emphasize this issue of the dis-
proportionate risk for many, particularly minorities, in the commu-
nity. We know very clearly that African-Americans and Hispanics
in particular are disproportionately at risk because they have more
chronic diseases, so that if they get infected, they are much more
likely to get severe diseases. And while certainly our young people
generally are healthy in school, that many of those diseases occur
in our young people much younger than those of us who are baby
boomers today.
I also must remind everyone that the school is going to be start-
ing right before the influenza seasons. And so the schools need to
be prepared to address influenza-like illness, which of course is
how COVID–19 also presents. There are a lot of really unanswered
questions about who you screen, the role of temperature taking,
clearly the role of antibody testing, understanding the state of what
we know about the antibody test today. And clearly, robust commu-
nications are very important. Every one of these colleges already
has experience with a sick kid at school and understand the enor-
mous work involved when a single case of meningitis hits its cam-
pus. This will probably be worse with COVID–19.
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Then I want to just point out scenario planning. I encourage all
the schools to do very active scenario planning and in my testimony
you have the nine that I just thought up in the middle of the night,
but let me just point out about four of those. Number one, obvi-
ously a student who is diagnosed with COVID–19 who lives on or
off campus, on or off in campus housing. The student faculty or
staff member who is identified through contact tracing but is
asymptomatic and exposed your students.
While you may not have had a large scale event on your own
campus, obviously college campuses are porous and student go else-
where to large events, and obviously, tragically, a student death
from any cause on campus may be perceived as COVID, and obvi-
ously managing that from a perspective of the University from a
risk management perspective is going to be very important.
The last and other considerations, and obviously in the interest
of time I can’t go through all of those, but let me just finally close
out with the fact that I think none of this happens without a ro-
bust resource and trained public health system in the country. And
I just continue to encourage Congress to support the public health
systems. And I want to just thank you for giving me the oppor-
tunity to speak with you today.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Benjamin follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF GEORGES BENJAMIN
Chairman Alexander, Ranking Member Murray and Members of the Committee,
thank you for giving me the opportunity to address you today on the important as-
pects of safely returning our Nation’s academic institutions to their pre-COVID–19
pandemic status.
I am Georges C. Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health
Association. APHA champions the health of all people and all communities. We
strengthen the public health profession, promote best practices and share the latest
public health research and information. We are the only organization that combines
a nearly 150-year perspective, a broad-based member community and the ability to
influence Federal policy to improve the public’s health.
I am a physician executive, and in addition to having served as a clinician, I have
had the opportunity to serve my community in a variety of senior management posi-
tions to include: as a military physician serving as the Chief of Emergency Medicine
at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center; as chairman of the Department of Com-
munity Health and Ambulatory Care at the District of Columbia General Hospital;
as interim director of the Emergency Ambulance Bureau of the D.C. Fire and EMS
Department; as Acting Commissioner for Public Health for Washington, DC; and,
finally, as Secretary for Health of the State of Maryland. I have served as the execu-
tive director of APHA for the last seventeen and a half years.
I am here today to share my thoughts and professional judgment on the role of
community mitigation that should be considered by institutions of higher education
as senior academic and administration leaders prepare for the return of students
for the fall semester. I recognize that these decisions are not decisions of politicians
but rest in the hands of the leadership of the various institutions who must work
in close consultation with state and local health officials. I am not a lawyer. I speak
as a public health scientist and professional who has spent a fair amount of time
advising senior leaders on health policy. These are difficult decisions, and I ap-
proach my comments today using the current science to inform what measures and
safeguards I would consider if I were leading a university or college at this time.
Reopening the Nation’s colleges and universities will not come with a one-size-fits-
all solution, and any decisions must be science-based, data-driven and done in close
consultation with state and local public health authorities. All public health deci-
sions are based on risk reduction. We should make the assumptions that there will
be people on campus with COVID–19 infection regardless of what precautions are
taken at this state of the pandemic and the level of previously infected individuals
in the community. Current estimates of positive antibody prevalence ranges from 3–
24 percent depending on when you are in the country. Considering we need to get
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to approximately 70 percent to achieve herd immunity as a nation, we still have a
long way to go to break the chain of infection. A recent report from the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention also found that presymptomatic and asymp-
tomatic spread does occur from infected individuals. 1 This means we will continue
to have undetected broad community spread of COVID–19 as we remingle as a soci-
ety. It also supports the contention that we need to continue to employ robust com-
munity and individual nonpharmacological mitigation until we reach levels of herd
immunity. While this is best achieved through a national vaccine effort, a COVID–
19 vaccine will not be available for months and certainly not widely before the fall
semester.
We have approached this pandemic with a patchwork of authorities from the Fed-
eral to the local levels, and because of this, it will be important that academic insti-
tutions be in alignment, at a minimum, with the local government, industries and
businesses in the surrounding community in which it sits, because the academic in-
stitution is an integral part of the larger community. Any effort to move forward
with reopening institutions of higher education by employing public health protec-
tions that are weaker than those in place in the surrounding community would be
a critical mistake. While the institutions may seek to enforce stricter requirements
for students, faculty and the institution’s other employees, any variance between the
institution’s approach and that of the approach of the community in which it sits
must be integrated in a way that is does not undermine the health protections. For
example, if the surrounding community requires the wearing of masks, then the in-
stitution would have a very difficult time establishing a no-mask policy, which
might be viewed as a health hazard by the broader community. The converse might
not be the case if the institution is able to articulate a greater health risk to stu-
dents or others on a campus. One example might be the close proximity of students
while in certain settings like laboratories or libraries.
The type of student body that the school is structured to accommodate is very im-
portant as a component of risk assessment. Institutions that are primarily com-
muter schools, where the student body comes from a relatively narrow slice of the
community, will have a different risk profile than residential schools that attract
students nationwide and often from around the world. This is because students will
bring with them the infectious disease risk of the communities in which they reside.
This disease has not struck all communities equally, and, therefore, the student
body will represent the disease outbreak status of their community at the time of
presentation to school on any given day.
Existing Guidance and Needed Regulations
Academic institutions should first follow the guidelines published by CDC. 2 Noth-
ing I say today is meant to be in variance of that guidance. This includes physical
distancing, respiratory hygiene to include wearing a mask when appropriate and
hand hygiene. Sanitization guidance for the routine cleaning and sanitization of sur-
faces and facilities should be followed as well.
In addition to students and faculty, all workers at an institution should be pro-
tected in the workplace by enforceable workplace regulations. Congress should re-
quire the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to propose an emergency
temporary standard (ETS) for infectious disease to protect workers from COVID–
19. 3 California’s Aerosol Transmissible Diseases Standard could serve as a model. 4
Without specific safety mandates, academic institutions are left with little enforce-
able direction, and the result is the increased potential for rapid spread of the dis-
ease in the workplace and into our communities.
1 Evidence Supporting Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
While Presymptomatic or Asymptomatic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Emerging Infectious Diseases. July 2020. Available at: https://www.c.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/
20-1595larticle.
2 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19). Col-
leges, Universities, and Higher Learning. Plan, Prepare, and Respond. Available at: https://
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/colleges-universities/index.html.
3 Organization letter urging Congress to pass the COVID–19 Every Worker Protection Act of
2020. April 29, 2020. Available at: https://apha.org/-/media/files/pdf/advocacy/letters/2020/
200429-every-worker-protection-act.ashx.
4 Cal/OSHA Interim General Guidelines on Protecting Workers from COVID–19. Available at:
https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus/General-Industry.html.
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Disease Prevention and Control
All institutions should ensure they have a robust campus health program. That
program must be linked to the local or state health agency to ensure the rapid avail-
ability of support and the most current information for disease control activities. All
institutions should be working from the premise that they will have a case
of COVID–19 on campus during the academic year. They should also assume
that while students are less likely to have serious disease when infected, the risk
for serious disease is not zero. The academic institution must have the organiza-
tional capacity to rapidly identify such a case or an outbreak of disease and under-
take effective disease containment and control. This includes the ability to ensure
adequate rapid PCR testing for COVID–19 and contact tracing. A strong partner-
ship with their local and state health department is essential for testing, contact
tracing and ongoing disease surveillance. Together, the academic institution and the
public health agency should agree on a testing strategy and plan. Elements should
clearly define priorities of testing, the role of symptom-based strategies and how
best to test employees who are of high risk either because of underlying disease or
their on-or off-campus occupations. Examples of higher risk occupations for consider-
ation might include cafeteria workers, the health clinic nurse or staff living or work-
ing in residential dorms.
Campus health systems and clinics must have adequate health center staff, test-
ing and personal protective equipment for providers to ensure they are fully pre-
pared in the event of positive cases among the student population, faculty or em-
ployees of the institution. The institution will need to review its overall institutional
infection control policies. This is to ensure the policies form a coherent plan to ad-
dress any potential infectious disease because many disease have similar presenting
signs and symptoms.
As academic institutions plan for students’ return to school, they should imple-
ment basic risk reduction strategies including four key nontherapeutic measures in
everything they do: maximizing physical distancing; hand hygiene; controlling res-
piratory spread (wearing masks); and sanitization of facilities. Administrations
should think of these as stacked protections that work together to reduce the risk
of infection. Physical distancing can be achieved by maximizing virtual classes
where feasible. This is of particular interest for large lecture halls where the content
can easily be delivery virtually. Reducing class size through staggered classes and
moving to smaller classes should be done when feasible. There are indeed classes
where this is not feasible because of the need for in-class participation, or classes
that require the use of special equipment—music, physical activity, design, theater
and laboratory-driven classes are examples. These types of classes bring unique lev-
els of risk that will need to be managed differently.
Sports activities and other large gatherings pose additional risks not only to those
on campus but also to the broader community. The ability to physically distance is
a major barrier to safely hosting these activities, as is the number of people who
could be exposed due to large crowds. Current guidance from CDC is based on the
level of community transmission, the size and density of the gathering and the
health risk profile of the attendees. These will be difficult decisions complicated by
the participation of large numbers of supporters from all over the country for most
college and university events. An infectious exposure could be a flash point for a
significant widespread outbreak. One unanswered question is how sports programs
will deal with screening and the frequency of PCR testing of athletes, the athletic
staff and support personnel should these activities be allowed.
Institutions have a variety of controls over shared living and study spaces, from
school-owned dormitories, to on-or off-campus fraternity and sorority houses. Plans
on managing outbreaks on these facilities will need to be completed. Many students
rely on campus-provided housing. Plans must be put in place to address the needs
of these students who cannot pick up and go home should the campus lock down
for a few days during disease control efforts. Additionally, disease control efforts
should plan for alternative housing situations for students who must remain on
campus in quarantine or isolation. There will be students who are not sick enough
to be hospitalized but are too sick to go home and risk infecting other students or
faculty.
Institutions should evaluate how to handle the full range of people who teach,
work or attend school on campus. This will be particularly important for individuals
with higher underlying health risks. Like the rest of society, the academic institu-
tion contains a population of people of all ages with a wide range on preexisting
conditions and some of these conditions have been shown to put people at a higher
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risk of severe disease should they get infected with SARS–2, the virus that causes
COVID–19.
There remains a great deal of confusion over coverage for screening exams and
tests despite recent laws that were passed to ensure coverage for testing. Some
schools have health insurance requirements. These should be reviewed in the con-
text of school policies and procedures to ensure access to COVID–19 testing and
broader health screening and treatment to ensure there are no barriers to disease
control efforts.
Because the return to school proceeds the start of influenza season, schools should
have in place a process to identify and screen influenza-like illnesses to differentiate
between COVID–19 and influenza. In addition, universal influenza vaccination
should be achieved for all except those who have medical exemptions. Schools must
be rigorous about ensuring all students have received all other required vaccinations
to help with identifying other infectious diseases of concern that have curative or
preventive therapies. I recognize there are states and academic institutions that do
not share this view on immunizations and allow for religious or other exemptions.
My perspective represents the best science we have today that vaccines are safe and
effective and will be essential for the institutional response to infectious disease out-
breaks this fall and winter.
Unanswered questions include:
• How do we screen students for disease before they come to campus?
• What is the role of temperatures?
• Is there a role for antibodytesting, recognizing CDC currently does not
recommend antibody testing as a return-to-work tool?
Resident assistants and other students who provide support in student residential
settings are a good early warning asset of the institution. Having these individuals
properly trained to identify sick students with COVID–19 symptoms and in the
proper procedures for early disease control could help identify ill students and en-
hance rapid referral for testing and medical care.
Institutions will have to develop robust communications plans to educate stu-
dents, parents and employees about the institution’s COVID–19 plans for preventing
the spread of the disease, testing, isolation and quarantine for individuals who test
positive. It is critical that all colleges and universities create a centralized resource
that students and employees can turn to for all COVID–19-related issues. A robust
educational campaign about these resources and the health and safety protections
that each institution has put into place is recommended. Institutional spokespersons
will need to be well trained, clear and consistent about risk communication.
Equity Consideration: Students and Institutions
COVID–19 has demonstrated a disproportionate impact on some populations, in
particular African Americans and Hispanics. This alarming health disparity is due
in part to the greater degree of novel coronavirus exposure linked to a higher per-
centage of African Americans and Hispanics having public-facing jobs, a greater
prevalence of underlying chronic diseases among those populations and long-
standing inequitable social determinants that impact health. These issues must be
factored in as a component of any institution’s risk reduction planning.
Additional equity factors to consider include the fact that some students rely on
a range of enabling services provided by their colleges and universities, as well as
technology support (Wi-Fi and online access to other campus-based technology). Any
campus-wide move to virtual learning or even a short shutdown will need to address
the ability of these students to thrive and properly participate in virtual learning
if they do not have adequate access to the needed technology. Tuition and scholar-
ships are not likely to cover unforeseen costs associated with facility closures or re-
strictions. Some students also rely on campus-based supports and opportunities
such as income earned through campus-based employment and campus-based child
care. Schools must have plans in place to ensure low-income students are not dis-
proportionately impacted by a potential COVID–19 outbreak on campus.
There are also significant disparities in available financial resources among the
country’s colleges and universities to address COVID–19-related activities. There
are challenges to basic capacity of many of our institutions of higher learning that
have not yet been addressed.
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Scenario Planning
I cannot over-emphasize the fact that there will be a case of COVID–19 on cam-
pus and institutions should prepare for and practice several predictable scenarios
in advance of reopening such as:
• The student with diagnosed COVID–19 who lives in the dormitory.
• The student with diagnosed COVID–19 who lives in a fraternity or soror-
ity house on campus.
• The student with diagnosed COVID–19 who lives in a fraternity or soror-
ity house or other off-campus housing.
• The COVID–19 positive visitor who has left campus.
• The student, faculty or staff member who is identified through contact
tracing but is asymptomatic.
• The exposure of students, faculty or employees from a large scale event
on campus.
• The exposure of students, faculty or employees from a community event
or concert off campus.
• A student death from an non-COVID–19 or unknown infectious disease.
• A non student death from a non-COVID–19 or unknown infectious dis-
ease.
I know there are many more considerations academic institutions have to con-
template as they prepare for the fall semester. Let me just reemphasize that this
is all about risk reduction. While we still have a lot to learn about SARS–2, the
virus that causes COVID–19, we do know enough to reduce the risk of infection sub-
stantially if we don’t underestimate the risks and plan for its mitigation. The ulti-
mate solution for our return to normal for all of our society is a safe and effective
vaccine. I am optimistic that we will have this important prevention tool in the next
12–18 months. But until then, we will continue to rely on community mitigation as
our best option.
A Strong, Well-Resourced Public Health System is Essential
None of this is possible without having a robust well-resourced and trained local
and state public health system in every community to support the academic institu-
tions in their mitigation preparedness and response. Congress and the Administra-
tion must continue to support the Nation’s public health systems as we continue to
respond to the COVID–19 pandemic and the coming influenza season later this
year. By basing our response to this pandemic using the best science available and
in partnership with the community, we can reduce the risk as we receive a quality
education.
In addition to ensuring that the Federal Government is providing adequate sup-
port and assistance for testing and contact tracing and to the Nation’s colleges and
universities and students to ensure a safe reopening, APHA strongly urges Congress
to support additional measures to strengthen the Nation’s public health system. Our
country’s state and local health departments will serve as critical partner to our col-
leges and universities, businesses, state and local governments and other sectors to
help prevent the spread of COVID–19 through testing, conducting disease investiga-
tions and contact tracing to help contain further spread of the disease, providing the
public with the latest science-based information and data about the disease in their
communities, among many other responsibilities. In order to better ensure our state
and local health departments are adequately prepared for addressing the current
pandemic and future public health emergencies, we must seriously look at fixing our
vastly underfunded public health system. APHA is calling on Congress to provide
$4.5 billion in additional long-term annual mandatory funding for CDC and state,
local, tribal and territorial public health agencies for core public health infrastruc-
ture activities. 5, 6 This funding would support essential activities such as: disease
surveillance, epidemiology, laboratory capacity, all-hazards preparedness and re-
sponse, policy development and support, communications, community partnership
5 Organization letter to House and Senate leaders urging a significant, long-term investment
in public health infrastructure in future legislation to speed the response to the COVID–19 pan-
demic. April 3, 2020. Available at: https://apha.org/-/media/files/pdf/advocacy/letters/2020/
200403-ph-infrastructure-covid-stimulus.ashx.
6 Public Health Leadership Forum. Developing a financing system to support public health in-
frastructure. Available at: https://www.resolve.ngo/docs/phlf-
developingafinancingsystemtosupportpublichealth636869439688663025.pdf.
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development and organizational competencies. This funding is critical to ensuring
our state and local health departments have broad core capacity to not only respond
to the current pandemic but to better respond to the many other public health chal-
lenges they face on a daily basis. For far too long we have neglected our Nation’s
public health infrastructure, and we must end the cycle of temporary infusions of
funding during emergencies and provide a sustained and reliable funding mecha-
nism to ensure we are better prepared to protect and improve the public’s health
from all threats.
Congress should also appropriate funding in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 for the
public health workforce loan repayment program authorized in the HEROES Act. 7
Providing funding for this important program will help incentivize new and recent
graduates to join the governmental public health workforce, encourage them to stay
in these roles, and strengthen the public health workforce as a whole. The public
health workforce is the backbone of our Nation’s governmental public health system
at the county, city, state and tribal levels. These skilled professionals deliver critical
public health programs and services. They lead efforts to ensure the tracking and
surveillance of infectious disease outbreaks, such as COVID–19, prepare for and re-
spond to natural or man-made disasters, and ensure the safety of the air we
breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. Health departments employ public
health nurses, behavioral health staff, community health workers, environmental
health workers, epidemiologists, health educators, nutritionists, laboratory workers
and other health professionals who use their invaluable skills to keep people in com-
munities across the Nation healthy and safe.
Thank you again for the opportunity to speak with you this morning. I look for-
ward to answering any of your questions.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Dr. Benjamin, and thanks to all the
witnesses. We will now begin around five minute questions from
Senators and I would ask the Senators and the witnesses to try to
keep your answers within five minutes because all the Senators
would like to participate and we have a vote a little bit before
noon. President Daniels, let me start with you. Let me ask about
how much advice you want from Washington in order to go back
to school safely? For example, do you think Washington, DC, the
President, or the Congress ought to tell you that you cannot open
in person or should tell the University of California system that it
has to open in person?
Mr. DANIELS. I guess they would be within their legal rights, but
I hope not. As every student is different, we try to remind our-
selves of that, every school in the country is unique in some way.
And I thought your admonition at the beginning, Mr. Chairman,
was on target. I know that others will find better answers than we
have and I hope they will be free to do that so we can copy them.
The CHAIRMAN. Dr. Paxson, in an article you wrote that you
want to test every student, CDC has not recommended that yet.
Other universities have said that is not practical. Do you think—
how much advice do you want from the President or Congress
about how many students you should test and how you should do
the testing?
Dr. PAXSON. Well, I think of the CDC guidelines as minimum
standards. Talking to my people, my members of my medical school
as well as parents and students and faculty, they want testing.
They want everybody to be tested. And then we want to do surveil-
lance testing on a regular basis throughout the year. It is both
7 Organization letter to House and Senate leaders supporting the inclusion of the Public
Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program in the HEROES Act. May, 14, 2020. Available at:
https://apha.org/-/media/files/pdf/advocacy/letters/2020/200514-ph-workforce-loan-repay-
ment.ashx.
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peace of mind, but also being able to monitor the spread of infec-
tion. I think it is essential.
The CHAIRMAN. Let me ask President Daniels and the other
presidents this question, one of the opportunities we have in this
crisis is to learn from it. We have compressed about 10 years of ex-
perience into three months in terms of at least two things, one is
telelearning, what have we learned from that, and the two is the
use of space.
As I mentioned in my comments, colleges are the most notorious
wasters of space in America, I would think. Classes aren’t usually
taught in the morning or the evening or on Saturday. And is it pos-
sible that as a result of the requirement of social distancing that
a year experience of teaching classes at different times and the
more efficient use of space would have some sort of lasting impact?
What about the lasting impact too of what you have learned about
telelearning? Let me start with President Daniels.
Mr. DANIELS. Yes, of course, there will be a lasting effects of this
and I think it is highly beneficial. Now, space utilization has been
an issue with us at Purdue for some time and I hope we have been
using it better. There is nothing unusual about Saturday classes or
evening classes here, but clearly we can do better and we will now.
Yes, we are going to—when you reduce occupancy of our class-
rooms to 50 percent or less, by definition you have to use time and
space in ways that you weren’t before. I think I made mention that
we now learned so much about telework that at least a third of our
employees, our staff will now be asked and enabled to work from
home on either a constant basis or at least on a rotating basis.
That takes them out of harm’s way and that’s going to free up a
lot of space that maybe we can find creative uses for.
The CHAIRMAN. Dr. Paxson.
Dr. PAXSON. Yes, we are all learning a lot and I appreciate your
question. Just a couple things that we are learning, to add to what
President Daniels said, one is that the shift to remote learning,
students learned and there were many valuable lessons there. I
think in the future we may do more flip classrooms where large
lectures are not done in person. That is a great thing.
Another related area that is very important is the use of tele-
medicine and we discovered especially for counseling and psycho-
logical services when students are in states that we can work with,
and there is some bureaucracy around that, it is actually an incred-
ibly efficient and valuable way to support our students.
The CHAIRMAN. Dr. Hampton, have you learned anything in
these three months about the use of space that might be a lasting
lesson at Lane College?
Dr. HAMPTON. Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman. We certainly learned that
our faculty and our institution that was committed to residential
instruction could be very agile move to remote instruction. We re-
moved every single course to remote instruction in the spring and
for us, that was that was absolutely monumental.
I do want to go back and just say to your initial question that
yes, in fact, Lane College will be open in the fall. But what we need
is we need your investment. We need that $1 billion. The greater
education community has asked for $46 billion. We need a partner-
ship with the Federal Government to help us to ensure that we
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have the standards, that we have the facilities in place to protect
our students to educate them safely and to deliver on our mission.
The CHAIRMAN. Okay. Thank you, Dr. Hampton.
Senator Murray.
Senator MURRAY. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. If
we are going to safely reopen, public health has to drive decision
making, and according to our public health experts, that includes
making sure students and staff have access to testing, the ability
to safely quarantine if they are exposed to the virus, and support
for isolation and access to medical care.
Students and staff need to be able to participate in their classes
while also following public health advice to social distance, wear
face masks, and keep themselves and their families healthy, but
public health experts agree, we are not anywhere close right now
to meeting adequate levels—alright, somebody—is everybody else
hearing that?—Dr. Benjamin, let me just direct this to you. If our
country remains at current levels of testing, are colleges going to
be able to keep students and employees and their communities
safe?
Dr. BENJAMIN. That was always going to the key to success here.
We are finally at about 400,000 test today. We are not nearly at
the 500,000 that we need to be and every state is a little different.
I just looked at a chart today that shows with a variety of states
that are not yet there yet. I think it will be a real challenge if we
can’t get to that minimum 500,000 per day. And you may know
that several groups like Rockefeller Foundation believe that we
should go to two to three times that amount per day.
Senator MURRAY. Okay. I have heard it said that COVID–19 is
the, ‘‘great equalizer’’ but we actually know in terms of the viruses
health and economic impacts, nothing could be actually further
from the truth with black communities and communities of color
being at much greater risk of getting sick and dying, and of falling
behind economically because of the pandemic itself.
Colleges determining how to reopen have to consider those in-
equities in selecting the best course of action for both students and
their staff. So I wanted to ask each of our presidents, may be in
this order Presidents Daniels, Paxson, and Hampton, how specifi-
cally are each planning to address the alarming health disparities
impacting our communities of color as you think about reopening.
And I will start with President Daniels.
Mr. DANIELS. One thing that I am very worried about is that the
efforts we have made, and as far as I know every college and uni-
versity has made to successfully recruit and then just as important
see through to successful graduation low-income, first-generation,
and minority students, we have all been making every effort we
know how now for some time and I do worry that these are about
to be set back by the tragic factors that you just mentioned. I am
tentatively encouraged that as our deposits have come in that our
URM percentage seems to have held up.
I was really worried, Senator, that it might put back but maybe
not, but I do worry that our progress will be arrested and that we
are going to have—we will certainly pay special attention, again,
to identifying those who might be vulnerable, that is mainly faculty
and staff but yes, as Dr. Benjamin, there are some young people
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who have these comorbidities that will put them very much in our
sights for special attention.
I am sure you’re probably right that minorities may well be dis-
parate disproportionately represented in that group.
Senator MURRAY. They are, yes. President Paxson.
Dr. PAXSON. Thank you for the question. And , I have spent my
life studying health disparities and economic disparities. And when
I look at it, issues of inequity are one of the major reasons why we
should open. Colleges and universities are places that create level
playing fields for students and we can ensure that all students
have equal access to education. The quality will be the same and
health services will be the same for all students regardless. So it
is one of the major reasons why I want to get students back.
Senator MURRAY. President Hampton.
Dr. HAMPTON. Yes, no doubt. Race, racism and health dispropor-
tionately impact our institution at Lane College.
To overcome these barriers, I mean we need the help of the Fed-
eral Government. Yes, we need your guidelines but we also need
your investment. Our students need your investment. Our students
need more money to attend colleges and universities. Doubling that
Pell would help to ameliorate some of those challenges that their
families are having right at this very moment as they are losing
their jobs, as they are being laid off as a result of COVID–19, and
the other impacts of racism. Those students are students. My stu-
dents need an additional investment. Doubling Pell Grant will go
a long way to helping them to afford institution of higher learning.
Senator MURRAY. Okay. Thank you for bringing that up. In addi-
tion to the disparities I just talked about, there is a disparity re-
sources amongst colleges as well, and we need to address that. So
thank you very much for that answer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN. All right. We will go to Senator Collins.
Senator COLLINS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This hearing is in-
credibly timely because just this morning the University of Maine
and other college presidents issued a document called sustaining
higher education and sustaining Maine, so I know that they are
watching this hearing with great interest. My first question is for
President Daniels.
Colleges and universities are economic engines for their commu-
nities and their states.
In addition to educating students, they employ thousands of peo-
ple, administrative staff, food service workers, custodians, faculty,
advisors, student workers. When the campus is closed to in-person
instruction, this had a great impact in Maine on many hourly
workers in particular. The University of Maine system employs
nearly 4,800 employees. My question is this, should there be dif-
ferent testing protocols for employees who are going back and forth
into their communities and then back to campus than for students
who are living full time on campus? And are you looking at that?
Mr. DANIELS. That is an excellent question, Senator. Thank you.
Yes, we are. It was observed that in many schools, and we are one,
half of our students also live off campus. Now many of them are
very close by. We are going to be working very closely with their
landlords and others try to make certain that they are following
the same practices that we will in the housing that we administer.
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I will just say that it has been very sad to read about so many fur-
loughs, layoffs of some staff and faculty at other schools.
We haven’t done that at Purdue and intend not to do that in any
way possible but it is a significant issue. Our principal responsi-
bility is to our students and to our university community, but we
are very conscious, as you say, that we are an economic driver that
many other people in the community around us do rely. And so our
responsibilities to them both from a health safety standpoint and
from an operational and economic standpoint, we try never to lose
sight of.
Senator COLLINS. Thank you. Dr. Paxson and Dr. Hampton, in
Maine more than 7,400 students are served by the TRIO programs
and I have always been a very strong supporter of those programs
because we have a great number of first-generation college stu-
dents in my state.
I am very worried that if colleges do not reopen this fall that we
are going to increase the number of people who have some college
but no degree and they end up with student debt, but no credential
to help them pay off that debt. What do you think of expanding
programs like TRIO to make sure that the students supports are
there to encourage students to come back to school and to complete
their degree or earn their credential if they are attending a commu-
nity college?
Dr. PAXSON. Thank you, and the TRIO program is a marvelous
program and I am fully in support of bringing our lowest income
students and our first-gen students back to campus, and not just
at Brown but nationally. It should be a national priority. I am also
concerned that without increases in financial aid, and actually I
agree with the other speakers on this call, that Government with
Pell Grant would be a great thing to do.
These students, if they don’t come back, if they defer, if they
delay, they never come back and they may not get their degrees.
Another related issue, which is I think even more alarming is that
colleges and universities have to close permanently. They have a
lot of students who are going to be halfway through degrees and
finding another institution to complete their degrees may be very
different. So, we need to keep a close eye on resistance and edu-
cation degree completion, especially during this time.
Senator COLLINS. Thank you.
Dr. Hampton.
Dr. HAMPTON. Senator, I absolutely support the TRIO program.
Lane College was a strong provider of the Upward Bound program.
And in the most recent round of competition Lane College lost out
by one point. We were one point out of the funding band. That is
50 to a 100 students. That is six faculty staff members who we lost
and have not been able to provide services for.
Well, I absolutely support an expansion of the TRIO program.
Lane College is an East Jackson—it is an economic as a donut.
Lane College is a $36 million engine in this area. To have a strong
Lane College means to have a strong Jackson and a strong West
Tennessee, and so I would very much support expanding TRIO pro-
gram and getting Upward Bound back at Lane College.
Senator COLLINS. Thank you.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Collins.
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Senator Casey.
Senator CASEY. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for the
hearing. I want to thank you and Ranking Member Murray for
calling this hearing. I want to thank our three college presidents
and Dr. Benjamin for their appearance as well as their testimony.
It is very informative for us who have higher education institutions
in our state to have this hearing. And I would just note at the out-
set that the pleas for help that higher education institutions have
brought to Capitol Hill, including some this morning, should be
mindful.
All Presidents should be mindful that right now as we speak at
the beginning of June, there is no prospect for legislation right now
that is related to COVID–19 in the month of June. I hope that
changes but right now the U.S. Senate is only doing nominations.
I hope that you would bring some pressure to bear on the majority
to begin to negotiate a new piece of legislation that would address
a range of issues including support for higher education, especially
for students. But let me start with the question of how students
will respond to the change of circumstances on college campuses.
Student compliance with social distancing or enhanced safety
protocols or other measures obviously are the key to reopening
safely. That, you have said that, you are living that now. There are
going to be substantial enforcement challenges as you know, espe-
cially when students are not only on campus but engaging with or
interacting with members of the community for various reasons. So
one of the concerns obviously, and you all understand this, is the
risk of spread within a community, asymptomatic transmission es-
pecially. So I got three questions for the presidents and I hope I
can get a question into Dr. Benjamin.
Number one is what are the protocols that you are using? And
I know you have outlined some of those. Some of this will be by
repetition. Number two is, how do you enforce those protocols? And
number three is how are you engaging with students right now or
have you already engaged to review and to make certain what
those protocols will be in the enforcement? So, protocols, enforce-
ment, and then engagement. We can just go in alphabetical order
to President Daniels.
Mr. DANIELS. Thank you, Senator. Protocols are essentially about
distance, about masking, about monitoring one’s own system. The
pledge I talked about monitoring one’s own symptoms, reporting
right away for testing if anything suspected, all of that. I would say
in terms of enforcement, yes. I really think the most important
thing we can do is foster a culture, I am cultural about this, on our
campus. We are going to appeal to students’ altruism. I see it every
day long before COVID came along.
Young people in overwhelming numbers want to do good things
and want to help others more. Well, here is a chance in a huge
way. We are also—I am frankly going to tell them, there are a lot
of cynics out there who don’t believe you will do this. They think
you are too selfish and too self-indulgent. So let’s go show them
how much you do care about your fellow human beings young and
old. Last, I would just say that this is the central question. I be-
lieve the most important one.
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If we do all the other things we have talked about and don’t have
reasonable compliance, we probably don’t make it and vice versa.
Very interesting study out of Hong Kong showed that simply reach-
ing 80 percent compliance with masking stops the spread of infec-
tion, lowers the RO number below 1. So this really is very central.
I am hopeful but we are going to do everything all summer long
and all fall to try to foster it.
Senator CASEY. Thank you.
Dr. Hampton.
Dr. HAMPTON. Yes, sir, Senator Casey. We have some practice
with this point. When we went to remote instruction and we had
about 200 students that remained on campus and we began to
practice the CDC guidelines. And we had a group of students who
decided to have a party and they took pictures and posted them.
Well, let me just say they had very good conversations with the
dean of students following that. And so I have every confidence in
our student body. After that our student body practice, those 200
students, they practiced going to the cafeteria, getting their lunch
going, back to their rooms. They practice social distancing. They
did operate in pods though where you see a group of students mov-
ing around together.
Senator CASEY. Thanks so much.
Dr. Paxson.
Dr. PAXSON. Thank you. And I can add I think it is very impor-
tant that the protocols that students have to follow are one crystal
clear, not ambiguous, not overly complicated, but grounded in pub-
lic health goals. That there is an expectation that a violation of
those protocols is a violation of our student code of conduct and so
they are enforceable.
Ideally though you don’t do this through enforcement of rules,
you do it through changing culture and developing a set of norms
where students understand that they are protecting themselves,
but they are protecting their fellow students, their faculty mem-
bers, people who they respect and love. If we can get that message
through them, I am very confident that we will do well.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you.
Senator Casey.
Senator CASEY. I think I will submit a question for the record for
Dr. Benjamin——
The CHAIRMAN. Wait.
Senator CASEY. I know we got to go. Thank you.
The CHAIRMAN. Sorry, Senator Casey.
Senator Murkowski.
Senator MURKOWSKI. Mr. Chairman, thank you. Thank you for
being here today. Thank you for your leadership in your respective
schools and the leadership that you are showing as you are guiding
your students and your faculty through very challenging and un-
charted times. We worked hard within the CARES Act to try to en-
sure that we were able to get direct relief out quickly to small busi-
nesses, quickly to our schools, quickly to the individuals through
direct assistance. And as I look back through CARES, it seems to
me that one group that kind of got missed were the students, those
who are over 16 and were not dependent on their parents were not
able to receive direct assistance, parents weren’t able to receive it
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on their behalf. Many times not eligible for unemployment insur-
ance.
When I think about the impact to the students at the time, they
are literally, in Alaska’s specific case, a spring break is underway,
and they get the word, don’t come back after spring break. In the
University of Alaska’s situation, what they were able to do was
provide financial assistance to many students from everything from
ensuring that they had transportation back to their homes, ship-
ping, their belongings back, or emergency funds. And I know that
tuition costs in many institutions have been refunded but to what
extent have we been able to make our students whole in terms of
the cost that they incurred.
As we know most students don’t have a lot of disposable income
out there where they have got money in savings that they can pick
this up. Were you able to fully reimburse your students for their
cost due to whether it is unexpected travel, housing, the lost class-
es? To what extent were you able to provide that relief to your stu-
dents? And we will just start with you President Daniels and go
down the line.
Mr. DANIELS. I can’t say it was fully. I am sure it wasn’t as prob-
ably it wasn’t in many other contexts around the country. But I
hope it was adequate. We did refund very substantial percentage
certainly of fees, housing costs, and so forth, and we had an emer-
gency fund which we augmented and came to the specific relief of
students who made application and were having exactly the kind
of troubles that you are having.
I am very attentive though to watching for this fall.
We have increased our financial aid to the extent we could and
we will just have to—we will learn a lot more in the next few
weeks about whether a student, a pre-existing and, or incoming as-
piring freshmen are being prevented by financial exigency from
doing what they are very eager to do.
Senator MURKOWSKI. President Paxson.
Dr. PAXSON. Thank you. So like other schools, we really pulled
out all the stops trying to support our students, our highest needs
students as they transitioned home, travel, laptops, Wi-Fi, books,
etc, etc. And I think that was fairly successful. What we found
though is that the needs are continuing and in some ways growing.
As unemployment has increased, students’ families are losing
their jobs. Students’ summer jobs have been—they have evapo-
rated. There is nothing for students to do this summer. And so
while we are doing all we can to try to find them alternative things
and things for pay over the summer, it is very, very hard to meet
that for me. We have waived the expectation that students will
save money over the summer to meet part of their tuition in the
coming year, but we are getting requests for help with food. That
is where we are.
Senator MURKOWSKI. Dr. Hampton.
Dr. HAMPTON. Yes, we were able to use the student portion of the
CARES Act and distribute that straight directly to the students
bank mobile accounts. We were able to do that on April 30th. 78
of our students communicated to us that they needed assistance
with food. 73 percent of our students indicated they needed assist-
ance with housing. And so we prorated the amount for food and
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housing and we also added in some support for transportation and
we distributed those funds directly to those students. Now we are
using the bonds to help students to return to college and support
their educational needs or any a number of things for food, for a
housing, for digital supplies, for digital resource, for hot spots. We
are supporting those students on a case-by-case basis.
Senator MURKOWSKI. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Murkowski. We have seven
Senators remaining and everybody is doing a good job of staying
within 5 minutes, which I thank you for.
Senator Baldwin.
Senator BALDWIN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I wanted to ask a
couple of questions first to Dr. Benjamin. Dr. Benjamin, you stated
in your testimony that every school, all schools should be prepared
to have at least one case of COVID–19 on campus. Last week, I
learned from the University of Wisconsin-Madison that they had
run out of the reagent needed to run one of its testing platforms.
Despite continuous calls for support from the Administration, the
Administration essentially said that private labs need to rely on ex-
isting supply chains for things like reagent. Can you describe why
schools need to have all of the supplies on hand, not just the test-
ing platforms but testing supplies in order to respond to the very
high likelihood of new cases?
Dr. BENJAMIN. The challenge, of course, you have is that you
have a case, and you are going to have to test someone. If you don’t
have the capacity within your own campus health program, you are
going to have to have a strong linkage to someone else that does.
The biggest challenge we have had with all of this testing, frankly,
fundamentally has been the supply line issue.
It is going to require some partnerships. It is going to require on
a daily basis making sure that you have adequate testing capacity.
And just—because it is going to happen and the way things work
in the world as, a case comes in and the test isn’t available, and
then all the things that occur after that which are problems having
these as a result of the inability to test. So they are going to have
to have adequate testing otherwise it can’t function at all.
Senator BALDWIN. Thank you. I have a second question for you.
I know that in some of the testimony by both Senators and our wit-
ness panel, there were references to the fact that most of the se-
vere health outcomes from the coronavirus are among older people.
And so, certainly students in the typical student undergraduate
age range are predicted to be more healthy, but I want to just con-
sider several things as we move forward to seeing more campuses
reopen. According to the American Federation of Teachers, 40 per-
cent of adjunct or contingent faculty who comprise 75 percent of
total instructional staff are over the age of 60, and I am also think-
ing a lot about our technical and vocational colleges that will prob-
ably during a time of excessively high unemployment see a new age
demographic beyond what they have always already seen as a re-
sult of the Great Recession.
I am very concerned about not only the safety and health of un-
dergraduate students, but also faculty and the staff that work on
our campus campuses. I am confident that colleges and universities
want to do the right thing, but they need very clear rules of the
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road and workers need to know that they are protected. It is why
I worked with several of my colleagues to introduce the Every
Worker Protection Act which actually requires the occupational
safety and health administration to issue emergency temporary
standards that cover all workers and workplaces and require work-
places to implement infectious disease exposure control plans to
keep their workers safe.
You stated in your testimony that OSHA needs to promulgate
such a standard. Do you agree it is important for the safety of fac-
ulty and staff as well as students they serve that such a standard
not voluntary guidance, but a standard being placed before colleges
and universities move to reopen this fall?
Dr. BENJAMIN. I have been running big organizations on and off
for a long time. And unless you have standards that everybody can
rely on, you are not going to get anywhere. Those standards are ab-
solutely important to protect workers because they create frankly
a floor that everybody can rely on. It does not mean you can’t do
more than that, but I have always argued that those kinds of
standards are absolutely essential. They reduce a whole range of
your risks. And so I would also agree with your statements, Sen-
ator.
Senator BALDWIN. Thank you.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Senator Baldwin.
Senator Cassidy.
Senator CASSIDY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the
university presidents for thinking creatively about reopening the
school. Dr. Benjamin correctly points out that even though you are
less than 25 and you have less risk, the risk is not zero of health
effects, but what we do know is that if you miss out on critical
years of education, it is an absolute 100 percent risk that your fu-
ture economic prospects are minimized.
President Paxson I am struck by would you say, so far CDC rec-
ommendations seem to be the kind of minimum standard. They are
not actually kind of what would really like. Dr. Benjamin first
going to you knowing, that the Federal Government has been slow
coming out with testing strategies for settings like universities and
that what they do at Lane is going to be different than what they
do it, Brown, different than what they do at Purdue, Louisiana
State University or to Lane just because of different sizes of
schools, is your organization promulgating or suggesting different
strategies so that someone like President Hampton, God bless him,
is able to get his university reopened and with kind of a strategy
about how to use the testing which is available?
Dr. BENJAMIN. Well, we are not specifically developing standards.
We are encouraging schools and others develop learning
collaboratives so that they can learn from——
Senator CASSIDY. Yes, I apologize because I just have such mini-
mal time. I do think it is important to have the strategy. I think
it is important to the Federal Government. I think it is important
for others. President Paxson, it appears that you have put together
a strategy. I just want to explore that a little bit because I think
you would inform others. We understand that if you have an out-
break in a particular dormitory and it is not other dormitories, in-
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tuitively you and devote resources to the folks in that dormitory.
Is that the beginning of your approach or how would you say that?
Dr. PAXSON. Yes, so, the optimal testing strategy is something we
are working on really carefully, it would be with epidemiologists,
and it is going to be data-informed and it is going to change over
time. It depends on prevalence in the local area. But certainly one
of the components would be if there was a student who tested posi-
tive, their dormitory, their classmates would be people who doing
standard contact tracing protocols would be people who would be
tested next——
Senator CASSIDY. Let me ask you, one thing we have been inter-
ested in, because there might be a limitation on the number of
tests available, is the ability to batch test. To do, 100 in a dorm
but if it tests positive then you do each individual. Is that part of
your strategy?
Dr. PAXSON. Well, we are exploring that and that is something
that is still relatively new. Batch testing looks promising as does
waste water testing where you can test stuff coming out of the
dorms and figure out if anybody in the dorm has it, so we are ex-
ploring those options.
Senator CASSIDY. You are very delicate when you say stuff com-
ing out of the dorm. President Hampton, as you put together your
strategy—these folks got medical schools. Again, God bless you.
You are much more constrained in terms of resources, where are
you developing your testing strategy from and what could be done
to help you or those similarly situated, my black colleges and uni-
versities in Louisiana for example, to implement such a strategy
knowing that your student body may have an increased incidence
of those comorbid conditions which increase risk?
Dr. HAMPTON. Well, I begin with number one, make the invest-
ment in our institutions. Make that make that $1 billion dollar in-
vestment in the historical Black College Universities, tribal col-
leges, MSI’s and the $46 billion in the greater body. Make that in-
vestment. We had a little bit of practice with this during the past
spring.
We implemented protocols where the student would present—a
student presented in our health services, then that student was
tested for flu and others. They were screened. And we had one inci-
dent on our campus in the spring with students who remain on
campus where a student was—they had come in contact with the
person and we were able to isolate that person into an apartment
complex, allow that person to go through those 14 days, and then
they have that person to not show any symptoms at all.
Senator CASSIDY. Let me ask you because I am almost out of
time the strategy the President Paxson has put together where,
you may do wastewater or but you certainly have a micro-commu-
nity within your campus with upon whom you are focusing because
they have shown to be positive at least, one person, within them.
Do you all have a similar set of protocols or would it benefit you
for those to be promulgated by some organizations such as CDC or
another public health organization?
Dr. HAMPTON. It would in fact benefit us to have those promul-
gated but we do in fact have partnerships with our Madison Coun-
ty Health Department, with our Christ Community Health Depart-
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ment, or Health Center, to be able to do testing for any of our stu-
dents or in our public who believe that they have some or someone
who may show symptoms, that they will be able to go get tested
and get their results back in 24 hours.
Senator CASSIDY. Got it. Thank you. I yield back. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Dr. Cassidy.
Senator Murphy.
Senator MURPHY. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank
you all. This has been incredibly helpful for all of us. Mr. Chair-
man, I want college sports to come back. I want sports in general
to come back. I miss it. For me it is a release from this job, and
I can’t wait. At the same time, I want it to come back for the right
reasons and I want it to come back safely. And so I wanted to ask
a series of questions on this topic because I think it is important.
Maybe I will start with you, Mr. Daniels. I think it is interesting
that college sports teams are coming back for practices before pro-
fessional sports leagues are feeling that it is safe enough to come
back.
I have read through what your University is doing to try to pro-
tect students that are returning. These are contact sports. There is
no way ultimately to have social distancing for a football team or
a soccer team. And so what happens if you have an outbreak over
the course of summer training or in the early fall on your football
team or on your women’s soccer team. What is your protocol? Do
you shut that team down? So they stop playing the season? Do you
just segment off the players who have tested positive? This is a po-
tential for a super spreading environment if you are not careful.
Mr. DANIELS. I completely agree with you. I think you would
shut it down and I think that will—somewhere out there someone
may very well face this situation. Our teams are resuming indi-
vidual workouts later than some but they are coming back to that.
Then group workouts. The conference we belong to has prescribed
some guidelines and we will follow them.
In some cases exceed them, but I think you are quite right. And
we love sports too, but first things first and that starts with the
safety of people, players, coaches, but don’t forget the people who
may be at most risk of a spread here are the older folks, coaches,
and others. So I hope we get back but if it takes longer or if it is
subject to interruption then so be it.
Senator MURPHY. Let me ask you one specific question if I could
drill down, what happens if you have got a scholarship player who
doesn’t feel comfortable coming back. Let’s say they have got a
mother at home or a grandfather that has got medical complica-
tions. If they decide not to play football this year because they just
don’t think it’s right for them, do they maintain their scholarship?
Mr. DANIELS. Yes, they would. We have honored scholarships at
Purdue for a long time for people who couldn’t play or continue to
play some reason, could be injury for some a personal tragedy. So
that would not—that would be consistent with our policy. And I
think I can speak with authority for our athletic department that
we would see that as the right thing to do and the thing we ought
to do.
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Senator MURPHY. I appreciate that. I will note that is not right
now the standard for all NCAA schools and I think it would be im-
portant for us to make sure it is. And then last and maybe most
importantly, what are you going to do about attendance at sporting
events this fall because that is what I really worry about. You have
the Iowa Athletic Director on the record. He is a member of your
conference saying that right now his plan is to let everybody into
the football stadium and anybody who wants to come watch can.
We had a situation in Westport, Connecticut before, this was an
epidemic were 50 people got together for a birthday party.
One person had coronavirus, one of the first in the Northeast to
have it. At the end of that party, half of them had it and the virus
was off and running on the East Coast. So it worries me that we
are contemplating putting hundreds of thousands of adults and stu-
dents into stadiums, especially when the professional sports
leagues don’t seem to be entertaining that idea. What is your un-
derstanding today? Are we going to have fans in stadiums for
events in your conferences fall?
Mr. DANIELS. Can’t speak for any others but we are not looking
at going beyond one-fourth of the capacity of our 57,000 stadium
right now. This has been mapped out just as we have mapped out
classrooms and dorm rooms to measure distance and then exceed
the requirements. We would be doing it too. So it comes out to
about a one-fourth on the work we have done now.
Now we know that outdoors is very different. That it is very hard
to spread this outdoors, but we are still going to take an abundance
of caution approach. I cannot tell you about indoor sports right
now. I don’t think I see a way that we can proceed on anything like
the basis that we have all been familiar with.
Senator MURPHY. I appreciate that. That is still, 10,000 to 20,000
people all together for an event. I think that may be a pretty dan-
gerous endeavor. And I think it is interesting compared to profes-
sional sports who have decided to make a different decision. I think
it is a topic worth continuing to talk about. Thank you, Mr. Chair-
man.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Murphy.
Senator Warren.
Senator WARREN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to start if
I can by quickly thanking Ranking Member Murray for the com-
ments acknowledging what is happening in our country. We can’t
ignore the racist violence that has killed George Floyd and Ahmad
Aubrey and Brianna Taylor and so many, many others. We must
commit ourselves to change to using this Committee as well as oth-
ers to advance anti-racist policies in health, in education, and for
workers including today’s hearing about reopening colleges.
Millions of families moving students across this country are won-
dering when and how colleges are going to safely reopen and I
know this is a hard question that is going to vary from campus to
campus but President Daniels you wrote a recent op-ed entitled,
why failing to reopen Purdue University this fall would be an unac-
ceptable breach of duty. So your op-ed makes it sound like you
have already decided you are going to reopen no matter what come
this fall. And in that, you discuss how you are going to mitigate
risks to undergraduate students, but I notice there is almost no
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discussion of addressing lists to workers or faculty who tend to be
older and more at risk. Nothing about the wage workers or hourly
workers, workers who are often black or brown.
These workers are responsible for serving the food in the dining
halls, including the dorms and classrooms and keeping your cam-
pus running. They are particularly vulnerable and they have the
least power and they are getting sick at disproportionate rates. So
President Daniels, Purdue has nearly 17,000 employees, nearly
half are staff who won’t be able to work.
Normally this fall they might get sick. They might need to care
for a loved one, and they might have small children that need care,
or because of their age or pre-existing health conditions, they may
not feel safe coming onto a college campus during a pandemic. So
I just want to know if you laid out publicly a plan for these work-
ers.
Mr. DANIELS. Well, thank you Senator——
Senator WARREN. Actually, let me just ask specifically. Can you
agree to continue paying them if they can’t come to work or if they
decide it is too risky to show up for work?
Mr. DANIELS. Well thank for the—I am so glad you asked the
question because first of all you could not have better express our
entire philosophy and strategy. I don’t know if you were here for
the opening presentation, but I enunciated it then. And our entire
strategy is built around the protection of the vulnerable and that
starts with faculty and staff. Starting next week we will have one
to one visits with our faculty to try to figure out what their—we
have a grid that attempts to estimate their degree of vulnerability.
There is some we don’t want near campus at all. So we will make
an accommodation for——
Senator WARREN. If I could—I am sorry. I am just limited on
time. Just understand, you haven’t put out a plan publicly yet and
it sounds like you haven’t worked one out but you are planning to
work it out one-on-one with your employees, is that right?
Mr. DANIELS. Our plan is entirely based on the protection of the
vulnerable and that will include trying to make individual accom-
modations for those about whom we have the most concern. About
a third of our staff——
Senator WARREN. Well, I was asking whether or not you had al-
ready laid out a plan. And I take the answer on that is no.
Mr. DANIELS. No, the answer to that of course is, yes. It is very
comprehensive and I will repeat it if you need it.
Senator WARREN [continuing]. Publicly. I just haven’t seen this
plan laid out. Because my question is really about who has power
and who has voice in these decision. Best practices are best prac-
tices only if everyone is at the table who is going to be affected
when those plants are being laid out. So I just want to move on
for the time being but I will follow-up in writing to try to get public
commitments that going forward you are going to include both fac-
ulty and staff at the table and you are going to explain about how
this is going to intersect with their pay and how you safely reopen
this campus.
Dr. Paxson, I want to stay on the topic of power and account-
ability. In addition to being the president of Brown University, you
are also the vice chair of the Board for the Association of American
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Universities which signed a letter last week from the American
Council on Education, which is the very powerful college law urg-
ing Congress to, ‘‘quickly enact temporary COVID–19 related liabil-
ity protections for higher education, institutions, and systems.’’
Now, Dr. Paxson, as you know current law imposes liability only
when the college has behaved unreasonably under all the cir-
cumstances.
The law does not impose automatic liability when somebody gets
sick or even when somebody dies. Instead its liability only when,
for example, in a pandemic a college doesn’t take reasonable efforts
to clean up common spaces or to separate desperately sick stu-
dents. So when colleges lobby to change that standard and to walk
away from it, even if they are extraordinarily careless with the
lives of their students, even if these colleges take completely unrea-
sonable risks, even if someone dies, what message does it send to
our families and our students. Would it make you more comfortable
or less comfortable as a parent of an incoming student?
The CHAIRMAN. Dr. Paxson, we are well over time but you take
whatever time you need to answer that question.
Dr. PAXSON. Thank you very much. I do not want protection from
being careless. That is not what we are about. And if we are care-
less, if we don’t follow guidelines, that is something that should not
be protected in any way, shape, or form. The fact is though we are
in a brand-new time. We have never seen this before. We are in
uncharted territory.
I think many institutions are very nervous that even if they play
by the rules scrupulously, that they will still be subject to class ac-
tion lawsuits, lawsuits—they will probably prevail if they have
done right but the cost of defending those lawsuits will take money
away from tuition, financial aid—not from tuition from financial
aid and all of the support that we provide for our students. So I
am in favor of very carefully crafted liability protection that in no
way, shape, or form permits us to be careless with people’s lives.
Senator WARREN. Well, thank you.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Warren.
Senator WARREN [continuing]. Over. If I can, I just want to ask
unanimous consent, Mr. Chairman, to enter statements for the
record on this issue from Americans for Financial Reform, the Stu-
dent Borrower Protection Center, Public Citizen, American Associa-
tion for Justice, and Georgetown Law Professor David Vladeck. The
public should know that a college just like any institution—has to
behave—that is what the law requires.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator. So ordered.
[The following information can be found on page 88]
Senator WARREN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN. Senator Braun.
Senator BRAUN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am going to lead
in with Senator Warren’s question and I think it is a valid one to
ask in the sense that the safety of your employees, staff at univer-
sities, as well as your customers which would be the students, is
very important. But underlying the way she phrased that question
would be that it is not in the extreme interest of the university,
of businesses across this country to keep not only your customers
safe, your employees as well. It also to me, by the way it was stat-
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ed, assumes that there is not going to be the agility and the ability
to do both of them. And my question is going to be for President
Daniels and you can continue a response if you want to but I think
rest assured for the people that run the real economy, including
teaching our students, they have in their own best interest to do
all of the things—this kind of bureaucratic approach has been to
where it is tamp down economies may be unnecessarily.
We are able to do two things at once and I think that argument
that you cannot operate safely and keep the disease at bay might
have been an underlying strategic error and how we have ad-
dressed it in the first place. So President Daniels as any entre-
preneur sometimes your plans don’t work out the way you might
hope they will. I know when building a business over 37 years, if
things were growing great in the moment, I said hey, something is
going to come along to maybe try to derail it.
Had the data not shown you or if something should change to
where you bring students back to school and I think everything you
have laid out makes it sound like a great plan, let’s say if not, how
does your involvement with online education, I think you call it
Purdue Global, would that have been a back-up plan that would
have come into play for your students that would want to attend
on campus? Tell me a little bit about that and then more broadly
how you think that part of post-secondary education might break
the cost curve that has been so tough to do with traditional edu-
cation on campus.
Mr. DANIELS. Senator, Purdue Global is a separate branch of our
University. It serves a very different clientele. The typical student
there is a 33 year old woman with a job and usually family respon-
sibilities. It is really aimed at that enormous universe of Americans
who started college and didn’t finish. And helping them get to the
finish line and we hope a better station in life. Now, we learned
a lot. I have learned a lot about online education.
As I mentioned, we will be offering to those students who can’t
get here this fall or choose not to come in person this fall, an online
option for their undergraduate education. But Purdue Global is
aimed at basically working Americans. And I will say to your ques-
tion, I think the surface is this, with the damage we have done to
this economy, it may be that there is a much greater need or great-
er market for very affordable Purdue online education of the kind
Purdue Global and many other fine schools provide.
Senator BRAUN. To dig into that a little more deeply, how long
do you think that cost curve will take from the involvement in on-
line undergraduate as well as what you are learning from trying
to educate older students? Do you think that is something that is
going to be disruptive enough where like healthcare, for instance,
it costs us double here in our country roughly what it does in most
other countries with results that aren’t any better. Do we have that
opportunity through disrupting education in a way since it is the
next most stubborn cost increase each year, through technology,
through something different that most of us might not see at this
point in time?
Mr. DANIELS. The exorbitant, even staggering cost of higher edu-
cation has been an issue for quite some time now. Thank you for
noting—at Purdue we have not changed our tuition in the last
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eight years and have pledged that will last at least through a 9th.
We are less expensive in nominal terms than we were in 2012 and
with the result, I think we have been able to attract more students
and terrific students for whom affordability and accessibility is a
real issue.
Now, in the wake of this terrible pandemic, it seems very clear.
I think that there will be a new pressure on schools, us and every-
one, to find every way possible to make this vital service we sell
a more affordable and I can’t imagine you have any other outcome
than that.
Senator BRAUN. Keep it up. I think leading the way on trying to
make something that is along with health care for most families—
the demand is inelastic. We all want it ironically of course, classic
economics. That is where cost us the most in this country and we
need to do much better. Thank you.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Braun.
Senator Kaine.
Senator KAINE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for this
important hearing and to our witnesses, I have been very, very
critical of the Administration’s handling of the public health side
of this crisis. There is no reason the United States should have
more than 100,000 deaths. There is no reason that our economy
should have been hammered by this in the way that it has, espe-
cially if you look at what has happened in other countries. Since
I have been critical and I am going to continue to be also feel like
I got to give credit where credit is due. The Administration has
done some things that I want to thank them for and some are kind
of right in this bailiwick, helping us work out implementation chal-
lenges for the CARES Act. You will remember, Mr. Chairman, after
the CARES Act passed, some thought that the aid was not going
to go to students, might be taxable income.
The Administration worked quickly with us to clarify that was
not the case. Some universities trying to get PPP loans were told
that their students, work study students would be counted as em-
ployees putting them over the 500 limit disqualifying them for PPP
loans. Again, the Administration worked very quickly to lay that
concern and so I got to give credit where credit is due because I
am going to turn soon to some more criticism. I do want to thank
Senator Murphy for raising the football question because it is an
example of how opening is complicated. Folks who play football are
amateurs. They are not getting paid. Folks who play football are
disproportionally minority.
There has been a number of articles in Forbes and Sports Illus-
trated about how football especially in the power five conference is
a big-money thing. I hope we do not, because big conference foot-
ball is a big-money thing, risk the lives of amateurs who are pre-
dominantly minority by going back before we can especially be-
cause the NCAA has figured this out when they canceled spring
sports, like baseball, they told all the athletes if you want another
year of eligibility, you can get it.
Many who lost their last year of basketball or baseball were sort
of heartbroken about it and had to figure out ways to go and get
a master’s degree or stay at a college for an extra year so that they
can have that extra year of eligibility. We can provide that experi-
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ence for student-athletes if they want it without jeopardizing their
health because football is a money-making proposition and I hope
we will all consider that. All right, let me get to the critique. Mr.
Chairman, you said a couple of times, your opening statement lays
it out so well, the road to reopening is through testing. The road
to reopening is through testing.
I deeply believe that there is other issues, obviously, but the road
to reopening colleges is through testing. The CDC has a document
that they have put out and continually updated. It is online right
now. It is called Considerations for Institutions of Higher Edu-
cation. The most recent update was May 30. It is a very com-
prehensive document. I just got in here on my iPhone. You go
through it. Principles to keep in mind, IHG institution of higher
education, general settings, IHG on-campus housing settings, pro-
moting behaviors that reduce spread. Sub points under all of these,
multiple sub points under all of these—maintaining healthy envi-
ronments.
Let’s see what else do we have here? So many maintaining
healthy operations room, layout water system supplies, sub-point,
sub-point, sub-point. You go through this endless document and not
a mention of testing. The CDC guideline, right, preparing for when
someone gets sick, endless sub points. There is not a single men-
tion of testing in the document that the CDC currently has to give
to our universities. Now, I get it that our universities don’t need
a mandate. Test everybody or test one-sixth of students. But uni-
versities don’t all have CDC’s, they don’t have NIH’s. They need
guidance. If you are going to give a university guidance about how
to make sure the water system safe or how to limit the size of ac-
tivities or what to do when a student gets sick, it would seem like
you would give them some guidance, some recommendation about
testing protocols.
Mr. Chairman, you laid out sort of a good one. Maybe you test
everybody who is sick or anybody in vulnerable population, and
then maybe you would want to do some sentinel testing randomly
to determine the spread of antibody’s—and it strikes me you could
give that guidance to our universities without, a mandate that is
too restrictive.
My suspicion is this because this has been more to do in general
with the Administration. They don’t want to set goals for testing
because they don’t want to be measured against those goals be-
cause they know that if they are measured against the goals they
are going to fall short. The only way you get to a goal is by stating
it. If you don’t state it, you are not going to get there.
I think our CDC does a great disservice to colleges, small, me-
dium and large if they don’t provide some basic guidance about
what a testing protocol that would be successful would look like.
And with that, Mr. Chairman, thank you.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Kaine.
Senator Hassan.
Senator HASSAN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to thank
you and the Ranking Member for having this hearing and I want
to thank our witnesses for all that you are doing to help your stu-
dents in our communities. Between the COVID–19 crisis and the
rightful outrage following the killing of George Floyd, this is a
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deeply challenging time for our country. That is true at our institu-
tions of higher education. And as we grapple with how to reopen
safely during a global pandemic, we must also remember that high-
er education institutions have historically served as places of civil
discourse.
As our local communities and our country works together to
make our systems more equitable and just, I look forward to work-
ing with all of you. My first question is to our three College presi-
dents. Last week, I sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary DeVos with
Senators Tim Scott, Loeffler, and Booker urging the Department of
Education to ensure that students receive the financial aid that
they are now eligible for due to the economic impacts of COVID–
19. Specifically, we asked the Department to issue guidance to col-
leges to help ensure that students’ financial aid eligibility can be
appropriately adjusted and to update the online FAFSA form to
capture recent changes in income for financial aid applicants.
To each of the college presidents and I will start with you Presi-
dent Daniels, can you speak to how your students have been eco-
nomically impacted by COVID–19. I know you have done it a little
bit through this hearing but more importantly why further action
by the Department of Education is needed to help ensure that stu-
dents get the financial aid that they are eligible for.
Mr. DANIELS. Well, Senator, I can’t say that we know yet. We are
in the process of finding out now which students who have ex-
pressed the desire to come to Purdue will finally come and can
manage it. And I don’t doubt that many of them have encountered
significant economic setbacks since they expressed that intention.
We will know much more over the next few weeks. I am hoping
that most of them will be able to do it but I applaud the initiative
that you led and those who joined you. And clearly we all need to
do all we can to get a more swiftly and directly and flexibly, which
is a point I think you just drew our attention to, to every young
person who needs it.
Senator HASSAN. Thank you.
President Hampton.
Dr. HAMPTON [continuing]. Pell Grant. It is no question that our
students have been negatively impacted by COVID–19. When we
did our survey of our students, that survey went to the students
about five weeks after the majority of our students had been home
and those students reported back to us while they were at home,
78 percent of them said, I need help with food, 73 percent said I
need help with housing. Our students need help now.
They will need to help in the fall. They did their FAFSA based
on the previous income. Those incomes have now dropped. Their
families will have less means to help them come back. So whether
it’s online or whether we are face-to-face or whether it is a hybrid,
our students need the help as a result in COVID–19 and the vi-
cious effects of racism on their parents income.
Senator HASSAN. Well, thank you.
Dr. Paxson.
Dr. PAXSON. After the 2008 recession, financial aid at Brown rose
by 12 percent. The maximum unemployment rate during that re-
cession was 10 percent. We are heading to 20 percent. We are also
hearing from students who are saying, I know my FAFSA was cor-
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rect, but it is no longer in any way an accurate portrayal of my
family’s economic circumstances. So we are going to having to go
back and revisit all of those aid awards because we are in an ex-
traordinary time for students and their parents.
Senator HASSAN. Well, thank you. I want to turn the Dr. Ben-
jamin now if I can. And I know Dr. Benjamin we talked a bit in
your answers about what colleges need to do from a public health
point of view, including robust testing and contact tracing as part
of their strategy as they reopen. But you also spoken about even
with the best public health protocols in place to ensure that stu-
dents, faculty, and staff practice social distancing, recommended
hand washing, and wear masks, it is likely inevitable that there
will be spikes in cases on college campuses.
What protocols do believe should be in place to contain a detected
spike in cases on college campuses? And if colleges are forced to
close, what can be done to ensure that students leaving campus do
not spread the virus in their own communities?
Dr. BENJAMIN. Absolutely. The reason why I recommended that
the link very close with their state and local health departments
is so they can very quickly get involved in contact tracing and dis-
ease containment because in many cases these will involve the
community as well. And, they should have planned for that. They
should have pre written guidelines for how they are going to han-
dle it. Who is on first, how they are going to manage it. Who is
the spokesperson for the University. How do they link protocols
with the state and local health department so that there is no de-
bate about who is actually managing the disease outbreak.
I would assume that in most cases the contact tracing activity
will be done by the state and local health department and not the
university but it depends on how big the community health pro-
gram is at the University. They may very well want to be involved
in that but if you don’t have plans for that, it will be at best, a
mess. So it does require a fair amount of planning up front and all
the various scenarios that they can possibly think of would be im-
portant for them to do.
Senator HASSAN. Well, thank you and Mr. Chairman, I have lost
sight of the clock on my screen.
The CHAIRMAN. I am afraid we are well——
Senator HASSAN. I am going to assume that is about 5 minutes.
Thank you.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Hassan. I would say to the
witnesses we only have two Senators remaining.
Senator Jones.
Senator JONES. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I really appreciate
your leadership on having this hearing and Ranking Member Mur-
ray, and also thanks to all of our witnesses. Let me first associate
myself with all of my colleagues comments regarding the issues
that we are facing in America today and the problems that we are
facing, but as we see the issues out there, I am also seeing some
rays of hope. I am seeing folks that are peacefully demonstrating.
I am seeing people that are getting together to raise their voices,
but doing it together locked arm and arm, black and white, folks
of all races, religions, and walks of life. And I don’t think the media
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often focuses on that as much as they do in some of the more vio-
lent protests, but we see it happening all the time.
I do think there is rays of hope out there. Dr. Hampton, would
like to ask you, I would like to follow-up a little bit with you be-
cause as you probably know that I have been one of the champions
I think for HBCUs. We have like 13 in my state. Senators Alex-
ander and Murray have helped us get a lot of funding for HBCU’s
recently and I joined with a couple of colleagues in sending a letter
asking for an additional $1 billion funding.
I would like for you to talk just a little bit assuming you can get
that, how would that be invested? How would that be used by the
HBCUs around the country? Either makeup shortfalls to help with
students, infrastructure? How would you use the additional fund-
ing Congress might, can give you?
Dr. HAMPTON. Yes, sir. In my college we have several strategies
that we are using those funds for. Number one we are using it to
make our campus more safe for our students as they return to our
campus. As I look at the look at our numbers and our estimates
in terms of where we are, I mean, we are going to need anywhere
from $3 million to $6 million to $13 million to fully be able to con-
vert Lane College from a residential campus to a hybrid campus
that is both, is offering classes online and face-to-face.
For our purposes, we are going to use those funds to support the
students, to make sure this campus is safe and to begin the conver-
sion of this campus to be able to deliver at a high level our online
courses. We will need those funds for a number of different diverse
set of—for additional staff, for learning management, for services,
purchase digital devices, to purchase digital resources, data plans
for our students. Our needs are significant.
Senator JONES. Yes, thank you. I appreciate that. President Dan-
iels, let me follow-up. As you could probably guess a Southeastern
Conference Senator is going to follow-up on some of the sports
questions that Senator Murphy and Senator Kaine said. And I real-
ly have to two. They asked several that I had. One would be what
steps will you try to take to try to minimize the risk to these ath-
letes and the coaches going in? Certainly, you may have to shut
down a program if you see something but what steps will you take
to minimize the risk.
Second, of all, the loss of revenue is going to be significant. The
loss of revenue for colleges is going to be significant. What can Con-
gress do to help make up for that? What do you plan on doing to
make up for the lost revenue that supports not only your football
and basketball programs but also all of the other sports that you
have at Purdue?
Mr. DANIELS. Senator, our athletic department has put together
a very protective plan. There will be a lot of separation, at least
initially, between athletes and we would do lots of testing, very
regular testing to try to spot any infection at the first possible mo-
ment and do all the smart things about that. Again, we believe we
could in an outdoor setting have at least a fraction of the fans.
They have to enter in different ways and obviously be spaced in dif-
ferent ways.
But we do think that part is possible and consistent with safe
practices. But we are all in very new water here and we well may
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change some of these directions as we all learn more. With regard
to the dollars question, I am not sure that a Federal treasury that
has already done with it has done, borrowed what it has borrowed,
wants to be making up athletic shortfalls. And we at Purdue, I am
proud to say, have always operated self-sufficient Athletic program.
We have never had to impose a fee or on our students who are
not able to play and may not even be that interested in athletics
as much as some of us are. So on the list of huge problems we have
been discussing this morning, I don’t want to minimize this one,
but I for one would not urge that you place that high nearly as
high as for example helping HBCUs and some of these other goals.
Senator JONES. Thank you. I was hoping that would be your an-
swer. I appreciate that very much and thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Jones.
Senator Rosen.
Senator ROSEN. Thank you, Chairman Alexander, Ranking Mem-
ber Murray. I want to thank all the witnesses for being here today,
for the work and care that you do to help our students and those
that work at our universities. But I believe we really need relief
for our dreamers and our student veterans. And the COVID pan-
demic has severely impacted Nevada’s colleges and universities and
the students they are serving. That is why I was glad to vote for
the CARES Act which provided more than $6 billion to our insti-
tutes of higher education to provide emergency financial aid to stu-
dents most affected by the pandemic. The new law intentionally
provides significant flexibility to institutions in determining how to
distribute funding among students, including those who are most
in need.
Unfortunately, the Department of Education has decided that
only students who are eligible to receive Federal financial aid qual-
ify for CARES Act assistance. Since this decision excludes student
veterans, individuals who haven’t completed the FAFSA applica-
tion, and DACA recipients, many of whom have an added financial
burden of supporting their parents, their siblings, their children,
being the first in their families to attend college, in April I joined
a letter along with several members of the Committee asking Sec-
retary DeVos to reverse this decision to prohibit institutions of
higher education from providing CARES Act emergency financial
aid grants to undocumented students, but have not yet received a
response.
Dr. Paxson, like our educational leaders in Nevada, you and your
university have long supported protections for dreamers, given this
and the extraordinary situation in which we find ourselves, do you
agree with the Department of Education’s guidance excluding un-
documented students on the CARES Act?
Dr. PAXSON. No, I don’t agree at all. I firmly believe that if the
point is to protect students who are the future of our country, we
should be protecting DACA students veterans and international
students who are here in this country and need the support.
Senator ROSEN. Thank you. I appreciate that. I am going to ask
all the panelists this next question that the Department of Edu-
cation in this guidance that was given excluded our student vet-
erans, veterans that have served our country, protected our Nation,
sometimes our older students that have families, really important
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that they continue to get any support they need, along with those
who don’t fill out FAFSA applications for many reasons, maybe
they come from foster families or are homeless youth.
All kinds of reasons that those students aren’t filling out, don’t
know how to do that. We want to know how your students are
going to help—how you are going to help these students and if you
agree with that just get decision to exclude the student veterans
and let’s begin with President Daniels and we can go on to Dr.
Hampton and then return to Dr. Paxson.
Mr. DANIELS. No, thank you, Senator. I agree these, these don’t
seem like wise choices. I frankly did not know about the impact on
veterans so thank you for drawing our attention to that. Other
than that I can just say and as we did in a to a previous question
that we are doing all we can to move money to scholarships and
to financial assistance. We do anticipate that whatever shape our
applicants were in just two or three months ago is very different
today we are going to need to do more.
Dr. HAMPTON. Senator, my college is a veterans friendly institu-
tion. I am not aware of any negative impact that this ruling had
on the veterans at Lane College. However, for those several stu-
dents that needed support who were not eligible for the CARES
Act, we were able to fund those students through our Board of
Trustees that made donations to support all of our students.
Senator ROSEN. Thank you. Appreciate that.
Dr. Paxson.
Dr. PAXSON. I would just reiterate what I said before, I think all
students are equally deserving. Students who deserve on economic
grounds to be supported need to be supported. We have not yet re-
ceived any CARES Act funding. We are awaiting some guidance
from the Department of Education, but our intent would be to sup-
port students equally as well as we can.
Senator ROSEN. I just have a few seconds left, but I just want
to address the digital divide. I am going to go really quickly. Of
course we do distance learning. The fact remains, before
coronavirus far too many college graduate students, of course, they
had—lacked adequate broadband access. That happens in my rural
communities up and down the state and our underserved commu-
nities. So what can you do or what are you planning to do to ad-
dress this digital divide? It is particularly in broadband. It might
apply to your students? And I guess you can go—Dr. Paxson, I see
you first, so you go first this time.
Dr. PAXSON. We have done a lot of work this spring making sure
all of our students have internet access from home or more WIFI,
hotspots and have done pretty well with that. Another thing we are
focusing on is helping the city of Providence make sure that all of
the high school students in the area have digital access because
that has been a huge problem for a school education.
Senator ROSEN. Fantastic. Thank you. Let’s move on to let’s see
who I would like to go next. I guess, Dr. Hampton.
Dr. HAMPTON. Lane College is sourcing and providing digital de-
vices as well as hotspots for our students and we were able to use
the funds, the CARES Act funds, for some of that.
Senator ROSEN. Perfect.
Governor Daniels.
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Mr. DANIELS. Yes, very similar answer. We had problems. Fortu-
nately they were fairly limited, generally in rural spaces as you
had suggested, and we were able to come with up individual assist-
ance as far as I know in any each case. Also we are blessed as a
land-grant school with an extension service so we do have offices
in even very small population counties and I think that gave us a
little advantage in helping those who were struggling.
Senator ROSEN. I appreciate that. I appreciate all you are doing.
Thank you.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Rosen. I want to thank Sen-
ator Murray and her staff as well as our staff for their cooperation
and their technical expertise today in this hearing. I want to espe-
cially thank the four witnesses who all have demanding schedules
who made time for us. This is of more value than you might think
to us and to our staffs and to the American people as they listen
to President Daniel, Dr. Paxson, Dr. Logan, Dr. Benjamin. There
is no more sure sign that the American life is regaining its rhythm
than when 70, 75 million students head back to college and back
to school, which is where we believe they will go and our focus this
month is to help make sure they go safely.
Today our discussion has been about colleges. Next week we will
be talking about kindergarten through the 12th grade, going back
to school safely. We will be having other hearings this month on
telelearning, telemedicine, on looking ahead to the next pandemic
as we continue our oversight responsibility. I am going to include
in the record a letter from the American Council on Education to
which one of the Senators referred earlier. That organization is an
umbrella organization representing most of the 6,000 higher edu-
cation institutions in the country. It asks Congress to consider a
number of things including properly constructed liability protection
for institutions as a result of COVID–19.
[The information referred to can be found on page 80]
I also heard that from virtually every one of the 90 Tennessee
higher education institutions with whom I had a discussion by tele-
conference last week. The issue of testing came up and my advice
to colleges, for example, Dr. Hampton talked about Jackson, Ten-
nessee. In our state, the Governor said if in doubt, get a test, and
I know that works because I went to the public health department
in my hometown of Maryville and waited about three minutes in
line and got my negative test which fortunately turned out to be
negative a couple of weeks ago.
For colleges and universities who don’t have large hospitals or
their own capacity to create tests, my advice would be to be a part
of the state’s plan because according to law every state submits to
the Federal Government its testing needs for the next month. And
then if its needs cannot be met by the state, the Federal Govern-
ment will help with that. For example, with swabs or reagents. Ad-
miral Giroir testified before our Committee that we should have 10
million tests capacity in the country this month, which would be
about, if my math is right, the 500,000 tests a day that was men-
tioned by Dr. Benjamin.
He also said that he anticipated that there would be 40 to 50
million tests available per month by September. In addition to
that, Dr. Collins is heading up an effort of the National Institutes
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of Health to which we call the Shark Tank which would create a
highly competitive environment to see if we can find one, two,
three, four new ways of creating accurate, rapid tests, which would
be tens of millions of more tests so that there would be an ample
supply this fall for universities.
My advice would be, if there is a question for college or institu-
tion about testing, become a part of your state’s plan and let the
state look ahead and help with that. This has been a very helpful—
now I have some words I am supposed to repeat. The record will
remain open for 10 days. Members may submit additional informa-
tion within that time.
The CHAIRMAN. Thank you for being here. Our next meeting will
be next Wednesday, June the 10th, COVID–19, going back to
school safely. The Committee will stand adjourned.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
A PLAN TO SAFELY REOPEN AMERICA’S SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES
Guidance for imagining a new normal for public education, public health, and our
economy in the age of COVID–19
SUMMARY
People across the United States are eager to return to some semblance of ‘‘nor-
mal.’’ To do so, we must meet a Herculean challenge: remaking our society and the
places in our lives we hold dear—public schools and colleges, places of worship,
workplaces, restaurants and more—in ways that hold paramount our ultimate prior-
ities: the safety and well-being of our children, families and communities; the safety
of our members and every frontline worker; and the health of our economy and eco-
nomic well-being of working families.
Physical distancing efforts have slowed the rate of COVID–19 infections, but no
expert believes we will eradicate this virus without a vaccine. Reopening pre-
maturely by relaxing stay-in-place restrictions and resuming large public gatherings
runs the risk of undoing the work of the last two months. A premature return to
full commercial activity risks a second surge of infections and second lockdown as
is happening in Singapore right now. Even once public health officials deem it safe
to reopen, doing so without the necessary precautions could be deadly.
This document provides a roadmap for navigating the next steps. It provides spe-
cific guidance for transitioning from lockdowns to other public health tools to limit
the transmission of COVID–19. It focuses on reopening school buildings in par-
ticular, because the safe reopening of public school buildings means students can
go to school, and parents, who work outside the home, can go to work. That is key
to the reopening of the broader economy. 1
We expect the plan to evolve and adapt over time. It rests on five pillars that
draw on the best available science and public health guidance, and the expertise of
educators and health practitioners. Gradually, responsibly and safely reopening soci-
ety requires:
1. Maintaining physical distancing until the number of new cases
declines for at least 14 consecutive days. Reducing the number of new
cases is a prerequisite for transitioning to reopening plans on a community-
by-community basis.
2. Putting in place the infrastructure and resources to test, trace
and isolate new cases. Transitioning from community-focused physical
distancing and stay-in-place orders to case-specific interventions requires
ramping up the capacity to test, trace and isolate each and every new case.
3. Deploying the public health tools that prevent the virus’ spread
and aligning them with education strategies that meet the needs of
students.
1 School systems have been operating throughout this pandemic. By reopening schools, we
mean having regularized access to school buildings and other physical learning and service de-
livery locations.
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4. Involving workers, unions, parents and communities in all plan-
ning. Each workplace and community faces unique challenges related to
COVID–19. To ensure that reopening plans address those challenges, broad
worker and community involvement is necessary. They must be engaged,
educated and empowered.
5. Investing in recovery: Do not abandon America’s communities or
forfeit America’s future. These interventions will require more—not
less—investments in public health and in our schools, universities, hos-
pitals, and local and state governments. Strengthening communities should
be a priority in the recovery.
The AFT held its first press conference on COVID–19 on Feb. 2. Our union has
worked to ensure the safety and well-being of our communities and our members,
and we’ve been particularly fixated on the frontline workers who are risking their
lives to combat this pandemic. Early on, we worked to alert our members and allies
of the risks of an impending pandemic; unfortunately, the Trump Administration
gave little and often conflicting guidance. We have remained steadfast in our efforts
to keep people safe, while also fighting to keep our public schools and universities
functioning, and for economic security for workers.
There are no magic elixirs to simply reopen. Reopening demands comprehensive,
transparent action and forthright communication by Federal and state authorities,
and will take the dedication, voice and forethought of frontline providers and edu-
cators and their unions, school districts, hospitals, local governments and commu-
nities. The alignment in every school and workplace of public health, instruction
and operations is absolutely imperative.
COVID–19 has exacerbated the deep inequalities in our society and underscored
the need for additional public investments to combat this inequity. As we face grow-
ing recessionary forces, we can’t simply limp out of this crisis or revert to a status
quo. We need a renewed sense of national urgency to reimagine a better America
and a pathway to a better life for all.
The challenges facing us should not be underestimated. For example, even as Gov-
ernors relax physical distancing requirements (after observing a reduction in the
number of new cases), some communities may not reflect the statewide trend. More-
over, each workplace faces a unique set of challenges for preventing the spread of
the virus. Additionally, we must consider the possibility of a resurgence of the virus
in the fall. Communities must be engaged, educated and empowered to exist under
this pre-vaccine new normal.
No one knows our public schools, universities and hospitals better than AFT
members, many of whom will face great risks in carrying out their jobs. That is why
our members and leaders must be at the table in envisioning and implementing
plans to reopen our society at the local level.
Our commonsense approach requires real partnerships with employers and com-
munity stakeholders on state and local levels. School districts, universities and hos-
pitals should look to unions and the collective bargaining process as opportunities
to provide genuine participation, communication and buy-in from the workers ulti-
mately responsible for ensuring the health and safety of our students, patients and
those we serve. In the absence of collective bargaining, other consultation processes
must be established. There is no substitute for eyes and ears on the ground in the
case of public health and safety.
1. Maintaining physical distancing until the number of new cases declines
for at least 14 consecutive days.
While projections vary, we are likely at least a year away from a widely available
vaccine. Adherence to physical distancing protocols has flattened the curve, showing
early signs of reducing the number of new cases. Flattening the curve is not a pan-
acea; it does not mean no additional cases. Its goal is to reduce the number of new
cases, to reduce illness and to ensure the healthcare system is not overwhelmed by
critically ill patients.
Unless and until we have adequate testing capacity, there is simply no way to
know whether we have sufficiently reduced the number of new cases to consider re-
opening society. Once we have reduced the number of cases for at least 14
days with adequate testing in place, reopening plans can go into effect on
a community-by-community basis.
Decisions to phase in less stringent physical distancing requirements and to begin
expanding allowable activities should be based on established criteria such as a sus-
tained decline of infections combined with protocols for protecting high-risk popu-
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lations. This must be coupled with a robust public health infrastructure with the
capacity for effective disease surveillance, tracing, isolation of those infected and
quarantine.
While most physical distancing requirements come from state authorities, local
decision making has a critical role to play. Even if a state determines that it can
ease or altogether lift physical distancing requirements based on the 14-day trigger,
the number of new cases in a specific community may not reflect the statewide
trend. That is why it is critical for unions to be in regular contact with their employ-
ers, and with their local and state authorities, as well the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, to assess their particular situation. Unions and employers need
to determine whether there is (a) adequate testing in their community, given the
number of confirmed cases, and (b) then, once there is adequate testing capacity,
a reduction in the number of new cases for at least 14 consecutive days to make
a decision to transition to reopening. This information must be transparent and
available.
Active surveillance of new cases that develop once reopening has started will iden-
tify clusters of disease. Prompt action must be taken to prevent the widespread re-
surgence of COVID–19 in a community. It may be necessary to resume sheltering
in place for shorter periods of time in communities where there is disease resur-
gence, and plans must be in place so schools and other workplaces are prepared if
they must close again.
2. Putting in place the infrastructure and resources to test, trace and
isolate new cases.
Transitioning from community intervention to case intervention requires the ca-
pacity to test, trace and isolate new cases as they emerge. As Governors and public
health experts have repeatedly said, this capacity to test, trace and isolate every
new case of COVID–19 must be built now. People with confirmed infection should
quarantine for at least 14 days (or based on the latest CDC guidance). Anyone in
contact with confirmed cases should be traced and tested. Since there is ample evi-
dence of both asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread, it is necessary to test con-
tacts to ensure the virus is contained. In addition, anyone who exhibits symptoms
consistent with COVID–19 should be tested immediately.
Serological testing—a test that looks at people’s blood for trace evidence of wheth-
er they have come into contact with the virus—also provides some hope. With sero-
logical testing, we may be able to identify people who have developed immunity and
may be less vulnerable to infection. Concerns about reliability, privacy and govern-
ment oversight warrant close consideration by unions in determining whether and
how serological testing is appropriate for the workforces we represent.
Public health departments are leading testing and tracing efforts, but they have
been defunded for years and are stretched thin for resources. Estimates suggest that
the United States needs to deploy somewhere between 100,000 and 250,000 contact
tracers to adequately move from community intervention to case intervention.
However, local communities cannot hold their breath for a day that may never
come or the scale that we need. Unions, in partnership with employers and state
and local authorities can help public health departments in their efforts to test,
trace and isolate new cases. And to contribute to this effort, unions, working with
employers and others, should also consider creating and training in-house contact
tracers and rapid response resource coordinators. These roles would serve to help
people with confirmed diagnoses, and provide available health and financial sup-
ports and resources during quarantine, to mitigate the isolating and other effects
of the experience.
Again, alignment of strategies, logistics and operations is essential. What we are
facing is complicated and unprecedented. Testing, tracing and isolation must be
done in conjunction with other public health tools and interventions like physical
distancing, proper hand-washing, the use of personal protective equipment like
masks, and other supports and services (for example, food and mental health serv-
ices) that communities need.
3. Deploying the public health tools that prevent the virus’ spread and
aligning them with education strategies that meet the needs of students.
Reopening society and the economy hinges on successfully reopening schools.
While there is general guidance on how each community should respond to mitigate
the risk of spreading the virus, public education, higher education and our
healthcare system each face unique challenges. We must take every precaution to
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ensure that students, teachers and support staff are safe at school and not transmit-
ting the virus. This requires: adopting evidence-based public health measures at
every school and workplace; aligning those measures with necessary instructional
and well-being strategies that meet the needs of students and staff; and recognizing
that this may be a roller coaster because it may be necessary to resume physical
distancing at certain times and on a rolling basis, to address community-specific
outbreaks. Even without COVID–19, there are many programmatic considerations
for educators as they plan for every school year. Elementary schools programs fare
differently from high schools, so incorporating public health measures takes plan-
ning and resources. The alignment of logistics, educational strategies and public
health tools really matter, which is why the eyes and ears of frontline workers must
be respected.
The following framework for assessing methods for controlling exposure to haz-
ards in the workplace was initially developed by the National Institute for Occupa-
tional Safety and Health and later modified by Johns Hopkins University in re-
sponse to the COVID–19 pandemic. 2 It is a good starting point.
˛ Physical distancing—Allowing people to work from home and/or re-
structuring work to minimize the number of workers physically present
in a workspace.
˛ Screening—Utilizing screening measures at work and school sites. This
could include temperature-taking, if still recommended as an effective
screening measure by the CDC.
˛ School-based programming and organization—Among many things
discussed below, redistributing work responsibilities to reduce contact be-
tween people.
˛ Personal protective equipment and sanitization—Providing med-
ical-grade masks for health professionals and nonmedical-grade masks
for all others, and disinfecting schools on a regular basis, in addition to
providing hand-washing and sanitizing stations.
A. Reopening Our Schools
First and foremost, we must do all we can to ensure students, teachers and sup-
port staff are safe at school and are not unknowingly transmitting or contracting
the virus. This will require a number of steps that anyone who has consumed any
news has heard repeatedly: screening and testing, contact tracing, and isolation and
quarantine measures, as well as ongoing prevention measures like frequent hand-
washing and some degree of physical distancing. There won’t be a one-size-fits-all
process, or a hard open where every school in every district immediately turns the
lights on; we may be opening and closing for a number of months while we secure
these measures and develop ways to keep everyone safe. In addition to the imme-
diate public health tools and interventions, we must plan for a curriculum-based
academic year, and for the panoply of appropriate educational and social-emotional
supports our students need. We must be prepared for the trauma, the transition and
the many instructional issues—including the effects of learning loss and the digital
divide.
Revisiting the community school model is a way to do all of the above. Even be-
fore the COVID–19 pandemic, community schools created a community hub where
students and families could get access to health services, where marginalized com-
munities received support, and where necessary services were available in one place.
This model is needed even more now, given the effects of the pandemic—from the
inequalities that have been exacerbated, to the need for care before and after school
so that essential workers can continue to work and other parents can return to
work.
If experts deem it safe, summer may be a way to start planning a community
school model that incorporates the collaborative partnerships and community re-
sources families have used, including meals and medical care, while schools were
closed. 3 Summer is a way to try things other countries are doing, including Den-
mark, Germany, Israel and Norway, which are bringing in small groups of students
2 Caitlin Rivers et al., ‘‘Public Health Principles for a Phased Reopening During COVID–19:
Guidance for Governors,’’ Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, April 17, 2020,
https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/publications/public-health-principles-for-a-
phased-reopening-during-covid-19-guidance-for-Governors.
3 John King and Randi Weingarten, ‘‘What Comes Next for Public Education?’’, The Hill, April
24, 2020, https://thehill.com/opinion/education/494521-what-comes-next-for-public-schooling.
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who need instruction first, including students with special needs whose needs were
hardest to meet during closure.
A voluntary multiweek summer session could provide enrichment and ‘‘catch-up’’
time. It also would enable trying, on a smaller scale, protocols that may work when
schools open more broadly, including staggered scheduling, increased hand-washing,
and nightly school cleaning. And summer can be an opportunity to expand grab-and-
go nutrition programs, as food insecurity remains a pressing issue for far too many
students.
Now is the time for unions and employers to work on all issues for returning to
school. This includes programming, space, operations, logistics, calendar, and align-
ing all the public health interventions with all the schooling interventions: ensuring
students’ healthy social, emotional and academic development; nurturing productive
relationships; building resilience; supporting diversity and inclusion; and rebuilding
the school community.
While COVID–19 has upended much of our lives, it has reinforced the value and
importance of public schooling. Teachers and school staff across this country con-
tinue their heroic efforts to make distance learning work and support their stu-
dents—with many parents working valiantly to support them as well. This experi-
ence has made clear that there is no substitute for a safe and welcoming neighbor-
hood school.
While our public schools have been woefully under-resourced, and we must con-
tinue the fight to change that, this next two years is an opportunity to visualize
what schooling looks like in a post-pandemic era, to ensure every child has the op-
portunity to thrive.
i. School-Based Public Health Interventions
Even after shelter-in-place orders are lifted, physical distancing—including lim-
iting the number of people who can be in a school, a hall, an auditorium or a class-
room—will play an important role in school safety. Physical distancing measures are
the most effective intervention but also the most disruptive. It is a real possibility
that even after schools open, targeted building closures could happen around the
country in response to community outbreaks. That is why, even though online edu-
cation is not a substitute for the in-person learning and socialization that happens
in schools, schools must prepare for hybrid measures: both in-school and remote
education.
Handling emergent cases:
Districts, in partnership with unions, will need to develop protocols for the refer-
ral, tracing and isolation of students and staff who are exhibiting COVID–19-related
symptoms or with confirmed diagnoses. Any plan should, at minimum, include:
Entry process/screening:
˛ Hand-washing on entry to all schools, with soap and water or hand sani-
tizer;
˛ Screening for symptoms in children and staff, including temperature-tak-
ing if recommended by the CDC;
˛ An isolation room;
˛ Clear protocols for communicating with students, parents and staff who
have come into close/sustained contact with confirmed cases;
˛ Limiting access to the nurse’s office and creating a secondary area for
triage for other student illnesses or injuries;
˛ An ability to transfer healthcare staff to sites with more cases, without
diminishing support available to students elsewhere in the district; and
˛ Communicating directly and immediately with parents and community
regarding cases and how the district responded.
Protections for at-risk staff and at-risk students: COVID–19 disproportion-
ately affects people 65 and older and those with underlying chronic health condi-
tions. Reopening plans should consider providing these workers with the option to
deliver instruction remotely while students are in the building, with students under
the supervision of qualified staff. At-risk students should have a similar option to
learn remotely while their teachers and peers are in school.
ii. School-Based Public Health Reorganization
Prolonged physical distancing practices may prove impossible for certain popu-
lations. Schools serve diverse populations, from very young children, to students
with severe behavioral issues, to others with physical limitations that may make
strict adherence to a six-foot distancing standard difficult. This will require efforts
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to reorganize the school day and school operations to maintain health and safety
standards.
It is critical to recognize that different schools, different districts and even dif-
ferent rooms will require tailored solutions.
˛ Smaller class sizes. One of the most important measures districts can
take is to reduce class sizes. Class sizes of 25 or more students in a small
classroom pose obvious risks to student health and safety. Class sizes of
12–15 students will, in most circumstances, make it possible to maintain
physical distancing protocols.
˛ Split scheduling. Alternating days of the week or times of the day may
offer schools a way of limiting the number of students physically present
in the building at any given time. Knowing that split scheduling may
cause disruption for parents and guardians, schools should consider put-
ting in place after-school care with safety protocols for students and fami-
lies most in need.
˛ Monitoring access to school facilities. Schools should closely monitor
access to school facilities and limit the number of visitors granted access
to school facilities.
˛ Transportation. Districts should consider modifying transportation to
provide staggered arrival times and multiple arrival locations to limit
large gatherings of students.
˛ Staggered lunch and meal times. Meals should be staggered through-
out the day, and schools should consider having students eat in class-
rooms with appropriate protocols to keep the classroom clean.
˛ Special student populations. Additional considerations and planning
will be needed for students with disabilities, underlying health condi-
tions, asthma or respiratory illness, and special education requirements.
˛ Training for staff, students and parents. Districts should consider
providing up-to-date education and training on COVID–19 risk factors
and protective behaviors.
˛ Alternative plans for after-school programs, sports, recreation
and physical fitness. These activities may need to be adjusted using
the above protocols.
˛ Space and time considerations. This includes the need for portable
classrooms or additional space if schools are overcrowded.
˛ Additional supports. This includes professional development, small-
group instruction, and all the other social-emotional and academic pro-
grammatic supports necessary during this transition.
iii. PPE and Sanitization
˛ Availability of and training on how to effectively use PPE. Edu-
cators and support staff need appropriate PPE and training on how to
properly put on, use, take off and dispose of it.
˛ Hand-washing stations and protocol. Schools should set up hand-
washing stations upon entry to school buildings. Hand-washing recesses
can be integrated into the schedule throughout the day for all students
and staff.
˛ Daily sanitizing. School facilities should be thoroughly sanitized on a
daily basis to prevent transmission of the virus, increasing staff as nec-
essary.
iv. Mental Health Supports for Students
Our collective response to COVID–19 requires much more than limiting the
spread of the virus. Prolonged physical distancing, death and illness in our families
and communities, and economic dislocations, will leave many students and faculty
with ongoing trauma and mental health issues, and it is incumbent on us to meet
their needs now more than ever. We know from brain science that lack of psycho-
logical safety and the impact of adverse childhood experiences impede and even pre-
vent learning. These impacts will be widespread. This will require additional staff
with expertise in mental health, to provide trauma and sensitivity training for all
staff, students and parents. All staff should be trained on how to identify students
struggling with trauma and refer them to mental health professionals for additional
support.
v. High-Quality Instruction
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Teachers and school support staff have responded to the crisis with verve and cre-
ativity, creating an entirely new educational delivery system remotely with no ad-
vanced notice and little, if any, training. If anything, the pandemic has proven that
teachers, when given the freedom to teach, will rise to the occasion to deliver high-
quality instruction to their students.
˛ Blended in-person and distance learning models. When school at-
tendance is not possible or is limited, districts could consider a temporary
blended model that distributes educational time between in-person learn-
ing and distance learning or fully remote instruction. Recognizing the
dangers of excessive time on devices, especially for young students, dis-
tricts should develop age-appropriate student learning schedules with
teacher input.
˛ Expanded access to broadband and technology to close the dig-
ital divide. Districts should identify students and educators who lack
sufficient access to the internet and the hardware that has become crit-
ical to distance learning, and determine solutions for equal access to
learning opportunities for those who are unable to connect with the
school digitally.
˛ Professional development. Professional development and collaboration
time for teachers—before the school year begins, and ongoing—will be
more important than ever. This should include not only relevant content,
but should address teaching in the new instructional environment, and
trauma-informed practices.
˛ Rethinking student assessments. An extensive review of all assess-
ment programs to limit the loss of learning time to excessive testing, and
to prioritize assessments that provide teachers critical information. Spe-
cial effort will be needed for appropriate diagnosis of students’ learning
levels and needs given the truncated traditional school year. These
diagnostics should be teacher-friendly and accompanied by access to rel-
evant instructional resources and supports to fill gaps.
˛ Performance evaluation. Districts should put formal evaluations on
hold during the reopening period until they develop new expectations for
the possibility of instruction that alternates between in-person learning
and distance learning. Informal evaluation focused on helpful feedback
should continue.
˛ Role of data. Beyond refocusing schools on the fundamental values of
public schooling—a focus that has been lost over the years—it is also
time we repurpose the role of information and data in our schools. For
too long officials have used school and student data solely for account-
ability purposes. As we reopen our schools, we need to primarily use
these data to guide instruction, identify and share best practices, and
help collectively solve mutual problems.
˛ Teaching and learning. The considerations laid out above must be
placed in the context of the overall instructional program as well as sup-
plemental services and co-curriculums—all of which will require signifi-
cant adjustment. Consideration of the needs of students—particularly
students with disabilities and special needs, economically disadvantaged
students, and English language learners—will help ensure that the pro-
gram works for all.
As the CDC guidance suggests, schools can be information hubs and
places to practice key protocols to help stop the spread of the virus. We are
facing a new normal, and at least in the near future, schools will not be the same.
In the short term, this new normal requires more, not fewer, resources—nurses,
mental health professionals, and additional instructional and other support. This
crisis provides an opportunity to reimagine America’s public schools as inclusive and
welcoming places for all children to thrive and learn.
Perhaps, out of crisis, we will put our children’s and their educators’ well-being
first. That means, just as we must listen to the healthcare experts to help ensure
everyone’s safety through this outbreak, we must listen to frontline educators, staff
and administrators to ensure children’s new normal is one that meets their needs.
B. Reopening Our Colleges and Universities
Institutions of higher education have been essential to our defense against this
pandemic, and they will be essential to economic recovery in the new era. American
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colleges and universities have produced many of the people who have helped us
through this crisis—physicians, nurses and other frontline medical professionals, as
well as supply chain logisticians, information technology personnel, materials
science engineers and innovators, and more, who will be urgently needed at every
step of what is to come.
College campuses are, historically, exceptionally open physical environments, with
most spaces, including buildings, accessible to the public virtually all day, and with
a wide range of students, faculty, staff, community members, vendors, outside orga-
nizations and other people—all of whom are potential COVID–19 vectors—moving
in and through the work site, and to off-campus locations both near and far. The
extended duration of daily campus operations—7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily is not at all
uncommon—allows minimal or no window for deep-cleaning procedures.
All of this means that the dislocations caused by the COVID–19 crisis pose a
unique existential challenge to American higher education. Because of decades of
disinvestment, many institutions—public and private—are revenue-dependent, and
are currently not situated to survive even a 10 percent or 20 percent decline in en-
rollment, or the closure of campus housing for a semester or two. While prospective
students at elite institutions consider taking ‘‘gap years,’’ the students who would
and should attend public colleges and universities are in danger of dropping out of
college entirely. And college and university workers rightly fear that this confluence
of factors will combine with an aggressive transition to online modes of instruction
to result in institutional collapse.
It is critical to remember that the higher education workforce skews older than
average, and is, by the CDC’s definition, at heightened risk from coronavirus. And
they are, in the majority, struggling financially. Most teachers in higher education
are gig workers. Seventy-five percent are employed one year or semester at a time.
One-third of them are making less than $25,000 per year, one-quarter of them are
food-insecure, and 43 percent of them have put off seeing a doctor for financial rea-
sons in the past year.
To keep these institutions afloat, and to grow the educational infrastructure we
will need in order to come back as a nation from the coronavirus, a program of in-
vestment similar to the grant program that has helped to stabilize small businesses
in this time is needed. We must invest in our institutions of higher education like
never before, with the college equivalent of Title I: $50 billion in funding to public
institutions of higher education and minority-serving institutions. This money
should flow through states with a formula that emphasizes enrollments of low-in-
come individuals, and encourages greater support for institutions that derive larger
shares of their operating budgets from state and local sources.
Specific recommendations for our colleges and universities include:
i. Physical Distancing
˛ Faculty must decide whether and how online instruction is possible and,
with the guidance of campus and public health officials, how any in-per-
son or hybrid instruction can be conducted safely.
˛ As much as possible, college and university staff—both professional and
classified—must be afforded the opportunity to continue telework.
˛ To encourage the greatest extent of physical distancing, institutions must
do everything possible to close the digital divide for faculty, staff and stu-
dents, thereby lessening the need for anyone to be in shared space in
order to access the internet.
˛ Residential colleges and universities must implement physical distancing
measures for both residents and staff in campus housing, dining facilities
and other common areas including libraries, if they remain open. Institu-
tions should consult with, or employ, public health specialists to advise
in an ongoing way about how to accomplish this.
˛ To prevent fear pushing faculty or students into physical proximity when
physical distancing could and should be maintained, institutional leaders
must expeditiously work with institutional accrediting agencies, pro-
grammatic accreditors, and union and employer sponsors of workforce
training programs, to assure students and faculty that the responsible
movement of instruction into remote/online and hybrid space will not be
penalized.
˛ Create and utilize campus public health teams to evaluate and rec-
ommend action on potential problem areas on campus, and to assess and
improve the institution’s capacity for testing, tracing and isolation.
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ii. Campus-Based Solutions
˛ Flexible graduation requirements. Be flexible about program and
graduation requirements, course timelines and sequences, requirements
for professional certification, and other areas of historic stringency that
may conflict with the need for physical distancing. Consider adjusting
upper-level courses to account for changes in the preparedness of stu-
dents who have taken lower-level courses online during this interval.
˛ Protections for academic freedom. Attend to academic freedom and
student/faculty privacy in a remote learning environment. The safety of
open discussion in a contained classroom could be compromised by the
possibility of recordings that get widely circulated.
˛ Data security. Establish rules, including contract language, that reas-
sure faculty and students that corporate education vendors will not be
using this crisis to enhance their data mining and in turn appropriate
that data to expand prefabricated curriculum.
˛ Prepare for ongoing disruption. To the extent an institution is re-
opening, make and propagate plans for disruptions to in-person instruc-
tion caused by surges in COVID–19 cases.
˛ Protections for at-risk populations. Create and enforce policy and
practices to prevent replicating and worsening the virus’s dispropor-
tionate impact on older people and people with underlying health condi-
tions that place them at greater risk. Be especially attuned to the needs
of older faculty and staff, or those with underlying health conditions or
with household members who have underlying health conditions, to be
able to work out of proximity to others.
˛ Adjust compensation for additional instructional time. To maxi-
mize educational value and ensure compliance with physical distancing,
plan to pay teachers, particularly adjunct teachers and graduate assist-
ants, for the time they are asked to spend meeting either in person or
virtually with smaller groups of students than had met in the past.
iii. PPE and Sanitization
˛ Identify and provide appropriate PPE for employees and students.
˛ Establish cleaning regimens; properly protect and train the custodial
staff who conduct the cleaning.
˛ Appropriately and regularly sanitize public buildings, especially campus
residential and dining facilities.
iv. Physical and Mental Health Considerations
˛ Community health liaisons. Add trained nurses and counselors to
oversee the handling of identified cases of illness in the college or univer-
sity community, and to direct those in need of resources.
˛ Protocol for new cases. Expand campus health resources, including
isolation rooms for students identified with COVID–19 symptoms. Estab-
lish criteria for when residential students with COVID–19 symptoms, or
who are diagnosed as COVID–19 positive, will be excluded from regular
campus activities, and identify the procedure that will be followed to relo-
cate the student either on or off campus.
˛ Resources for degree completion. Strengthen and expand existing
programs to help students maintain continuous enrollment and progress
toward degrees—e.g., small-dollar grant programs, transportation and
child care assistance.
C. Readying Our Hospitals and Health Systems
The lessons of this pandemic demonstrate the dangerous consequences of being
ill-prepared. The inability of our decimated public health infrastructure to handle
a pandemic puts the problems with our corporatized healthcare system on full dis-
play. In the absence of widespread immunity to COVID–19, new infections could
surge once shelter-in-place orders are lifted and society begins to reopen. Experts
additionally talk about a possible second wave of outbreaks in the fall. Without a
robust public health infrastructure, and absent enforcement of strong protective
guidelines and a supportive response plan by the Federal Government, union lead-
ers in the health sector must engage in meaningful ways of holding employers ac-
countable.
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The gap between our public health system and private healthcare corporations
must be addressed. A lack of transparency and a funding model that has starved
resources from the public health system not only reward pharmaceutical and large
healthcare corporations. They also establish a power imbalance that minimizes the
voices of patients and workers in setting standards of care and in helping shape how
care should be delivered. Notwithstanding the challenges with our current system,
evidence-based practices, enactment and enforcement of protective regulatory stand-
ards, and collectively bargained terms are necessary to ensure healthcare workers
can care for patients without fear of harm to themselves and their family, should
a resurgence of the virus occur.
Worker safety is patient safety. Our healthcare workforce has borne the brunt of
workplace infections and deaths related to COVID–19, owing in large part to the
crisis rationing of PPE and the diminution of Federal standards and guidelines that
conform with the highest standards of patient safety. It is imperative that nurses
and other health professionals are at the table during employer debriefs and when
preparedness plans are evaluated and modified, to ensure our healthcare workforce
is not working in hazardous conditions. Health and safety issues must be addressed
before another surge in infections occurs. PPE supplies must be adequate in number
and quality, and all staff should be fit-tested and fully trained for use of PPE.
State reopening plans phasing in the return of elective medical procedures and
routine care require a hard look at where we have failed to keep our patients and
healthcare workforce safe. With COVID–19, nurses and healthcare professionals are
working in conditions where protective measures of infection control have failed and
their expertise and training have been overlooked. Infection control measures in pa-
tient care environments have necessarily been adjusted during the pandemic and
will require ongoing adjustment as reopening occurs. Factors like patient flow, room
setup, and visitor policies will influence the ability to limit transmission in clinical
settings. And union leaders will need to press healthcare employers to ensure they
are ready to quickly implement preparedness plans in the event of a resurgence.
There is a need to stabilize the healthcare workforce, as areas hard-hit by the
virus have seen an increased need for critical care nurses, but a decrease in need
for other nurse specialties. Resulting layoffs and substantial job loss in healthcare
contribute to the overall unemployment rates, prompting the need for effective de-
ployment of our healthcare workforce; this is a key component of reopening and
preparation for a second surge in infections. Nurses on medical floors with low pa-
tient counts, for example, could be trained to augment staffing in critical care areas
where staffing numbers are low due to infection rates among clinicians. Rather than
tactics like recruitment from abroad, we should first implement retraining to rede-
ploy existing staff based on patient needs.
Mending well-being and emotional resilience among the healthcare workforce will
also be a necessity. Stressors abound for healthcare workers caring for acutely ill
COVID–19 patients in isolation in hospitals and other healthcare settings. Whether
related to stressors like employment of strict biosecurity measures, the isolation
from family and friends, the heightened workload demands, or even the risk of dis-
ease, our healthcare workforce will require a period of reintegration—even though
most of their facilities have remained open. The systematic failure of employers and
the Federal Government to prepare for a pandemic resulted in an extraordinary
level of unnecessary trauma across the healthcare workforce, and those things must
be addressed.
4. Involving workers, unions, parents and communities in all planning.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this crisis. Rebuilding community after a
complex public health and economic crisis necessarily involves thousands of people
navigating recovery who are as new to the experience as the average person; thus,
the effectiveness of our collective response depends on the collective action of each
community. Communities and workers must be educated, engaged and empowered.
This is an unprecedented situation; the eyes and ears of practitioners are essential
to ensure that the public health, instruction and logistics of reopening are
operationalized as seamlessly as possible.
Schools, colleges, hospitals, and local and state governments will need to engage
workers and community stakeholders at every level of the decision making process
to ensure that the mitigation strategies embedded in reopening plans are responsive
to the specific vulnerabilities of each workplace and that there is regular and open
communication regarding the policies and procedures to keep everyone safe. Without
transparency and joint decision making, there is a real risk of distrust, the spread
of misinformation, and a lack of compliance with reopening plans.
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Collective bargaining is the best way to ensure that workers are represented in
decision making and that health and safety standards are enforced to the benefit
of workers and the communities they serve. In the absence of collective bargaining,
workers and employers can use meet-and-confer arrangements to formalize reopen-
ing plans and ensure accountability.
Protections for Workers and Community
Strong, clear and enforceable workplace health and safety standards must be in
place to protect workers’ voices during the reopening process. Employers and joint
bodies administering the phased reopening plans need to know where there are
faults in the plan and noncompliance issues. In addition to OSHA protections avail-
able in some states, workplaces and other authorities should develop policies to pro-
tect workers who speak up about health and safety issues, as healthcare profes-
sionals are frequently subject to gag orders, and many have lost their jobs for speak-
ing up about safety concerns. 4
To ensure that health and safety measures are implemented, workers who voice
concerns publicly should be protected from employer retaliation that could result in
their discipline or dismissal. Workers must have the right to refuse work if they fear
exposure to the virus because they have not been provided proper protections or
training to do their jobs safely. The surest way to protect workers in these instances
is to put these protections into collective bargaining agreements. Workers have and
will face great risks in transitioning to reopening, and their voices should be treated
as a public health resource, not a liability.
In general, unions and employers, consulting with diverse community stake-
holders, should treat the collective bargaining process as an opportunity to solve
problems facing school districts, universities and hospitals as they plan for and
manage reopening. Consultation provisions can be built into the agreement to en-
sure that all parties are regularly discussing and solving problems as they arise.
Collective bargaining can also be used to fight for the resources workers and com-
munities need. AFT affiliates from across the country have been fighting for smaller
class sizes, more nurses and counselors, safe patient staffing, resources for commu-
nity schools, and other supports for students. Public schools should continue to be
reimagined as community hubs—places where students and families can get access
to community health services, be regularly educated about how to stay healthy, and
learn where to go to receive testing and treatment. Strong community and family
engagement has been a cornerstone of transforming struggling schools to support
students. When practitioners and school administrators work together to support
these efforts the results are even stronger and more sustainable.
This kind of investment around a whole-community approach is what will not
only mitigate the disproportionate harm this crisis has caused the most vulnerable
communities, but help reverse the inequality that existed long before this pandemic.
A Seat at the Table
All community members are struggling with the fear and anxiety of reopening be-
fore a vaccine is widely available. In order for communities to trust reopening plans,
they need a seat at the table to make decisions, and to feel engaged and empowered
to help their community implement them.
Reopening plans need to address specific challenges in each community. Some
schools have a network of healthcare providers that deliver services to students and
the school community, and others don’t. Some universities have student populations
with no home to return to in the event campus is closed. African Americans face
higher rates of infection and death. Older workers and those with chronic or under-
lying conditions are at higher risk of having life-threatening cases of COVID–19.
To address these issues, state and local unions should start planning committees
now, for the next school year, and use a needs assessment tool to map out the risks
of reopening. These committees can also help align the resources available across
sectors—education, public health and public safety—to mitigate those risks. The
guidance on the available public health tools and strategies for preserving high-
quality instruction discussed in section three is a good starting point, as is any over-
ture to invite parents and community groups to join you.
The plans that come out of needs assessments not only should provide guidance
to employers, but also should become official policy upon adoption by school boards
and other governing bodies and/or included in collective bargaining agreements to
4 Theresa Brown, ’’The Reason Hospitals Won’t Let Doctors and Nurses Speak Out,’’ New York
Times, April 21, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/opinion/coronavirus-doctors-
nurses-hos-pitals.html.
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ensure compliance and accountability. Workers and community stakeholders need
the power and voice to enforce these reopening plans, and to make sure they work
to fulfill health, safety and educational goals.
Effective communication depends on a high degree of trust. Without the trust of
workers and community stakeholders, workplaces will be challenged to ensure com-
pliance with reopening plans. Communication before and during phased reopening
must be transparent about the stakeholders involved in the decision making proc-
ess, the factors used to make decisions, and the nature of the decision making proc-
ess itself. We must remember that our communities are eager to return to a sense
of normalcy, as they are feeling the grief of lost loved ones, economic insecurity due
to lost jobs and incomes, and prolonged isolation.
Perhaps most importantly, communication needs to be clear about the actions peo-
ple can and must take to protect themselves and others from COVID–19. Employers
may simply not have the ability to effectively communicate those actions to workers
and the community at large, and they will need to call on the help of union and
community stakeholders to deliver the message into the community. A ‘‘whole
school-whole community’’ approach has been the most effective at limiting the
spread of the virus and keeping panic at bay. The AFT has worked tirelessly to en-
sure our members and communities are properly informed.
5. Invest in recovery. Do not abandon America’s communities or forfeit
America’s future.
The paired crises of the COVID–19 pandemic and the resulting economic devasta-
tion make reopening the public square especially complex. We know we must re-
ignite the economy, and a safe reopening of schools and other workplaces is a nec-
essary step toward recovery. While we are eager to put people back to work, send
children back to school, and repair the damage done to the economy and our fami-
lies’ well-being, to rush this process or fail to put in place the safeguards advised
by public health experts will risk both a second surge of infection and an even deep-
er economic downturn.
The toll this has taken on America’s working families and our communities is in-
calculable, and the hole gets deeper with each passing day. This particular moment
requires our Federal Government, in particular, to respond appropriately. In addi-
tion to what has already been done, a substantial and immediate Federal invest-
ment in our states, cities and towns is critical to ensure that we are continuing to
respond to the pandemic, clearing the way for a safe reopening, and supporting our
families and communities.
A Plan to Support State and Local Governments and Other Critical Services: Pub-
lic Schools, Public Safety, Public Health, the U.S. Postal Service and More
Businesses large and small have shut down operations, and more than 26 million
workers have filed for unemployment in recent weeks, threatening to crater tax rev-
enue for state and local governments. Even with the $2 trillion CARES Act rescue
package passed in March, the White House predicts 20 percent of Americans will
be unemployed by June. Governors from all 50 states have issued emergency dec-
larations and taken steps to reallocate their budgets. Now, these Governors, Demo-
crats and Republicans alike, are calling for the next COVID–19 relief bill to include
another $500 billion to stabilize their states and prevent another wave of layoffs,
because they’re desperate to avoid the cuts to public services like schools, healthcare
centers and public safety. More will be necessary to provide for a safe reopening and
address new needs created by this crisis.
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested that Congress should let
state and local governments go bankrupt, putting teachers, nurses, bus drivers, fire-
fighters, EMTs and other public employees out of work, plundering pensions and re-
tirement security, and plunging even more families and seniors into poverty. His
plan would gut public education, Medicaid, public health services and mental health
treatment—the essential public services that never recovered fully from the aus-
terity measures imposed after the Great Recession of 2008.
We cannot forfeit our future or abandon our communities. To survive as a Nation,
we must help our public schools, universities, hospitals, state and local government,
and the Postal Service provide services that will be more needed than ever; this will
require an immediate, massive reinvestment in public services. The CARES Act and
related legislation provided an important first step in a Federal response, but more
is needed. Congress should, in the next iteration of its response, do at least the fol-
lowing:
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˛ Support the National Governors Association’s call for $500 billion
in additional funds to meet the states’ budgetary shortfalls that
have resulted from this unprecedented public health crisis.
˛ Provide at least $175 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund
distributed directly to local education agencies and institutions
of higher education, with minimal state set-asides, in an equi-
table and targeted fashion. Also provide $50 billion in direct
funding for public colleges and universities and minority-serving
institutions. Given anticipated loss of tax revenues, they will need sub-
stantially more Federal support to deliver crucial public services, such as
educating our Nation’s public school students, sustaining public higher
education and maintaining a public service workforce.
˛ Invest in voluntary summer school, after-school programs and
community schools that will make up for the instructional time
lost during the 2019–20 school year, by providing significant addi-
tional funding for Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act as well as additional funding for high-quality, vol-
untary summer school and extended learning time. While the full
extent of the current crisis continues to evolve, we already know that, de-
spite their best efforts to support students and families, our schools will
be faced with students who have experienced extended months of learn-
ing loss, significant poverty, trauma and unmet social-emotional needs.
˛ Increase investment to close the digital divide. High-speed
broadband, reliable mobile service, modern technology and hardware are
no longer optional. They are now core infrastructure needs of businesses,
schools and homes. 5
˛ Substantially increase Medicaid funding, provide free COVID–19
testing and treatment for all regardless of immigration or insur-
ance status, and increase support for providers assisting under-
served populations. 6
˛ Provide for the personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies
and other materials necessary to help our public institutions re-
open safely.
˛ Cover 100 percent of COBRA health insurance premiums for
those workers now unemployed through no fault of their own, or
who lost health insurance due to the death of the carrier. Ensure
resources are available, and that proper testing and safety provisions can
be in place, before schools reopen.
˛ Permanently expand eligibility for unemployment benefits to
many previously uncovered workers (including the self-em-
ployed, independent contractors and gig workers), and extend
unemployment benefits for an additional 13 weeks.
˛ Boost SNAP maximum benefits by 15 percent and increase the SNAP
minimum payment from $16 to $30. This will help provide adequate nu-
trition assistance to meet the overall need and spur economic recovery.
Every day there is new evidence of the depth of food hardship and eco-
nomic dislocation. Each $1 of Federal SNAP benefits during a downturn
generates between $1.50 and $1.80 in economic activity.
˛ Increase by a minimum of 15-percentage points the Federal Med-
ical Assistance Percentages, which determines Medicaid spend-
ing. This increase should be added to the 6.2 percentage-point increase
adopted in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and increases
should be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2020, and should last until at least Dec.
31, 2021.
˛ Cancel student debt. As a Nation, we are now paying the price for our
decades of neglect of the systems through which collective effort once en-
abled us to take on herculean challenges. This includes our neglect of our
5 Congressional Budget Office, ‘‘CBO’s Current Projection of Output, Employment, and Inter-
est Rates and a Preliminary Look at Federal Deficits for 2020 and 2021,’’ April 24, 2020,
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56335.
6 American Federation of Teachers, ‘‘A Decade of Neglect: Public Education Funding in the
Aftermath of the Great Recession,’’ https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/decade-of-neglect-
2018.pdf; Trust for America’s Health, ‘‘Pain in the Nation Update: Deaths from Alcohol, Drugs
and Suicide Reach the Highest Levels Ever Recorded,’’ February 2018, https://www.tfah.org/
article/new-report-funding-for-public-health-has-declined-significantly-since-the-great-recession/.
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system of higher education, which has produced fewer essential profes-
sionals than we need and has, in shifting the burden of its costs to indi-
vidual students and families, effectively demanded lifetime personal in-
denture of those who undertake college, graduate and professional edu-
cation. In the economic catastrophe we now face, for its stimulative effect
alone, it is time to free people who have attended college of the burden
of student loan debt.
Given these needs, Congress should make at least a $750 billion investment in
state and local government to stabilize public services, which will help put us on
a path to reopen safely and allow for a real recovery for all our communities. This
administration spent trillions on a corporate tax cut in 2017; it must be prepared
to invest a comparable amount on the anchoring institutions that have been key to
fighting the virus and are central to any recovery plan: Public schools, universities,
hospitals, state and local governments and the U.S. Postal Service provide services
that will be more needed than ever, and we need a massive investment in them
right now.
In partnership with the AFL–CIO and partner unions, we developed five economic
essentials to address the stark realities now faced by workers across all sectors:
˛ Keep America healthy—protect and expand health insurance for all
workers;
˛ Keep frontline workers safe and secure;
˛ Keep workers employed, and protect earned pension checks;
˛ Keep state and local governments, our public schools and the U.S. Postal
Service solvent and working; and
˛ Keep America competitive—hire people to build infrastructure and make
long-overdue investments in this key pillar of the economy.
We have all watched harrowing reports of abusive and unsafe conditions for es-
sential workers in meatpacking plants 7 and warehouses 8 across the country. On
April 28, AFT-affiliated nurses and healthcare professionals in 10 states filed 24
separate OSHA complaints 9 for lack of necessary personal protective equipment de-
spite their ongoing exposure to COVID–19 patients as part of their jobs. The presi-
dent must use the power of the office to protect workers with the aggressive enforce-
ment of Defense Production Act and OSHA standards. He must cease using the
power of the presidency, his public press conferences and his Twitter account to en-
danger the lives of working people.
A Progressive Economic Agenda
With interest rates and inflation at historic lows, the Federal Government should
continue to borrow to fulfill its role and to support state and local government serv-
ices. It is not the time to be concerned about deficits. And the Federal Government
should be prepared to raise taxes. We are trying to both save lives and ensure the
quality and dignity of those lives. It is completely appropriate to ask our future
selves to help pay for that. We must fund our future if we want our children to in-
herit the potential to fulfill the promise of the American dream.
States also will have an important role. In Illinois and California, there are initia-
tives on the ballot this fall to raise revenues by asking those who have more to pay
more. These are the right policies to pursue at the moment, and more states should
look to emulate these efforts in the coming days. While there is an argument that
raising taxes in a recession has an economic cost, the economic and social costs of
cutting services and creating further suffering are far greater. We can afford to
make these investments, we cannot afford to fail.
CONCLUSION: A LIVING DOCUMENT
This plan to reopen our society is a living document, guided by constantly evolving
expert advice about how best to keep our children, our workers and our commu-
7 Ken Anderson, ‘‘Trump Orders Meatpacking Plans to Remain Open,’’ Brownfield AG News,
April 28, 2020, https://brownfieldagnews.com/news/trump-orders-meatpacking-plants-to-re-
main-open/.
8 Alina Selyukh, ‘‘Amazon Warehouse Safety ‘Inadequate,’ N.Y. Attorney General Office Says,’’
NPR, April 27, 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/04/27/846438983/amazon-warehouse-safety-
inade-quate-n-y-attorney-general-s-office-says.
9 Olivia Messer, ‘‘OSHA Complaints Flood in from COVID–19 Frontline Health Workers,’’
Daily Beast, April 28, 2020, https://www.thedailybeast.com/osha-complaints-flood-in-from-
covid-19-frontline-health-workers.
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nities safe from the continued spread of COVID–19 and what resources are needed
to put communities back on the road to recovery.
It rests on the fundamental belief that without a vaccine, we must take specific
steps to map out our new normal, which must include: some elements of physical
distancing; infrastructure for testing, tracing and isolation; deploying public health
interventions in our schools and workplaces and aligning them with the necessary
educational supports; involvement of workers and community in the development of
reopening plans; and significant investments in states, localities, schools, healthcare
and the Postal Service—the essential systems that have carried us through this cri-
sis and will need continued support.
Together, as the people on the frontlines of carrying our country through this cri-
sis, we will work to carry our communities through the recovery that follows.
Purdue will require all students to be tested for COVID–19 before start of
the fall semester
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind—As the next step to protect the health and safety of ev-
eryone on campus and the community, Purdue University announced today (July 8)
that it is formulating plans to require and pay for all West Lafayette-bound stu-
dents to be tested for COVID–19 before moving into residence halls and attending
classes this August.
The program will be led by Dr. Esteban Ramirez, chief medical officer at the Pro-
tect Purdue Health Center (PPHC), and was developed in consultation with the Pro-
tect Purdue Medical Advisory Team. Dr. Ramirez is an experienced internist and
clinical assistant professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine-West Lafay-
ette. Under Dr. Ramirez’ direction, the PPHC is the University’s virtual health cen-
ter launched last week to coordinate the overall workflow of COVID-related case
management on campus.
Through its Protect Purdue initiative, undergraduate, graduate and professional
program students will soon be provided instructions and assistance on how and
when to get tested for COVID–19, beginning in early August before traveling to
campus.
Student test results will be sent to the Protect Purdue Health Center, and those
testing positive should not travel to West Lafayette or come to campus for any rea-
son until they isolate for 14 days and are medically cleared to return by the PPHC.
Failure to complete a COVID–19 test and have those results filed with the Protect
Purdue Health Center prior to arrival will affect a student’s ability to move into a
residence hall or begin in-person classes when they resume on August 24. Academic
support will be available through virtual consultations with staff specializing in stu-
dent success to help undergraduate students navigate their continued academic
progress if they must isolate because of COVID–19.
For students already on campus or arriving for various early start programs
throughout July, the University and the Protect Purdue Health Center are devel-
oping plans to rapidly sample and test individuals through a combination of re-
sources provided by on-campus, local and outside partners.
The University will cover costs of all student testing. Purdue is expecting a poten-
tially record number of freshmen this fall, with a student body of more than 40,000
total.
‘‘Our comprehensive Protect Purdue Plan affords us the unique flexibility and
adaptability to respond to rising COVID–19 cases across parts of the country and
help protect our Purdue community in real time,’’ Ramirez said.
‘‘We are committed to facilitating the testing of our students who span the Nation
and the globe before they return to the residence halls, classrooms and West Lafay-
ette community this August by way of our Protect Purdue Health Center,’’ Ramirez
added. ‘‘Through these preventative and proactive measures, we take another impor-
tant step to protect the student body, our faculty, staff, overall campus and mem-
bers of the local community—particularly the most vulnerable—amid concerning na-
tional trends.’’
Undergraduate, graduate and professional program students: All students
living on campus this fall will be required to be tested for COVID–19 and have a
negative test result on file with the Protect Purdue Health Center prior to moving
into their residence hall in August.
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77
Those students living off campus also will be required to be tested for COVID–
19 and have negative test results on file with the PPHC prior to participating in
an on-campus program in August or attending their first in-person class.
Specific instructions will soon be provided on how and when to get tested for
COVID–19 in August before traveling to campus, while allowing adequate time for
processing and reporting test results before arrival.
For students participating in Early Start, Summer Start and other programs
throughout July, as well as students already at Purdue for work, research or classes
this summer, special arrangements have been made to test them on campus or in
collaboration with local testing partners.
Faculty and staff: Faculty and staff are not required to be COVID–19 tested at
this time provided they are not sick, experiencing any symptoms of COVID–19, and
have not been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID–19.
All faculty and staff, particularly those working on campus this summer and fall,
are encouraged to adhere to the components of the Protect Purdue Pledge, particu-
larly monitoring and reporting any signs or symptoms of COVID–19 to the Protect
Purdue Health Center by calling 765–496-INFO (4636) or toll-free at 833–571–1043.
The caller will be connected to a registered nurse case manager, who will help deter-
mine the appropriate course of care, which could include self-quarantine and a
COVID–19 test.
Integrated Monitoring and Surveillance Plan: The Protect Purdue Health
Center, the single-point health center for all things COVID–19-related for the Pur-
due community, is staffed with a dedicated team of physicians, registered nurses,
case managers, contact tracers and support staff. Ramirez said the PPHC is working
closely with the Protect Purdue Health Monitoring and Surveillance Team as well
as the Medical Advisory Team to ensure the safety, health and well-being of individ-
uals and the community.
As the semester progresses, the Protect Purdue Health Center will provide ongo-
ing case management, which will include monitoring and testing of both sympto-
matic individuals and close contacts who might have been exposed to positive indi-
viduals. The protocols for testing and contact tracing have been developed in accord-
ance with the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
the Indiana State Department of Health.
When the comprehensive Protect Purdue Plan was announced on June 12 for re-
opening the campus this fall, the University began the capabilities to rapidly assess,
sample and test any student, faculty or staff member reporting COVID–19 symp-
toms and those identified through clinically relevant contact tracing.
About Purdue University:
Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solu-
tions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 6 Most Innovative University
in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing
research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-
world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to af-
fordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012–13 lev-
els, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never
stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu.
Media contact: Tim Doty.
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LETTERS OF SUPPORT
(AAU), (APLU), (AAMC), (ACE),
November 6, 2019
Hon. MITCH MCCONNELL, Majority Leader,
U.S. Senate,
S–226, United States Capitol,
Washington, DC.
Hon. CHARLES SCHUMER, Minority Leader,
U.S. Senate,
322 Hart Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Hon. RICHARD SHELBY, Chairman,
U.S. Senate,
304 Russell Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Hon. PATRICK LEAHY, Vice Chairman,
U.S. Senate,
437 Russell Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC.
DEAR LEADER MCCONNELL, LEADER SCHUMER, CHAIRMAN SHELBY AND VICE
CHAIRMAN LEAHY:
We represent the leading national voices for the research universities, medical
schools, and teaching hospitals at the forefront of our Nation’s fight against the
COVID–19 pandemic. We thank you for your continuing efforts to mitigate the
pandemic’s harmful health, economic, and societal consequences. In April, we wrote
to Congress identifying $26 billion in research relief funding needs due to disrup-
tions caused by COVID–19. Today, we reiterate the urgency of that request and ask
that the Senate provide supplemental appropriations for Federal research agencies
of at least $26 billion in its next pandemic relief bill.
COVID–19 has caused enormous disruptions to federally supported research and
inflicted serious and detrimental impacts on our Nation’s research enterprise. The
relief that we are requesting would make significant strides in avoiding long-term
and devastating impacts to Federal research which underpins the ability of our Na-
tion’s patients, doctors, innovation and energy industries, and farmers, ranchers,
and fishers to have access to globally competitive, American innovations.
Federally supported research at academic institutions and core research facilities
utilized by agency-funded researchers has been disrupted, delayed, and, in some
cases, indefinitely shut down. The research workforce is experiencing extraordinary
strains during this crisis. It threatens to erode our Nation’s scientific and technical
expertise and talent base, which would put our competitiveness and security at risk.
Addressing these serious threats has generated bipartisan support in both the Sen-
ate and the House. In the past month, 214 Members of Congress have signed letters
asking congressional leadership to support emergency funding to preserve the re-
search workforce. 1
This emergency relief funding is especially critical to maintaining and advancing
U.S. competitiveness during this crisis through innovations supported by the Na-
tional Science Foundation (NSF), the Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Defense
(DOD), and Energy (DOE), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other Federal research agen-
cies. There has been an extraordinary response from academic scientists who, where
possible, have pivoted to coronavirus research during this emergency, but much
other onsite research has necessarily stalled due to widespread stay-at-home orders.
Scientists have been doing what they can to move projects forward remotely, but
with many researchers unable to work in their labs and fields during the pandemic,
emergency relief funds are urgently needed at the Federal research agencies to ex-
tend the duration of research projects and ensure the objectives of these Federal re-
search investments that have already been made are met.
We cannot afford to lose the Nation’s scientific research workforce at this critical
juncture. At a time in which we are in a global race for talent, this agency funding
will directly support graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and early career
1 April 29, 2020 bipartisan letter from 181 Members of the House to leadership requesting $26
billion in research relief for Federal research agencies; May 4, 2020 bipartisan letter from 33
Senators to leadership requesting $26 billion in research relief for Federal research agencies.
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faculty in completing their studies and ensure career stability for America’s future
researchers.
We urge that at least $26 billion in emergency research relief funding be
appropriated to Federal research agencies to support the research work-
force, mitigate the disruptions to research and core research facilities, and
ramp up research that has been halted or slowed. These funds do not ex-
pand the Nation’s investment in research, but are desperately needed just
to preserve the current investment. This recommendation is based on the best
available information at this time from the Federal research agencies, the duration
of the public health emergency and its impacts on research activities, and our un-
derstanding of the complexities of restarting research at research institutions in
every state nationwide. We recommend this funding be apportioned to Federal re-
search agencies, at minimum, as follows:
• Department of Defense (DOD)—$3 billion
• Department of Energy (DOE)—$5 billion
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)—$10 billion 2
• National Science Foundation (NSF)—$3 billion
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)—$2 billion
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—$380 million
As part of the at least $26 billion for Federal agencies, we request supplemental
appropriations for other Federal agencies with a research budget greater than $100
million, including NOAA, NIST, EPA, the Institute for Education Sciences, and oth-
ers. Like the aforementioned major Federal agencies, significant research disrup-
tions necessitate additional funding to these agencies to protect the research work-
force and complete taxpayer-funded research projects. These estimates are based on
currently available information, which includes an estimated duration of laboratory
closures that began in March, continued into May, and will persist to varying de-
grees as institutions begin ramping up research.
Without these funds, the consequences for our Nation’s university research and
scientific enterprise are dire. Agencies will be forced to choose between abandoning
new research opportunities of national importance or discontinuing existing re-
search projects that are not yet completed. This would undermine the public’s in-
vestment in research and slow discovery and innovation, while at the same time
jeopardizing a generation of scientists and engineers critical to America’s innovation
capacity and economic competitiveness for years to come.
Thank you for your consideration and leadership during this extraordinary time
of crisis.
Sincerely,
MARY SUE COLEMAN,
President,
Association of American Universities.
PETER MCPHERSON,
President,
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.
DAVID J. SKORTON, MD,
President and CEO,
Association of American Medical Colleges.
TED MITCHELL,
President,
American Council on Education.
2 At a May 7, 2020 hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee,
NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins NIH Director testified that ‘‘The estimates are something like
$10 billion of NIH funded-research that is going to disappear because of the way in which this
virus has affected everybody requiring this kind of distancing and sending people home.’’ He also
indicated, ‘‘I worry particularly about trainees who have lost time, who are really quite con-
cerned about what this does to their professional career.’’ https://www.help.senate.gov/hear-
ings/shark-tank-new-tests-for-covid-19.
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AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION,
WASHINGTON, DC,
May 29, 2020
Hon. MITCH MCCONNELL, Majority Leader,
U.S. Senate,
317 Russell Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Hon. CHARLES SCHUMER, Minority Leader,
U.S. Senate,
322 Hart Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC.
DEAR LEADER MCCONNELL, MINORITY LEADER SCHUMER:
On behalf of the organizations listed below, we express our appreciation for the
financial support provided to postsecondary students and institutions in the several
enacted supplemental appropriations acts. As you consider next steps to help Amer-
ica recover from the novel coronavirus pandemic, we write to reiterate our request
for the additional support outlined in our April 9 letter. 1
As you are well aware, institutions of higher education, their students, and fac-
ulty and staff continue to face unprecedented challenges as a result of the pandemic,
including dealing with shuttered campuses and the rapid transition to online learn-
ing, as well as an unwavering commitment to ensuring the health and safety of
their entire communities. During the second half of the current school year, our in-
stitutions lost billions of dollars beyond the $14 billion appropriation for students
and institutions in the CARES Act. Still, we are deeply grateful that Congress pro-
vided those emergency resources. This lifeline enabled colleges and universities to
assist their most vulnerable students and address immediate needs related to the
effects of the pandemic on our campuses.
In the April 9 letter we detailed our request for $46.6 billion to help address near-
term campus financial needs, including increased need-based aid for students due
to declining family incomes, and revenue losses stemming from enrollment declines
and closures of campus facilities that provide auxiliary services.
As we look to summer and the 2020–21 school year, we expect even greater losses.
Recent surveys conducted by several higher education associations indicate that the
$46.6 billion estimate is far lower than the actual impact will be. For example, in
one such survey three-quarters of institutions reported total current-year revenue
losses of up to 20 percent, while a smaller percentage, roughly 5 percent, reported
even higher losses. The outlook is worse for the upcoming year. Many more institu-
tions believe their losses next year will exceed 20 percent.
As referenced in our April 9 letter, we firmly believe that direct distribution to
institutions is the best way to ensure that Federal funds actually reach the students
and schools they were intended to help. While we share many of Congress’s concerns
regarding the implementation of the CARES Act, it is equally clear that using the
existing Federal system for providing aid to institutions is the fastest way to get
support to where it is needed. By pairing this rapid disbursal of funds with statu-
tory language that gives campuses broad flexibility and authority to use funds in
ways that best match the unique needs of students and their institutions, Congress
can bypass the kinds of bureaucratic limitations that hampered the effectiveness of
some CARES aid. The language included in the HEROES Act effectively addressed
this issue, and we recommend its inclusion in any future supplemental legislation.
Unfortunately, Federal support for higher education has historically been used by
states to supplement other areas of state budgets, leaving higher education vulner-
able to massive cuts in state support and students vulnerable to tuition increases.
In order to guarantee that states do not simply reduce their funding to institutions
of higher education in proportion to new Federal assistance, Congress must include
a maintenance of effort (MOE) provision as a condition of receiving funding. No
state should be allowed to cut higher education disproportionately to cuts in its
overall budget. Furthermore, it’s critical to include an expansive definition of ‘‘high-
er education’’ that includes direct support to institutions and state student financial
aid programs.
1 The letter can be found at: https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Letter-House-Higher-Ed-
Supplemental-Request-040920.pdf. Underlying assumptions and data used in the letter can be
found here: https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Higher-Education-Recommendations-4th-Sup-
plemental-Assumptions-040920.pdf.
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Colleges and universities employ nearly 4 million people nationwide, and are al-
ready struggling to maintain their faculty and staff. Some campuses have closed,
others have declared financial exigency, and many have furloughed employees and
cut budgets further. In addition to massive increases in expenses and precipitous
declines in revenues, institutions are now experiencing the effects of cuts to state
higher education budgets, which will only get much worse. Additional emergency aid
is critical to stabilize institutions financially and support students who will come to
campus this fall with substantial unmet need. Losses of the magnitude we expect
to see in the fall would necessarily weaken not just colleges and universities, but
the economic health of their surrounding communities and regions.
We appreciate your understanding of the substantial needs our institutions have
and thank you for the support Congress has already provided to higher education
through the CARES Act and other legislation. we are requesting our members un-
derstand the Federal Government cannot fully address all of their existing needs,
and we are not asking you to do so. Rather, the $46.6 billion we are requesting will
serve as a lifeline for students and campuses into the fall. We are proud of the inno-
vative measures already underway as campuses strive to serve their students under
these unparalleled circumstances and with limited resources, but there is only so
much that can be done without additional Federal support, given the scope of the
crisis institutions are facing.
For these reasons, we look forward to working with you to ensure that this critical
funding is included in the legislation you will be considering.
Sincerely,
TED MITCHELL,
President.
On behalf of:
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
Achieving the Dream
American Association of Colleges Nursing
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
American Association of Community Colleges
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
American Association of University Professors
American Council on Education
American Dental Education Association
American Indian Higher Education Consortium
APPA, Leadership in Educational Facilities
Associated Colleges of the Midwest
Association for Biblical Higher Education
Association of American Colleges and Universities
Association of American Universities
Association of California Colleges and Universities
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
Association of Chiropractic Colleges
Association of Community College Trustees
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in New Jersey
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Rhode Island
Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities
College and University Professional Association for Human Resources
Common App
Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges
Council for Advancement and Support of Education
Council for Christian Colleges & Universities
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
Council of Graduate Schools
Council of Independent Colleges
Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia
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Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions
Council on Social Work Education
Council of Independent Nebraska Colleges Foundation
EDUCAUSE
ETS
Georgia Independent College Association
Great Lakes Colleges Association
Higher Learning Commission
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida
Independent Colleges and Universities of Missouri
Independent Colleges of Washington
Independent Colleges of Indiana
Kansas Independent College Association
Louisiana Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
Maryland Independent College and University Association
Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities
Minnesota Private College Council
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
NASPA—Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
National Association for College Admission Counseling
National Association of College and University Business Officers
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
National Association of System Heads
National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Council for Community and Education Partnerships
Network of Colleges and Universities, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
New England Commission of Higher Education
North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Online Learning Consortium
Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges & Universities
Phi Beta Kappa Society
Quality Matters
Rebuilding America’s Middle Class
Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Assoc.
UNCF (United Negro College Fund, Inc.)
UPCEA
WASC Senior College & University Commission
Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
Yes We Must Coalition
NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION,
June 9, 2020
Hon. LAMAR ALEXANDER, Chairman,
Hon. PATTY MURRAY, Ranking Member,
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions,
428 Dirksen Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC.
DEAR CHAIRMAN ALEXANDER AND RANKING MEMBER MURRAY:
On behalf of our 3 million members and the 50 million students they serve, we
would like to submit for the record the following comments in connection with the
June 10 hearing, ‘‘Going Back to School Safely.’’
Physically opening schools at the beginning of the 2020–21 school year is the goal
of most districts and states, but the decision to reopen must be rooted in health and
safety—not driven by an arbitrary start date. To reopen schools safely, we will need
to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for students and educators; modify
classrooms, cafeterias, and school buses to permit social distancing; intensify in-
struction and support for students traumatized by the impact of the coronavirus on
their families and communities; and more. Doing so will require significant invest-
ments at a time when schools are facing budget cuts that are expected to far exceed
those during the Great Recession.
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Looming State Budget Shortfalls
America officially entered a recession in February, according to the National Bu-
reau of Economic Research. More than 40 million Americans are jobless. The unem-
ployment rate is nearly 14 percent, the highest since the Great Depression. States
and localities are struggling to fund public education in the face of dramatically ris-
ing costs and sharply declining tax revenues as consumers dial back spending on
virtually everything except groceries and Netflix subscriptions.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 500,000 public education jobs
have already been lost. If the economic damage wrought by the coronavirus pan-
demic goes unchecked, nearly 2 million educators—one-fifth of the workforce—could
lose their jobs over the next three years, according to a new analysis by the National
Education Association.
These job losses would profoundly impact the 50 million students who attend pub-
lic schools, their families, and communities—especially low-income students whose
schools rely on Title I funding to lower class sizes, hire specialists, and offer a rich
curriculum. By comparison, 300,000 education jobs were lost during the Great Re-
cession. In other words, the COVID–19 recession could be more than six times as
bad for education as the 2008 financial crisis.
Students Need More—not Less
The COVID–19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on a hard truth that our members
across the country already knew: Not all students have access to the educators, re-
sources, and tools they need. It has also fully revealed the long-standing digital di-
vide and exacerbated inequities like the homework gap—the inability to do school-
work at home due to lack of internet access. Nationwide, as many as 12 million stu-
dents are affected—roughly 1 in 5—and a disproportionate share are African Amer-
ican, Hispanic, live in rural areas, or come from low-income families.
To help contain the spread of COVID–19, public schools in nearly every state shut
down and abruptly switched to online instruction, putting students without access
to the internet at even greater risk of falling behind their peers. Taking into account
all these factors, McKinsey & Company estimates that African American students
could lose the equivalent of 10 months of learning, Hispanic students 9 months of
learning, and low-income students more than a full year of learning due the
COVID–19 pandemic.
Instead of addressing these issues, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has used re-
sources provided by the CARES Act to push her failed privatization agenda, which
has been repeatedly rejected by Congress. ‘‘Microgrants,’’ her latest scheme, are just
another name for vouchers that divert taxpayer dollars from public to private and
religious schools.
Next Steps
Decisions about reopening America’s schools should be grounded in health experts’
findings and recommendations, input from educators, access to protection, and eq-
uity—treating racial and social justice as an imperative, not an expendable aspira-
tion.
The HEROES Act recognizes this is the right approach. It includes $915 billion
in direct relief for state and local governments that can be used to pay vital workers
such as educators and $90 billion in additional education funding that could save
more than 800,000 education jobs at all levels from kindergarten to postsecondary.
The HEROES Act would also ensure that taxpayer dollars go where Congress in-
tended: to the public schools that educate 9 out of 10 students.
To help reopen schools safely, NEA urges Congress to provide at least $175 billion
more for the Education Stabilization Fund, at least $56 million in directed funding
for protective equipment, and at least $4 billion to create a special fund, adminis-
tered by the successful E-Rate program, to equip students with hot spots and de-
vices to help narrow the digital divide and close the homework gap.
We thank you for the opportunity to submit these comments and stand ready to
work with Congress to reopen America’s schools safely.
Sincerely,
MARC EGAN
Director of Government Relations,
National Education Association
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THE EDUCATION TRUST,
June 24, 2020
Hon. LAMAR ALEXANDER, Chairman,
Hon. PATTY MURRAY, Ranking Member,
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions,
428 Dirksen Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC.
DEAR CHAIRMAN ALEXANDER AND RANKING MEMBER MURRAY, AND MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE:
Thank you for the opportunity to testify earlier this month during the ‘‘COVID–
19: Going Back to School Safely’’ hearing. As mentioned in my testimony, the chal-
lenges that face us right now in terms of the impact that COVID–19 has had on
our educational system, as well as students and their families, are significant, but
they are not insurmountable. As states and education leaders consider the safest,
most equitable way to reopen our Nation’s schools this fall, it is clear that additional
investments are needed at the Federal level to both stabilize budgets in the face of
significant revenue loss and to cover the costs associated with reopening (including,
but not limited to personal protective equipment, cleaning and sanitation materials,
and expenses related to additional staff and services). In response to the Chairman’s
request for more information on the costs associated with reopening K–12 schools,
as well as additional considerations that Congress should address as they continue
to provide relief and support to our Nation’s education system, and to state and
local governments, The Education Trust would like to provide the Committee with
the following thoughts and recommendations:
Additional Federal Interventions and Investments Are Needed
The recession induced by COVID–19 has already and will continue to decimate
state and district revenues. On top of that, states, districts, and schools will face ad-
ditional costs to provide the academic, health, and emotional support that students
will need when they return to school. Estimates of these added costs range from $2
million per district (which could add up to at least $30 billion) to $116.5 billion. The
Learning Policy Institute estimates that between decreases in state and local rev-
enue, and increases in expenses, K–12 systems might need $230 billion to stabilize
budgets for this fiscal year and next.
In recognition of both increases in cost and reductions in revenue, we, along with
70 other organizations, urge Congress to provide at least $500 billion total in addi-
tional state stabilization funds, the K–12 share of which should be at least $175 bil-
lion.
Cuts to State Budgets Threaten to Hurt Students in Schools with the
Greatest Need
The 2008 recession taught us that high-poverty districts are more likely to be im-
pacted by state and local losses in education revenue. Therefore, it is critical that
additional stabilization funding from Congress be distributed in a way that provides
more funding for the highest need districts—those that serve more students from
low-income backgrounds, have lower property tax bases from which to raise addi-
tional revenue, and have been more impacted by the pandemic. Funding should be
allocated based on the share of aid received through the ESSA Title I formula, be-
cause that is the Federal Government’s most efficient and equitable existing mecha-
nism to distribute those dollars.
States need help, and the Federal Government should step in to provide that sup-
port. But that doesn’t diminish states’ responsibilities to continue to invest in their
public education systems, and to provide the resources that districts and schools
need to provide a high-quality education for all students, particularly Black, Latino,
and Native students, and students with higher needs—including students from low-
income backgrounds, students with disabilities, English learners, students experi-
encing homelessness or foster care, or students involved in the juvenile justice sys-
tem. Therefore, additional funding to states should be coupled with stronger mainte-
nance of effort (MOE) requirements than were prescribed for CARES Act funding,
and those requirements should at the very least maintain, if not enhance, equity
in school funding.
Specifically, we recommend three resource equity conditions for states to re-
ceive additional stabilization funding:
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• State Maintenance of Effort requirement to ensure states are still in-
vesting in education. States must continue to prioritize education, regard-
less of how much total state budgets are impacted. Therefore, to get these
additional dollars, the state must show that state education spending re-
mains at least the same percentage of the state’s spending.
• State Maintenance of Equity requirement to protect our highest need
districts from disproportionate cuts. Even with additional Federal invest-
ment, it’s likely that many states will have to make cuts to education
support for districts. Our highest need districts—those serving the high-
est concentrations of students from low-income backgrounds and those
with the least local wealth to make up for the cuts—must be spared from
these cuts. Therefore, to get these dollars, states must show that any nec-
essary cuts are smaller per student in the highest need districts than the
rest of the state.
• District Maintenance of Equity requirement to protect our most vul-
nerable schools from disproportionate cuts. Even with Federal invest-
ment, it’s likely that many districts will have to make cuts to their budg-
ets. And we saw in the aftermath of the Great Recession, nearly 300,000
teachers and other staff lost their jobs, and the layoffs disproportionately
affected students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.
Therefore, to get these dollars, districts must show that any necessary
cuts—including cuts to personnel—are smaller in the highest poverty
schools.
Congress Must Continue to Prioritize the Needs of Students, Schools, and
States Going Forward
As Congress continues to juggle many competing legislative priorities prior to the
end of this session, we urge lawmakers to realize that the impact of this virus will
be felt well beyond this academic year. This was the core of my message before your
Committee: The vast majority of education equity issues that plagued our Nation
prior to the pandemic have only been exacerbated by COVID–19. If policymakers
do not continue to address the most pressing equity issues beyond this moment,
with the intent to close achievement and opportunity gaps for students from low-
income backgrounds and students of color, then we risk failing a generation of stu-
dents. We urge this Committee and your Senate colleagues to also support the need-
ed investments to ensure that all students can access distance learning, provide the
essential nutritional supports so students do not go hungry as schools remain closed,
and allocate dedicated funds to assess and address learning loss as students return
to brick and mortar classrooms.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment further on this important topic. The
Education Trust stands ready to support your Committee and the Senate at large
as the need to provide for our Nation’s students during this uncertain time persists.
Sincerely,
JOHN B. KING JR.
President and CEO,
The Education Trust
PERDUE UNIVERSITY,
JULY 9, 2020
Hon. LAMAR ALEXANDER, Chairman,
Hon. PATTY MURRAY, Ranking Member,
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions,
428 Dirksen Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC.
DEAR CHAIRMAN ALEXANDER AND RANKING MEMBER MURRAY:
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on June 4, 2020 at the hearing ‘‘COVID–
19 Going Back to College Safely.’’
In response to the follow-up questions from members of the Committee related to
the important topic of the hearing, I submit for the record the ‘‘Protect Purdue
Plan,’’ released after the hearing on June 12, 2020. The plan outlines in great detail
how Purdue is preparing to welcome students this fall, while protecting those most
vulnerable in our campus community. And, just this week we added to our plan a
means to require and pay for all West Lafayette-bound students to be tested for
COVID–19 before moving into residence halls and attending classes.
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While I wouldn’t presume that Purdue’s approach will be a perfect fit for every
college and university, the principles of our strategy should have broad appeal. In
summary, those principles are:
1. Expect each Boilermaker to assume personal responsibility to ‘‘Protect
Purdue—myself, others, our Purdue community.’’
2. Implement personal health safety practices and protocols.
3. Enact health safety changes in physical spaces.
4. Offer a range of instructional options for students and faculty.
5. Identify and protect the most vulnerable members of the Purdue commu-
nity.
6. Engage our stakeholders with consistent, compelling and timely commu-
nication and clear guidance.
7. Advance our research mission in a safe and responsible way.
8. Anticipate and plan for contingencies.
With critical research operations ramping up on our campus, preparation for our
annual freshman orientation, Boiler Gold Rush, just 40 days away and classes be-
ginning shortly after, the entire campus is working overtime to ensure a safe return
for students and staff. Our Protect Purdue Plan is a comprehensive review that
should answer every question relevant to the hearing topic while allowing our team
to stay focused on the important mission ahead of us. Again, thank you for allowing
me the opportunity to share our perspective and for your service to our great nation.
Best,
MITCHELL E. DANIELS, JR.
President
AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND,
JUNE 17, 2020
Hon. LAMAR ALEXANDER, Chairman,
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions,
428 Dirksen Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC.
DEAR CHAIRMAN ALEXANDER:
I am writing on behalf of the three undersigned blindness advocacy organizations:
the American Council of the Blind, the Association for Education and Rehabilitation
of the Blind and Visually Impaired, and the American Foundation for the Blind. The
following are comments based on the June 10, 2020, U.S. Senate Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions Committee hearing entitled ‘‘Going Back to School Safely.’’
These comments briefly discuss issues significant to the blind community that must
be considered when reopening schools in the fall of 2020.
When reopening schools this fall, several considerations for blind and visually im-
paired students must be taken into account. Although the blind community accounts
for only a small population of students, without considering the accommodations
they may need, it is likely they may fall through the cracks.
First, social distancing is an important consideration for all students in public
schools; steps need to be taken to prevent the spread of the virus. However, special
considerations for blind and visually impaired students must be thought out. When
working with young blind and visually impaired students, social distancing can
present extra challenges. For instance, if a teacher of the visually impaired (TVI)
is teaching a student how to read and write braille, situations exist where actual
hand-on-hand instruction is necessary. Thus, unique policies and procedures should
be considered for these specific situations. In such settings, an extra emphasis on
the procurement and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for both the stu-
dent and teacher is essential. Blind students also touch more surfaces; they use
their hands to find things like doors or stair handrails. Thus, cleaning policies must
be implemented and practiced religiously.
Funding is another critical need as states begin to determine how to reopen school
in the fall of 2020. The presenters during the hearing effectively communicated the
various problems that have impacted school districts’ funding, making additional
funding essential to reopen schools. In addition, more funding is needed for the spe-
cific educational needs of blind and visually impaired students. Technology has
been, and will continue to be, a significant need during the pandemic. If students
receive any level of remote learning, whether full-or part-time, laptops and other
platforms are necessary to carry out remote teaching. Such technology costs money.
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School districts often have to provide students with laptops or other kinds of de-
vices. But when supplying a blind or visually impaired student with the same tech-
nology, additional software is often necessary. For instance, if students are supplied
with a basic PC, additional software that costs about $1,000 is needed to enable the
blind student to use the computer independently. While discussing the distribution
of electronic devices, it must also be known that many devices are inaccessible for
blind or visually impaired users. Some tablets, for instance, are not designed with
accessibility functions. This prevents blind students from using them independently.
Sometimes, an alternative device can be provided. However, this causes the student
to use a completely different product and makes working alongside their classmates
difficult. Senator Murray emphasized the necessity of an equitable education for all
students. The digital divide is a barrier to such equity.
Another example of inaccessibility can come via the use of alternative methods
of teaching. Penny Schwinn was cited as promoting the use of television program-
ming, such as PBS, as an alternative teaching method. However, to be fully equi-
table for blind and visually impaired students, audio description must be provided
for all programs used for educational purposes. Without such description, the child
will not fully participate in the educational process; without description of the
scenes on TV, the students miss out on ideas and concepts.
Several of the panelists touched upon the need for extra in-person time for stu-
dents with disabilities. This is an important topic to consider. Again, students who
are blind often require hands-on instruction. Although TVI’s have been known to
be extremely creative when working with students remotely, education will be more
effective if provided in-person. However, such practices should not override health
and safety. Thus, states must get creative to find ways to work with students with
disabilities on a more regular basis without exposing them to the coronavirus.
It must also be stressed that waivers to the Individuals with Disabilities Edu-
cation Act (IDEA) should never be considered when planning how to return to school
in the fall. Accommodations for students under IDEA are essential for disabled stu-
dents to receive a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). It may be easy to
think that finding ways to lessen the responsibilities of school districts will help
schools get back on their feet more quickly. But in doing so, a whole community of
students will be negatively impacted. The presenters acknowledge that almost all
students will be behind in some way because of the changes presented by COVID–
19. Waivers to IDEA will only exacerbate the level at which students will fall be-
hind.
Finally, presenters proposed diagnostic testing for students in the fall to examine
where students stand after the multitude of changes this spring and summer. Test-
ing does appear to be an important tool in getting students back on track. However,
the process of testing blind and visually impaired students comes with its own set
of challenges. For instance, the process of getting the tests in braille or large print
can often be difficult for school districts, causing the students to lag behind. Thus,
when diagnostic tests are being put into place, the challenges that accompany the
implementation of such tests must be thought out far in advance.
Thank you for the opportunity to offer our comments. If you have any additional
questions, please contact Claire Stanley.
Sincerely,
CLAIRE STANLEY
Advocacy and Outreach Specialist,
American Council of the Blind.
STACY CERVENKA
Director, Public Policy,
American Foundation for the Blind.
MARK RICHERT
Interim Executive Director,
Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired.
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AMERICANS FOR FINANCIAL REFORM,
JUNE 3, 2020
Hon. LAMAR ALEXANDER, Chairman,
Hon. PATTY MURRAY, Ranking Member,
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions,
428 Dirksen Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC.
DEAR CHAIRMAN ALEXANDER AND RANKING MEMBER MURRAY:
As our Nation struggles to emerge from the first phase of the COVID–19 pan-
demic and attempts to safely resume a broad array of economic activity, the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce has aggressively lobbied Congress to immunize businesses
from legal liability if they carelessly risk coronavirus infection for employees or cus-
tomers and it results in harm. 1 Lobbyists representing higher education, led by the
American Council on Education, are also now asking for immunity from liability. 2
The undersigned organizations representing students, consumers, and workers
strongly oppose proposals to immunize colleges because it would remove account-
ability for those that engage in careless actions that make their students or workers
sick. If students or workers contract COVID–19 due to bad practices by a college
or university, those harmed deserve the right to seek justice.
Each year, students and families will pay or finance hundreds of billions of dollars
in higher education expenses. 3 The decision to pursue higher education is often one
of the largest financial decisions an individual or family will make in a lifetime.
Amid unprecedented uncertainty about when and how colleges will safely resume
educating tens of millions of people, current and prospective students and their fam-
ilies need to be able to trust that their college will act reasonably to keep them safe.
Immunity from legal liability could empower the worst actors in the higher edu-
cation sector to gamble with students’ lives. For example, Liberty University, a
member of the higher education lobbying group that has been a leading proponent
of creating this immunity, 4 has already ignored recommendations by public health
officials and reopened its campus, placing thousands of students at risk. 5 As could
have been predicted, Liberty’s students quickly fell ill. 6 If lawmakers bestow legal
immunity on the higher education sector, it would validate such reckless decisions
and encourage others to similarly ignore basic steps that would help keep students
and workers safe.
As Congress considers lobbyists’ demands for immunity, lawmakers should also
evaluate any potential action in the context of past abuses by many of the worst
actors in higher education. In the wake of the last recession, for-profit colleges ag-
gressively marketed themselves as a refuge from a weak labor market. 7 Instead of
delivering on promises of financial success for students and alumni, many of the
largest schools pursued brazen schemes to defraud students by peddling bogus job
placement statistics and false claims about the economic value of these degrees. 8
Years later, after saddling borrowers with billions of dollars in debt and driving
money back to executives and investors, some of these schools collapsed under the
1 U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Implementing a National Return to Work Plan: Resolution of
Regulatory and Legal Liability Issues (Accessed on June 3, 2020); https://www.uschamber.com/
coronavirus/implementing-national-return-to-work-plan#liability; https://www.npr.org/sec-
tions/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/06/851262646/as-businesses-reopen-a-fight-is-brewing-
over-worker-safety-lawsuits.
2 American Council on Education, Letter to Congress Requesting Immunity from Liability
(2020); https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Letter-Congress-pandemic-liability-052820.pdf.
3 National Center on Education Statistics, Fast Facts: Expenditures (Accessed on June 3,
2020); https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=75.
4 American Council on Education, Membership Directory (Accessed on June 2, 2020); https://
www2.acenet.edu/crm/members-directory/.
5 Noor, P., ‘It is ungodly’: students react to Liberty University reopening, THE GUARDIAN
(March 31, 2020);https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/31/liberty-university-re-
opening-coronavirus-jerry-falwell-jr.
6 Arciga, J., Nearly a Dozen Liberty University Students Sick With Coronavirus Symptoms
After Falwell Reopened Campus, THE DAILY BEAST (March 29, 2020); https://
www.thedailybeast.com/nearly-a-dozen-liberty-university-students-sick-with-coronavirus-symp-
toms-after-falwell-reopened-campus.
7 U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, For Profit Higher Edu-
cation: The Failure to Safeguard the Federal Investment and Ensure Student Success
(2012);https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/for-profit-report/PartI.pdf.
8 Kamenetz, A., Corinthian Colleges Misled Students On Job Placement, Investigation Finds
(November 17, 2015); https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/11/17/456367152/corinthian-
misled-students-on-job-placement-investigation-finds.
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weight of their own lies and abuses. 9 Others that survived converted to private,
nonprofit status, blending into the ranks of the schools now lobbying for this unprec-
edented legal protection. 10 Common across the most predatory schools during the
prior era: a relentless drive to exploit economic anxiety and upheaval in pursuit of
revenue.
The recent bipartisan Congressional Review Act vote rejecting the Trump Admin-
istration’s ‘‘Borrower Defense’’ rulemaking was, in part, a rebuke of an effort by the
Department of Education to restore schools’ authority to use forced arbitration to
block access to the courts. This regulatory maneuver was similarly intended to
shield predatory schools from liability for their abuses. If granted immunity now,
lawmakers would be inviting bad actor schools to exploit students and employees
in the midst of this pandemic, putting their lives in jeopardy.
Our concerns extend beyond the health and safety of the millions of students. Col-
leges and universities are some of the largest employers in their communities, em-
ploying more than four million people nationwide. 11 These workers include not only
faculty and administrative staff, but also healthcare providers, food service workers,
and the cleaning and maintenance workers responsible for reopening campuses
across the country. Last month, a wide array of 140 organizations representing
workers, consumers, and seniors wrote the Senate Judiciary Committee to oppose
immunity proposals, explaining that the Federal Government ‘‘has substantially
stepped back from its role to protect the health and safety of workers during this
pandemic, and is dangerously relying on employers to self-police. Under these cir-
cumstances, the specter of unsafe workplaces is a significant concern . . . . Immu-
nity would only exacerbate these problems.’’ 12 These very same concerns apply no
less to colleges.
For more than a decade, schools have increasingly outsourced essential functions
to independent contractors that employ predominantly low-income workers. These
workers are also among the communities hardest hit by the public health effects,
communities of color. For example, in a 2018 survey of food service workers at the
City University of New York, 96 percent identified as a person of color. 13 Almost
50 percent were living below the Federal poverty line for a family of two. 14 Limiting
corporate liability and enacting widespread immunity will subject these workers,
who are already most at risk, to being forced to either return to potentially unsafe
environments or face longer term unemployment consequences. Over the past few
months, too many struggling workers have had to make the impossible trade-off be-
tween their health and their financial security. We should not add to an already
devastating crisis by allowing more companies and schools to make these decisions
with impunity then removing the only recourse of those who are harmed.
Students depend on schools to make responsible decisions that protect the health
and safety of their campuses and communities. Students lack the power to dictate
the terms on which colleges will demand a return to academic life, potentially forc-
ing students to choose between pursuing a higher education and staying safe. Stu-
dents’ and workers’ access to justice offers a critical counterweight to the economic
pressure that may drive colleges to reopen too quickly and hastily, without proper
attention to health and safety.
For these reasons, we urge you to reject higher education lobbyists’ demands to
grant immunity from legal liability to colleges and universities. To discuss the con-
cerns outlined in this letter, please contact Alexis Goldstein at Americans for Finan-
cial Reform or Mike Pierce at the Student Borrower Protection Center.
Americans for Financial Reform
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
9 Douglas-Gabriel, D., Feds found widespread fraud at Corinthian Colleges. Why are students
still paying the price?, THE WASHINGTON POST; https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/
grade-point/wp/2016/09/29/feds-found-widespread-fraud-at-corinthian-colleges-why-are-stu-
dents-still-paying-the-price/.
10 Shireman, R. These Colleges Say They’re Nonprofit—But Are They? THE CENTURY FOUN-
DATION (August 24, 2018); https://tcf.org/content/commentary/colleges-say-theyre-nonprofit/.
11 National Center for Education Statistics, Enrollment and Employees in Postsecondary Insti-
tutions, Fall 2017 and Financial Statistics and Academic Libraries, Fiscal Year 2017 (January
2019); https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2019/2019021REV.pdf.
12 Public Citizen et al., Letter to U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Opposing COVID Immunity
for Businesses (May 12, 2020); https://www.citizen.org/wp-content/uploads/Covid-Coalition-
Letter-to-Senate-Judiciary-final-5-12-2020.pdf.
13 Retail Action Project, Struggling to Feed Their Own Families: A Survey of CUNY’s Food
Service Workers (2018); https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/rwdsu/pages/390/attach-
ments/original/1522074292/CUNY-report.pdf?1522074292.
14 Id.
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Center for Responsible Lending
Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
Consumer Federation of California
Consumer Reports
Consumer Watchdog
Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety
Demos
Education Reform Now Advocacy
Hildreth Institute
Housing & Economic Rights Advocates
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc.
National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients)
National Indian Education Association
PHENOM (Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts)
Project on Predatory Student Lending
Public Justice Center
Public Law Center
Robert Shireman, Director of Higher Education Excellence, The Century Founda-
tion
SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center
Service Employees International Union
The Collaborative
The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS)
THE ONE LESS FOUNDATION
U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG)
UNITE HERE
VOICE-OKC
Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network
Student Borrower Protection Center
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
RESPONSES BY GEORGES BENJAMIN, TO QUESTIONS OF SENATOR COLLINS, SENATOR
SANDERS, SENATOR CASEY, AND SENATOR ROSEN.
SENATOR COLLINS
Question 1.
Three quarters of the programs offered at Maine’s community colleges are the
only ones of their kind in the state, and the vast majority (71 percent) of Maine’s
community college students, are enrolled in career and occupational programs,
many of them hands-on in nature. By definition, these skills-based programs—such
as for auto mechanics, CNAs, machinists, radiological technicians, the culinary
arts—have a necessary face-to-face component where physical distancing is very
challenging, or may not be possible. This type of coursework has been critical to ‘‘up-
skilling’’ our workforce. How should community colleges respond both to safety con-
cerns as well as the overwhelming need for the workforce training they offer?
Answer 1. These are indeed classes that do not lend themselves easily to a fully
virtual environment because of the hands-on component and would rank in the
highest risk category as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Preven-
tion (e.g. Highest Risk: Full-sized in-person classes, activities, and events. Students
are not spaced apart, share classroom materials or supplies, and mix between class-
es and activities). The goal should be to reduce the risk by creating hybrid training
whenever possible and by implementing additional risk-reduction strategies when
students must be together in class because of the hands-on component of their edu-
cation. I would suggest moving the lecture component of the training, and any dem-
onstrations that can be done virtually, to a virtual environment whenever possible.
In many of these classes there is an observational component that can be moved
to a remote or larger classroom environment to accommodate substantial physical
distancing. Also, there is the opportunity to adopt virtual reality experiences for
some of these classes. Schools could partner with engineering or computer divisions
of schools to conduct these classes. For example, some medical schools have gone
to virtual reality experiences for some traditional classes such as physical examina-
tion, procedural skills and anatomy. There is no substitute for the real-life experi-
ence, but this will provide students the opportunity for a repetitive emersion experi-
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ence with no risk of infection. When the students do have to get together for the
hands-on component, I recommend three key risk reduction tools: smaller class sizes
with as much physical distancing as possible; mask wearing; and offering frequent
hand hygiene opportunities. These recommendations are in line with the spirit of
the CDC guidelines.
SENATOR SANDERS
Question 1.
As a public health scientist and professional, you stated that colleges and univer-
sities have a role in ‘‘community mitigation’’ and ‘‘risk reduction’’ when opening
campuses during the COVID–19 pandemic. You also said to assume there will be
people on campus infected with COVID–19 and that the academic institution and
the public health agency should agree on a testing strategy and plan. In addition,
you said that COVID–19 has demonstrated a disproportionate impact on some popu-
lations, in particular African Americans and Hispanics, and that institutions should
assure equity in education whether on campus or by distance learning. What is the
American Public Health Association (APHA) doing to develop standards and best
practices, especially addressing the unique needs of at risk populations that could
be useful to institutions as they prepare to open campuses? How can Congress help
APHA develop those standards into Federal guidance, and would Federal funding
be needed to ensure that institutions understand the guidance and can promptly im-
plement it to ensure the health and safety of students, faculty, staff and guests on
campus?
Answer 1. There are an amazing number of expert groups that are creating stand-
ards to supplement the CDC guidance. Many of these expert groups include APHA
members. We have been curating these tools and resources and have shared them
on our website for many of them that we believe are of the best quality. It includes
the CDC guidance but also several more. The page can be found at https://
www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/communicable-disease/coronavirus/guidance.
Question 2.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, state revenues are declin-
ing precipitously, and costs are rising sharply, with many businesses closed and
tens of millions of people newly unemployed. In addition, states will worsen the re-
cession if they respond to this fiscal crisis by laying off employees, scaling back gov-
ernment contracts for businesses, and cutting public services and other forms of
spending. Based on your discussions with state public health officials, do you expect
that the loss of state revenues will negatively impact the ability of states to help
colleges and universities prepare to open their campuses during the COVID–19 pan-
demic, placing the burden on students, faculty and staff to ensure their own health
and safety on campus? What is APHA doing to work with state public health offi-
cials to ensure that states will commit the financial resources necessary to ensure
the health and safety of college campuses?
Answer 2. We believe that, just as in past recessions, state and local public health
agencies will lose operating capacity through hiring freezes and local job losses.
Emerging fiscal shortfalls at the state and local levels run the risk of this happening
right in the middle of this pandemic further complicating the Nation’s ability to re-
spond. We are already experiencing layoffs in the private healthcare sector. This is
a critical problem as states and local public health agencies need to ramp up their
testing and contact tracing capabilities in order to respond to the recent surge of
infections as we reopen society. APHA has been advocating for Federal funding for
public health and raising awareness for further support at the state and local level.
Specifically, We have advocated for increased funding for public health infrastruc-
ture as well as the creation of and funding for the public health workforce loan re-
payment proposal currently under debate in Congress.
SENATOR CASEY
Question 1.
Student behavior on campus and compliance with social distancing guidelines and
enhanced safety protocols will be key to reopening and maintaining safe operations.
What we have learned over the last several months is that safety is not only about
our own risk, but about the risk to the broader community, especially as evidence
mounts that there is a significant amount of asymptomatic transmission occurring.
What are the precautions and considerations necessary to ensure the safety of not
only students, faculty and staff, but the broader communities in which they engage?
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Answer 1. It is essential that colleges and universities conduct their planning in
concert with the local communities in which they reside. By aligning policies and
procedures with the broader community, and closely consulting with the local and
state health authorities, higher learning institutions can be sure that an infected
individual anywhere (on-or off-campus; student or not) is identified and offered
sound medical advice and care for both themselves and their contacts. This would
include appropriate isolation and quarantine guidance.
Question 2.
Affordable and readily accessible personal protective equipment, as well as testing
and contact tracing mechanisms are key to making a safe return on campuses. Dr.
Benjamin, in your estimation, will these components be readily available by the fall
to ensure that campuses, representing nearly 20 million students, can safely reopen?
What are some of the additional metrics colleges should consider as they make these
determinations?
Answer 2. The nation is still on the edge of having adequate supplies of personal
protective equipment (PPE) today. While I anticipate supplies will increase, the en-
tire nation will be competing for these supplies as we ramp up our return to near
normal activities. That means the availability of gloves, masks and PPE relevant
to the work environment will be an urgent issue for both the health sector and
schools at all levels (daycare, elementary and secondary). I am unsure whether we
have adequately thought through the supply chain issues involved to ensure an ade-
quate supply of PPE. Congress should ask the administration for a plan that esti-
mates the need for PPE at full reopening of our society and to identify any gaps.
Then we need to ensure all colleges and universities are fully resourced for their
PPE needs. The last thing we need as a nation is for our students to get sick be-
cause we don’t have the PPE to protect them in school. Schools should evaluate and
secure their supply lines for PPE for both their campus health systems and for other
campus workers whose daily jobs require specific PPE.
SENATOR ROSEN
Question 1.
The Nevada System of Higher Education has three separate groups focused on
preparing to safely re-open campuses this fall. One of these—the COVID Reopening
Task Force—includes students, medical personnel, education leaders, and public
safety staff, who are all reviewing various plans and providing recommendations to
the Chancellor. At this point, our schools are planning to re-open in the fall, but
with various modifications, including: no large lectures; a mix of remote and in-per-
son instruction; single-occupancy dorm rooms; and increased cleaning, testing, and
tracing. Each of the schools are also consulting with health and education experts
in order to follow best practices.
• What education and health experts do you consult with on best practices when
determining whether and how to reopen?
Answer 1. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention remains the best
and most informed agency in the county on these issues. We will also be reviewing
the findings from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,
which has an expert committee looking at school guidance for K–12. This study is
expected to be completed by the end of July. Some of their findings may be useful
for higher education as well.
Question 2.
It is absolutely critical that we ensure the health of our students and faculty is
protected as colleges and universities navigate how to move forward with their im-
portant role in fostering new ideas, educating our future workforce, and conducting
critical research. We also need our institutions of higher education to continue to
be strong partners with our health care system as we work to fight COVID–19, and
also look for new ways to engage. In Nevada, we have seen our colleges, univer-
sities, and researchers go above and beyond. Just a few examples: the UNLV School
of Medicine in Las Vegas jumped in to provide curbside testing early on; UNR in
Reno has been researching new ways to address COVID–19 diagnosis and treat-
ment; and the Desert Research Institute is leading public health research to map
spread of the virus, risk, and exposure. We’ve heard of engineering departments
using 3D printing to make masks and swabs, and students creating new programs
to bring groceries to homebound seniors. The list goes on.
• I’d like to hear about how else our institutions of higher education can adjust
their focus to help meet the future public health, medical, and related workforce
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needs to address both the current pandemic and the disparities in our health
care system that have been laid so bare through this crisis.
• This crisis has really highlighted how critical investment in our public health
system is. What other resources, tools, or guidelines are needed to ensure the
safety of students and faculty in the unique environment of a college campus,
while also leveraging the knowledge and creative problem-solving that comes
from these critical institutions?
Answer 2. The public health system in America is a Federal, state and local part-
nership. This issue has been studied many times and has had numerous reports
written on what the solutions are. Accompanying this has been the lack of national
leadership at the Federal level with the mandate to build it [a robust public health
system] and the commitment of policymakers at all levels to sustain it. The nation
must invest in a state-of-the-art public health system now if we are going to avoid
a repeat of the COVID–19 experience and its economic consequences. As I stated
in my testimony, In addition to urging Congress to adequately fund CDC through
the annual appropriations process, we are urging Congress to provide $4.5 billion
in additional long-term annual mandatory funding for CDC and state, local, tribal
and territorial public health agencies for core public health infrastructure activities.
We are also calling on Congress to appropriate funding in fiscal years 2020 and
2021 for the public health workforce loan repayment program authorized in the HE-
ROES Act. Providing funding for this important program will help incentivize new
and recent graduates to join the governmental public health workforce, encourage
them to stay in these roles, and strengthen the public health workforce as a whole.
Question 3.
According to the latest data provided by the National Center for Education Statis-
tics, close to 20 percent of students attending institutes of higher education have
at least one disability that impacts the way they learn. While colleges and univer-
sities have done much to ensure student learning continues in the wake of the pan-
demic by transitioning to online learning platforms, students with disabilities may
encounter increased barriers in their pursuit of academic success at no fault to the
institutes themselves. Students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder may
struggle with prolonged online sessions. Students who are hearing impaired or have
auditory processing deficits may have difficulty communicating with other students
when closed captioning is not available in video conferences or in streaming lessons,
especially when they rely on an American Sign Language interpreter or reading
lips. Furthermore, students with physical disabilities may not have access to the as-
sistive technologies needed to successfully complete their coursework. Institutes of
higher education have worked hard to support this sudden transition to virtual
learning for all students, but this pandemic has had unintended hardships, particu-
larly for those students with disabilities.
• How can we ensure that all students can continue to be supported in
their educational endeavors, whether physically in the classroom or vir-
tually through distance learning, even beyond the pandemic?
Answer 3. Ensuring that all students have equitable access to a quality education
should be a top priority of the U.S. Department of Education as well as the colleges
and universities themselves. We really need to better understand how to meet the
needs of individual students to enable them to fully participate in our educational
systems in this evolving educational environment. We should anticipate that we will
need to craft new and more innovative technologies as well as educational funding
streams (Federal, state and local) to support them.
RESPONSES BY LOGAN HAMPTON, TO QUESTIONS OF SENATOR COLLINS, SENATOR
SCOTT, SENATOR WARREN, SENATOR BALDWIN, SENATOR SANDERS, SENATOR
CASEY, SENATOR MURRAY, AND SENATOR ROSEN.
SENATOR COLLINS
Question 1.
Three quarters of the programs offered at Maine’s community colleges are the
only ones of their kind in the state, and the vast majority (71 percent) of Maine’s
community college students are enrolled in career and occupational programs, many
of them hands-on in nature. By definition, these skills-based programs—such as for
auto mechanics, CNAs, machinists, radiological technicians, the culinary arts—have
a necessary face-to-face component where physical distancing is very challenging, or
may not be possible. This type of coursework has been critical to ‘‘up-skilling’’ our
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workforce. How should community colleges respond both to safety concerns as well
as the overwhelming need for the workforce training they offer?
Answer 1. As President of Lane College, a Historically Black College and Univer-
sity, I do not believe that I am the expert on the needs and challenges of community
colleges. However, if I look at this question in the lens of my own institution, I be-
lieve that the safety of the students, faculty, and staff are the utmost concern. On
my campus, we are putting processes in place to ensure that programs that rely
more on hands-on learning are able to be offered in the Fall with the proper safety
measures in place. For instance, preparing for our FastStart model (face-to-face),
Lane College has designed each classroom such that the instructor will be 10 feet
from the students and students will be 6 feet from one another. While yet exploring
how we will deliver choral instruction, faculty propose that the director will stand
behind a barrier and the students will wear masks and shields during rehearsal.
SENATOR SCOTT
Question 1.
In the past few years, we have seen an unprecedented show of support from Con-
gress and the Administration for HBCUs. Last year, the Senate unanimously ap-
proved the HBCU PARTNERS Act, which promotes partnerships between HBCUs
and Federal agencies. Congress also passed the FUTURE Act, securing permanent
funding for HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). As a response
to the devastating impacts of COVID–19 pandemic, we directed more than $1 billion
in CARES Act relief funding to HBCUs and other MSIs. From my conversations
with Dr. Artis, president of Benedict College, broadband access remains a major
hurdle for far too many students and schools, particularly in rural areas. I, along
with several of my Republican colleagues, have drafted a letter requesting support
and consideration for broadband access to bolster the technological infrastructure
that could ensure a successful reopening this fall. The letter also highlights the
unique opportunity that HBCU’s have to combat the COVID–19 pandemic’s devasta-
tion on communities of color.
(A) Mr. Hampton, how can the Administration and Congress help your school, as
well as other HBCUs and MSIs, strengthen the technological infrastructure that al-
lows these institutions a continuous opportunity to contribute to American innova-
tion?
Answer A. As I indicated in my testimony, the next stimulus bill to be passed by
the House and Senate should include a technology fund to allow institutions and
students to access broadband. Technological infrastructure is very important to en-
sure a successful start to the Fall semester and my institution, along with other
HBCUs, are in need of additional resources to make this possible.
The CARES Act gave our institutions the ability to utilize resources to purchase
technological equipment for our students to help them complete their assignments
online; participate in virtual counseling; receive mentoring and tutoring services on-
line; and complete other required tasks in relation to their academic program
through distance education. Lane College has been proactive by forming a strategy
team to come up with three scenarios to prepare for the Fall with two scenarios in-
corporating online classes and services: Lane College VR and Lane College SOAR
(please refer to my testimony for more details regarding these scenarios). While we
are preparing for a successful return for our students with the resources provided,
we still have the following concerns:
• The quality of instruction because the institution as a whole faculty re-
main in need of additional resources, human or technical, to fully manage
the change to all online courses and support secure virtual testing admin-
istration or the delivery of science lab instruction; and
• The ability of our students to access broadband because nearly 90 percent
of Lane College students receive Pell Grants who tend to not have the
funds, equipment, or Internet access to receive instruction remotely;
As I mentioned in my testimony, I want to offer my support for S. 3701, the Sup-
porting Connectivity for Higher Education Students in Need Act, introduced by Sen-
ator Amy Klobuchar, and ask that this bill be included in the next stimulus package
to be considered by Congress. This piece of legislation takes a responsible approach
to meeting the needs of our low-income, first-generation college students and the
households they come from by helping them access the technological equipment and
broadband services. This bill also prioritizes HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs when dis-
seminating broadband equipment and incentivizing partnerships to deliver
broadband services.
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(B) I understand that many HBCU’s are tuition dependent and count on steady
enrollment. The HBCU’s Partners Act helps these institutions identify alternative
revenue sources to build the academic and cultural infrastructure to attract a di-
verse pool of students. What do you project the enrollment rate will be in the fall
in light of COVID–19?
Answer B. Due to the fluid developments of COVID–19, the strategy team devel-
oped at Lane College has begun the preparations for three scenarios: Lane College
FastStart (face-to-face instruction in Fall 2020), Lane College VR (all online courses
in Fall 2020), and Lane College SOAR (a hybrid of both online courses and face-
to-face instruction in Fall 2020). If we officially decide on Lane College FastStart,
then we are preparing for a decline in enrollment resulting in a 27 percent to 43
percent decrease in revenue. If we proceed with the other two scenarios, we may
see a steady enrollment or potential uptick. As of now, we are officially projecting
an enrollment of 910 total students (23 percent decrease in headcount) with 531 res-
idential students (47 percent decrease in housing).
(C) Many colleges currently have tools at their disposal to recalculate financial aid
eligibility resulting from a loss of income, but what are some ways you think we
can make students and families more aware of these options? How important are
financial aid options to the matriculation of students to schools?
Answer C. Because Lane College serves a student population that consists of 90
percent of Pell Grant students, I believe that financial aid options are extremely im-
portant to the matriculation of students to schools. Many of our students come from
humble means and need additional support to access postsecondary education. For
this very reason, I strongly believe that Congress should double the maximum Pell
Grant to help offset the cost of college for these students. Our students need help
with the overall cost of attendance and should not have to take out a Parent PLUS
loan to do so.
To better inform students of their ability to have their financial aid packages al-
tered due to a change in their income or dependency status, I believe that it is im-
portant to enhance all financial aid counseling provided to students. It is vitally im-
portant that Master Promissory Notes are easy to read and understand for all stu-
dents and families, and it is important that financial aid counseling take place be-
fore students or parents sign the dotted line for a loan. Annually, students should
be contacted about their financial aid status so that they know how to continue to
make informed decisions moving forward.
SENATOR WARREN
Question 1.
How, specifically, will you ensure that faculty (including adjunct faculty) and staff
(including hourly workers) are at the table for all decisions regarding when and how
to repopulate your campus this fall? How will you engage and solicit their view-
points, and how will you ensure that those viewpoints are taken into consideration
for all decisions?
Answer 1. Lane College has already started a process where we have a joint lead-
ership team, consisting of 21 members of my direct reports, the academic cabinet,
and the marketing team to take part in considering how Lane College will reopen
this Fall. In addition to this, we have a FastStart team and a Pandemic Proof team.
The joint leadership team was created in direct response to the coronavirus
(COVID–19) and this team made the determination to move all classes online in the
Spring of 2020. We hosted the final mass meeting of 100-plus students, faculty,
staff, and administrators to discuss remote instruction on March 13, 2020, and the
members of the joint leadership team continue to meet twice per week to submit,
receive, and review the most up-to-date information available; make immediate deci-
sions regarding the operation of the institution; and propose protocols, policies, and
responses as needed.
The Lane College FastStart team is made up of 20 or so faculty and staff planning
for the Fall. This team works with new students from the point of admission
through the first six weeks of the semester. At present, we are projecting 311 new
students (23 percent decrease).
The Pandemic Proof team consists of 27 members including faculty, staff, and ad-
ministration. This team is charged with developing tactical solutions to prepare for
three potential future scenarios of campus operations in response to COVID–19
(Lane College FastStart, Lane College VR, and Lane College SOAR). The Pandemic
Proof team is developing tactical solutions for each area of the institution’s oper-
ation.
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Question 2.
How, specifically, will you ensure that students are at the table for all decisions
regarding when and how to repopulate your campus this fall? How will you engage
and solicit their viewpoints, and how will you ensure that those viewpoints are
taken into consideration for all decisions?
Answer 2. Lane College is in constant contact with, and receiving feedback from,
several groups of student leaders including the new student orientation leaders,
Power of Potential scholar leaders, Dragon Academy peer leaders, and residential
assistants. Further, Lane College has done two surveys: CARES funding and pulse
enrollment surveys. Last, we will conduct a student town hall.
Question 3.
Given what we know about coronavirus now, and understanding this could
change, under what conditions would you consider abandoning plans to repopulate
your campus, again moving everyone to remote instruction, and shutting down the
majority of outreach and research activities? What process would you follow to un-
dertake this decision?
Answer 3. As I indicated in my testimony, Lane College is preparing for three sce-
narios when considering reopening this Fall: Lane College FastStart, Lane College
VR, and Lane College SOAR. All three of these scenarios are still being developed
by a strategy team created at Lane College to manage our Crisis Management Cen-
ter and each scenario is described in more detail below.
• Lane College FastStart—Should Lane College students return to campus
for face-to-face instruction and subsequently experience a more aggressive
COVID–19 season in late Fall 2020, the institution’s response will mirror
the response of the Spring 2020 semester and consist of the following:
¯ Protocols established across the campus, particularly the academic and
student affairs COVID–19 protections, to keep students safe and healthy
on campus prior to their departure;
¯ Faculty prior experience in delivering and moving instruction from face-to-
face to online;
¯ The practice of COVID–19 safety protocols for students, faculty, staff, and
visitors to include WWSS: washing their hands, wearing their masks, social
distancing, and self-checking for COVID–19 symptoms;
¯ COVID–19 restrictions and recommendations by local, state, and Federal
entities;
¯ Frequent and routine virtual recruiting, admissions, financial, orientation,
and athletic presentations;
¯ The re-recruitment of majors by departmental leaders; and
¯ Preparations to see a decrease in overall enrollment and revenue.
• Lane College VR—While small and independent, Lane College is primed
to deliver responsive and creative programmatic and curricular solutions.
The institution has sourced digital devices, platforms, texts, course mate-
rial, and office applications to support Lane College VR. We will need to
pilot micro-credentials and new course offerings to ensure successful im-
plementation, but we are cognizant that student success, including reten-
tion and graduation, may be negatively impacted. We are also cognizant
that enrollment may decrease resulting in a 27 percent to 43 percent de-
crease in revenue.
• Lane College SOAR—Lane College SOAR, the hybrid scenario, offers the
greatest opportunity and challenge for Lane College. Appropriately exe-
cuted, this strategy could lift Lane College to heights unimagined pre-
viously. This approach would incorporate aspects of both Lane College
FastStart and Lane College VR. To implement this successfully, the tech-
nology will need to be greatly increased including the IT backbone, help
desk, and on-campus WIFI. A recovering local, state, and national econ-
omy may cause us to see an increase in enrollment, but we have to also
prepare for the likelihood of a decrease in enrollment.
How we actually proceed will be based on our belief of our ability to truly keep
our students, faculty, and staff safe. We moved to complete online instruction in
Spring 2020, and are preparing to continue in this manner in the Fall if we believe
that we are unable to be completely sure that we can use proper testing materials
to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
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Question 4.
Do you intend to require students, faculty, or staff to sign waivers before repopu-
lating campus this fall?
Answer 4. Yes, Lane College will require students, faculty and staff to sign the
waiver below:
NOTICE
COVID–19 ENTERING CAMPUS, COLLEGE FACILITY OR COLLEGE-RELATED
EVENT/ACTIVITY PROTOCOLS
Lane College is committed to protect the health, safety and well-being of our com-
munity during the novel coronavirus (COVID–19) pandemic. We want to commu-
nicate the procedures as we do our part pursuant to Federal and state guidelines
to prevent exposure to and spread of COVID–19.
PRIOR TO ENTERING CAMPUS, ANY COLLEGE FACILITY AND/OR
COLLEGE-RELATED EVENT/ACTIVITY (you must complete the self-check
below each and every time that you enter campus and/or leave your resi-
dence hall room during the health emergency). Each employee, student, ven-
dor, contractor, or visitor must affirm the information below:
SELF-CHECK: I affirm that I am free of COVID–19 symptoms for 72 hours
including:
• FREE OF FEVER greater than 100 degrees, without fever reducing medi-
cation
• RUNNY NOSE
• COUGHING
• SNEEZING
• SORE THROAT
• DIFFICULTY BREATHING
• FEELING ILL
• UPSET STOMACH or DIARRHEA
• CHILLS
• REPEATED SHAKING WITH CHILLS
• MUSCLE PAIN
• HEADACHE
• NEW LOSS OF TASTE OR SMELL
Furthermore, I affirm:
• I HAVE NOT TRAVELED TO A COVID–19 HOTSPOT in the past 14
days.
• If I have TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID–19, I will provide documenta-
tion that I am free of the disease.
• If I have BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS TESTED
POSITIVE, I will contact my supervisor, advisor, faculty member or Col-
lege official prior to coming to Campus, leaving my residence hall, and/
or entering a College facility and self-quarantine for 14 days.
• If I TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID–19, I will contact my supervisor, advi-
sor, faculty member or College official prior to coming to Campus and/or
leaving my residence hall.
• The self-checker is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diag-
nosis, or treatment.
WHILE AT THE COLLEGE OR COLLEGE-RELATED EVENT/ACTIVITY,
further, each employee, student, vendor, contractor, or visitor is aware that Lane
College is an open campus and welcomes visitors, vendors and contractors. With the
on-campus protocols in place,
• I assume and accept all risks and responsibilities related to contracting
the COVID–19 virus.
• I further acknowledge that COVID–19 is extremely contagious and be-
lieved to spread mainly from person-to-person contact. As a result, Fed-
eral, state, and local governments and Federal and state health agencies
recommend social distancing. Lane College has put in place preventative
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measures pursuant to Federal and state guidelines to reduce the spread
of COVID–19; however, the College cannot guarantee that you will not
become infected with COVID–19. By visiting the campus, residing in on-
campus housing or participating in any Lane College event or activity,
on-or off-campus, you acknowledge the contagious nature of COVID–19,
voluntarily assume the risk that you may be exposed to or infected by
COVID–19 and voluntarily agree to accept sole responsibility whether a
COVID–19 infection occurs before, during, or after visiting campus, while
residing in on-campus housing, or participating in an event or activity.
• I will practice the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Tennessee Department of Health and Madison County Department of
Health recommendations that include, but are not limited, to the fol-
lowing WWSS:
WASH YOUR HANDS
WEAR YOUR MASK
SOCIAL DISTANCE (MAINTAIN 6 FEET DISTANCE)
SELF-CHECK (WWSS).
If YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, please visit the CDC for
further information https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/return-to-
work.html#practices-restrictions.
THIS NOTICE IS BASED ON CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND MAY BE
UPDATED.
SENATOR SANDERS
Question 1.
Postsecondary education in the United States has traditionally been funded
through a mixture of Federal and state government appropriations, institutional en-
dowments, and student payments of tuitions and fees. However, recently, there has
been a massive reduction in Federal and state investment in institutions of higher
education, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), that has
left students bearing a larger proportion of the price of college. What has been the
impact of the loss of investment in colleges on the ability of your students to pay
for costs related to the COVID–19 pandemic? What has been the impact of the loss
of investment in colleges on the ability of your school to prepare for and respond
to the COVID–19 pandemic? With the loss of income and budget cuts, how will your
institution prioritize safety and provide adequate staffing as campuses reopen? How
will your institution ensure that every student, regardless of financial status, stu-
dents with disabilities, LGBQT+ students, students with unsafe homes, students of
color and students from low-income families will have free access to testing and a
vaccine, when available?
Answer 1. The cost of college remains a barrier to many students, especially low-
income, first-generation college students, and I am proud to say that Lane College
has no plans to increase its tuition, fees, or room and board for the upcoming aca-
demic year. HBCUs continue to provide lower tuition and fees to students compared
to other institutions, and Lane College is no exception. As it relates to the loss of
state investment in HBCUs, Lane College is a private institution and does not rely
on state funding; however, investment in my institution and all HBCUs is vitally
important, which is why I asked for another $1 billion dollar investment in HBCUs,
Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs)
in the next stimulus package. Also, HBCUs have yet to receive the full authorized
amount of $375 million in Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and our
institutions need to no longer be short-changed. Because HBCUs have been playing
catch-up since our individual foundings due to systemic racism, we all have resource
issues. We experience greater challenges accessing private gifts, contracts, and
grants. We also have endowments that lag behind those of non-HBCUs by at least
70 percent, and public and private HBCUs experienced the largest declines in Fed-
eral funding per full-time equivalent student between 2003–2015. Due to these re-
alities depicting the lack of investment in HBCUs, we are in dire need of equitable
funding.
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In addition to our funding issues, our Pell-grant-majority student population is
the most vulnerable of all students and have been impacted at large degrees due
to COVID–19, since the majority of students attending HBCUs are black. As I men-
tioned in my testimony, we have learned that Black Americans are disproportion-
ately impacted by COVID–19 at much higher rates and this means job losses and
strained finances in the households of Black American families as well. Due to these
additional outside factors, along with the fact that Black Americans simply get hired
at lower rates than White Americans and make less money on average than White
Americans, our student populations are struggling even more now. Because of this,
I have asked Congress to double the maximum Pell Grant to help these very stu-
dents afford a postsecondary education. Now is the time to truly help. While I am
thankful for the emergency funding provided to students through H. R. 748, the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, our students need a
more reliable stream of funding that they can utilize for the duration of their under-
graduate academic career.
Last, the safety of all of our students, faculty, and staff is of utmost concern to
us at Lane College. We have sent several notices out to our students on how to re-
main safe during this time, and it is a priority for Lane College. It is our desire
to provide free testing to our students and we are working to ensure that this is
a reality. We have partnered with Christ Community Health Center to provide free
testing to students, faculty, and staff. Christ Community will test and produce the
results in 24 hours.
In regard to safety, below is an example of the correspondence we have had with
our students and our plan for safety.
COVID–19 CAMPUS EXPECTATIONS
If you are well and free of symptoms from the novel coronavirus (COVID–19),
Lane College expects the following of you on campus:
a. Practice social distancing by conducting business remotely by email, tele-
phone, Zoom, Skype, Google Hangout, etc.; and
b. Continue to practice the recommendations of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC):
¯ Wash your hands;
¯ Avoid touching your face;
¯ Avoid close contact with people;
¯ Sneeze or cough into a tissue or the inside of your elbow; and
¯ Clean and disinfect frequently used items and surfaces.
COVID–19 is extremely contagious and is believed to spread mainly from person-
to-person contact. As a result, Federal, state, and local governments and Federal
and state health agencies recommend social distancing. Lane College has put in
place preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID–19; however, the Col-
lege cannot guarantee that you will not become infected with COVID–19. By visiting
campus or participating in any Lane College event or activity, on or off campus, you
acknowledge the contagious nature of COVID–19 and voluntarily assume the risk
that you may be exposed to or infected by COVID–19 and voluntarily agree to as-
sume all of risks and accept sole responsibility whether a COVID–19 infection oc-
curs before, during, or after visiting campus or participating in an event or activity.
If you are sick or have symptoms, do not return to campus. Please remain
where you are, quarantine, and isolate yourself. In particular——
• If you have a FEVER (temperature above 100), do not return to campus
• If you have a RUNNY NOSE, do not return to campus
• If you have a COUGH, do not return to campus
• If you are SNEEZING, do not return to campus
• If you have a SORE THROAT, do not return to campus
• If you have DIFFICULTY BREATHING, do not return to campus quickly
consult a medical provider or emergency room
• If you are FEELING ILL, do not return to campus
• If you have an UPSET STOMACH or DIARRHEA, do not return to cam-
pus
• If you have CHILLS, do not return to campus
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• If you have REPEATED SHAKING WITH CHILLS, do not return to cam-
pus
• If you have MUSCLE PAIN, do not return to campus
• If you have HEADACHE, do not return to campus
• If you have NEW LOSS OF TASTE OR SMELL, do not return to campus
• If you have BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS COVID–
19, do not return to campus
• If you have traveled out of the country or traveled to a COVID–19
hotspot in the past 14 days, do not return to campus . . . (https://
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html).
Please remember, if you TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID–19 IN THE NEXT
14 DAYS, YOU MUST REPORT YOUR POSITIVE TEST TO HEALTH SERV-
ICES OR HUMAN RESOURCES.
COVID–19 STUDENT AFFAIRS PROTOCOL
Health Services
• Health Services will offer the latest CDC recommendations and treat-
ment options as indicated.
• If you have a fever or cough, remain isolated and contact Health Services
at [redacted] for evaluation.
• Health Services’ evaluation process will consist of the following:
¯ Triage (ask a series of questions) and test for Flu, Strep Throat, and UTI
• If positive for Flu—treat
• If positive for Strep Throat—treat
• If positive for UTI—treat
• If the above tests are negative, this will indicate ‘‘fever of unknown or-
igin.’’
¯ Student will be isolated in designated area for 14 days
¯ Face mask(s) must be worn around others
Housing and Residence Life
• Students who remain on campus must agree to report any COVID–19
symptoms to Health Services for diagnosis (see Health Services COVID19
protocol).
• To maintain CDC-recommended social distancing practices, students who
remain on campus are not permitted to have guest visits for any amount
of time. (NO VISITATION)
• Team Clean custodial staff is completing regular cleaning of the public
areas in the residence halls.
• Hand sanitizers, hand wipes, and/or hand spray sanitizer will be avail-
able at the front desk of each residence hall.
• Students who fail to comply with the COVID–19 protocols may be dis-
ciplined and removed from campus housing.
• As a reminder, Lane College will NOT be responsible for any items left
in a student’s room.
Dining Services
• Campus dining is open to Lane College students, faculty, and staff.
¯ Brunch (10 a.m.—2 p.m.) and dinner (4 p.m.—7 p.m.) meals will only be
served.
• No reusable service ware (plates, cups, utensils) and limited self-service
options to reduce the opportunity for cross-contamination.
¯ Meals and food will be served in to-go containers.
¯ Beverage containers and plastic ware will be provided.
¯ Diners should maintain CDC recommended social distancing (keep 6 feet
apart).
¯ Sneeze guards were added to serving lines
Campus Safety and Security
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• To assure the safety of the Lane College community, a 10 p.m. curfew has
been implemented. Please remain within your residence hall during the
curfew.
• Non-emergency incident reports can be made 24 hours a day by utilizing
the LiveSafe app or calling [redacted].
Counseling and Disability Services
• Please call [redacted] or [redacted] to schedule an appointment to talk
with a Lane College Counselor.
• If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the 24-Hour
Crisis Line at [redacted] or the State Crisis Line at [redacted].
Religious Services/Chaplain
• Please call [redacted] to schedule an appointment to talk with a Lane
College Chaplain.
• If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the 24-Hour
Crisis Line at [redacted] or the State Crisis Line at [redacted].
First Year Experience (FYE)
• Interview/Selection of the 2020 Dragon Academy peer advisors will be
held via Zoom/FaceTime/Phone the week of March 30.
• Lane College Dragon Academy 2020 begins June 6th (Move-In). Applica-
tions will be available via the Lane College website and official social
media platforms.
• The FYE office is available between the hours 2 p.m.—5 p.m. for a small
number of students (5 or less) who need computer access.
• Please call Rev. McKindra at [redacted] to schedule your visit to the of-
fice.
Intramural and Recreational Services
• At present, nonessential facilities including recreational facilities are
closed in response to the State of Emergency issued by the city of Jack-
son.
• If and when the State of Emergency is lifted, please follow these protocols
while utilizing the recreation/weight room in the Stone Amenities:
¯ Recreation/Weight Room will only be open Monday—Friday, 9 am—11 a.m.;
and 2 p.m.—4 p.m.
¯ Only seven (7) individuals will be allowed into the weight room at one time.
¯ Upon entering Stone Amenities, all individuals must sanitize their hands.
¯ Please wipe down/sanitize each recreational machine BEFORE and AFTER
each use.
¯ Attempt to avoid using recreational machines directly beside another
machine that is being used by someone else.
¯ Do not partner with other persons when working out.
• Avoid making mouth contact with the water fountain.
• Avoid spitting in the water fountain.
• Practice social distancing by avoiding direct contact with others.
• If sweating, keep as dry as possible by using cloth towels, paper towels,
or anything that can minimize perspiration.
¯ DO NOT share towels, water bottles, or anything that can spread germs.
¯ Avoid horseplay at all times.
• Before exiting the building
¯ Please wipe all sweat from your body.
¯ Wash/sanitize your hands with soap and water.
¯ Make sure that you are properly clothed.
Campus Life
• No events will be scheduled.
• Limited programming options, usually through virtual channels, will be
available for students remaining on campus.
• Student organizations can only meet via virtual meetings.
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• Student Government Association and Royal Court nominations and elec-
tions will be conducted remotely (on-line format).
• The New Greek Members Presentation Show has been canceled.
HBCU Wellness
• Student Projects will be completed through video conference formats.
Student Leadership and Engagement
• The Office of Student Involvement and Leadership continues to research
creative ways to keep our students engaged while practicing social
distancing during the COVID–19 pandemic.
¯ All face-to-face programs and activities have been canceled.
• To ensure that students still have the opportunity to develop as leaders,
the following adjustments have been made:
¯ Cheerleading Tryouts: The Lane College Cheerleading Program has
postponed onsite tryouts until June 12–14, 2020. Students have the option
to submit video footage. For more information about video submissions,
please contact Mr. Quentin Giles or call/text [redacted].
• The Campus Activities Board will transition their weekly meetings to video con-
ference meetings through Zoom.
• Orientation Leadership (OL) Institute will use Blackboard to complete Orienta-
tion Leadership training.
• National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) will continue membership
training through the NSLS members’ portal. All face-to-face programs will move
to online programming.
Lane College Book Store
• At the conclusion of the spring semester, please return your textbooks be-
fore returning your room key to Housing.
¯ Textbook Returns for Spring 2020:
˛ April 20–April 24, 2020
˛ 8:30 AM–5 PM
˛ Graduating seniors must return textbooks before picking up Regalia.
Question 2.
According to a report from the American Federation of Teachers, ‘‘Army of
Temps,’’ 75 percent of all instructional workers in American higher education are
contingent or adjunct—effectively, temporary workers. Of those workers, almost 40
percent are over 60; 65 percent are over 50. We know from other industries in which
workers have no meaningful job security—Uber and Lyft drivers, seasonal farm
workers, and the like—that workers in such industries often feel pressured to come
to work even when they are sick, and even when conditions where they work are
not conductive to their health. What do you plan to do to make sure that these
workers, the majority of teaching staff in higher education in the United States, are
safe from COVID–19 on your campuses, and what do you recommend others do?
How do you plan to reasonably accommodate those who the CDC has designated at
being at heightened risk of COVID–19 complications, particularly those who may
not feel that they have the job security to raise their concerns about their own
health at work?
Answer 2. By in large, the safety protocols that I outlined in the previous ques-
tions that were directed toward students are also practiced by the faculty and staff
at my institution. More specifically, Lane College has ensured the safety of our fac-
ulty and staff by allowing faculty and staff to work remotely. Any faculty or staff
whose job function allowed was given the opportunity to work remotely. Essential
employees, of course, were required to come to campus including security, dining
services, academic support, IT, residential, financial aid, controller’s and custodial
staff. Currently, access to the campus is, and will be, restricted to students, essen-
tial staff, and faculty. The campus will reopen on July 6, 2020.
Question 3.
As the president of Lane College, a Historically Black College and University
(HBCU), you mentioned the unique challenges faced by your students—and your in-
stitution—due to revenue losses that will impact the ability of Lane College to oper-
ate, even with funding provided by the CARES Act. In addition to your request that
Congress provide an additional $1 billion in funding for HBCUs, Tribal Colleges and
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Universities (TCUs) and Minority-Serving Institutions, you also ask that Congress
increase student grant aid by doubling the maximum Pell Grant award. Would the
additional $1 billion in funding and the additional student aid be sufficient to help
your students pay for additional expenses related to the COVID–19 pandemic? Since
Lane College provides a high quality college education to students seeking to im-
prove their lives and that of their families, what else can Congress do to address
the disproportionate impact of COVID–19 on African American students to ensure
that your school and other HBCUs continue to not just operate but thrive?
Answer 3. As you mentioned, I did articulate in my testimony that Congress
should provide funding of an additional $1 billion to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs along
with asking for Congress to double the maximum Pell Grant for students. However,
the assumption is that those two aforementioned asks would suffice in the short-
term depending on how long the national emergency will last and how long it will
take for jobs and health to be restored. If it takes 18 months for a vaccine to be
created, then it will also take time for the vaccine to be disseminated to everyone
in the country. In addition, there will likely be a cost to institutions to provide the
vaccine to students, much like the costs associated with providing COVID–19 test-
ing, and this is yet another cost to my institution. I am still unsure at the present
moment of what my enrollment will look like in the Fall and beyond, so I am almost
certain that even the $1 billion ask that I have in my testimony will likely not be
enough overall to successfully recover from the impacts of COVID–19. Also, when
I ask for a doubling of the maximum Pell Grant award, it is not to be taken as a
temporary measure but as a permanent measure. Our low-income students deserve
a fair chance at completing their postsecondary education free from the worry of not
being able to afford their education or not being able to successfully pay back their
loans.
SENATOR CASEY
Question 1.
The COVID–19 pandemic has provided unprecedented disruptions across our edu-
cation system. Students may have changed financial circumstances, increased family
obligations or other challenges that necessitate additional support or flexibility. In
particular, students whose personal circumstances require it, may need additional
flexibility to switch institutions. Have you considered developing more robust trans-
fer policies to accommodate these students? If so, what changes are you proposing?
Answer 1. Yes, we have considered transfer protocols, in so much as I have di-
rected faculty and staff to remove all possible barriers to students enrolling. We are
working with consultants to help identify opportunities to improve our processes
and protocols.
Question 2.
According to a survey by Active Minds, 80 percent of college students indicate
COVID–19 has negatively impacted their mental health. Students returning to cam-
pus may face increased anxiety about their own health, the health of their parents
and loved ones at home. Students who are immunocompromised or otherwise medi-
cally vulnerable may also face increased anxiety and isolation from their peers. As
you consider reopening in the fall, how are you preparing to support the increased
mental health needs of your students and faculty?
Answer 2. When Lane College decided to move all classes online, we sent emails
and hosted the final mass meeting of 100-plus students, faculty, staff, and adminis-
trators to discuss remote instruction on March 13, 2020. As students moved out of
the residence halls at the end of the semester Counseling Services sent staff to en-
gage students. In our communications, we shared a wealth of information to include
information regarding mental health services. Further, it bears noting, that in vir-
tually every meeting of the Pandemic Proof and Fast Start teams, one of my col-
leagues mentions the trauma that our students have endured and are enduring. The
faculty and staff are most sensitive to the traumatic impact of COVID–19 on our
students. Please see our COVID–19 Student Affairs Protocol below.
COVID–19 STUDENT AFFAIRS PROTOCOL
Health Services
• Health Services will offer the latest CDC recommendations and treat-
ment options as indicated.
• If you have a fever or cough, remain isolated and contact Health Services
at [redacted] for evaluation.
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• Health Services’ evaluation process will consist of the following:
¯ Triage (ask a series of questions) and test for Flu, Strep Throat, and UTI
• If positive for Flu—treat
• If positive for Strep Throat—treat
• If positive for UTI—treat
• If the above tests are negative, this will indicate ‘‘fever of unknown or-
igin.’’
¯ Student will be isolated in designated area for 14 days
¯ Face mask(s) must be worn around others
Housing and Residence Life
• Students who remain on campus must agree to report any COVID–19
symptoms to Health Services for diagnosis (see Health Services COVID19
protocol).
• To maintain CDC-recommended social distancing practices, students who
remain on campus are not permitted to have guest visits for any amount
of time. (NO VISITATION)
• Team Clean custodial staff is completing regular cleaning of the public
areas in the residence halls.
• Hand sanitizers, hand wipes, and/or hand spray sanitizer will be avail-
able at the front desk of each residence hall.
• Students who fail to comply with the COVID–19 protocols may be dis-
ciplined and removed from campus housing.
• As a reminder, Lane College will NOT be responsible for any items left
in a student’s room.
Dining Services
• Campus dining is open to Lane College students, faculty, and staff.
¯ Brunch (10 a.m.—2 p.m.) and dinner (4 p.m.—7 p.m.) meals will only be
served.
• No reusable service ware (plates, cups, utensils) and limited self-service
options to reduce the opportunity for cross-contamination.
¯ Meals and food will be served in to-go containers.
¯ Beverage containers and plastic ware will be provided.
¯ Diners should maintain CDC recommended social distancing (keep 6 feet
apart).
¯ Sneeze guards were added to serving lines.
Campus Safety and Security
• To assure the safety of the Lane College community, a 10 p.m. curfew has
been implemented. Please remain within your residence hall during the
curfew.
• Non-emergency incident reports can be made 24 hours a day by utilizing
the LiveSafe app or calling [redacted].
Counseling and Disability Services
• Please call [redacted] or [redacted] to schedule an appointment to talk
with a Lane College Counselor.
• If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the 24-Hour
Crisis Line at [redacted] or the State Crisis Line at [redacted].
Religious Services/Chaplain
• Please call [redacted] to schedule an appointment to talk with a Lane
College Chaplain.
• If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the 24-Hour
Crisis Line at [redacted] or the State Crisis Line at [redacted].
First Year Experience (FYE)
• Interview/Selection of the 2020 Dragon Academy peer advisors will be
held via Zoom/FaceTime/Phone the week of March 30.
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• Lane College Dragon Academy 2020 begins June 6th (Move-In). Applica-
tions will be available via the Lane College website and official social
media platforms.
• The FYE office is available between the hours 2 p.m.—5 p.m. for a small
number of students (5 or less) who need computer access.
• Please call Rev. McKindra at [redacted] to schedule your visit to the of-
fice.
Intramural and Recreational Services
• At present, nonessential facilities including recreational facilities are
closed in response to the State of Emergency issued by the city of Jack-
son.
• If and when the State of Emergency is lifted, please follow these protocols
while utilizing the recreation/weight room in the Stone Amenities:
¯ Recreation/Weight Room will only be open Monday—Friday, 9 am—11 a.m.;
and 2 p.m.—4 p.m.
¯ Only seven (7) individuals will be allowed into the weight room at one time.
¯ Upon entering Stone Amenities, all individuals must sanitize their hands.
¯ Please wipe down/sanitize each recreational machine BEFORE and AFTER
each use.
¯ Attempt to avoid using recreational machines directly beside another
machine that is being used by someone else.
¯ Do not partner with other persons when working out.
• Avoid making mouth contact with the water fountain.
• Avoid spitting in the water fountain.
• Practice social distancing by avoiding direct contact with others.
• If sweating, keep as dry as possible by using cloth towels, paper towels,
or anything that can minimize perspiration.
¯ DO NOT share towels, water bottles, or anything that can spread germs.
¯ Avoid horseplay at all times.
• Before exiting the building
¯ Please wipe all sweat from your body.
¯ Wash/sanitize your hands with soap and water.
¯ Make sure that you are properly clothed.
Campus Life
• No events will be scheduled.
• Limited programming options, usually through virtual channels, will be
available for students remaining on campus.
• Student organizations can only meet via virtual meetings.
• Student Government Association and Royal Court nominations and elec-
tions will be conducted remotely (on-line format).
• The New Greek Members Presentation Show has been canceled.
HBCU Wellness
• Student Projects will be completed through video conference formats.
Student Leadership and Engagement
• The Office of Student Involvement and Leadership continues to research
creative ways to keep our students engaged while practicing social
distancing during the COVID–19 pandemic.
¯ All face-to-face programs and activities have been canceled.
• To ensure that students still have the opportunity to develop as leaders,
the following adjustments have been made:
¯ Cheerleading Tryouts: The Lane College Cheerleading Program has
postponed onsite tryouts until June 12–14, 2020. Students have the option
to submit video footage. For more information about video submissions,
please contact Mr. Quentin Giles or call/text [redacted].
• The Campus Activities Board will transition their weekly meetings to video con-
ference meetings through Zoom.
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• Orientation Leadership (OL) Institute will use Blackboard to complete Orienta-
tion Leadership training.
• National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) will continue membership
training through the NSLS members’ portal. All face-to-face programs will move
to online programming.
Lane College Book Store
• At the conclusion of the spring semester, please return your textbooks be-
fore returning your room key to Housing.
¯ Textbook Returns for Spring 2020:
˛ April 20–April 24, 2020
˛ 8:30 AM–5 PM
˛ Graduating seniors must return textbooks before picking up Regalia.
Question 3.
For our colleges and universities that serve a diverse population of students and
their families, there will be significantly different abilities to get to campus and to
safely participate in instruction and activities or even get back to campus. For stu-
dents with disabilities that have secondary health conditions, such as diabetes or
asthma, there will be greater risks. Wherever health services are provided, they
need to be equitably provided for students with all types of disabilities.
I’m concerned as well for students of lesser economic means. The expense
of returning to campus will be greater for them. The precautions they will
need to take will be more expensive for them. The risks for them will be
greater. If there are added expenses for single rooms, health care services,
increased tuition—all of those costs will be more difficult to bear for them.
Low-income students may also face additional challenges. The expense of
returning to campus will be greater for them. The precautions they will
need to take will be more expensive for them. The risks for them will be
greater. If there are added expenses for single rooms, health care services,
increased tuition—all of those costs will be more difficult to bear for them.
For these groups of students, reopening campuses may mean they cannot
or will not attend. They may not have the money or wish to risk their
health. How will you ensure that we do not see an expansion of the gap
in access and completion of postsecondary education for poor and disabled
students, thus reinforcing decades of discrimination and lack of access to
a college or graduate education that can lead a person out of poverty or pre-
vent them from falling into poverty?
Answer 3. At Lane College, we value all of our students and have put processes
in place to help them during this challenging time. In my testimony, I mentioned
that we have received the allocation for the emergency grant aid for students and
the allocation for institutions in Section 18004(a)(1) of H. R. 748, the Coronavirus
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act equaling $2,430,978. My institution
will be using the institutional funds to reimburse ourselves for COVID–19 related
expenses and have already began to disseminate the emergency grant aid to stu-
dents. To disseminate the emergency grant aid, Lane College established two dis-
persal tactics:
¯ Lane CARES Fund—$592 was distributed to each Spring 2020 enrolled
student to support their needs caused by the disruption due to COVID–19
to include food, housing, and transportation. To establish this amount,
Lane College surveyed students and found that 78 percent of the students
asked for funds to support food and 73 percent asked for housing support.
The survey instrument was sent to each students’ Lane College email
address on April 16, 2020, which was approximately 5 weeks after most
students had been away from campus. CARES funds to support student’s
food, housing, and transportation were distributed to each student (except
the international students) on April 30, 2020; and
¯ The Lane Direct Support Fund—These funds are awarded on a case-by
case-bases. A student may request these funds to support allowable
educational expenses.
As of May 28, 2020, a total of $659,396.56 has been distributed from Lane CARES
Fund and Lane Direct Support Fund combined. My goal is to use these funds to sup-
port our students needs and to ensure that our students who may have disabilities
are also provided with financial assistance. In addition, I have called for Congress
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to double the maximum Pell Grant to help low-income students better afford their
postsecondary education. With the negative side effects of COVID–19, our low-in-
come students need all of the financial assistance they can receive to continue their
education.
SENATOR MURRAY
Question 1.
President Hampton, what is your opinion on Secretary DeVos’ decision to exclude
non-Title IV eligible students from being eligible for emergency financial aid under
the CARES Act, contrary to congressional intent?
Answer 1. I believe that all students should be able to receive financial assistance
under the CARES Act regardless of whether or not they are eligible for Title IV aid.
Title IV aid is not the same as emergency grant aid and all of my students, and
their families, have been impacted. At Lane College, we have already began to dis-
seminate our emergency grant aid; however, with the new interim final rule, we
now have to go back to double check that we are abiding by the rules of the Depart-
ment of Education. To ensure that all Lane Students were treated similarly, we
used funds raised from our Board of Trustees to support non-Title IV eligible stu-
dents (approximately 5 students).
Question 2.
President Hampton, what is your opinion on Secretary DeVos’ decision to block
institutions of higher education from using institutional stabilization funds provided
by Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to defray lost revenues, contrary to con-
gressional intent?
Answer 2. As I mentioned in my testimony, a loss of just 100 students over Sum-
mer 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 would cost my institution nearly $2,000,000
in revenue. We need all the help we can get and having the ability to use the re-
sources available to us to defray lost revenues is the goal. I am thankful that Lane
College received $2,847,630 is Section 18004(a)(2) of the CARES Act, allowing us to
use these funds to defray lost revenues.
SENATOR ROSEN
Question 1.
The Nevada System of Higher Education has three separate groups focused on
preparing to safely re-open campuses this fall. One of these—the COVID Reopening
Task Force—includes students, medical personnel, education leaders, and public
safety staff, who are all reviewing various plans and providing recommendations to
the Chancellor. At this point, our schools are planning to re-open in the fall, but
with various modifications, including: no large lectures; a mix of remote and in-per-
son instruction; single-occupancy dorm rooms; and increased cleaning, testing, and
tracing. Each of the schools are also consulting with health and education experts
in order to follow best practices.
• How flexible are your plans to re-open campuses this fall? Do you envi-
sion adapting your plans as the semester progresses?
• What education and health experts do you consult with on best practices
when determining whether and how to reopen?
Answer 1. In my testimony, I mentioned that Lane College is considering three
scenarios: Lane College FastStart (face-to-face instruction in Fall 2020), Lane Col-
lege VR (all online courses in Fall 2020), and Lane College SOAR (a hybrid of both
online courses and face-to-face instruction in Fall 2020). We are definitely flexible
and plan to adapt as necessary, just like we did for Spring of 2020 when moving
to complete remote instruction. As a result of consultation given by UNCF, Lane
College was able to quickly establish a Crisis Management Center with a strategy
team to lead it. The Lane College strategy team is made up of four (4) members:
(1) Dr. Sandra Ramawy (Liberal Studies and Education, Academic Division Chair),
response lead; (2) Ms. Tangela Poole (Lane College Controller), financial lead; (3)
Mr. Terry Blackmon (Lane College Registrar), academic/institutional research lead;
and (4) myself. This team is charged with offering overall leadership of the Crisis
Management Center and coordinating the weekly Lane College C–19 Team Meeting
that is comprised of the Fast Start team, members of the Lane College Joint Leader-
ship team, and the Pandemic Proof team. the Pandemic Proof team consisting of 27
members. This team is charged with developing tactical solutions to prepare for the
three aforementioned potential future scenarios of campus operations in response to
COVID–19 (Lane College FastStart, Lane College VR, and Lane College SOAR). The
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Pandemic Proof team is developing tactical solutions for each area of the institu-
tion’s operation. For more details on what this team is working on, please see at-
tachment #1 in my testimony.
The campus will reopen on Monday, July 6, 2020 for the remote employees to re-
turn. In response to the Lane College Board of Trustees, the commencement celebra-
tion will be held virtually on July 18, 2020.
Student success will be achieved on our healthy, safe, and supportive campus with
healthy scholars practicing personal responsibility. Our mission continues, even fac-
ing COVID–19, to develop the whole student with academic excellence as our high-
est priority. Please see below to learn more about our plans to ensure safety on our
campus.
1. Healthy: Clean and treat facilities to ensure a healthy environment
a. All facilities are cleaned two times per day this fall.
b. Team Clean, the facility staff, has expanded personnel to clean high touch
areas.
c. Team Clean has added cleaning agents designed to clean COVID–19.
d. We are yet exploring means to treat facilities.
i. I have organized a pandemic proof biodefense team.
ii. The team members are made up of biology and chemistry faculty
and facility and medical personnel.
2. Safe:
a. In our hybrid model, students, faculty and staff will have the option to
teach, learn, work and/or study remotely or face-to-face.
b. The Pandemic Proof Team, made up of 27 faculty and staff, has worked
and is working to address the many challenges presented by the coronavirus
and COVID–19.
c. The chief of campus security has been working since spring break to
improve campus access.
i. Campus traffic and access will be restricted.
ii. Campus access is limited to Lane College students, faculty, staff, and
the guests who have checked in through the security office.
d. The faculty have set-up the classrooms to ensure the instructor is 10 feet
from students and the students are 6 feet from one another.
3. Supportive: We have all experienced significant trauma. Our students,
faculty, and staff have been negatively impacted by COVID–19 and the
evolving, conflicting, and nuanced responses and reactions. I encourage my
community to continue to be vigilant, patient, prayerful, flexible and to lis-
ten empathetically to one another. ‘‘We all need someone to lean on’’ in
these times (Bill Withers).
a. Our information technology have sourced and secured hardware, software,
and tools to support online learning. More needed and more to come.
b. Health Services and the Office of Administration have secured PPE and
sanitizers including 13,000 masks.
Healthy Scholars Practicing Personal Responsibility
1. I ask community member to take personal responsibility for WWSS:
Wear your mask, wash your hands, social distance and self-check.
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2. SELF-CHECK: Each and every time that a member returns to campus
or a student leaves their residence hall room, each of us will be required
to affirm that we are free of COVID–19 symptoms for 72 hours including:
a. FREE OF FEVER greater than 100 degrees, without fever reducing
medication
b. RUNNY NOSE
c. COUGHING
d. SNEEZING
e. SORE THROAT
f. DIFFICULTY BREATHING
g. FEELING ILL
h. UPSET STOMACH or DIARRHEA
i. CHILLS
j. REPEATED SHAKING WITH CHILLS
k. MUSCLE PAIN
l. HEADACHE
m. NEW LOSS OF TASTE OR SMELL
n. Furthermore, each will affirm: I HAVE NOT TRAVELED TO A COVID–
19 HOTSPOT in the past 14 days.
o. If I have TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID–19, I will provide
documentation that I am free of the disease.
p. If I have BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS TESTED
POSITIVE, I will contact my supervisor, advisor, faculty member or College
official prior to coming to the Campus, leaving my residence hall, and/or
entering a College facility and self-quarantine for 14 days.
q. If I TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID–19, I will contact my supervisor,
advisor, faculty member or College official prior to coming to Campus and/or
leave my residence hall/
r. Though the self-checker is not a substitute for professional medical advice,
diagnosis, or treatment, in combination with the other interventions, wear
your mask, wash your hands and social distance, it has proven to slow the
spread of COVID–19.
The College has partnered with the Madison County Health Department and
Christ Community Health Center to develop protocols and testing for our commu-
nity. The staff participated in webinars including those hosted by the Tennessee
Independent Colleges and Universities Associations with the Tennessee Department
of Health.
Question 2.
It is absolutely critical that we ensure our students’ and faculty’s health is pro-
tected as colleges and universities navigate how to move forward with their impor-
tant role in fostering new ideas, educating our future workforce, and conducting crit-
ical research. We also need our institutions of higher education to continue to be
strong partners with our health care system as we work to fight COVID–19, and
also look for new ways to engage. In Nevada, we have seen our colleges, univer-
sities, and researchers go above and beyond. Just a few examples—the UNLV
School of Medicine in Las Vegas jumped in to provide curbside testing early on;
UNR in Reno has been researching new ways to address COVID–19 diagnosis and
treatment; and the Desert Research Institute is leading public health research to
map spread of the virus, risk, and exposure. We’ve heard of engineering depart-
ments using 3D printing to make masks and swabs, and students creating new pro-
grams to bring groceries to homebound seniors. The list goes on.
• I’d like to hear about how else our institutions of higher education can adjust
their focus to help meet the future public health, medical, and related workforce
needs to address both the current pandemic and the disparities in our health
care system that have been laid so bare through this crisis.
Answer 2. Institutions of higher education exist to educate our Nation’s students
so that they can become doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, etc. As it relates to
COVID–19, institutions of higher education are able to become leaders in research
to learn more about this virus and are able to teach courses on how to successfully
respond to a pandemic. Institutions of higher education can also partner up with
companies in the workforce to learn what their needs are and offer necessary and
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needed training and programs to ensure that those needs are met. There are a num-
ber of collaborations that could exist between an institution of higher education and
the workforce, especially programs that would provide a passageway for our HBCU
students to obtain a job after graduation.
Question 3.
According to the latest data provided by the National Center for Education Statis-
tics, close to 20 percent of students attending institutes of higher education have
at least one disability that impacts the way they learn. While colleges and univer-
sities have done much to ensure student learning continues in the wake of the pan-
demic by transitioning to online learning platforms, students with disabilities may
encounter increased barriers in their pursuit of academic success at no fault to the
institutes themselves. Students with Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder may
struggle with prolonged online sessions. Students who are hearing impaired or suf-
fer from auditory processing deficits may have difficulty communicating with other
students when closed captioning is not available in video conferences or in stream-
ing lessons, especially when they rely on an American Sign Language interpreter
or reading lips. Furthermore, students with physical disabilities may not have ac-
cess to the assistive technologies needed to successfully complete their coursework.
Institutes of higher education have worked hard to support this sudden transition
to virtual learning for all students, but this pandemic has had unintended hard-
ships, particularly for those students with disabilities.
• How can we ensure that all students can continue to be supported in
their educational endeavors, whether physically in the classroom or vir-
tually through distance learning, even beyond the pandemic?
Answer 3. The Lane College Counseling and Disability Services provides accom-
modation services to student with disabilities. Counseling Services is currently con-
ducting workshops with faculty and staff to make us aware of the breadth of serv-
ices that the Center provides to assist students. Further, the Center has several
tools (i.e. Kurzweil assistive technologies) available to assist students with disabil-
ities.
Last, though Lane College has limited resources, we are committed to providing
access to all of our students and removing barriers. Currently, our student body has
a number of students who present a diversity of disabilities. I am pleased that our
campus accommodates, assists, and graduates these students without regard to
their disability.
RESPONSES BY DR. CHRISTINA H. PAXSON, TO QUESTIONS OF SENATOR COLLINS, SEN-
ATOR SCOTT, SENATOR WARREN, SENATOR SANDERS, SENATOR CASEY, SENATOR
MURRAY, AND SENATOR ROSEN.
SENATOR COLLINS
Question 1.
Three quarters of the programs offered at Maine’s community colleges are the
only ones of their kind in the state, and the vast majority (71 percent) of Maine’s
community college students are enrolled in career and occupational programs, many
of them hands-on in nature. By definition, these skills-based programs—such as for
auto mechanics, CNAs, machinists, radiological technicians, the culinary arts—have
a necessary face-to-face component where physical distancing is very challenging, or
may not be possible. This type of coursework has been critical to ‘‘up-skilling’’ our
workforce. How should community colleges respond both to safety concerns as well
as the overwhelming need for the workforce training they offer?
Answer 1. Brown is a residential, four-year university with challenges and oper-
ations that likely are very distinct from a community college. Every institution nec-
essarily will develop plans that align with their specific circumstances, geography,
populations and curricula—whether they are rural or urban, have residential stu-
dents or commuter populations, offer courses traditionally in smaller or large class-
es, or offer courses in person or online. My testimony is not intended as a roadmap
for colleges and universities. Rather, my hope is to help build understanding among
the honorable Members of the Committee of the complicated decisions all higher
education institutions are confronting, and the important role of state and Federal
Governments in supporting schools to ensure we can open our campuses safely.
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SENATOR SCOTT
Question 1.
Ms. Paxson, in your op-ed in the New York Times, you brought attention to how
university closures particularly affect low-income students. I appreciate your senti-
ment and concern for our most vulnerable students. Many students and families
have recently become unemployed or suffered a significant drop in income due to
COVID–19. In a letter to the U.S. Department of Education, Senators Hassan, Loef-
fler, Booker, and I asked the Department to ensure financial aid administrators
have the support, guidance, and flexibility of the Department to fairly and effi-
ciently execute ‘‘Professional Judgment’’. This tool allows financial aid administra-
tors a mode to recalculate financial aid eligibility when a student’s expected family
contribution has abruptly changed.
(A) Many colleges currently have tools at their disposal to recalculate fi-
nancial aid eligibility resulting from a loss of income, but what are some
ways you think we can make students and families more aware of these
options? How important are financial aid options to the matriculation of
students to schools?
Answer 1. Brown University is committed to meet the full demonstrated financial
need of our students who are eligible for Federal and institutional funding through-
out the academic year and their time at Brown. Therefore, students and families
are required to apply for financial aid each year, but also encouraged to update the
Office of Financial Aid if there are any changes to the family’s financial situation.
The situations include, but are not limited to, a loss of a job, a material reduction
in hours and wages, a fire destroying a business or home, and large medical ex-
penses. Due to the COVID–19 pandemic, Brown’s Office of Financial Aid created a
process to continually check in with families throughout the year to determine if
they have experienced a significant change in their family’s financial situation. The
process involves special coding in our financial aid system for these families, so we
do not lose track of them throughout the year. Brown also created a funding oppor-
tunity through the College for students to request funding for unexpected expenses.
More broadly, the Department of Education could provide information on the
website studentaid.gov encouraging students and families to stay in contact with
their financial aid offices regarding any changes to their family circumstances.
There are processes available to all colleges and universities to request additional
Federal aid for students based on these types of changes. The funding may not al-
ways be grants or scholarship and may include loans, however, making students
and families aware of the options can be critical to a student’s decision to continue
their education.
SENATOR WARREN
Question 1.
How, specifically, will you ensure that faculty (including adjunct faculty) and staff
(including hourly workers) are at the table for all decisions regarding when and how
to repopulate your campus this fall? How will you engage and solicit their view-
points, and how will you ensure that those viewpoints are taken into consideration
for all decisions?
Answer 1. Several ad hoc administrative committees were created to provide high-
level oversight of ongoing issues arising from the global novel coronavirus pandemic.
Membership on the committees include students, faculty and staff. While the work
of the committees is specific to the unique circumstances of the pandemic and does
not fall within the University’s established governance committees, offices and
structures, these ad hoc groups are working with relevant faculty and staff col-
leagues from across the University and engaging the existing governance structures
throughout the process.
Question 2.
How, specifically, will you ensure that students are at the table for all decisions
regarding when and how to repopulate your campus this fall? How will you engage
and solicit their viewpoints, and how will you ensure that those viewpoints are
taken into consideration for all decisions?
Answer 2. Last spring, the University developed a survey of first-year and return-
ing undergraduate students to collect information about the choices they would most
likely make under each of three planning scenarios for the fall that were under con-
sideration. The intent was to gather information to guide and refine Brown’s plans
for the fall in conjunction with a wide variety of additional factors, data points and
considerations—ranging from input from graduate students (who were surveyed
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independently) and faculty, to the evolution of the pandemic itself, to the avail-
ability of COVID–19 diagnostic tests.
Student preferences served as one factor in the complex effort to develop solutions
that protect the health and safety of students, faculty, staff and the extended com-
munity, while maximizing teaching, learning and research operations to the greatest
extent possible. I’ll also reiterate that students are members of some of the ad hoc
committees created to provide high-level guidance and oversight surrounding the
pandemic. Students are playing a critical role on Brown’s Healthy Fall 2020 Task
Force, which is taking the lead on developing training and a public education cam-
paign around health protocols.
Question 3.
Given what we know about coronavirus now, and understanding this could
change, under what conditions would you consider abandoning plans to repopulate
your campus, again moving everyone to remote instruction, and shutting down the
majority of outreach and research activities? What process would you follow to un-
dertake this decision?
Answer 3. I don’t expect that we ever will experience again or in the same way
the situation confronting colleges and universities when COVID–19 first arrived on
campuses in spring 2020. In March, it was necessary to move everyone to remote
operations completely and immediately to establish the public health protocols, dig-
ital and online operations, and modified approaches to facilities and space use that
later allowed a transition to resuming the most essential operations onsite. Today,
we are equipped with safety measures, equipment and knowledge that might lead
to a new process of decision making in the event of a major surge in COVID–19
cases in the region, across the country and around the world, but with outcomes I
would hesitate to try to predict.
At Brown, we are basing all decisions regarding public health on the best avail-
able science. At all times, we are aligning with the guidance of the Rhode Island
Department of Public Health (RIDOH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention (CDC). Our plans, policies and guidance to Brown community members will
adapt and be updated as guidance from those agencies evolves with our under-
standing of COVID–19. If at any time we felt that the status of the pandemic would
not allow us to safely manage an outbreak of coronavirus on our campus, or its im-
pact on the Providence community, we would develop plans to allow the most essen-
tial functions to continue while prioritizing keeping our community safe. We
learned, even at the height of the pandemic, that with proper safety measures and
safeguard for personal health, essential operations can continue.
Question 4.
Do you intend to require students, faculty, or staff to sign waivers before repopu-
lating campus this fall?
Answer 4. Brown University does not intend to require students, faculty, or staff
to sign waivers before returning to campus this fall.
SENATOR SANDERS
Question 1.
Postsecondary education in the United States has traditionally been funded
through a mixture of Federal and state government appropriations, institutional en-
dowments, and student payments of tuitions and fees. However, recently, there has
been a massive reduction in Federal and state investment in institutions of higher
education that has left students bearing a larger proportion of the price of college.
What has been the impact of the loss of investment in colleges on the ability of your
students to pay for costs related to the COVID–19 pandemic? What has been the
impact of the loss of investment in colleges on the ability of your school to prepare
for and respond to the COVID–19 pandemic? With the loss of income and budget
cuts, how will your institution prioritize safety and provide adequate staffing as
campuses reopen? How will your institution ensure that every student, regardless
of financial status, students with disabilities, LGBQT+ students, students with un-
safe homes, students of color and students from low-income families will have free
access to testing and a vaccine, when available?
Answer 1. Since the onset of the COVID–19 pandemic, Brown University has been
guided by a clear set of principles: protect the health and safety of Brown students
and employees; protect the financial well-being of vulnerable members of our stu-
dent and employee populations; protect Brown’s mission of education and research,
including focusing resources on Brown’s highest academic priorities; and protect the
long-run financial health of the University.
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Guided by these principles and our core values, in responding to the pandemic,
we have supported undergraduate students with travel, moving and instructional
expenses; credited fees for room and board; and are waiving the summer earning
expectations of all current and admitted students, covering this with scholarship
aid. We are providing support to address the distinct needs of graduate students
during this period of uncertainty, and we have remained committed to sustaining
our current workforce and to taking steps to avoid layoffs. We have also offered the
option to tenure-track faculty to extend the tenure clock by one year. Throughout
this period, we have partnered with Providence and Rhode Island to assist with in-
creasing local community needs, described in this letter.
The University’s actions in support of our community have been the right things
to do, and through increased expenditures and declining revenue, have increased
our fiscal year 2020 budget deficit by nearly $40 million. We expect this negative
financial impact to grow by an additional $100–200 Million over the course of next
year depending on how prevalent the coronavirus remains. That being said, we will
continue to meet the full demonstrated need of all admitted students, and all
COVID–19 testing will be free of charge to students, faculty and staff.
Question 2.
According to a report from the American Federation of Teachers, ‘‘Army of
Temps,’’ 75 percent of all instructional workers in American higher education are
contingent or adjunct—effectively, temporary workers. Of those workers, almost 40
percent are over 60; 65 percent are over 50. We know from other industries in which
workers have no meaningful job security—Uber and Lyft drivers, seasonal farm
workers, and the like—that workers in such industries often feel pressured to come
to work even when they are sick, and even when conditions where they work are
not conductive to their health. What do you plan to do to make sure that these
workers, the majority of teaching staff in higher education in the United States, are
safe from COVID–19 on your campuses, and what do you recommend others do?
How do you plan to reasonably accommodate those who the CDC has designated at
being at heightened risk of COVID–19 complications, particularly those who may
not feel that they have the job security to raise their concerns about their own
health at work?
Answer 2. For the past several months, multiple working groups at Brown have
been exploring a range of options for safe operations for the 2020–21 academic year
amid the global pandemic. This planning has been guided by advice from medical
and public health professionals, and informed by guidelines coming from the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention and the Rhode Island Department of Health
(RIDOH). The focus at all times has been how we can best protect the health of our
students, staff, faculty and Providence residents while delivering Brown’s world-
class education, continuing critical research, and remaining a valued neighbor in
our city, state and region.
Currently, cases of COVID–19 are trending down in Rhode Island, and the state
has moved into Phase 3 of its reopening plan. In light of these trends, we are plan-
ning for the return of students to campus this fall, based on a three-semester aca-
demic calendar and other policies and practices that will reduce the density of stu-
dents, faculty and staff on campus, and give all students the opportunity to spend
two semesters on campus.
All students will be given the option to enroll in their courses remotely, whether
they are on campus or not, and all faculty will be given the option of teaching in
person or remotely. As noted above, limiting in-person class sizes to 20 students will
enable safe distancing of students and instructors within classrooms. In addition,
every classroom space will have a six-foot or greater separation between individuals.
Faculty with health or other concerns have the option to teach, mentor and advise
online in the fall. Should the public health situation not improve, this option will
be extended throughout the spring and summer semesters as well.
Brown established a COVID–19 Workplace Safety Policy, which sets out the re-
quirements for work that is authorized to take place on campus in a safe and or-
derly manner. This policy applies to every member of the University community.
Testing and contact tracing for all Brown employees and students are essential
for campus safety. Over the summer, we are piloting a testing program that will
be implemented for all employees and students. We have also established a contact
tracing team for all employees at Brown as well as a separate contact tracing team
for all of our students.
We have also continued to provide regular education on and support for workplace
safety for all Brown faculty and staff. Symptomatic employees receive immediate
support for paid time off by the University for ten business days if they must be
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in quarantine as a result of being exposed to COVID–19 or in isolation if they have
been positively diagnosed for COVID–19. If employees need additional time off for
more than 10 days due to exposure or a positive diagnosis, there are additional
leave programs that employees can request. Paid time off for ten business days is
also available to our employees who are not sick but must provide care to depend-
ent(s) or to care for a household member who has been exposed to COVID–19 or
positively diagnosed with COVID–19. In addition to paid time off for ten business
days and leave options, employees may also qualify for alternative work arrange-
ments to address care for a dependent or for a household member who may need
additional time to recover from COVID–19.
Any employee at high risk who feels unsafe to report to work can request a vari-
ety of leave options, alternative work arrangements or a reasonable accommodation.
All supervisory employees have received specific training on the available options
to provide immediate support to an employee who is at high risk and cannot per-
form their work on campus.
SENATOR CASEY
Question 1.
The COVID–19 pandemic has provided unprecedented disruptions across our edu-
cation system. Students may have changed financial circumstances, increased family
obligations or other challenges that necessitate additional support or flexibility. In
particular, students whose personal circumstances require it, may need additional
flexibility to switch institutions. Have you considered developing more robust trans-
fer policies to accommodate these students? If so, what changes are you proposing?
Answer 1. To support our students who plan to start or resume their studies at
Brown in the fall, the University will continue to meet the full demonstrated finan-
cial need of our students who are eligible for Federal and institutional funding
throughout the academic year and their time at Brown. Due to the COVID–19 pan-
demic, Brown eliminated the summer earnings requirement for students and re-
placed the amount with University scholarship. This resulted in an increase be-
tween $2,700—$2,900 for all students receiving aid. In addition, the Office of Finan-
cial Aid created a process to continually check in with families throughout the year
to determine if they have experienced a significant change in their family’s financial
situation. Brown also created a funding opportunity through The College for stu-
dents to request funding for unexpected expenses.
If students transfer to other institutions, coordination between institutions of
higher education will play a critical role to ensure that transfer students receive ro-
bust orientation, academic and financial support.
Question 2.
According to a survey by Active Minds, 80 percent of college students indicate
COVID–19 has negatively impacted their mental health. Students returning to cam-
pus may face increased anxiety about their own health, the health of their parents
and loved ones at home. Students who are immunocompromised or otherwise medi-
cally vulnerable may also face increased anxiety and isolation from their peers. As
you consider reopening in the fall, how are you preparing to support the increased
mental health needs of your students and faculty?
Answer 2. Brown University has the good fortune of having an integrated model
of care, represented by a combination of mental health and physical health care cli-
nicians. Together they share in the holistic support and care of all Brown students.
The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) department is staffed by dedi-
cated and committed mental health professionals who remain prepared to continue
their support of students and whatever mental health challenges they may be expe-
riencing, wherever they are located. When students transitioned to a virtual learn-
ing environment, CAPS staff continued to support and care for students by
transitioning to telehealth. In our preparation for a fall reopening, we are preparing
for CAPS to offer a blend of on-campus services for those who return to campus and
telehealth services to serve students who may be in remote locations. This will con-
tinue to make mental health care maximally accessible. The services provided by
CAPS include same day availability, urgent care access, ongoing longitudinal ther-
apy and support offered in groups and workshops. We have also learned the value
of transitioning groups and workshops to virtual platforms and will continue to
build on those models. We have also long understood the power of embedding men-
tal health services in programs such as our medical school and will continue to ex-
pand upon that model. In addition, we have a robust student health service that
is staffed by primary care clinicians who are comfortable providing care to the
‘‘whole student.’’ Our integrated model of health and wellness care is structured
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such that Brown University Student Health Services clinicians collaborate with
CAPS clinicians in the mental health care of students on a daily basis. As we pre-
pare to move into a new, state-of-the-art Health and Wellness Center in the Spring-
Summer of 2021, these services will become co-located. We expect that students will
experience the benefits of this model of collaborative care in even more profound
ways.
Question 3.
For our colleges and universities that serve a diverse population of students and
their families, there will be significantly different abilities to get to campus and to
safely participate in instruction and activities or even get back to campus. For stu-
dents with disabilities that have secondary health conditions, such as diabetes or
asthma, there will be greater risks. Wherever health services are provided, they
need to be equitably provided for students with all types of disabilities.
I’m concerned as well for students of lesser economic means. The expense
of returning to campus will be greater for them. The precautions they will
need to take will be more expensive for them. The risks for them will be
greater. If there are added expenses for single rooms, health care services,
increased tuition—all of those costs will be more difficult to bear for them.
Low-income students may also face additional challenges. The expense of
returning to campus will be greater for them. The precautions they will
need to take will be more expensive for them. The risks for them will be
greater. If there are added expenses for single rooms, health care services,
increased tuition—all of those costs will be more difficult to bear for them.
For these groups of students, reopening campuses may mean they cannot
or will not attend. They may not have the money or wish to risk their
health. How will you ensure that we do not see an expansion of the gap
in access and completion of postsecondary education for poor and disabled
students, thus reinforcing decades of discrimination and lack of access to
a college or graduate education that can lead a person out of poverty or
prevent them from falling into poverty?
Answer 3. Maintaining the financial well-being of students and employees, espe-
cially those who experience the greatest impact, is one of the principles guiding the
University’s planning and decision making. We have demonstrated this in a mul-
titude of ways since COVID–19 affected our community.
Guided by the priority to ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty
and staff, the University moved quickly to relocate students and transition to re-
mote learning. We supported students in numerous ways to ensure that they could
transition safely and have the resources needed to engage in their courses and con-
tinue their education progress. We supported:
• Moving and travel expenses for undergraduate financial aid recipients
• Students working remotely or those whose research has been put on hold
• Students facing food insecurity while they are away from campus
• Technology needs to support remote learning, including internet
connectivity, computers, and course-specific software and materials
• In addition, recognizing that employment opportunities would be limited
in this economy, we eliminated the summer earnings expectation.
Brown University has a team of professionals in the Student Accessibility Services
Office to support the specific needs of students including undergraduate and grad-
uate students and postdoctoral trainees. University Human Resources supports fac-
ulty or staff members who may need accommodations or services due to a disability
or medical condition. Specific attention is being devoted to the needs of individuals
with specific accommodations in their housing, dining and learning during the Uni-
versity’s response to the pandemic.
Brown University remains committed to attracting and supporting students from
families of all income levels, and to meeting the full demonstrated financial need
of admitted undergraduate students. The University also has processes in place to
support those students with the highest financial need through The College’s E-Gap
fund. This includes support for travel or other requirements to support student suc-
cess.
In the year ahead, students also have the option of taking courses fully remotely
should they choose given their health conditions or other circumstances.
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SENATOR MURRAY
Question 1.
I am concerned about Secretary DeVos requiring schools, including colleges and
universities, to implement a sweeping new Title IX regulation in the midst of the
COVID–19 pandemic. This is a uniquely challenging time to be enacting such a pol-
icy.
President Paxson, do you agree that implementing a safe and equitable re-opening
is a priority right now and that achieving compliance with this far-reaching regula-
tion during a nationwide pandemic and time of racial unrest stretches the capacity
of institutions?
Answer 1. As your question notes, institutions must focus on planning for a safe
and healthy campus-based operation. Thus, limiting our adoption of these regula-
tions to 100 days is challenging and does not reflect the dynamic conditions in which
these rules will operate. The August 14 deadline does not allow institutions to de-
vote adequate time to fully assess the best way to adopt these changes within their
Title IX policies and to contemplate the effects on other codes of conduct, policies,
and practices.
The August 14 compliance deadline also places undue burden on our faculty, staff
and students. People are stressed and anxious from the demands of COVID–19 and
the sudden transition to remote learning. Our community is shouldering the effects
of self-isolation, care for sick family members, financial instability and graphic re-
minders of racial inequity and chronic disparities in our health care and criminal
justice system. Accordingly, we will be offering a higher degree of care for our con-
stituents as we begin the fall semester regardless of the format in which we operate.
Institutions must have the time needed to consider due care and effectiveness for
their unique campus cultures in handling sexual harassment and gender-based vio-
lence.
I am in full agreement that sexual violence and gender-based discrimination oc-
curs at alarming rates and is unacceptable. Campuses must continue to do what is
necessary to prevent and address this behavior when it learns of its occurrence, and
any conduct that interferes with someone from fully realizing their educational
goals. My concerns rests predominately with the lack of time given to comply with
the regulations.
Question 2.
President Paxson, what is your opinion on Secretary DeVos’ decision to exclude
non-Title IV eligible students from being eligible for emergency financial aid under
the CARES Act, contrary to congressional intent?
Answer 2. I believe that colleges and universities need governmental support for
student financial aid. Brown and other schools collectively will spend tens of billions
of dollars on aid for students whose parents have lost their jobs during the pan-
demic and who may be unable to return to school without emergency assistance
from their college or university. It is my personal conviction that DACA and undocu-
mented students, as well as veterans, should be eligible for the much-needed Fed-
eral financial support in this time of a global pandemic and the resulting economic
downturn.
Question 3.
President Paxson, what is your opinion on Secretary DeVos’ decision to block in-
stitutions of higher education from using institutional stabilization funds provided
by Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to defray lost revenues, contrary to con-
gressional intent?
Answer 3. If colleges and universities can resume campus operations safely this
fall, they will have to contend with the costs of implementing comprehensive public
health plans, including expenses for testing, contact tracing and isolation/quarantine
of students. In addition, during the course of the pandemic, colleges and universities
have incurred significant unbudgeted and unanticipated expenses for support for
undergraduate students with travel, moving and instructional expenses; crediting
fees for room and board; waiving the summer earning expectations of all under-
graduate students and providing more scholarship aid; providing financial support
to graduate students; and contending with loss of revenue from canceling summer
programs. Additional assistance from the Federal Government is needed and should
go directly to institutions to cover these costs.
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SENATOR ROSEN
Question 1.
The Nevada System of Higher Education has three separate groups focused on
preparing to safely re-open campuses this fall. One of these—the COVID Reopening
Task Force—includes students, medical personnel, education leaders, and public
safety staff, who are all reviewing various plans and providing recommendations to
the Chancellor. At this point, our schools are planning to re-open in the fall, but
with various modifications, including: no large lectures; a mix of remote and in-per-
son instruction; single-occupancy dorm rooms; and increased cleaning, testing, and
tracing. Each of the schools are also consulting with health and education experts
in order to follow best practices.
• How flexible are your plans to re-open campuses this fall? Do you envi-
sion adapting your plans as the semester progresses?
Answer 1a. Brown’s plans are based on the best current available data and public
health recommendations. However, we recognize there is still great uncertainty
about how the pandemic will evolve across regions of the country and the world, and
the pace at which treatments and vaccines will be developed. I have informed all
students, faculty, staff and alumni that everyone in our community will have to ap-
proach this year understanding that we may need to make mid-course changes or
adjustments to how instruction is offered, housing is configured, and public health
protocols are implemented on campus. As always, we will approach any changes
based on community principles that place a premium on the health and well-being
of our students and employees.
• What education and health experts do you consult with on best practices
when determining whether and how to reopen?
Answer 1b. Our planning has been guided by expert advice from medical and pub-
lic health professionals and informed by guidelines coming from the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH).
The focus at all times has been how we can best protect the health of our students,
employees and Providence residents.
Question 2.
It is absolutely critical that we ensure our students’ and faculty’s health is pro-
tected as colleges and universities navigate how to move forward with their impor-
tant role in fostering new ideas, educating our future workforce, and conducting crit-
ical research. We also need our institutions of higher education to continue to be
strong partners with our health care system as we work to fight COVID–19, and
also look for new ways to engage. In Nevada, we have seen our colleges, univer-
sities, and researchers go above and beyond. Just a few examples—the UNLV
School of Medicine in Las Vegas jumped in to provide curbside testing early on;
UNR in Reno has been researching new ways to address COVID–19 diagnosis and
treatment; and the Desert Research Institute is leading public health research to
map spread of the virus, risk, and exposure. We’ve heard of engineering depart-
ments using 3D printing to make masks and swabs, and students creating new pro-
grams to bring groceries to homebound seniors. The list goes on.
• I’d like to hear about how else our institutions of higher education can
adjust their focus to help meet the future public health, medical, and re-
lated workforce needs to address both the current pandemic and the dis-
parities in our health care system that have been laid so bare through
this crisis.
Answer 2. The pandemic has magnified the deep disparities that exist in the
United States. Institutions of higher education have a critical role to play through
teaching, research and service to address these persistent issues.
The University has created a seed fund to support research in this area—both
COVID–19 related research aimed at finding treatments—and a fund aimed specifi-
cally at addressing the origin and implications of bias and racism in the US. Aca-
demic centers, departments, and institutes have developed substantial programming
to raise awareness and understanding of the range of issues, bringing experts from
across the disciplines to share and advance knowledge.
In addition, Brown has a long and valued partnership with Tougaloo College, a
historically Black college in Mississippi. As part of efforts to respond to the current
national climate and fortify the partnership, Brown’s School of Public Health and
Tougaloo College recently announced the Health Equity Scholars program. With the
goal of expanding voices and perspectives in public health by changing the makeup
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of public health leadership, the scholars program will begin by admitting up to five
Tougaloo graduates into Brown’s Master of Public Health program this fall and in
subsequent years. Scholars will receive a full-tuition scholarship, enhanced
mentorship and internships focused on training the next generation of public health
leaders. We will work over the coming academic year to identify additional avenues
for expanding upon the Brown/Tougaloo partnership in response to current times.
Question 3.
According to the latest data provided by the National Center for Education Statis-
tics, close to 20 percent of students attending institutes of higher education have
at least one disability that impacts the way they learn. While colleges and univer-
sities have done much to ensure student learning continues in the wake of the pan-
demic by transitioning to online learning platforms, students with disabilities may
encounter increased barriers in their pursuit of academic success at no fault to the
institutes themselves. Students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder may
struggle with prolonged online sessions. Students who are hearing impaired or suf-
fer from auditory processing deficits may have difficulty communicating with other
students when closed captioning is not available in video conferences or in stream-
ing lessons, especially when they rely on an American Sign Language interpreter
or reading lips. Furthermore, students with physical disabilities may not have ac-
cess to the assistive technologies needed to successfully complete their coursework.
Institutes of higher education have worked hard to support this sudden transition
to virtual learning for all students, but this pandemic has had unintended hard-
ships, particularly for those students with disabilities.
• How can we ensure that all students can continue to be supported in
their educational endeavors, whether physically in the classroom or vir-
tually through distance learning, even beyond the pandemic?
Answer 3. Accessibility Services at Brown University works with students with
disabilities on a case-by-case basis to determine appropriate accommodations in ac-
cordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The University is also working with instructors
to create accessible online and in-person learning. Students registered with Accessi-
bility Services may be eligible for assistive technology to provide additional access
to information or learning platforms. Captioning is available on request for accessi-
bility purposes through Media Services.
RESPONSES BY MITCHELL E. DANIELS, TO QUESTIONS OF SENATORS
In response to the follow-up questions from Members of the Committee related to
the important topic of the hearing, I submit for the record the ‘‘Protect Purdue
Plan,’’ released after the hearing on June 12, 2020. The plan outlines in great detail
how Purdue is preparing to welcome students this fall, while protecting those most
vulnerable in our campus community. And, just this week we added to our plan a
means to require and pay for all West Lafayette-bound students to be tested for
COVID–19 before moving into residence halls and attending classes.
While I wouldn’t presume that Purdue’s approach will be a perfect fit for every
college and university, the principles of our strategy should have broad appeal. In
summary, those principles are:
1. Expect each Boilermaker to assume personal responsibility to ‘‘Protect
Purdue—myself, others, our Purdue community.’’
2. Implement personal health safety practices and protocols.
3. Enact health safety changes in physical spaces.
4. Offer a range of instructional options for students and faculty.
5. Identify and protect the most vulnerable members of the Purdue commu-
nity.
6. Engage our stakeholders with consistent, compelling and timely commu-
nication and clear guidance.
7. Advance our research mission in a safe and responsible way.
8. Anticipate and plan for contingencies.
With critical research operations ramping up on our campus, preparation for our
annual freshman orientation, Boiler Gold Rush, just 40 days away and classes be-
ginning shortly after, the entire campus is working overtime to ensure a safe return
for students and staff. Our Protect Purdue Plan is a comprehensive review that
should answer every question relevant to the hearing topic while allowing our team
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to stay focused on the important mission ahead of us. Again, thank you for allowing
me the opportunity to share our perspective and for your service to our great nation.
[Whereupon, at 12:20 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.]
Æ
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