An update from the editor.
Dear John,
What comes next?
Itâs on my mind every day. I suspect itâs on yours. After a year of unprecedented loss and challenge, many of us are trying to envision a return to something approximating normalcy. The contours are foggy. What will ânormalâ look like? What will snap back into place, and what will have been altered in lasting ways?
For higher education and the people it serves, the stakes are high. In 2020, The Chronicle newsroom dedicated itself to tracking the role of colleges in a public-health crisis, the consequences of hasty moves online and campus reopenings, the personal and institutional tolls of a financial upheaval, and the sectorâs response to a national awakening on racial justice and the rise of existential threats to American democracy. Thereâs much more to be written on all these fronts, and weâll continue to write it.
But this year, weâre more committed than ever to journalism that helps you peer around the corner â to take stock of whatâs next and to prepare for it. Thatâs the mission of this yearâs edition of our annual Trends Report, which sets out to answer a question posed by Jenny Ruark, our deputy managing editor: âWhen the pandemic has finally passed, what will higher education look like?â A few of the answers: Shrunken scholarly ranks. New forms of student surveillance. And a âgreat contractionâ that will seize all but the wealthiest colleges and universities.
Whether youâre a professor or a provost, whether you focus on student retention or research policy, thereâs insight here for you. Since youâve already registered as a Chronicle reader, you can read free articles this month, and every month. Want to go deeper? Iâd invite you to consider a subscription. Youâll get unlimited access to the articles and essays we publish, our Daily Briefing newsletter, and a credit to the Chronicle Store.
Thanks much for your engagement and interest. We couldnât do our work without you.
Brock Read
Editor
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