COVID-19 and Higher Ed: Weekly Update
 April 27-May 1, 2020
The latest developments regarding the impact of COVID-19 on New England's colleges and universities, students, and families.
Updates from New England Institutions
Check out NEBHE's COVID-19 updated dashboard for complete data
  • 204 HEIs have switched the spring semester to distance learning

  • 108 HEIs have implemented flexible grading policies for the spring semester

  • Commencement:
  • Delayed: 111
  • Cancelled: 12
  • Going on as planned: 5

  • Refunds:
  • Pro-rated Room and Board: 95
  • Credit for future semester: 8
  • Credit/refund hybrid: 9
  • Total Refund (Room, board, and tuition): 112

  • 20 HEIs have announced fall 2020 plans
Resource Spotlight
Supporting International Students During COVID-19

In AY 2018-19, international students accounted for 9.8% of total postsecondary enrollment at New England's colleges and universities. The U.S. Department of State estimates that, during this period, these students added approximately $4.3 billion to the region's economy. Following recent travel restrictions and health advisories due to COVID-19, the American Council on Education forecasts that international student enrollment for the next academic year could drop by as much as 25% – which would translate to a staggering loss of roughly $1 billion to our region's economy.  Even a slight shift in the enrollment of foreign students – who typically pay full tuition – would dramatically impact nearly all higher education institutions in New England, from Ivy League schools to community colleges.

NEBHE Letter to the New England Congressional delegation regarding policies to welcome and support international students (February 2020)

Homeland Security's Guidance and Updates. The latest information on special student and immigration adaptations due COVID-19.

Student Exchange and Visitors Program's Updated COVID-19 FAQs . (April 16, 2020) Revised to add new questions and responses regarding employment, travel, Form I-515A, M-1 students, and reporting changes to school polices.

President Speaks: 6 ways colleges can help international students amid coronavirus. "New and creative action" is needed to support these students, who were overlooked in the initial response to the pandemic, two college administrators write.

Policy & Advocacy in the Time of COVID-19: What You Can Do to Support International Education, NAFSA International Education Town Hall . Provides an expert overview of the short- and long- term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on international education and an analysis of the current political landscape on Capitol Hill.

Congressional Research Service Legal Sidebar: Recovery Rebates and Unemployment Compensation under the CARES Act: Immigration-Related Eligibility Criteria. Reviews the immigration-related eligibility requirements for benefits established by the CARES Act for non-U.S. nationals.
Promising Practices
Institute for International Education COVID-19 Emergency Fund. IIE launched a $1 million fund to aid 300 international students caught in the crossfire of the coronavirus pandemic. They are currently seeking to raise another $1 million from private donors  to double the number of students they can help. While the April 26 deadline to nominate students to receive aid has passed, gifts , of any amount, are still needed and welcome.

No Lapse in Learning Campaign, Colorado Department of Higher Education. The state of Colorado is asking individuals and businesses to donate new or used laptops and other technology so its most vulnerable students can continue to learn and complete their programs. While some institutions have used their emergency aid to provide technology to their neediest students, initiatives such as No Lapse in Learning help guarantee that all students can continue their studies, even if their institution is unable to provide that assistance to them.


Is your institution offering any assistance to international students during the COVID-19 pandemic? Let us know by emailing  policy@nebhe.org .
Distance Learning, Compliance, and New England SARA
Most institutions are nearing the end of their traditional spring term and taking a collective sigh of relief with an end in sight to their current emergency instructional activities. We offer some resources and a brief reminder in consideration of final exams, projects, and grading:
 
Data and Promising Practices: Having made the initial transition to remote teaching and learning, colleges and universities are working to maintain continuity of the entire educational process. Grading courses disrupted by the pandemic and proctoring exams taken remotely present special challenges. READ COVID-19 QuickPoll Results: Grading and Proctoring by EDUCAUSE

Resource: If your institution or faculty members are looking for some additional resources for remote exam administration, Stanford Teach Anywhere has provided some simple suggestions to help prepare students, their Honor Code (including remote teaching and learning tips), and suggestions for faculty on take-home exams .

Opinion: A common question these days, writes Douglas Harrison, is "How do we keep students from cheating on online exams?" READ Online Education and Authentic Assessment by Inside Higher Ed
Compliance Consideration of the Week:
A reminder about disclosing proctoring fees

  • Federal regulations require institutions to disclose proctoring fees at the time of a student’s registration in a Distance education course. Enforcement of this requirement falls under an accrediting bodies’ purview.
  • In the March 5, 2020 USED guidance, Accreditors were granted flexibility to “waive their distance education review requirements for institutions working to accommodate students whose enrollment is otherwise interrupted as a result of COVID-19."
  • As a reminder, institutions should communicate their considerations and decisions related to accreditation standards and policies, including those which intersect with federal requirements, to its accrediting body. Click for NECHE's COVID-19 notice.
  • USED also strongly recommends that institutions document, as contemporaneously as possible, any actions taken as a result of COVID-19.
Questions?
rstachowiak@nebhe.org
617-533-9503
For more, visit NEBHE's COVID-19 Resource Page
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