Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller
Catharine Richert and Kelly Gordon

Has the pandemic permanently changed higher education?

A person walking outside on campus.
A handful of students walk across the campus of St. John's University in central Minnesota in October 2020.
Kirsti Marohn | MPR News 2020

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

The pandemic dramatically changed the look and feel of higher education this past year. Students attended classes online and were often asked to stay in their dorms. 

Hundreds of thousands of faculty and staff were furloughed or laid off. Enrollment plummeted. Freshman enrollment alone dropped 13 percent in the fall.

It’s accelerated a cash-flow crisis that many institutions were grappling with even before the pandemic. Could this be the moment higher education makes big changes, permanently? And if so, what might they be?

Tuesday morning, MPR News reporter and guest host Catharine Richert spoke with experts who follow the trends in higher education. Post-pandemic, what will the new normal look like?

Guests:

  • Bryan Alexander is a futurist, researcher and senior scholar at Georgetown University. His most recent book is, “Academia Next: The Futures of Higher Education.”

  • Mamie Voight is the interim president of the Institute of Higher Education Policy.

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS