At no time in U.S. history has higher ed faced so many simultaneous challenges as it does now. Race relations, social issues, the free speech debate, scandal, law enforcement challenges, Department of Education enforcement, a new Title IX regulation, and COVID-19. Higher education has been confronted with enterprise-wide threats due the coronavirus pandemic, which have become significantly more complex in light of the many other quickly evolving issues that test the resources of an institution. In this episode, Scott Schneider, joins me to discuss the complexity of higher ed’s COVID-19 crisis in light of other rapidly developing events and the need to learn from the recent past to get ready for the near future. We also discuss how we might go about handling a scandal crisis from the perspective of in-house counsel.

Media mentions:

• George Washington University Professor Who Lied About Being Black Resigns https://www.chronicle.com/article/george-washington-u-professor-who-lied-about-being-black-resigns.
• Is Academe Awash in Liberal Bias https://www.chronicle.com/article/is-academe-awash-in-liberal-bias
• Falwell Resigns Following Reports of Tryst. Or Does He? https://www.chronicle.com/article/falwell-reportedly-resigns-from-liberty-after-reports-of-tryst-involving-former-pool-attendant
• West Virginia U. President Apologizes for Not Wearing Mask https://www.chronicle.com/article/live-coronavirus-updates-heres-the-latest
• Opinion: It’s Time to Reform the Clery Act https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/05/15/clery-act-does-little-improve-campus-safety-even-during-pandemic-opinion
• Opinion: Clery Act Wastes College and University Resources https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/clery/opinion-clery-act-wastes-college-and-university-resources/
• UNC-Chapel Hill Fined $1.5 Million for Clery Violations https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/clery/opinion-clery-act-wastes-college-and-university-resources/
• A Boon to Small Businesses, College Students’ Return to Boston Worries Some Residents https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/08/29/a-boon-to-small-businesses-college-students-return-to-boston-worries-some-residents/
• College Trustees Must Step Forward in the Era of Pandemics https://medium.com/@jtgraff/college-trustees-must-step-forward-in-the-era-of-pandemics-eab691e91b9c