First hour: Discussing how the digital divide is affecting local students during the pandemic
Second hour: Should colleges and universities reopen in the fall?
When schools closed in March and teachers and students were pushed to online learning settings, the transition proved difficult for students who lack internet access and technology. The digital divide continues to be a concern, and the team at ROC the Future has analyzed where the gaps are and the impact they're having on students. The Rochester Area Community Foundation has created a special funding opportunity -- the COVID Education Fund -- for school districts and other educational organizations in the region to support the purchase of technology and internet access for students who don't have it. This hour, we discuss the digital divide and how it's affecting local students. Our guests:
- Simeon Banister, vice president of community programs at the Rochester Area Community Foundation
- Stephanie Townsend, director of research and analytics for ROC the Future
Then in our second hour, in a recent op-ed for the New York Times, Brown University president Christina Paxson wrote that it won't be easy, but college campuses must reopen in the fall. She points to the financial, practical, and psychological barriers students would face learning remotely -- especially low income students who lack sufficient access to technology -- and what could be a catastrophic financial toll on the universities themselves. Meanwhile, some students and professors who say reopening would pose too much of a health risk on campus communities. So what's the plan? Our guests share updates from their institutions:
- Mark Zupan, president of Alfred University
- Robb Flowers, vice president for campus life at Hobart and William Smith Colleges
- Meaghan Arena, vice president for enrollment and student experience at Nazareth College
