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The COVID pandemic has widened inequities in America 鈥� including in higher education. What needs to change?

That, in essence, was TC President Thomas Bailey鈥檚 opening question to four fellow higher education leaders who convened virtually for a panel at Academic Festival:  (Ed.D. 鈥�03), President of Southern Connecticut State University;  (Ed.D. 鈥�78), President of New Jersey Institute of Technology;  (Ed.D. 鈥�87, M.A. 鈥�85), President of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (and former President of California State University at Fullerton); and  (Ed.D. 鈥�82), who recently retired as President of CUNY鈥檚 Hostos Community College.

G贸mez tackled the pandemic鈥檚 impact on the digital divide. Last spring, he and his staff delivered 600 devices to Hostos students, who are among the city鈥檚 poorest. But because many are homeless, the effort soon expanded to creating hotspots, too.

鈥淚f distance learning is going to constitute the predominant form of delivery of education for community colleges, which have such a high number of disadvantaged groups, we have to look at access to the internet, and specifically broadband,鈥� he said.

Garcia called on public institutions to balance merit aid, given to attract students with academic, athletic or artistic talent, with need-based aid.

鈥淢erit-based aid has a place, but not the huge place it has really captured with our colleges and universities,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e need to be a little bit stronger, a little bit bolder, fighting for the new majority 鈥� the first-generation, the low-income, the students of color.鈥�

Paraphrasing Benjamin Franklin, Bailey asked to what extent a liberal arts education 鈥渟hould be useful and to what extent ornamental for all students 鈥� and can it be both?鈥�

Bloom acknowledged the importance of the liberal arts but noted that only 13 percent of the nation鈥檚 engineers are women. 鈥淲e are under-served in this tech economy with a lack of representation from minorities and women,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd we鈥檙e not going to get tech right without that diversity.鈥�

Given the conversation about injustice and racial oppression, a liberal arts education is more important than ever.

鈥擩oe Bertolino, (Ed.D. 鈥�03), President of Southern Connecticut State University

Bertolino noted that students and their families are 鈥渋nvesting in 鈥渃areer readiness at the moment of graduation鈥� but also reported that 鈥渆mployers are letting us know that their employees need to have all the soft skills necessary for success 鈥� to be able think critically, write, speak, reflect and understand others.鈥� And 鈥済iven the conversation about injustice and racial oppression,鈥� he said, 鈥渁 liberal arts education is more important than ever. Understanding one鈥檚 history, understanding others 鈥� that鈥檚 a skillset, and it surely helps one to become employed and career ready.鈥�