Disruption in Higher Education
On-campus students spent the majority of their Fall 2020 semester masked, distanced, outdoors, and learning virtually.
Ringling College of Art and Design, Greensboro Hall
PIVOTING TO THE NEXT NORMAL OF A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD
Fifteen months ago, our lives faced sudden, unprecedented disruption as the novel coronavirus swept around the world. The pandemic affected our routines, elevated the conversation around social justice and equity, and created sweeping change throughout all industries, including higher education. Colleges and universities paused in-person living and learning and quickly reinvented course delivery and assessment methods. This period of isolation has amplified the desire for togetherness and created an opportunity for change. Colleges and universities must shift their perception of campus, integrating greater flexibility into traditional educational experiences. This report explores trends that will shape meaningful disruption
Ayers Saint Gross is an employee-owned design firm focused on mission-driven institutions. We engage people and places to create designs that enrich the world.
and change to the planning and design of campus academic, research, student life, and informal spaces. We believe that thriving campus environments in the next normal will focus on creating equitable, studentcentered spaces.