Conversation With

So, what’s next? That’s the question on every student’s mind, and the challenge every college administration is facing. You may have heard Lyon College President Joey King address that question during a recent segment with NPR higher education reporter Elissa Nadworny. King told Nadworny he views the chances of the fall semester looking “normal” as 50/50. Following president King’s visit with Nadworny, we decided to sit down with him for a more in-depth conversation about what the future holds, not just for Lyon, but for higher education at large.

King: Affordability has long been our most pressing concern, but the employment disruption caused by the pandemic is profound. The average age of a parent of a first-year college student is 44. So, according to The New York Times, half of our parents lost their ability to pay for college (in the first 30 days of the pandemic).

King: Clearly, institutions will have to focus on efficiency and targeted revenue opportunities, like graduate programs, to maintain affordability and access for undergraduate students. Long term, they will have to re-examine assumptions. For example, the summer has long been ignored, with the exception of a smattering of summer school courses and hosting camps. That means that the campus is substantially underutilized for a third of the year. Many institutions will likely move to a full summer term, operating the academic calendar year-round.

King: Lyon has a very strong commitment to first generation students and students with substantial need. Those students and their families will be hardest hit by the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. For the next several years, that will be our greatest budgetary challenge. More generally, demographics will be a challenge. With the exception of Texas and Oklahoma, the number of college-going students in our region is declining. In 2026, we will begin to feel the aftershocks from the Great Recession (18 years earlier). We expect a 12% to 15% decline in college-going students at that point.

King: That is difficult to contemplate at this point. However, just by going through the crisis, we have found ourselves more resilient, creative and flexible. Liberal arts colleges are steeped in tradition and often set in their ways. Lyon is no exception, but the pandemic has required us to challenge assumptions and find a way forward. Perhaps our greatest opportunity is to internalize those experiences in our day-to-day practices and in strategic thinking going forward.

King: If we are unable to be a residential campus in the fall, that will be a significant challenge. If we are unable to have athletic competitions in the fall, that will compound the challenge even further. Nevertheless, we have to plan for those eventualities. We have established a task force to look at different options, not only for course delivery but in format and structure. Whether or not we have to implement these plans, they could present future possibilities for more flexibility and greater use of technology to fulfill our mission.