These words have been on our university website for several weeks. Along with continuing and potential students, we all await word whether the Fall semester's courses will be online or not. It seems pretty clear to me that they should be for reasons of safety, even if city government permitted a limited reopening of facilities, but our administration is being hamstrung by irresponsible pledges to be on campus by some of our neighbor universities. This is part of a nation-wide discussion, of course, mixing issues of essential educational experiences with matters of financial viability, but we're not like most others. We're at the epicenter of a pandemic likely to be revisited by the virus!I'm impressed by the judicious plan announced by Union Theological Seminary, distinguishing their mission in New York, which includes field placement of their students with various NYC organizations, from instruction. The latter will be delivered entirely online, faculty already at work understanding how to put this medium to most effective use, and offered in more than the usual semester-long forms. On-site facilities will be used to allow the former to the extent possible. This conveys clarity, seriousness and confidence; I hope we use it as a model.
