Tough times for colleges

Whither small private institutions such as Stonehill College, in North Easton, Mass., one of whose buildings is seen above?

From Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,’’ in GoLocal24.com

Some students are suing, in class-action lawsuits, several New England colleges for refunds after these institutions shifted to remote (e.g., via Zoom and Skype) teaching as they stopped on-campus courses because of COVID-19.

I can’t say that I blame them, considering the astronomical cost of college these days. Screens are nowhere as good a learning setting as in  person – learning from professors and fellow students. Among the institutions being sued are Brown University, Boston University and the University of Connecticut. Apparently small private colleges that may well soon go out of business are being left alone for now. Why drive the last nails into their coffins and then try to collect damages? Some of them were already on very thin ice because of declining demographics. You can guess their names in this region.

As colleges and universities agonize over whether to reopen their campuses for in-person instruction in the fall, they’ll  bear in mind their legal exposure.