Planning for the 2021–22 academic year gives us all a chance to open academic doors wider than ever before. And so far, no pandemic has caused us to do otherwise, writes Allan E. Goodman, president and CEO of the Institute of International Education.

An array of challenges have shaped the response of rural community colleges to COVID-19. Yet an informal survey of rural institutions indicates that this is not a story of defeat, but one of creativity and commitment.

Teaching during the pandemic is demonstrating that the challenges from COVID-19 go beyond the drastic health and economic consequences we are confronting—they are also social. The primary lesson is simple: in a time of physical distancing, social solidarity is more important than ever.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can expect a surge in demand for higher education that will disproportionately come from post-traditional students. To respond, colleges and universities must swiftly adapt by broadening their view of learning.

The challenge ahead for higher education is unprecedented, and the typical solutions won’t sustain our institutions. If we can’t go back to what we used to be before COVID-19, we must instead evolve to something better, writes ACE’s Philip Rogers.

In the fall of 2017, Hurricane Harvey struck the Gulf Coast, significantly affecting 13 million people in states throughout the region. Ruth M. López and Vincent D. Carales of the University of Houston look at what colleges can learn from Hurricane Harvey to address student mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.