COVID-19 aftermath: What things will change forever?

[LouisEly]

I seem to recall that UW, in particular, started letting in more out of state and foreign students and fewer in-state students in order to raise tuition revenue. Can't find if that's true or still the case though.

Yep:

https://registrar.wisc.edu/enrollment-reports/

Almost 50/50 for Fall 2019 freshmen (2734 residents) vs more than 2:1 in Fall 1991 freshmen (3605 residents).

 

As well as raising enrollment as fast as possible.

Not everywhere - UW-Madison had only 5% more total enrollment in the fall of 2019 (45,317) than the fall of 1991 (43,196).

 

When supply doesn't keep up with demand, prices rise. Why and how UW-Madison hasn't expanded their capacity, I don't know. But if state funding is being cut, like they have said, they may not be able to take on more students without raising tuition. State funding is a flat amount, not a per-student amount.

[igor67]

Eventually though more students requires really expensive things like more dorm space more professors. It's the same thing in K-12, overhead doesn't meaningfully decline as a percentage of revenue after a certain point, so chasing revenue doesn't really help.

[stoutdude04]

Deputy superintendent(or someone from DPI, cant remember), just said on the news that he expects the school year next year to look a lot different. Said either 100% online or a hybrid type of system. Also said he wasnt sure about after school activities. I for one, am not looking forward to teaching online again...especially with incoming second graders. My friend is concerned for his incoming kindergarten son learning to read. Again, I could not imagine not making those connections with students. At least young students.

[greeg35]

Older students too. Many times the only reason they do anything is because of that relationship.

[stoutdude04]

Older students too. Many times the only reason they do anything is because of that relationship.

 

True. I just mentioned younger studies as that is who I work with.

[igor67]

I think I can stomach it if we can at least do some kind of hybrid in person/ online. All online to start the year though.. Makes me just want to stick my head and the sand and hope it all goes away.

[nodakfan17]

I just ordered a pair of shorts online.

 

I’ve purchased clothes online before, but have generally shied away from pants and shoes unless I was just buying another pair of something I already owned. I hate returning things.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The hammer is dropping big time in the UW System. I'm not sure if this has been in the news at all yet but staff at least one school I have ties to are being forced to take unpaid furloughs and there are major program cuts coming. Satellite schools have been given a directive to identify core strengths. Big changes are on the horizon.

[LouisEly]

One of the things I hope doesn't happen is environmental conservation efforts getting thrown out the window over irrational fears.

Grocery stores are now not allowing you to bring in reusable bags, and you either have to put the items back in your cart (good luck with that at the self-checkout kiosks) and take the cart to your car and pack them there or use the store's plastic bags which we have been continually reinforced over the years not to do.

 

One of the organizations in my industry is recommending that plates/dinnerware/utensils at facilities now be disposable. Can't have someone wearing gloves put them in the dishwasher.

 

Back to polluting the environment.

[owbc]

One of the things I hope doesn't happen is environmental conservation efforts getting thrown out the window over irrational fears.

Grocery stores are now not allowing you to bring in reusable bags, and you either have to put the items back in your cart (good luck with that at the self-checkout kiosks) and take the cart to your car and pack them there or use the store's plastic bags which we have been continually reinforced over the years not to do.

 

One of the organizations in my industry is recommending that plates/dinnerware/utensils at facilities now be disposable. Can't have someone wearing gloves put them in the dishwasher.

 

Back to polluting the environment.

 

Most of the big west coast cities have figured out curbside compost pickup and require disposable utensils to be compostable. Although with cities being broke using non-compostable plastic will probably be the result.

 

I do think this crisis has been a much-needed lesson for climate change mitigation. Crashing the economy is not the way to solve climate change, and even the huge reductions in commerce have done essentially nothing for reducing CO2 concentrations. Now would be a good time for a big investment in green energy on a global scale.

[superfly]

One of the things I hope doesn't happen is environmental conservation efforts getting thrown out the window over irrational fears.

Grocery stores are now not allowing you to bring in reusable bags, and you either have to put the items back in your cart (good luck with that at the self-checkout kiosks) and take the cart to your car and pack them there or use the store's plastic bags which we have been continually reinforced over the years not to do.

 

One of the organizations in my industry is recommending that plates/dinnerware/utensils at facilities now be disposable. Can't have someone wearing gloves put them in the dishwasher.

 

Back to polluting the environment.

 

Most of the big west coast cities have figured out curbside compost pickup and require disposable utensils to be compostable. Although with cities being broke using non-compostable plastic will probably be the result.

 

I do think this crisis has been a much-needed lesson for climate change mitigation. Crashing the economy is not the way to solve climate change, and even the huge reductions in commerce have done essentially nothing for reducing CO2 concentrations. Now would be a good time for a big investment in green energy on a global scale.

 

This crisis has been a much needed lesson that climate change is not a human created event and is something that Mother Earth and the sun are in charge of, and have been for hundreds of millions of years.

[jerichoholicninja]

One of the things I hope doesn't happen is environmental conservation efforts getting thrown out the window over irrational fears.

Grocery stores are now not allowing you to bring in reusable bags, and you either have to put the items back in your cart (good luck with that at the self-checkout kiosks) and take the cart to your car and pack them there or use the store's plastic bags which we have been continually reinforced over the years not to do.

 

One of the organizations in my industry is recommending that plates/dinnerware/utensils at facilities now be disposable. Can't have someone wearing gloves put them in the dishwasher.

 

Back to polluting the environment.

 

I've been thinking the same thing. My wife comes home from the grocery store with 10 plastic bags now. Takeout food is nothing but plastic and styrofoam trash. Not to mention all the masks and gloves that are being thrown away. Air pollution is down but we're making up for that by filling the landfills.

[stoutdude04]

 

This crisis has been a much needed lesson that climate change is not a human created event and is something that Mother Earth and the sun are in charge of, and have been for hundreds of millions of years.

 

How so? I feel like it shows the opposite.

[homer]

Let's not get into the climate change debate. Thanks

[3and2Fastball]

Bowling Green University (D1) shutdown their Baseball program a few days ago, due to financial problems because of Covid-19. I’m concerned that many many more college programs will do the same.

 

Non-revenue sports like College Baseball are always financially vulnerable anyways, and this could push it over the edge.

[stoutdude04]

Bowling Green University (D1) shutdown their Baseball program a few days ago, due to financial problems because of Covid-19. I’m concerned that many many more college programs will do the same.

 

Non-revenue sports like College Baseball are always financially vulnerable anyways, and this could push it over the edge.

 

Smaller schools will likely have this issue with their big sports too.

[nodakfan17]

I attended two mid-major colleges and I’d be thrilled if they dropped everything but their revenue sports. Unfortunately, the NCAA requires all Division I schools to field at least 7 teams per gender with a minimum of 2 team sports per gender. Additionally, there are minimum financial aid awards that must be met outside of the team requirements. Most mid-major schools operate close to the minimum in both teams and scholarships anyway. There isn’t a lot of room left to cut unless the NCAA relaxes their requirements.

[RobertR]

I kind of wonder if this might bring back the drive in to an extent. Honestly, I don't know why, other than contractual stipulations, that Miller Park doesn't become a drive in when the Brewers are out of town.

[Samurai Bucky]

I kind of wonder if this might bring back the drive in to an extent. Honestly, I don't know why, other than contractual stipulations, that Miller Park doesn't become a drive in when the Brewers are out of town.

The Rock is having a Drive In in Franklin:

https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/movies/2020/05/15/pop-up-drive-movie-theater-works-ballpark-commons-franklin/5199042002/

[nodakfan17]

Will houses get bigger if one or both spouses work from home?

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Will houses get bigger if one or both spouses work from home?

 

They kept getting bigger anyway despite families getting smaller. There was very, very recently some push back on this with fewer young people able to buy starter homes. Just in the last 12 months there was a resurgence of sanity and regular-sized homes. Student loans, stagnant wages, etc., all helped contributed to younger people skewing to rent. Builders have just recently started to respond.

[nodakfan17]

I own a 1700 sq foot home that was custom built for a retired couple in 2001. My wife and I bought it in 2015. It has plenty of space for our family of 3. We could comfortably add a 4th. However, my wife and I have discussed framing up a pair of offices in our unfinished basement (and maybe a bathroom) if we both WFH permanently.

[Outlander]

I kind of wonder if this might bring back the drive in to an extent. Honestly, I don't know why, other than contractual stipulations, that Miller Park doesn't become a drive in when the Brewers are out of town.

The Rock is having a Drive In in Franklin:

https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/movies/2020/05/15/pop-up-drive-movie-theater-works-ballpark-commons-franklin/5199042002/

The Madison Mallards are doing that. They are airing family type movies that are typically available on streaming services and to my surprise they have already sold out a number of shows at $40 a carload. They do require people to watch the movie from inside their car so that would be different from Miller Park. Can still leave the car to go to the restroom and buy concessions.

[RobertR]

Yeah, I'm aware of both of those drive ins.

 

Without new content, it's kind of unknown territory. I know the Chilton drive in is showing more recent fare like Onward and Call of the Wild. OTOH, the McHenry, IL drive in is going with a double feature of E.T. and Jaws. I think both approaches can be successful, especially with not much of anything as competition, but the latter approach of classics is much more appealing to me.

[homer]

Here are the showtimes for the Franklin Drive In:

https://fox6now.com/2020/05/20/milky-way-drive-in-movie-theater-at-ballpark-commons-in-franklin-opens-friday-night/?fbclid=IwAR3eLqoBJk9__8cI6JE-77YCLqO00btu8O5UbIWPVQ2YEieGtsHBlbJu_bk

 

Taking kids to The Goonies would be fun.