Financial Impacts of COVID-19 on Higher Education in California

The panel will provide multiple perspectives on the potential financial impact of COVID 19 on California’s public colleges and universities. Panel members will include campus CEOs from the University of California and California State University system as well as from a UC Berkeley higher education researcher with experience as a CFO at multiple UC and CSU campuses.

Specific topics addressed by the panelists will include the financial impact of current responses to the COVID 19 crisis including on-line instruction and the curtailment of on campus activities. Panelists will also provide their perspectives on how individual campuses are preparing for future operations.

The panel will also review the differences between the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009 with the current and future financial impact of COVID 19. This will include a review of current action by the federal government such as Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and its impact on UC and CSU campuses.

Watch the discusssion here.

Panelists: 

• Nathan Brostrom - Interim Chancellor, UC Merced
• Joe Castro - President, California State University, Fresno, Vice Chancellor of Student Academic Affairs, University of California, San Fransisco
• James Hyatt - Senior Research Associate, Vice Chancellor for Budget & Finance and CFO Emeritus

Moderated by George Blumenthal - Director, Center for Studies in Higher Education

This event was sponsored by the Center for Studies in Higher Education.