Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality and Students Pay the Price

The COVID pandemic brought many changes and challenges around the world. For Jack (higher education leadership, Boston Univ.; The Privileged Poor), who was teaching at Harvard when the pandemic began, the pandemic exacerbated the ways in which higher education institutions provide different experiences to students of varying socioeconomic statuses. For this book, he interviewed students across the socioeconomic spectrum, focusing on family and work situations, along with the reactions to how Harvard and its students handle inequities. The student interviews clearly illustrate how differently the same university policy can affect each student. For instance, the closure of Harvard’s campus was fine for students who could travel or who had safe, comfortable homes to return to. For others, however, their homes were not safe or, in the case of unhoused students, nonexistent, so such a policy could lead to disastrous consequences.