Are Any Colleges Insured Against Coronavirus Fallout?

[TexasTowelie]

As COVID-19 -- the disease caused by the novel coronavirus -- spreads across the United States and the world, colleges are creating outbreak contingency plans, canceling study abroad programs and shoring up their financial safety nets.

But outbreaks pose a particular challenge. Unlike fires, floods and storm damage, very few colleges are insured against financial losses due to a biological disaster.

A campuswide outbreak could be costly, and lost tuition revenue from a decrease in Chinese student enrollment could have lasting effects for which colleges are not insured. Typical college insurance plans pay out next to nothing for pandemic-related losses, and purchasing new policies amid the outbreak is difficult and incredibly expensive.

Most colleges have property and business contingency insurance plans. Both could provide some relief for affected colleges in the right circumstances.

Read more: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/03/09/insurance-coverage-scarce-coronavirus-threatens-college-finances

[PJMcK]

1. A young man I met yesterday

I met a fellow yesterday who is a junior at Long Island's Hofstra University. A student there is believed to have been exposed to COVID-19 and as a result, the school has cancelled all campus activity until after Spring break. He told me that professors are trying to develop online and video lessons to keep their classes on schedule.

I read something similar about Princeton University.

It's good to know that the administrators of our college and universities are taking this outbreak more seriously than Trump.