| Photo by Zhanhui Li on Unsplash
Part LV of the “Back-to-Basics Governance” Series
This columnist started a mini-series (within the main series) on May 17, 2023, about the urgent need to save, nay resurrect, Holy Names University (HNU), with its landmark buildings in a 59-acre campus in Oakland Hills, City of Oakland, California. HNU was impacted by economic challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has refused to go away even in the third quarter of 2023. The HNU campus was also affected by several adjacent forest fires in Alameda County.
Here are facts about American institutions of learning that met the financial difficulties of remaining open. To this columnist, perhaps the HNU, which is 155 years old, is the oldest institution that was forced by circumstances beyond its control to cease operations on May 15, 2023.
- At least 44 public or nonprofit colleges have closed, merged, or announced closures or mergers since March 2020.
- Campus closures peaked in the years leading up to the pandemic, driven by private for-profit college closures.
- Nearly 80% of colleges closed between 2004 and 2020 were for-profit schools.
- Over half of students who experienced a college closure did not re-enroll (52.9%).
- Seven in 10 students (were) impacted by a college closure (that led to) an abrupt closure.
- For-profit colleges are far more likely to close abruptly than public and nonprofit colleges.
The cited report also said that the “COVID-19 pandemic brought economic challenges to nearly every industry, including higher education. Campuses temporarily shut down to help contain the virus, and some struggled to re-open when lockdowns lifted.”
The above data summary was a result of research done by www.bestcolleges.com. Evan Castillo and Lyss Welding wrote it. Rebecca Long edited it, as fact-checked by Marley Rose. The report was updated on August 28, 2023.
The Biden Administration is blessed that First Lady Jill Biden has a doctorate in education. She is also a published author and community organizer, aside from being a “military mom.”
President Joe Biden can request Dr. Jill Biden to head a task force to begin a federal initiative to help states and cities implement the revival of closed universities, using the principles of “cooperative economics,” as suggested by this columnist. Yes, the efforts can begin with HNU as a pilot project.
This column also suggested the acquisition of the HNU campus by using the City of Oakland’s power of eminent domain. After all, most of HNU-campus edifices are landmark buildings. This mini-series also discussed the conceptual framework of the approach to acquiring back the property from a real-estate developer who bought it. And using the campus to build school dormitories, especially for military veterans who want to take up courses in medical science — on account of the present shortage of trained medical workers in California. Thus simultaneously eliminating homelessness crises in Alameda County and the rest of the Golden State cities.
Contrast this suggested move by the Biden Administration on doing structural reforms to save distressed institutions of learning with the misadventure of the now-closed Trump University. On November 18, 2016, it was reported that President-elect Donald J. Trump had agreed personally to pay $25 million to settle the two class actions and the New York suit. The lawsuits were filed by tens of thousands of students who alleged that they were fooled, scammed, and victimized by Trump University. The settlement was reached ten days before the San Diego (CA) class action was scheduled for trial.
But there is more to saving HNU, which has excelled in turning our nurses and other medical-course graduates — in 143 commencement events. This column discussed how HNU and other universities in California could help turn out Board-certified nurses to remedy the worldwide shortage of 13 million nurses (and counting) by 2030. The World Health Organization and American healthcare authorities announced the coming shortage.
“More than a baker’s dozen articles are in this column about the need to save distressed universities like HNU. And the future of medicine in the United States and the entire planet, especially in the Third World.
Estimates also show California faces a present shortage of about 36,000 licensed nurses, according to the UC San Francisco Health Workforce Research Center on Long-Term Care.
The U.S. healthcare industry is experiencing a severe shortage of workers at every level—a crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Hospital Association estimates the industry will face a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2033. Or more.
And finally, this columnist suggested that the City of Oakland and Alameda County could be the West Coast version of a “Mecca of Medicine.” The City of Boston is presently the East Coast leader of innovations in medical practice, and its R&D centers have excelled in turning out medicines and vaccines.
HNU can be the building block of another state-of-the-art medical center, which has three components: 1.) schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, and other medical courses; 2.) a general hospital; and 3.) a research-and-development (R&D) center that can produce affordable and effective medicines and vaccines and other medical supplies.
The presidency of Joe Biden can leave a long-lasting legacy in education and the fields of medicine, cures, and medical research. Mr. Biden can cap it off with his announced “Cancer Moonshot.”
This column has discussed the “Cancer Moonshot” and how to turn it into a “Medical Moonshot.” The columnist also mentioned the “IBOD Doctrine” of then-President Trump as his reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. IBOD is the acronym for “Ignore, Blame Others, and Distract.” Curious readers and the Biden White House may like to read the article “IBOD and the Medical Moonshot” at this link.
More than a baker’s dozen articles are in this column about the need to save distressed universities like HNU. And the future of medicine in the United States and the entire planet, especially in the Third World. It is now up to President Biden and his First Lady to act and begin doing a legacy-like initiative that will stand the test of time and save hundreds of millions of lives. Or emulate Mr. Trump and do his “IBOD Doctrine.”
