Coronavirus News Roundup for May 27

More cities and states are beginning to reopen. Whether that's the right or wrong thing, times do seem fairly delicate and unknown right now.

Let's have some distractions.

Want to read something that will give you useless information, but in a fun way that doesn't mention COVID-19? Here's an explanation for how perfumers captured the smell of the ocean.

This good boy has a rainbow coming out of his head.

And a ray of bright light in all this -- America's sweetheart Betty White is doing great.

Let’s get to the news.

More than half of college presidents surveyed by the American Council on Education said it's likely they'll reopen their campuses in the fall. Presidents of two-year colleges were less likely to say so than those at four-year colleges.

The number of students filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is down compared to this time last year. Numbers are worse for students who are lower income and eligible for federal Pell Grants.

The president of the University of Michigan said in an interview that the institution's decision on the fall will carry through the rest of the year, as many of its students would be traveling from out-of-state for both the fall and spring semesters. He also said the university likely won't participate in intercollegiate athletics if it continues remote instruction.

Cuts continue. Appalachian State University in North Carolina announced it's cutting men's soccer, tennis and indoor track and field programs.

Here’s a quick roundup of our latest stories, in case you’ve fallen a bit behind (we don’t blame you):

The possibilities for medical and scientific research around the pandemic are obvious. But there's plenty for social scientists to explore, too, Colleen Flaherty reports.

Elizabeth Redden writes about colleges' projections for a massive decline in international enrollment. The twist: a recent survey found that many colleges reported their international students remained in the U.S. during this pandemic.

Scott Jaschik spoke with a few experts about what the University of California system's decision to create its own admissions test means for the future.

I wrote a story that's a little different for us, but perhaps different is what we need right now. It's about one man's journey to an associate degree in Oklahoma.

News From Elsewhere

Students who were working through mental health issues with therapists at their colleges are now struggling to stay afloat at home, the Deseret News reports.

The Center for American Progress talked with the president of Diné College, which serves the Navajo Nation, the area with the highest per-capita infection rate in the U.S.

The Baylor College of Medicine developed an antibody test that it hopes to use to determine the spread of the virus in Houston, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Percolating Thoughts

This is a time when everyone has an opinion. As journalists, we try not to have opinions, but we've gathered some interesting ones from others.

The authors of The Merit Myth wrote in MarketWatch about how policy makers can use the pandemic to make admissions at elite universities more fair.

A professor and higher ed communications specialist together wrote about how institutions can and should communicate their culture during this virtual time.

A New York University professor writes in The New York Times about how the pandemic could push the future of higher ed online -- and to a lower price point.

Have any percolating thoughts or notice any from others? Feel free to send them our way or comment below.

We’ll continue bringing you the news you need in this crazy time. Keep sending us your questions and story ideas. We’ll get through this together.