Coronavirus News Roundup for June 5

We'll touch on more serious issues later on this roundup, so we'll start on a lighter note: Pet Friday.

It's been hard to come by levity during this time, but it's important to still search for enjoyment for our sanity -- and to remind us of how the world can be good.

Here is Cala, the snoozin' tortoiseshell kitty adopted by Colleen Arnett, coordinator of operations for the Office of Housing & Residence Life at Bellarmine University in Kentucky. The spoiled cat thinks "the whole purpose of me working from home is to be more available when she wakes up from her long naps and wants attention. She also has a knack for knowing when I'm on conference calls and demanding to make an appearance," Arnett said.

Here are Scooby and Sydney, lounging on an outdoor couch. The pair belong to Janet Crane, international student and scholar coordinator at Columbus State University.

And the final pet for Pet Friday is Daisy. Emma Snyder Bahner, a compliance analyst at the University of Denver, said she is a 10-year-old boxer. "She used to enjoy hiking in her younger days, but now she mainly enjoys lying in bed all day, eating anything she can get her paws on, and showing off her favorite toys," Bahner wrote.

Let’s get to the news.

Colleen Flaherty reports on professors who have resigned or are facing pressure to do so after they tweeted insensitive and controversial remarks about the ongoing protests against police brutality.

Some community college systems have announced they will be reviewing their programs that train law enforcement. I have the scant details here.

Democrats are urging Congress to include $1 billion in the next coronavirus relief package to help students pay for internet access, Kery Murakami reports.

Emma Whitford looks at how small colleges are working with local hospitals to coordinate COVID-19 testing and tracing efforts.

Emma also has a story on the latest report from Moody's Investors Service, which found that tuition revenue is likely to decline even if enrollments increase.

News From Elsewhere

Many colleges are still planning to reopen their campuses in the fall, but some told lawmakers they won't unless testing and tracing for the coronavirus are expanded, CNBC reports.

AL.com reports on the University of Alabama system's plan to use a tracking app to manage the virus on campus.

In Texas, colleges are reporting a surge in summer enrollments, The Texas Tribune reports. But it's unclear what this means for the fall.

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 acting dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Kean University proposes on NJ.com creating a GI Bill, but for all students, in the aftermath of the pandemic.

The vice president for academic affairs at Valencia College urges colleges to recommit to equity in actionable ways as the country protests against racism.

The director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute argues in USA Today that paying elite college tuition prices may not be worth it if learning continues online.

All things must come to an end. Monday is the last of these roundups. Much has changed in the last few weeks, and while COVID-19 still matters, it feels wrong to continue this daily feature as if the other crisis dominating our world right now -- the centuries-long reality of systemic racism -- isn't as important, if not more.

We will be continuing to cover both the coronavirus and higher education's reckoning with race elsewhere in our pages.

Thank you for reading along, sending in your comments and pet photos, and participating in my Q&As. And stay safe.