An entire forest of potential future graduates is now imperiled by the cataclysmic pandemic that has large numbers of students saying they will delay their higher educations, take time off, opt for community college, or shift to studying part time.

While attention has been focused on the impact of these choices on enrollment in the fall, each has also been shown to slow down or derail students on their way to degrees. For them, and for employers who need educated graduates, that means the effects of this crisis will be felt not just for one semester, but for six or more years.

The nationwide anguish over the death of George Floyd—who was shown on video last week struggling to breathe as a Minneapolis police officer pinned his neck to the ground for nearly nine minutes—rocked American cities over the weekend.

Students on campuses across the country joined in protesting. Meanwhile, college presidents acknowledged the immense outrage over the killing of Floyd, as well as the disproportionate toll of the novel coronavirus on communities of color. Other leaders emphasized the role of colleges in combating bigotry.