The first trial in the "Operation Varsity Blues" college admissions bribery scandal begins this week, with the potential to shed light on investigators' tactics and brighten the spotlight on a secretive school selection process many have long complained is rigged to favor the rich.

Former casino executive Gamal Abdelaziz and former Staples and Gap Inc. executive John Wilson are accused of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to help get their kids into the University of Southern California by falsely presenting them as athletic recruits. 

Higher education is facing a new reality these days, whether it’s a global health pandemic, hurricanes and forest fires, or any other kind of interruption or disruption. These circumstances may require—and students may demand—flexibility in how and when academic instruction is delivered.

This episode of The Key examines how colleges are striving to balance and mix in-person and virtual modalities, plus how the pandemic may alter student and faculty expectations.