This year, college presidents have juggled the health risks of operating in a pandemic, financial losses, and responding to calls for racial equity. Now it is unclear how long it will be before there is a president-elect. 

By Wednesday evening, Joseph R. Biden Jr., the former vice president and Democratic nominee, appeared close to securing the 270 electoral votes necessary to claim the office. Meanwhile, President Trump has vowed to challenge results that are unfavorable to his candidacy. An ugly and unprecedented few weeks or months are not impossible. College presidents say they expect to be called upon for calm and stability—and some may speak out as civic leaders.

Before classes had even started at the University of Missouri this August, Eli Hoff, the managing editor of the student newspaper, got a hot tip: A fraternity member had tested positive for the coronavirus.

As American colleges become a major source of outbreaks, with at least 214,000 cases linked to campuses, student journalists have found themselves playing a vital role in the pandemic, reporting stories of national importance and holding their administrators and fellow students accountable.

Californians voted this week by a 56.1 percent to 43.9 percent margin to continue the state’s ban on considering race, ethnicity, and gender in public college admissions, hiring, and contracting. But universities are pushing forward with other efforts to recruit and retain a diverse student body. 

This work is often led by students like Nona Claypool. Claypool says too many students who would benefit most from higher education are unable to access it.