Many colleges have signaled to their professors that, come spring, they will be expected to ramp up their in-person instruction. The reason? An on-campus learning experience is critical to their students’ success. That success also is important for keeping enrollments up.

But instructors may not share the same sentiment. They point out that the latest spike in COVID-19 cases has dangerously strained hospitals, and that many students are not sticklers for social-distancing. They say the benefits of in-person teaching are not worth putting employees, their families, and others at risk.

The visibility of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) is at a high. The political ascension of Kamala D. Harris—who will become the first HBCU graduate to serve as vice president—and the presidential campaign have raised their profile, while calls for racial justice following nationwide protests have delivered record donations and other outpourings of support.

Historically Black schools have been marginalized and disenfranchised for generations and now face added financial pressures brought on by the pandemic. As the country reckons with its legacy of structural inequality, higher education leaders wonder whether that reckoning will result in lasting financial support and inclusion for the nation’s 100-plus historically Black schools.

Sometimes, a layoff can be just the thing to inspire a career change.

Leaders at local colleges and workforce programs say that’s occurring in South Florida, where thousands of locals lost their jobs due to the economic fallout of COVID-19. With the help of short-term courses and state-supported training programs, many are using the downturn as an opportunity to learn skills that could catapult them into a new career.