The COVID-19 pandemic has forced global experimentation with remote teaching. If it proves to be successful, this could transform higher education as we know it. But can this be successful for the long haul? Do students really need a four-year residential experience? Can we shift to a hybrid model?

As part of HMC’s ongoing research effort to better understand the longterm effects of COVID-19 and develop solutions for these institutions, we spoke with higher education clients, students, contractors, and consultants to gain insight and understanding of short-and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on facility design and operation for college campuses and universities.

HMC is committed to sharing our findings with the industry in a series of white papers that focus on five main areas of Technology, Adaptability and Flexibility, Regulatory/Budgetary/Institutional Impacts, Space Needs Restructuring, and Impact to Wellness/Mental Health. In this paper, we cover our findings on adaptability and flexibility as it relates to higher education.