Why are universities reopening this Fall?

Most universities are planning to hold in-person classes this Fall. They are telling us how they will do this. My university is telling us how in very general terms, at this point. Which means that they are not really sure how, in detail, they will manage a reopening and face-to-face classes. We have seen a dramatic increase in Covid-19 cases with states reopening. Just today, Texas has closed again, specifically bars and restaurants. Does the university think they can do better with a population of close to 30,000 students, aged 18 to 24?

The question the university leaders are not answering is “why.” Why are they insisting that the university reopen and expose students, faculty, and staff to a significant possibility of catching the virus? What is driving their actions? It is not likely that it is out of a concern for health and safety because their efforts will have exactly the opposite consequence.

I suggest that the driver for reopening the university is financial. The pandemic has exposed years of financial mismanagement. If the university charges students only for the education and subtracts all of the charges related to the university experience, they will be operating at a significant deficit. This would then require that the administration reduce the organization to only those functions necessary for education. Many people would lose their jobs, but the cost of a college education would come down dramatically. Those students that are only at the university for the experience would likely drop out. It would be interesting to teach a class where the students are there only for education.