President Ryan Joins CBS ‘Face the Nation’ to Discuss Higher Ed and the Coronavirus

On Sunday morning, University of Virginia President Jim Ryan spoke with CBS “Face the Nation” anchor – and fellow Hoo – Margaret Brennan about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting higher education.

Brennan, who graduated from UVA in 2002 and took the helm at “Face the Nation” two years ago, spoke with Ryan about the challenges facing UVA and other universities as fallout from the pandemic continues through the summer, with implications for the fall semester.  

After greeting Ryan with a “Wahoowa!” Brennan asked Ryan about the decision-making process as he and his leadership team weight concerns for the fall.

“We are in the midst of trying to figure out how we can have as many students back in the fall on Grounds and in classrooms, and to do that safely,” Ryan said, noting he expects UVA to announce a decision in mid-June. “We are trying to push back as far as we can so that we have the best information when we make that decision, but we also realize that people need to be able to make plans.”

A committee, created by Ryan and chaired by UVA Provost Liz Magill, is currently developing recommendations for the fall semester, guided by the advice of health and safety experts as well as input from students, faculty and staff. Among other things, they are considering testing measures, contact tracing and social distancing protocols, Ryan said.

Watch Ryan’s full interview here.