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This is a wake-up call to artificial nature of today's average college education. It's a racket. Pure and simple. If you can do Harvard online now, why pay for the Cambridge experience? The college liberal faculties should take this as a warning

If this emergency move to all on-line courses proves to be just as effective in most cases as the in-person classes, why do we need brick-and-mortar universities? The universities might be providing the rope to hang themselves. Years ago, I saw a few visionaries talking about the potential victims of a move to on-line commerce and one that was mentioned was universities, particularly smaller state universities and community colleges. Initially defensive about the idea, I realized that it had some merit. This might be the opening that makes the taxpayers see the same thing.

I'm a tenured professor in a real discipline at a large state school but I can see that the traditional university model is antiquated and probably dying off. (I'm somewhat indifferent - I have one foot retirement already, so changes won't really affect me.)

Of course it’s true. Online much cheaper and can deliver at least 90% of classes. Yet another reason to get taxpayers out of funding the 5-year spring break that is modern college.

But that 5-year spring break is also what students like about their current “play” college experiences. So they will go for that overwhelmingly as long as we are willing to fund it.

Decades ago, a friend of mine (who is an African-American boomer with a Harvard MBA) told me that he hoped that computers would level the playing field between educational opportunities in urban vs. suburban areas. Sadly, I don't think that happened. I had hoped that it would improve access to educational resources in rural America. But without good teachers, computers are just another game or access to better porn.

My son did a high school class online from the state U and had to be proctored at the public library by the head librarian when he took his mid-term and final. Are these online students going to take online exams in exam centers or will anything be "good enough", given that this is an emergency situation? Are parents going to have to sue to get back money for unused meal cards and empty dorm rooms? And, as always, what is the mortality risk of young people at home partying with friends throughout the week rather than just weekends? What are the risks of unsupervised children at home during the day rather than at school? Is the risk of this virus really work upending society?