Spotlight for Career Services Professionals

NACE is polling its members regarding their response to the coronavirus (COVID-19). The poll closes March 31. Preliminary results will be provided each Friday. The following analysis was made after a review of the March 20 and March 13 results.

The data suggest that schools are moving rapidly to change their operations in light of the coronavirus crisis. While not all schools have altered their operations, the numbers that have done so expand daily. With nearly 70 percent ending in-person classes for likely the remainder of the semester, on-campus activity has virtually ceased around the country. The result will undoubtedly place a significant strain on the finances of both students and the institutions they attend.

Colleges (n = 780)

• In terms of changes to the campus, on March 13, 55 percent of colleges have or were going to cancel their study abroad programs; that figure has held steady at 55 percent, indicating that those who were going to cancel have already done so.
  • However, all the other responses indicate schools are taking a more stringent approach on their campuses. On March 13, 9 percent of schools indicated they were implementing “all of the above” changes; by March 20, that figure was up to 25 percent. “None of the above” fell from 21 percent to 10 percent.
• With respect to altering their spring recruiting plans, 68 percent were proceeding as planned on March 13; on March 20, that figure was down to 34 percent.
  • On March 13, only 7 percent were cancelling on-campus career fairs; that number was up to 37 percent of colleges on March 20.
  • On March 13, only 4 percent had decided not to invite employers to interview on-campus; that number was up to 33 percent on March 20.
• In terms of travel restrictions, on March 13, about 39 percent of colleges had placed no limits on travel; that figure was down to 20 percent on March 20.
  • On March 13, 16.5 percent of colleges had eliminated all non-essential travel; that climbed to 45 percent on March 20.
• In regard to restrictions on attending professional conferences, 21 percent of colleges said they had restrictions on March 13; by March 20, 49 percent had placed some restrictions on attending professional conferences.
• About 15 percent said attending conferences was prohibited for foreseeable future on March 13; that figure was up to 53 percent on March 20.

For the latest information about the impact of coronavirus on our field—including results of the quick polls NACE is conducting among its membership and the ways members are responding to the pandemic—see NACE’s Coronavirus Updates page.