The highlight of the CIC/New York Times Presidents Council meeting in New York on October 13 was a discussion with Winnie O’Kelley, deputy editor of the Business Day section of the Times. Participants also learned about the New York Times Knowledge Network and discussed the 2009 Student News Editors Workshop.

O’Kelley, who has covered the nation’s financial system for 16 years at the Times, provided a well-received review of the impact of the current economic crisis on America’s colleges and universities, from student lending and school financing to direct lending, gap financing, and a range of other issues. She noted that “fears about students being unable to get loans didn’t happen—they’ve been able to find alternative lenders. The new concern is lenders raising standards or getting out of lending altogether—although many lenders that complained the loudest are now getting back into lending because the loans are federally backed.” However, she said “the economic crisis will ultimately impact student lending, as the decline of institutional endowments—particularly those at smaller colleges—will make it harder to provide loans…. Inabilility to tap into home equity loans and high credit card debt means that parents also will be less able to pay tuition…”

She wondered whether these and other factors would put more pressure on colleges to decrease tuition and asked participating presidents for illustrative stories on the consequences for the economic crisis on their campuses. “How much has changed on your campus and how is the crisis impacting higher education overall? Are students able to pay tuition? Are your boards less willing to spend endowment funds? Will colleges cut back on classes to save money, for example, by eliminating Friday classes? Will green projects on your campuses be harder to justify?” O’Kelley stressed that she and other reporters are interested in “What’s changing?” as a result of the economic crisis.

Times Education Manager Mark Bechara provided details about the Times’ new Knowledge Network, in which faculty members from colleges are paired with Times reporters to provide online courses through the Times’ online course management system, Epsilen.

Participants also discussed the Student News Editors Workshop, which will be held at the Times on Friday, March 20, 2009 (details to come).

President Les Garner of Cornell College (IA) agreed to serve as the 2009 chair of the CIC/New York Times Partnership in Education and Sharon Herzberger, president of Whittier College (CA), will serve as vice chair (and chair in 2010).

Other meeting participants included presidents Louis Agnese, University of the Incarnate Word (TX); JoAnne Boyle, Seton Hill University (PA); Jonathan Brand, Doane College (NE); Daniel Carey, Edgewood College (WI); Jonathan DeFelice, Saint Anselm College (NH); Jim Dennis, McKendree University (IL); Larry L. Earvin, Huston-Tillotson University (TX); Lorna Edmundson, Wilson College (PA); Karen Gross, Southern Vermont College; Patricia Hardaway, Wilberforce University (OH); Beverly Hogan, Tougaloo College (MS); Jairy Hunter, Charleston Southern University (SC); Thomas Kepple, Juniata College (PA); Dan Lunsford, Mars Hill College (NC); John W. Mills, Paul Smith’s College (NY); Christopher Nelson, St. John’s College (MD); David Olive, Bluefield College (VA); Lisa Marsh Ryerson, Wells College (NY); Neil Salonen, University of Bridgeport (CT); Jane O’Meara Sanders, Burlington College (VT); John Strassburger, Ursinus College (PA); Jo Switzer, Manchester College (IN); Baird Tipson, Washington College (MD); and Charles O. Warren, Defiance College (OH).