Senate Health Education Labor Pensions Committee will please come to order. Today we are holding a hearing supporting needs of students under higher education during covid19 and safely returning to campus. We will have an Opening Statement and then we have witnesses. After the witnesses give their testimony, senators will each of five minutes for a round of questions. While we remain to have the hearing fully open to the public or media for inperson attendance, live video is available on our website and if you need of accommodations of closed captions, you can reach out to the committee or the offices of congressional accessibility surfaces. This pandemic has affected higher education and so many different ways. College and university of us have had to close services. Implement critical public health measures overall Spring Enrollment fell to 6. 9 million from 17 and a half million, marking a 600,000 decline. Meanwhile, this pandemic has disrupted students classrooms, challenged their mental health, up and if the economy, and created more uncertainty for students who are already struggling to pay for tuition and other basic needs. The pandemic is also showed us how much college students were hanging on by a thread. The fact that students were Food And Housing insecurity before the pandemic truly concerns me, now these needs have only deepened. But the pandemic is also showed us the power of supporting communities. As colleges look to safely reopen this fall, there are many lessons and we can draw from institutions that are safely reopening. The work to safely reopen must continue. Each college must take the needs of accounts, Faculty And Staff, and vulnerable populations to welcome more people back to campus. Colleges must continue to address students and mental health including basic needs. The federal relief funds provided to colleges was a powerful and important step forward. University of washington in my Home State told the office that the amount of Emergency Aid requests is 20 times higher that they are receiving and what it was before the pandemic. A study of North Carolina Chapel hill founded first students reported significantly higher level of Depression And Anxiety in the wake of the pandemic. Once more two and five students report experiencing Food Insecurity. Almost half report experiencing housing insecurity, and one in six report experiencing homelessness. We know that this felt his pain is not being felt equally. Its been harnessed like H Cbd is, other minority serving institutions and Community Colleges. And its been hardest on students of color, families with low income, students with disabilities, lgbtq students, rural students, veterans, and first Generation College students. Students who have always faced inequities in our education system. Thats why was so important to congress took action, and while we have more work to do to see more people through this congress, we have been able to make Student Loan Forgiveness tax free full stop. And provide 76 million dollars in higher Education Emergency Relief funds, including nearly 40 million dollars that we passed as part of the american Rescue Plan. Ive heard from so many people back in my state with a lifeline those funds have been for schools and students. Colleges have been able to use these funds to support vaccination efforts, secure personal protective equipment, Purchase Cleaning supplies, Update Technology for remote learning, and cover lost revenue. Perhaps most importantly, they have been able to provide students desperately needed direct financial support as they grapple with the fallout of this pandemic. Because of the pandemic, a student at western Washington University is living in a tent with her children. Now she is receiving emerge see aid because an american Rescue Plan. Another Student Couldnt go home to the pandemic, Couldnt Pay for the rent or food. Those funds are now helping to make ends meet. A student at Edmunds College was considering skipping Spring Quarter so she could afford to cremate and bury her father. Emergency financial Aid Method she could keep her classes. These are just a few of the many stories of the impact this funding is having on students. Anne is Community College has provided emergency funds to nearly 1400 students, Clark College 2500 students, Washington State University nearly 10, 000, and university of washington has awarded aid to over 21,000 students. There are countless stories from heritage universities, and other schools and those are just the ones in my state. Millions more from across the country about what this aid is meant to students. How it helped them for tuition, books, food, housing, childcare, technology for remote learning. Whatever it was they needed to continue their education. Im pleased we have a student with us today, anthony harris, from Baldwin Wallace University in ohio to share his own story. Anthony, thank you so much for being here. I hope we all take an important lesson away from this about the difference it makes when someone gives a helping hand during tough times, students like anthony, and students like those i just shared our in many ways our future, and the stories they attend our foundational to local economies nationwide. Their success is critical to the success of our country and our communities, but if we truly want to help students succeed, we have to do more than just a return to normal. Because even be for this pandemic, normal spry stack was far too expensive an out of reach for many students. Normal left many students hungry and homeless and hanging by a thread. It left them with historic amounts of student loan debt, an empty promises from predatory colleges cysts an of sexual assault, Harassment And Bullying on campuses. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we have to do better than normal. Thats why i work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make sure that legislation we passed last year were stored program algal ability for incarcerated individuals, students who have been defrauded, and students with drug related offenses. So why we try to provide relief to better support working students, working families, students who are paid low incomes, and student parents. That is why i am still pushing to do more. Im working to reverse the trump administrations harmful title ix rule, which made it so harder for student to report and incident of sexual assault or harassment, and much easier for school to sweep it under the rug. Yesterday i introduced legislation to double the amount ive joined my democratic colleagues to introduce legislation to make Community College tuition free. Back in my state, to seattle promised program is showing how supporting students with community thats why the city is using Covid Related Funds to help expand the program, and cover more students needs. They understand this is how we help seattle return from the strong pandemic stronger and fair. We have a lot of work to do to make sure that every single student has the opportunity to achieve a higher education in a safe environment free from debt. As we continue that work, i look forward to hearing from our Witnesses Today, about what the pandemic can teach, us about what how we can get this done. And working with my colleagues to get that. Then with that alternate over to ranking member bird, for his opening remarks. Thank you i dont like to welcome our witnesses and, highlight mr. Harris. Thank you for being here. You are the only one that is providing testimony today that had their testimony in on time. So if your professors are listening, i hope you will get extra credit for the timeliness of your testimony. The full reopening of higher education fall this fall is important. But im very disappointed that we are focusing on real k through 12 schools, with every student first. During the pandemic many higher education institutions were opened by fall, 2020, or reverted we know that Distance Learning and higher education works better. Weve seen it around the country for years. So im not really sure that this is the right focus at this time. Congress gave 76 billion dollars directly to hire education laws during three laws passed during the pandemic. So they have plenty of money. Yet as of the first week of june, 53 billion dollars allocated to institutions remains unspent. Thats 70 of the money still sitting, waiting to go out the door. This makes me question if such an institution truly needed all this money. As former harvard president noted almost two decades ago and i quote, universities share one characteristic with compulsive gamblers and exiled royalty and of quote. There is never enough money to satisfy theirs irons unquote. With all this free money, im really concerned about the lack of accountability that brings to higher education. 52 according to the national center for education. We kid ourselves, and a decided to talk about the six Year Graduation Rate instead, but thats just 62 completion rate. So we lied to moms and dads about our expectations for completion, and then we lower those expectations so that 62 is somehow comforting. Where im from, 62 is a de. I guess d stands for diploma. Yet tuitions keep rising. Tuition fees at fouryear private schools jumped 44 over the last decade. 55 for your public schools. In some Graduation Rates are terrible. Tuition is up and that is soaring. Democrats have refused to engage in serious conversation about steps to change this trend. Instead, they want to talk about how to throw more money at the same problem, as if new government programs will somehow solve the problems of the last 30 government programs created. Make college free, canceled it may be good talking points, back home in north carolina, we have already made Community College very affordable, and West Virginia and Arizona Theyve made Community College tuition less than the average not sure these socalled solutions makes sense and i dont think we should reward states like california and massachusetts with their skyhigh Community College tuitions and give them a bunch of new taxpayer money. On top of, that colleges and universities are becoming more more isolated with rayon regularity, with assault on free speech, and returning to segregated program. Plus institutions are harming society with near communist style indoctrinations that any idea that is offer that offense you must be banned from the classrooms, or at least any idea that offense if you are liberal i should say. Then there is the threat from china. Too many institutions of higher Education Reliance tunes from china paying full tuition. But then these same institutions dont understand the concerns about Chinas Government to steal our intellectual property and subvert. That Business Model needs to change and universities need to take the threat from china much more seriously. Some are still toying with Student Debt Forgiveness schemes that is breathtaking in its embrace of reckless financial responsibility and has zero regard for the deep moral hazard that we are creating for bars, institutions and taxpayers. And the biden administration still hasnt released any plan for loan payments. This each year the lone Pause Cost taxpayers more than all adults have had the chance to get vaccinated and to get back to work. There is no reason to extend the non payment at this point. I agree that there should be a discussion about helping people who dont earn enough to make full plummet. Theres a bipartisan solution that ive work with Angus King called a repay act. We are ready to get to work fully someone from the white house would pick up the phone and call. You should have my number, bird out senate,. Gov, will give you my telephone number. But back to the elephant in the room. Why arent we having a discussion on k12 reopening . Are we concerned with the Teachers Union if we demanded students fully reopen this fall . Last year, republicans were blocked in their efforts to do demand school reopening. Will we be blocked again when union said they dont want to go back to school this fall . Science tells us the children are much less likely than adults to experience severe illness as a result of covid19. Signs tell us that teachers can be safely vaccinated. Thanks to operation warp speed, and the fda, we got safe and effective vaccines approved in record time, and every adult in this country, including every teacher has had plenty of time to get vaccinated at this point. Science tells us that children over 12 can be vaccinated, and hopefully this Fall And Winter vaccines will be approved for younger children as well. Until then, we know the steps to take to keep everyone safe for inperson learning. So there is no excuse for schools not to fully reopen this fall. Today, we will hear about the very troubling mental health consequences of the pandemic on college students, weve had more opportunity to get back to the classroom than america schoolchildren. So what do we know about younger students who saw massive surges and anxiety, depression because of unnecessary school closures . As of april, less than half of all fourth grade black, hispanic, asian economically disadvantaged students were in fully inperson learning. As of april, less than half of all eighth grade students nationwide were enrolled for fully inperson learning, and less than a third of all black, hispanic and asian eighth graders were in fully inperson learning. Emergency department visits for suspected suicide attempts were up 22 in the summer of 2020. 39 in the winter of 2021. Children aged 12 to 17. Since the science shows us the schools can open safely, its on the adults, the unions, the school board, superintendents to make the decisions to keep them closed. Most of our countrys private schools stayed open. They made plans, they follow the science, they served their children far better than the public system. I strongly encourage every member of this committee to read the powerful oped in yesterdays New York times by miss li lack im a gore about her experience teaching this past year in a Charter School in washington, d. C. She speaks powerfully about the harm of school closures to children. She speaks about the power of education. Its an eloquent essay. Its an elegant and essay as i have ever read, and i hope the will all take the time to read it and to reflect on it as well. Madam chairman, i yield back. Thank you senator burr, and i assure you we agree opening our k12 schools is an important in issue. Texaco of every one of my side as well, and i tend to work with you to have a reopening on k12 schools as we get closer to the fall, when schools are actually going to be back in session, so i look forward to working on that. I know were seeing a lot mores students back in schools, including my granddaughters. I know we all share that goal. With the, we will now introduce todays witnesses. Elaine dokoupil and morgan, is the vice promised of and roman Management University of california, los angeles. She oversees the universitys offices of undergraduate admission, financial aid and scholarship, strategic partnerships and community engagement, and the early academic outreach program. Miscall poland morgan. , welcome thank you for joining us today. That i can turn it over to my colleague, senator cassidy, who will introduce the president reynolds fillet. Its my pleasure to introduce my friend, the sixth president of louisiana a zagor university, a historically black university in New Orleans. Doctor brent is a leader, pioneering the way to open schools safely, providing students with the opportunity to learn in a way best needed for their circumstances. Under his leadership, zagor continues to be a top Feeder School in the nation, producing african american physicians. He has an crazed Xaviers Freshman Role by 21 and improve retention rates by 3 . Hes an accomplished biochemists, immunologist, participating in Covid19 Vaccine trials, and has been an advocate for vaccination of all in the united states. From the start of the pandemic, the doctor worked with hospitals to test to mobile centers, to set up a fully operational mobile Covid Testing Lab to service communities. Before joining xavier, he was it books universities in, savannah state was a dean at the science is a inner university philadelphia. He was a clark atlanta university. And an adjunct professor of immunology at, schools of medicine. Hes also conducted Cancer Research at mit. His leadership of the last few months and reopening xavier has been impressive. And with his background, he understands the science behind the virus and the pandemic. Because of this, he made the decision to reopen xavier to allow students to be educated in person. He knows the benefits for students on the individual level, and the Community Level outweigh the risk by the way, he also kind of, if i may, thought about the social aspect. Restarting Baseball Xavier which had not been there for six years. Xavier not only reopen not only give students and community a sense of normalcy, i had a great season. 1 27 and 11 made it a Lot College World series championship. But universities like xavier have shown us the path forward, while giving students the education and the Learning Environment they deserve. With that i yield. Thank you senator cassidy. Appreciate you joining us. I will introduce at any harris, who got his testimony on in time. He is a senior Baldwin Wallace University. Hes pursuing a Bachelors Degree in fine arts. Mr. Harris is also resident assistant on his campus and a member of the Block Student lines. Mr. Harris, again thank you for joining us, to share your personal experience and speak about some of the challenges that students have been facing during this pandemic. We are very glad to have you with us today. Finally, Madeleine Kumar rega, did i say it correctly . Is the first woman to become president of Miamidade College. Since november, 2020. Before that she was executive Vice President , and provost of tallahassee Community College, and in both of those positions, she has played a key role in seeing students through this pandemic. We are glad to have you with us. Look forward to your testimony, and with that, we will begin with Vice President colin morgan. You may begin your Opening Statement. Thank you chair murray, ranking member burr, and members of the committee to appear before you today. I appreciate the opportunity to provide testimony on the significant impact of the congressionally approved higher Emergency Relief funds, notice her up. The funds enabled students to continue their education just when their dreams of a College Degree seem shattered by covid19. Her funds also provided a powerful investment for the growth of our economy. My testimony will addressed why the end of covid19 does not mean that the need for increased financial aid there will not be a return to normal for students in public universities and Community Colleges. The needs of students may change but they will not diminish, in fact the opposite is true. To help meet these needs, the university of California System has not increased tuition for the last eight years. Also, in 2019, 20 to, state of california awarded 950 million dollars in state grants. And you see system awarded 800 million for undergraduate students compared to the 400 million in federal Pell Grants. Despite these efforts, federal from the state and the you see system, along with generous philanthropy, it is not sufficient to meet students basic needs, for food, adequate housing, Health Care, affordable transportation and other emergency needs. Federal financial aid will continue to be critical and providing a College Education for students who are the Future Engine of the countrys economic growth. In march, 2020, when covid19 cases began to rise dramatically los angeles, ucla closed. Students especially from low income, rural and underserved communities had difficulty studying remotely without computers, Internet Service or other basic technology. Students from low and middle income families tried to find work to help their families pay the bills and keep food on the table. Anyone who watched television and saw the long lines of people waiting to get boxes of food for their family knows how widespread Food Insecurity is. The federal government helped by allowing Universities Flexibility in the federal work study program. We created new jobs for students to study remotely. We gave them a payment in the form of grants if they were unable to find work. Thank you for this flexibility. Herb funds, authorized by congress were indeed a lifeline. At ucla, from april 2020, to march, 2021, parents got grants of nearly 18 million, or awarded to 695 students, to cover specific pandemic expenses. They paid rents for students with a particular focus on low and middle income families. In early june, 2021, ucla awarded her up to grants of 17. 3 million to over 13,000 students. An additional 600,000 will be awarded throughout the summer. The process of awarding the american Rescue Plan herb three funds exceeded 46 million is already underway. Without her, plans the Post Pandemic covid future would be extremely challenging for higher education institutions. These funds allowed students to continue their education, graduate on time, and work towards their dream of a College Degree. Her up funds have an even greater lasting impact. They are an investment in the countrys economic growth. Research shows that as workers and education rises, unemployment decreases. And his employment earnings rise, so to tax earnings. Now, at ucla, we are eagerly looking to the future. When ucla opens in september, two new classes will arrive on campus of the same time. The class of fall, 2020, and the classified, 2021. They will be a part of uclas 43,000 student body. With your ongoing support, uclas Graduation Rate will continue to be higher than most colleges and universities across the nation. We are extremely proud of our most recent undergraduate say they upheld an extraordinary record of achieving a fourYear Graduation Rate of 84. 2 . After this terrible year, the future finally looks bright again for our nations students. They need and deserve our support. Thank you. Thank you very much. Chairman patty murray, ranking member richard burr, number of the committees, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My institution is a historically black university. It is also a catholic institution. The ultimate purpose of xavier is to contribute to for a more just and humane society. Having students assume roles of Leadership And Service in the local society. This preparation takes place in diverse and violence. I was asked to testify for the Committee Today about how xavier has employed and ease federal funds. I will speak for my institution but you may infer from many of my colleagues, many Eights Cbd is in this country. I began discussing Covid19 Virus with my Leadership Team in late january, 2020. Soon after, my team began planning that this virus might reach our shores. I february 5th, 2020, we had one of our iconic celebrations, mardi gras. On april 2nd, there were 700 and cases of covid19 in the paris, population 391,000. The data would later prove to us that the health disparities that we have known ravished african american communities throughout this country have now been exasperated and reveal to us in special ways. Working class african americans, especially these people who are descent of the city of New Orleans were being bearing the larger burden of this disease. The following options that we had to consider for the spring, 2020 semester. One option was to actually continue instruction, the other was remote instruction. Our administration ultimately decided to offer instruction remotely, and continue this into the summer. For the false semester, we turn to mixed modalities, with special public health considerations. The majority of instruction took place and we had hybrid instruction which allowed them some choices for their preferred motive instructions, in person or remote. All rooms at our facilities became single occupancy. 44 of our students normally live on campus. Xavier nonetheless is fortunate not to have had layoffs, however we did maintain a Hiring Freeze which we have just released recently. Xavier will philly repopulate the campus for fall, 2021. When faculties and staff resuming the forms of instruction that were common to us before the pandemic. Nonetheless, we have modified public health policies and, behavior policies on campus. I would be remiss now not to thank the congress, including members of this committee, for passing last years congressional virus security act. And also 1 33. The Appropriations Act of 2020. In 18 2019 passed by this congress, the american recovery act. Because of the c. A. R. E. S. Act, xavier has access to 27 million dollars in direct allocation from section 18 zero zero for, and sections a two of the bill. Knowing that our students are facing tough economic times the prevent unique challenges, many have the economic have changed in comparison to 2019, because of family situations. With that being said, i would like to frank congress for allocations of 1. 04 billion, another billion and, 2. 0 billion, for colleges, and also Minority Service institutions. In addition, id like to thank the congress for, targeting institutions through the Age Cbo Finance program, and the Appropriations Act. Many agencies benefit, but i would like to know that xavier benefited only in a marginal way, because the funds, was predicated on the signing of the bill. Disproportionately affected by the pandemic. If the majority of our students are diverse proportionally, effected says the university sales and many of my lastly, i have three recommendations that raised with the committee. Provide permanent relief for the hbcu capital Finance Program for the many hbcus that were not eligible in december 2020 actions. To, doubling is important for coming from low income families and backgrounds. Thirdly, supporting largescale administrative plans that include infrastructures, family plans, and the present budget, especially the 409 million Dollar Budget Line item strengthening the programs. I want to thank you, thank you very much. Thank you. We will turn to mr. Harris. Good morning, bear with me, i love a strongly worded anecdote. Good morning, chair marie, ranking member burton, members of this committee. It is an honor to be testifying before you all today. I am a senior at baltimore university and, also a proud mentor of an organization that was without i would not be sitting before you today as a covid student. To begin, i would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak on half a Fire Education students from all of the country who have benefited from federal funding and also been impacted many ways by this devastating pandemic. Id also like to think that i speak on behalf of students who could benefit from federal Funding Support but dont have access for whatever reason and to the necessary means to reap the benefits. Like many students across the country, ive had an unorthodox College Experience to say the least. It began as being accepted at a high Tech Academy at high Credit Plus Program that offers high school students the opportunity to take College Level courses at Community College in order to get a head start in their collegiate endeavors. It was through Isaac Academy than al not only earn College Credit but also knowledge of higher education that would lead me to college. Also motivated by peers on introduced to leadership programs like the wrought ski foundation, that encourage students and prepare them for college readiness. With all of that in mind, the harsh reality is individuals can go to college if they cant afford it. That is what colors came into play for. Maine this unique organization provide students with personalized Collar Ship opportunities in wealth and additional support services designed to aid students in the transition to higher education. Through college now, how is given assistance to federal Student Aid also known as an application for many nothing about. After learning about this form and being given access to the sport that i needed, i discovered that is eligible to receive Pell Grant Funding that offered thousands of dollars to my education. This federal funding was lifechanging. The once aspirations of attending college became more attainable for students who were in a financial disadvantage. This funding in particular also made it available for me to transfer universities. They offered me a peace of mind to both my family and myself, because we knew that this would follow me to whatever university i went to. It was in part because of this funding that i was able to transfer to baltimore, with such ease and financial comfort. These programs and fundings became even more imperative when the news of the Covid19 Pandemic became public during Spring Break of all times. Students they had left campus to go home were asked to stay, and the directory of our Semester Change dramatically. Professors and instructors were given one week, just one week, to redesign their entire Syllabus Celeb i, to meet the needs of Distance Learning. Where this change was hard for effectively and staff is difficult for students as well. I had no access to a personal computer laptop. It was college now that pull together resources and provide students like me with the computers they needed to transition to this new Distance Learning. As a resident assistant, i was asked to keep in contact with all my residents from home. It was then that i realized that how this pandemic it affected all. Of them from our correspondence i found that many of them struggled with a wide variety of problems. Some students did not have access to computers like myself. Others had no access to the internet at all. And some did not feel like they had a safe place to study, get work, done or even call home, i also interacted with some students who lived off campus and out of the country who were stuck on campus and could not make it home to see their families. Things seemed a very bleak, until students got word of the cares act funding they were being offered. This funding was very well received and used for a wide variety of things. I use this for books, and internet access. Other campus wide uses include transportation, food, tuition, savings. Even the next disbursement of the cares act funding was released, students were finding creative ways to continue attending school at all costs. And as soon as they return to campus in the fall, things could not go back to normal. Baltimore had adopted a newer and more complex learning platform. Now students were being asked to attend classes both online and inperson based on Classroom Size and professors discretion. I applaud, still, the way baltimore handled this new way of education. All students were given public tests before returning to campus, and masks for the entire semester. They also conducted many randomized tend assisting, testing students for the coronavirus and also offered vaccines. All of these measures turned out to work without a Surplus Number of positive cases on campus. The access to federal funding was going out organization like college now, that are helping students, and it continued to help students that the as the world continues to evolve. I continue that the world of higher education would benefit from a doubling of the Pell Grant and the continued support of covid relief funds. I thank you all for your time and attention, and for listening to my long story. And it has been an absolute honor, thank you. Thank you very much, Mister Harris. We really appreciate your personal perspective today. Thank you. President good morning. Good morning, madam chair, ranking members of the health, education, labor and Pensions Committee. Thank you for allowing you here today to testify on the Cares Funding for Community Colleges. My name is madeleine them president at Miamidade College. I must say that for the first day arrived on campus, my priority has been to ensure the physical safety of my students, but also organization, that on behalf of the women or Community Colleges across america, we served as economic Air Force engines for our community. Miamidade college, known as democracies college, is the nations most diverse institution of higher education. Community College And University across the country, serving 120,000 students. Very few institutions of had a greater impact, raising more than 2 million for our student alumni, as we probably touch every household in our community. Offering more than 300 a distinct career pathways, Miamidade Colleges at the Cutting Edge of technology with, hundreds of strategic workforce partners and partnerships that include global companies and right here our local for workforce. In miamidade county, 85 less than 50 employees, so, we serve as a conduit for workforce training. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Miamidade College is aimed but for a brief twoweek period, our Faculty And Staff would redesign courses that we can put into virtual platforms for our students. We did that and returned. We have remained open. We provided support for our students whether it is mental Health Counseling in person, or virtually, academic advising, virtually in person. My last summer, all of our courses on multiple platforms, not only in person, but also hybrid, and in the past, in january, we launched nbc live, learning interactive lena virtual environments. So, students in this format could interact with each other and interact with their faculty. The Corona Virus Aid and relief economic security, as first round of cares was signed march 2020, and provided almost 14 billion dollars directly to higher education to support the cost of shifting classes online, and for emergency financial aid grants for food, housing technology, and any other component related to the Student Cost of attendance. For additional funding announced earlier this year, Miamidade College has received more than 50 million dollars during the first round which went to students. We provided aid to thousands of students, not only in scholarships but also an emergency grant funding, dollars as well as opportunities for retraining. Of an important note, nbc role played a very important role in the greater Miami Area in terms of recovery from the pandemic finally offering many free, and lowcost courses, and programs in emerging industries and helping those who have been displaced, reachable top, retold, and getting back into the workforce. But also, as serving as a federal vaccination site. A readministered over maybe Date College took a proactive approach to prepare and respond to the pandemic in early january. The college had a robust Emergency Management Program that supports the continuity of operations. Quite frankly, today we have seen our Enrollment Bounce back, aligning our mission. People centered emission. To the workforce programs that we know our community leads, and our workforce partners need as well. Just like the hopes that our research shows many of our students are food insecure, housing in secure, and the dollars of Health Supports our students. We also align the dollars to ensure that we have provided ppe, the right Security And Safety measures for all of our campuses, and have returned everyone in offering in person and online, and virtual courses. Thank you for this time, for allowing me to share the way that Miamidade College has supported our community, students, the way colleges are working together so that we secure a promise towards the future that helps students find a path to prosperity through the power of education and by aligning our programs to those areas that our workforce partners need and support university transfers as well. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you to all of our Witnesses Today for your important testimony. We want to begin a round of five minute questions, and i again ask our colleagues to keep track of the clock and stay within those five minutes. We do have votes beginning at 11 30. Miss coppa and morgan, i would like to start with you. Students have faced unprecedented challenges over the past years as you know, a year and a half actually from the pandemic, and the economic recession. With a lot of our students seeing significant financial harm, according to Hope Center studies released this, march 60 of college students did not have what is called a basic Need Security during the pandemic. This includes lack of access to nutrition, sufficient food, secure network housing, Health Care to promote sustained mental and wellbeing, technology, transportation, resources for personal hygiene, childcare, and other related needs. That study also show these challenges have been more severe for black students. In fact, the gap between black students and their peers in basic needs we have long known to be true to this. 2in addition, may 20 will one 2021 survey released by the financial aid administrators showed students continue to make Increase Request to personal judgment. Personal judgment allows financially administrators to make changes to a students unusual circumstances and on a case by case basis. So, miss Copeland Morgan i want to ask you, can you hear how ucla used its federal funding to make sure students financial and basic needs were addressed . Thank you for the question. First of all, i should mention that as a public institution, our responsibility and our mission is to make sure that we are serving all students across the state of california. That means that we have a disproportionate number of students they were first Generation College students who were outstanding and our are graduating from the university in rates that are not seen enough across our country. The first appeals that we got was all about technology. We said that students were safer at home. You can study from home, that was not true for so many of our students. So, we spent a lot of money. Money paying for computers, Internet Services, giving other technologies, particularly for graduate students who were at the end of their graduate work, whose studies required that they be 18 laboratories, and conduct complicated research. So we reached out broadly across our graduate and undergraduate professional students to ensure that they had what they needed. Food insecurity, as i have stated, is a huge problem in our nation, cities, and certainly in the city of los angeles. These students were struggling prior to covid at 19, and the funds that we received could not have been more timely across at the university of California System. My colleagues to oversee financial aid, we all got together, and get those funds out quickly. So students were not drop at a college. Because that presents another problem, should they drop out and stay out, so again, i want to emphasize how important to these funds are and if i may take a moment to share with you in the seventies i was one of those first Generation College students. I got into this profession because of federal works to heavy jobs that i had for three years. I know the plight our students face, and the investment in students now that will relieve the obligation of us investing in them in the future. Thank you very much. Mr. Harris, thank you again for your testimony and in addition to the financial challenges, im concerned about the mental health challenges that faced in this pandemic, first year students have reported significantly higher levels of Depression And Anxiety in the wake the pandemic. Black students were more likely to report concerns related isolation. You served as a resident assistant. Spent a lot of time for a first year students can speak to us about some of the challenges that youve experienced as they returned now to campus. Yes. Thank you for the question. Students on campus found themselves at a disadvantage because they were unattached from the people who are they typically able to interact with. Like their fellow peers, and also, because we were not able to i work with a lot of students, over the past year, through ideation because i felt alone and from their peers. So, i think the resources provided on campus so that they can overcome these challenges on campus. Thank. You thank you very much for that response. I appreciate it. Senator burr. Thank, you madam chairman. Mr. Harris, when you graduate . I shouldve graduated this past spring. But because of the disenchantment that i spoke about, just a moment ago, i was postponed and i have to graduate this spring. What is your major . What is your major . Acting. Im an actor. Let me tell you, you will be successful at whatever you choose to do. I can tell it. Keep it up. Thank you. As i understand it, xavier will require students, faculty, staff to be vaccinated before you return this fall. What led you to implement this requirement . Put on your mic if you will . We learn many things in the pandemic. We have really optimize but we are able to do remotely from when we had to be fully remote. We also learned that also, our students benefit from the nash their peers, laboratories. Inperson interactive air import first didnts. We have an opportunity with the vaccines that now we know vaccines protect individuals who were vaccinated. That we can return, if we have eczema vaccinated on campus, we can return to full inperson activity. Xavier produces more african americans doctored programs than a Life Size and physical science. Has been doing that for decades. To do that. They have to be laboratories, they have to play and practice and being scientists, see historians practices, the all kinds, or musicians in a conservatory. So, being a person is very import for the success of our students. Vaccination will allow us to do that, so that we are asking for assistance to be vaccinated, also all employees be vaccinated. We are also allowing for the exception that the law requires. But in doing so, we all have to make sure that we also do not allow those who are not vaccinated to be a danger to those because of whatever medical means that they cannot be protected by the vaccine. Theres a small potential pretty small percentage of people who will be not immune. And maybe exposed others. Who could infect them, therefore we have to have special conditions for those who cannot be vaccinated on campus. For safety reasons. You have a unique background. Because you are an immunologist, i guess by practicing. My experience training, and also research, yes. You are university president. Help us understand how you explained this policy to your faculty and do your students to their parents. I can tell you that weve had conversations, because many people have questions that you have to we have a response to questions. For example, even in the early days, when i and my colleagues are both in clinical trials. They also we have meetings and have to explain to them old men like me have to roll up their sleeves. What advice would you give other colleges and universities, as they plan for the fall, and theyre faced with the decisions that youve been faced with, and that youve made. What would be your advice to them . Tell the truth. Havent used answer peoples questions. Let me know what were facing. One of the civil facts, in washington state, as a clear example. Washington state published the data for the Death Race of are vaccinated forces unvaccinated people. It allows you to make simple calculation, not diverse quite simple. It allows you to see that basically, the risk of death for unvaccinated peoples about 17 to 20 times higher. Then for vaccinated people. Anything like that, to explain to me especially variant like the Delta Variant coming its much more transmissible. Unvaccinated people will suffer and great toll. We have to tell them the truth we were founded by. With a mission to serve not just the nation but each other. So, the conversation is that, we do not want to risk between [inaudible]. Some other words, were doing this is to not endanger neighbor. That mentality reverses the notion that is purely what is in it for me . It has shocked me to make it through the transition that they are going through, that it seems that the faculty members that Faults Pandemic online education, as a new avenue are the Ones Today that only want to teach online. Would transformation we have longed for. I commend you and other institutions, that have looked at the challenge in front of us, and designed a structure to go forward, and i think it really is, because youre focused on your customer which is the student out there, and the value of what they did xavier, and many other schools. I think all of us thank you madam chair. Thank, you senator cain. Thank you chairman murray, and ranking member. This is a very important hearing and the testimony of all the witnesses is appreciated. Chairman you asked a question of our wonderful student about mental health and i want to direct that to the educators and administrators as well, as the department of education and the updated guides about the higher Education Relief Fund that they issued on may 11th clarify that her funding could be used for additional mental Health Support systems, for college students. Id like to hear you talk about how you are grappling with providing appropriate mental health services to deal with the isolation, financial pressures that kids are facing. They are worried about their own health, parents, and other people to care about. If you could each address, that that would be great, thank you. Thank you for your questions, senator. As you all know, mental health has done a growing concern in higher education. 20 years. For the last 20 years,d were seeing more more of our students coming to us needing services. That said, with the pandemic, everyone has if were honest, everyone has suffered during this pandemic. So, our institution used a portion of the cares in the funds to put monies into mental health services for our students. We encourage students to reach up, even in a normal year, when theyre suffering exiled, he or feeling depressed, feeling isolated because we know that students cannot focus on their studies if they are dealing with those issues. We have the resources to serve you, call us. Our health mental folks at and across the system make Telephone Appointment so students can and easy access to the services, and not have to come on campus, of course. So, we would not have been able to do that. Our education has suffered immensely, financially. So, these funds are making a huge difference. And the thing that i really appreciate about students reaching out and getting these services is that they become peer advocates for others to do that. So, when one students says that im having trouble managing home and work, and having difficulties as a parenting students. Our former foster youth to make up a large portion they didnt have anyone to go to, to help them understand navigate the challenges of covid19. Using those funds for mental health services, but also for other services for returning events. For parenting students for rural communities, who have from our experience the greatest impact on them because of the lack of technological technologies. Thank you. If i may add, i have to agree with my colleague that mental health means have increased covid. But even before covid, we also had already been dealing with the increasing need we had we were establishing already what we call the student at risk committees to begin to see, not only that students would come when needs arise, or to be able to have many eyes on campus for when it comes. In for one students behavior, performance in classes, screening flags students discussing those communities because those judicial counselors, where they can bring in, to make sure that theyre productive outside providers available to students, so that we can provide services that were much more diverse and much more wide, and that is something, and i can see the much we learn during the pandemic, some of this we will keep to be able to make that accessible. Theyre also training not only in student affairs. Side of the campus, but also in mixed staffing to giving fundamental tools in faculty to give them information to the right people. Those resources are needed. I think we have issues where using academic support, many vertical anxieties for new students may not be clinically considered. But also having economic Support Staff to give students the wherewithal to understand that this can be a pathway to my time is expired but possibly one of my colleagues will be asking President S more questions, and let her offer from will let her have present to maria. Thats a wonderful question. We at the college and mental Health Counseling services by adding more mental health specialists on the ground, Faculty And Staff. The second thing that we did is we partnered with our carried two one one helpline so that we can ensure that we had 24 7, and the third is that we added Teller Health services so that students could get to a counselor both virtually and in person. Lastly, weve added early alert system or our faculty members who are the first to see the change of pattern in his tune when they withdraw, are able to give our mental health counselors in early alerts we can provide those interventions. Thank you for the question in the opportunity to answer. It thank you all. Again, Mister Harris i echo what mr. Burr said. What a great job and what a great story. Just to say that. I think what mr. Harris also said is that some of his peers because of the pandemic are facing mental health challenges. I would argue that one way to treat this is to redo the community but is created by people sitting next to each other going to baseball games and otherwise participating in life. Zoom atomizes, schools bring people together. Now doctor palmer rega, are you all requiring immunization for your students, faculties, as of Ucla And Gold rush xavier. No sir. , first why not then, i have a followup. First why not. . If we want to make sure that we provide access to vaccinations but that we dont put any barriers to individuals being able to come back to college to retool, to get the schools now now let me ask, because i have limited time, im sorry to interrupt. I gather a lot a little bit from dr. Verret testimony, that if youre vaccinated you have greater freedom, and if not, perhaps gonna be required to wear a mask to. Will your school, knowing that people coming back reconnects community, and proves educational experience, will those who are vaccinated have extra freedom as opposed to those who are not . That is what we have been flooded right now. If you are fully vaccinated on campus, you do not have to wear a Face Covering. We are asking you if you are not fully vaccinated that you continue to wear a Face Covering on campus today. Now youve also been very successful. 350,000 people vaccinated through your programs. It appears the you have a fair amount of those who would be thought of as a vaccine skeptics, think anyone less than 25, particularly man, since they tend to think of themselves as in vulnerable. So how were you so successful at implementing this Vaccine Program . I think with the support, it was a sight the came out when the Vaccination Center along with the states management. But because Miamidade College is so trusted in the community, i believe that we have that type of success because of the trust that we have garnered, weve probably impacted every household in miamidade county. Weve continued Vaccination Nation sights on campus as well. So im hearing something similar to wiped dr. Verret said, that you have trustee, build communication, but you have a long Track Record of being involved in the community so the trust is already there. Mr. Harris, im a doctor, im very sensitive to personal health information. You can plead the fifth if you want. But have you been vaccinated . I would first like to tell you i do not take offense to the invulnerability comments. But yes, i have been vaccinated. What about your peers . Are you appears against immunization of the open to it or not . Many my peers are open let me stop you. Many isnt lasted word. And so would you say, give me a percentage, would you say 10 or 90 . I would say 80 . Whats the message that gets them vaccinated . I find that those below a certain age tend to be a little less concerned about getting things such as immunization. Id like to say one, hearing from your peers and being almost pressured by your pierced to do is almost one thing. So me being a member of the community, they want to get a vaccine because they see me getting one. And also to, because people who are young want to live their lives believe or not. So people want to get the vaccine so lucky less restrictions. So what i am hearing from you, Mister Harris, that requirements such as Xavier Or Ucla actually is a positive, its not course of, but it is a kind of signal that you can live life more freely if you are completely immunized . Its an encouragement. It would encourage people to get vaccinated. And its one thing to speak about these small things, Miss Coppa and morgan, but ucla is huge. I cant imagine how many Students Ucla has. So if youre all put into this mandatory vaccine policy, how is that going to be received by the tens of thousand people who attend . I would say senator, that it is being received well. There are a couple of things. One, we try to be open, honest and transparent to all of our constituents. We have great partners in the community and the new university California System has the benefit of a World Class Health system. So we have called upon those professionals in our health area, to help us get the right message out to our students, to communicate with parents, and i should say that we have a history of requiring students to be immunized against certain thats an important point. You cant enroll in higher education without being immunized against Hepatitis B and some other things is that right . Its already a paradigm that was already adopted. Exactly, and our student leaders of endorse this. Theyre part of everything that we do, including distribution of our fund. And i ask you one more thing . Typically, Hepatitis B is included in the, whats called, vaccination immunization system. So someone is Backs Snake to birth, and they enroll a college, the naked law, gone and they conceive been vaccinated for Hepatitis B. Are you all putting in the information regarding Students Vaccination History into your system to . We are indeed. We spent about three or four years educating students on this requirement. It gave students are an opportunity to selfcomply with those, and then we made it mandatory the year after that. It is a culture. Students do want to be safe, they want to hear hang out with their peers, they want to have the freedoms that come with that. And parents as well, so we found that a very thoughtful Communication Blood across the university of California System that has over 200,000 students, that students and as mr. Harris said, along with that campaign and their peers with students have been quite willing to get vaccinated. And of course, we do respect the rights of others who choose not to be vaccinated. Ill stop you there, because the chair is about to shoot me for going so long over. I always learn funny senator. Thank you. Thank you for holding this important hearing to discuss how covid has impacted higher education and students, and how the 40 billion dollars provided in the american Rescue Plan is help colleges to reopen safely. One affect each and every one of the witnesses for being here today as well. President , has the president of Miamidade College, you know full well the needs of your constituents, as well as those who are hispanic. 77 billion dollars of Emergency Relief funds, much less than 183 billion incurred by colleges during the pandemic. I understand that your institution received more than 50 million dollars for in the first round of awards, which went almost entirely distant aid. Yes or no, has the funding from the Covid19 Funding packages covered all your costs of your hispanic serving campuses . What we have done, as you said help students to be able to come back, stay out of college, finished third degree or are not credential to go back to work. The president , the question i asked for correct i think there are three buckets of the federal aid dollars they come in. One, is the Student Aid that goes directly to students, intended to help them with emergency funds, and the second aspect that aspect of it it is the station Miamidade College we use much of that institutional aid to help the students to. To help support students with their educational costs, and then the other aspect of it is utilizing it for technology infrastructure. Utilizing it for revenue replacement, using it for ppe and the safety protocols. Whether times it exceeded the money receiving the federal government . And right now what we have done, i would say we would be operating at a deficit and the college and our position is aboard is not to operate at a deficit. We have intern not only had a freeze in positions at the college, but also taken many steps to reduce our budget and our costs to balance our budget. So you had to make decisions to reduce services because of the increased costs . That way you can meet your mandate of not operating at a deficit . Yes sir. Would you agree that hispanic serving institutions need more funding to counter the effects of the pandemic and the years of chronic underfunding . Absolutely. When you think about Miamidade College, 74 of our students are hispanics, when you think about kirsten miamidade county, the percentage of students that hold a post secondary credential, which we know is a path to prosperity to compete for that lifesustaining job, we see where there is a lack among our hispanic communities, especially in communities in miamidade county. Maybe in the heart of urban downtown. So there are currently 569 hispanic serving institutions nationwide. 24 New Mexico alone. If faced financial burdens, and these burdens have been exasperated by covid19. On a chess eyes are there working harder to bring the students safely back to campus in the aftermath of the pandemic. Northern New Mexico college, and aged i over the past year. How can federal governments and our support for the racist hispanic serving institutions to ensure that theyre adequately in safely serving 5. 4 million Undergraduate And Graduate students who are returning to their campuses . Senator, thats an excellent question. I think its a multipronged approach. In terms of looking at financial support, standing a program of thank you looking at short term is also an important aspect. Some of our students want to come back and retool with a rapid response credential. Strengthening seamless transfer pathways is another important aspect. 80 of georgetown study demonstrates that 80 of latinos across the Country And Role in open access institutions and Community Colleges. They are then required to transfer to university to finish that baccalaureate degree. So anywhere we can strengthen those transfer pathways, i think its very important for us to accelerate Student Success outcomes among hispanic students across the country. But also looking at aligning pathways to work, and making sure our promised programs also have an element of lining our degree programs to the workforce and the jobs that are there. Those are just a couple of areas that i think policies would help enhance and accelerate student outcomes for success. And Mister Harris, i had a question for you, i apologize i could not get to, you will fall into the record. Thanks for being here today sir, with that i yield back. Senator. Or thank you madam chair. I want to thank all of the for being here. I always find these so illuminating. We have seen in this pandemic, a number of innovative breakthroughs in technology to try and track covid19 outbreaks, the variants, the vaccination rates. In the western Slope Area of colorado, a very successful partnership with Road Institute at Mit And Harvard to develop an apt called skipped to track possible outbreaks on campus as they are happening in realtime. So i thought, doctor verret, i would ask you and perhaps president putin rega, is this type of partnership between Research Institution and Heaver University System something that you guys have considered on your campuses . How are you gonna go about monitoring any potential flareups when you reopen this fall . We weve had a number of squall collaborations with institutions through our center for health disparities are monitoring the disease. What i would say, the key that weve had on our campuses to have Surveillance Testing. We are testing routinely, monthly, six to 10 anywhere from that, of the students and faculty members to see with the prevalence of the infection was on campus was. One of the large Testing Device manufacturers in menaced massachusetts. So we established a laboratory where we had machines. Those machines samples were being shipped to us and the results were being returned. Several hundred within 48 hours. That allowed us to track the illness and make decisions. One of the decisions we would have, that returning to remote instruction. One of the other reasons why we had students and dormitories were we were not sending them home to infect our communities. They would remain until the search had passed. We were tracking them to make sure that we are up coming a danger to our community. But ongoing Surveillance Testing was important as well. We shared the data with the state and other organizations as well. President pull maria you . The, senator thats a great question. We in partnership with florida university, many universities in florida launched covid apps, or thought was much better to leverage those partnerships. But i do think that one of the things that we did was really add covid testing on our campuses. That really does help in terms of what the doctor just said, monitoring the Positivity Rate alongside with the tally the county. So we work closely with the county, because our colleges are community campus, average age is 26. Our students are working while they study, not living on campus. We have to really rely on the partnership of the county, Positivity Rate, and work in concert with them. I appreciate that. Actually, i dont think i have to ask Miss Coppa and, because you already are a major Research Institution, as i think all of you are in your own ways. I do think that the Scout Application that came out of Road Institute, it does help follow who they talk to, and it does allow you in realtime, something that the someone who does come out with symptoms that turns out to be cavity can track very quickly the impact. Real quickly, in terms of serving at risk students, another thing in colorado that they tried with great success to keep students on campus, and this is a school with the majority of kids in colorado that any missed Campus Experience would be an impediment. So again, your institutions have so many of the students as well, how prioritizes the Campus Experience, while still making sure that you ensure their safety . Certainly more at the federal level, theres more that we could be doing at the federal level to, make sure the you know the kids are not falling through the cracks . It was the our experience that its of great value to our students. Making sure that everyone was masking, was important to keeping Masks Infection from occurring. Its important to do that. By keeping the campus safe so the Campus Life could be safer than from where they were coming from was important. We want to make sure that we are not the problem. As i mentioned,, the count on the virus never exceeded more than 1. 6 . We prided ourself and not be able to transmit the virus on campus. Yes president palmer rega. Thank you senator. What we have done is one, follow the guidelines in terms of the physical distancing, the mask, and also have temperature checks and other preventive measures so that we can maybe if someone is coming on who has a temperature doesnt coming into our Learning Support what we did do once we did implement those protective measures, we have remained open all are Learning Support and Student Life centers, we launched an early College Summer Program where our high school students just graduated this past week. On monday, we will be offering where they can begin college early. On campus, take six credits towards their associate of arts program. Again, alongside with the preventive message measures, the cdc guidelines, the mask requirement, we have continued to bring our students on campus and provide those inperson support services that we know are critical to a majority of our students at the college which are the first in their families to attend college. Thank you so much. I appreciate all your work, and mr. Harris, good luck to you, i didnt have a question for. Thank you for your service. I yield back. Thank you very much senator. Thank you madam chairman. Want to say thank you once again for all the witnesses whove come before us today. Id be remiss to say that as we plow through the summer, every institution thats gonna be faced with this decision and how do we go into the fall and what will want requirements should we do like a Xavier Xavier is done . Let me just know at this time that all three buckets that we talk about, they are already vaccinated. They entered a university. They entered kindergarten they were required to be vaccinated. Diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella. A Student Cant enter miamidade without to period, tennis, protests, polio, measles, romps mumps, rubella, Hepatitis B, and chicken pox. For some reason, the older we get, we think that that is not important. And if we all had to go back to the beginning of covid and its first 90 days, if a vaccine had been available, we wouldve all taken it. And his time goes on, our memories become, tease dr. Cassidys, elastic, we sort of forget some of the things. I say this for the record. I say it for the record because i want other President S and chancellors and faculty to realize, we are not asking something that isnt reasonable. We are asking education at the beginning of the process for things that weve known for years. We dont want those things to come back, we dont want to infect a population of students. It is not unreasonable for us to consider whether we require in higher education, whether we plan a modification from the, but for goodness sakes, dont look at this and say this is something we shouldnt consider. Weve already done that as a nation, and we do it today, and the requirements are much greater than we are applying with vaccination to covid. Thank. You thank you senator hubert. That will end our hearing for today. One of the color colleagues and witnesses. All of you gave great testimony, was a very thoughtful discussion i, appreciate everyones ball input. For any senators who want to ask additional questions, questions for the record will be doing ten days. The Hearing Record will be opened until then. For members who want to submit additional material for the record, this committee will meet again as September 22nd the 10 am, 4 30 for a hearing, for the information they need to get vaccinated so we can end this pandemic. With, that the meeting stands adjourned. [end of translation] inaudible now, a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee meeting on womens reproductive rights. Learn from doctors and Womens Health advocates, as well as witnesses who want to outlaw abortion. Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal chaired the meeting. Hey