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With the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, many colleges and universities decided to mandate vaccination for all students and employees. The objective of this paper is to empirically investigate the effect of the mandate policy on Fall 2021 COVID-19 cases in institutions of higher education. We construct a unique dataset of a sample of 94 colleges and universities in the east and southeast regions of the United States, 41 of which required vaccination prior to Fall 2021. A difference-in-differences analysis is conducted, considering vaccine requirement as a policy implemented only in a sub-group of these institutions. We control for several factors, including state-level case per capita and student population. Our analysis shows that mandatory vaccination substantially decreased cases in institutions of higher education by 1,473 cases per 100,000 student population (95 CI: 132, 2813). The results suggest that a COVID-19 vaccine requirement is an effective policy in decreasing cases in such institutions, leading to a safer educational experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1980, diversification of university funding sources has been an important trend in higher education all around the world. Obtaining non-governmental fund has been on the agenda of most universities. Top American universities have been long participants and beneficiaries of capital campaigns. The object of this study is to explore the characteristics and trends of fund-raising movement in top universities in the United States. This study used a multiple-case study research design. Primary data were gathered through multiple sources, principally face-to-face, in-depth individual interviews and field notes, and all data are allowed to be published publicly. Secondary data included published reports, and archived data in the form of university's financial reports, donation activities' reports, and alumni association's work reports. From the multiple-case study, the paper concludes three results. The first result is to explain characteristics and tendencies of capital campaigns in the top American universities from the perspective of value orientation, objectives, projects, forms, platform, operation, performance, industry organization and layout. The second result is to clarify the benefits of capital campaigns for the development of universities. And the last result is to reveal the implications for other universities. The current study's findings suggest that the universities should take an all-round reform of the fund-raising campaign and cultivate a vibrant alumni donation ecosystem, so as to more efficiently transform private wealth into public education resources, promote fair opportunities for higher education, alleviate social contradictions, explore the unknown frontier, and advance social stability and sustainable human progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: About 18% of college students have disabilities. Social capital, resources we can tap from relationships, may be particularly valuable for students with disabilities. Yet, disabilities often limit the individual's ability to develop or use social capital. We studied how college students with developmental disabilities understand, develop, and use social capital.Methods and Procedures: We conducted in-depth semi-structured Zoom interviews with 10 women with developmental disabilities enrolled at a public university in the southeastern United States early in 2021. We examined the qualitative data with thematic analysis.Outcomes and Results: Participants averaged age 20; 70% reported attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; 90% reported multiple diagnoses. Most participants described COVID-19 pandemic-related isolation and stress, which magnified both the need for relationships and awareness of that need, prompting participants to become proactive in forming and maintaining relationships despite anxiety about them. Themes were: foundational relationships, reciprocity, expanding horizons, a need for new relationships, focus on the future and relationship barriers.Conclusions and Implications: Results highlight the importance of social relationships and the resources they provide to students with disabilities, particularly in stressful times. Colleges can help students by connecting them with others and providing strategies for building and maintaining social capital.What This Paper Adds: College students with developmental disabilities often face challenges developing and maintaining social capital, resources derived from relationships with other people. These resources are key to success in school and after graduation, as students continue into adulthood. We studied how students with developmental disabilities build social capital. The students described their relationships with others and the types of support they contributed to and received from those relationships. We also extended previous research by examining pandemic-related effects, interviewing participants nearly one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. We provide recommendations for further research and ways colleges and universities can encourage social capital development among all students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]