Pace Now

Layoffs are once again making headlines.

After a period when it seemed like employers couldn’t hire fast enough — which unfortunately led some young people to forego college in favor of readily available work — things are slowing down. And, perhaps most frighteningly, layoffs are hitting even blue-chip, successful companies. Google’s parent, Alphabet, is laying off 12,00 employees. Microsoft will lay off 10,000. Amazon laid off 10,000 — and then started laying off 8,000 more. Goldman Sachs laid off 3,000; ad agencies, media companies, and even videogame makers are announcing rounds of layoffs. Who knows when the layoffs will end at Twitter.

Pace University is adding new undergraduate and graduate programs in such areas as information technology, healthcare, business, and law that respond to market demands, and the university is providing more flexibility in how coursework is delivered, according to Pace president Marvin Krislov. “Across our campuses, and at Pleasantville in particular, we are making significant investments in our science labs and our healthcare simulation labs … to help address a critical need in the region for more clinical lab technicians and nurses,” Krislov says. Also in 2023, Pace expects to complete its Pace University Cyber Range, a controlled, interactive technology environment for cybersecurity education. In the fall, the university will open a new, 26-story residence hall and academic building in New York City.

We’ve rounded up five links to our best-read opinion pieces:

I’m a college president. Teaching a 101-level course reminded me how important compassion is right now.

By Marvin Krislov, February 22, 2022

Kindness is key in helping students succeed during the pandemic, Pace University’s president writes. Faculty and staff need compassion, too.

Kindness is key in helping students succeed during the pandemic, Pace University's president Marvin Krislov writes. Faculty and staff need compassion, too.

President Krislov writes about working harder to find common ground and making a genuine effort to treat each other with respect in the new year.

President Marvin Krislov is quoted in The Hindustan Times about the large increase in students from India attending U.S. colleges.

The stream of headlines has been steady: The pandemic, and the shutdowns necessary to limit its spread, caused significant learning loss among America’s students. They both learned less and became less socialized when schooling was remote. The result was a dramatic drop in K-12 math and reading scores, as demonstrated in the recent release of what’s called the nation’s report card. Those who were hurt most were those who were already disadvantaged.