WEBVTT - Barnard President on Coronavirus Impact on Higher Ed 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:03.760 This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Messer and Jason 0:00:03.840 --> 0:00:06.880 Kelly on Bloomberg Radio. We do want to bring in 0:00:06.960 --> 0:00:09.840 our next guest, who are delighted to have back with us, 0:00:09.880 --> 0:00:13.560 Barnard College President Sean bilic uh c On. Nice to 0:00:13.600 --> 0:00:15.840 have you here with us, and thanks very much for 0:00:16.200 --> 0:00:19.360 your patients. As we listened to Mayor do Blasio um 0:00:19.400 --> 0:00:23.320 your home city, you know, it's interesting we're listening to 0:00:23.600 --> 0:00:26.360 the mayor of New York and his tone and demeanor 0:00:26.400 --> 0:00:28.720 are really at odds with what we're hearing from the 0:00:28.760 --> 0:00:31.840 President and other officials who are beginning to talk about 0:00:31.880 --> 0:00:35.440 reopening up the US economy. How are you on a 0:00:35.520 --> 0:00:38.800 daily basis assessing the situation? How have you been assessing 0:00:38.800 --> 0:00:43.000 this situation? Well, there's a lot of information coming in 0:00:43.080 --> 0:00:46.120 and when we're really thinking specifically about New York City 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:48.200 and New York City right now, and our goal has 0:00:48.280 --> 0:00:51.400 been to first and foremost to support the health and 0:00:51.440 --> 0:00:54.760 safety of our faculty, students, and staff. And we've transitioned 0:00:54.800 --> 0:00:57.240 to online learning for the remainder of the semester and 0:00:57.280 --> 0:01:01.560 really focusing on helping our student and continue during this 0:01:02.040 --> 0:01:06.759 really you know, unprecedented time and so what does that 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:10.280 look like and what are you learning so far? President 0:01:10.319 --> 0:01:13.720 by like in terms of the mechanics and the logistics 0:01:13.800 --> 0:01:18.200 of you know, really keeping students engaged and helping faculty 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:20.760 and staff, I would imagine sort of manage their home lives, 0:01:20.760 --> 0:01:23.080 and all that I think is we're all discovering in 0:01:23.120 --> 0:01:29.080 this remote, uh scenario. It's complicated. It is definitely complicated. 0:01:29.240 --> 0:01:31.800 And you know, I think the role of an institution 0:01:31.880 --> 0:01:34.319 here in a place like Barner that prides itself on 0:01:34.800 --> 0:01:37.920 a world class education, our faculty and our teachers they're 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:41.400 also scholars, is helping support the faculty and the students 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:44.600 so that they can all learn together. Um, whether that's 0:01:44.640 --> 0:01:48.680 giving faculty tutorials about using zoom and how to engage 0:01:48.680 --> 0:01:51.960 classes and also giving students the same sort of tutorials 0:01:51.960 --> 0:01:54.960 and helps and just tips for staying focused and engaged. 0:01:55.040 --> 0:01:57.080 Just like you would in a classroom, having your cell 0:01:57.080 --> 0:01:59.120 phone right next to you, it's not so great for 0:01:59.160 --> 0:02:02.360 focusing and being attentive. And that's certainly true online as well. 0:02:02.560 --> 0:02:04.680 We just want to mention a headline crossing the Bloomberg 0:02:04.920 --> 0:02:09.120 Facebook seeing um a weakening ad market. Let me just 0:02:09.120 --> 0:02:10.920 bring it up. I just lost it here. Facebook seeing 0:02:10.960 --> 0:02:14.280 weakening and ad business due to COVID nineteen. That's expected 0:02:14.280 --> 0:02:16.679 as we see a lot of businesses UM seeing a 0:02:16.720 --> 0:02:20.960 retrenchment in everything that's going on. President Pylock, I do 0:02:21.040 --> 0:02:23.560 wonder too about what kinds of things that you guys 0:02:23.840 --> 0:02:27.760 are implementing, whether it's online learning or virtual tours for 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:29.799 folks who want to come see you know, the college 0:02:30.280 --> 0:02:34.600 um that you think might actually stick around longer term. Yeah, 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:37.520 I think there are really some opportunities here to make 0:02:37.560 --> 0:02:41.840 sure that we're able to engage students and parents, families, 0:02:41.880 --> 0:02:45.320 interested parties, alarms from across the globe. So some of 0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:49.000 the virtual tours we're doing UM check in with faculty, 0:02:49.000 --> 0:02:52.160 even for alms to learn about what's happening in the classroom. 0:02:52.480 --> 0:02:54.840 I've already heard that many parents are peeking over their 0:02:54.880 --> 0:02:58.360 students shoulders that they're taking part in classes. And I 0:02:58.360 --> 0:03:01.040 think there's there's an opportunity to get more folks engaged 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:05.280 in education. And so President Biolack, and I'm saying this 0:03:05.680 --> 0:03:08.680 out of a place of self interest, and I'm guessing 0:03:08.680 --> 0:03:11.640 Carol is thinking the same thing, especially as an alum 0:03:11.760 --> 0:03:15.760 of your notable institution. We both have college juniors. You 0:03:15.800 --> 0:03:18.919 know whose s A T s were delayed. We've got 0:03:18.919 --> 0:03:22.720 the ap s being UM executed in a different way. 0:03:22.880 --> 0:03:26.040 High school students, especially high school students are in their 0:03:26.080 --> 0:03:29.200 junior year and a little younger and a little older 0:03:29.639 --> 0:03:32.120 are really going to be affected by this. How is 0:03:32.160 --> 0:03:34.920 your institution? How our institutions sort of thinking about that? 0:03:35.000 --> 0:03:36.480 And I've got to say, this was going to be 0:03:36.480 --> 0:03:38.920 a week where we were touring colleges. You weren't even 0:03:38.920 --> 0:03:40.640 supposed to be here today. I was not supposed to 0:03:40.680 --> 0:03:43.800 be here. Well, I hope you're visiting us online because 0:03:43.840 --> 0:03:47.800 we have a fantastic tour. She is the students and 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:51.320 and you really get a flavor UM. And we're certainly 0:03:51.360 --> 0:03:55.080 thinking about students who are younger UM in high school, 0:03:55.400 --> 0:03:57.240 and we're going to make sure that no one is 0:03:57.280 --> 0:03:59.600 penalized for not being able to take a test or 0:04:00.120 --> 0:04:02.600 for disruptions. We know this is a time when things 0:04:02.640 --> 0:04:05.800 are going to change and that requires flexibility. And one 0:04:05.800 --> 0:04:09.400 of the fantastic things about a small institution like Barnard, 0:04:09.680 --> 0:04:13.080 even though it's situated within the larger Columbia University, We're 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:17.920 able to give that one on one attention. So I 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:20.400 I do want to ask you, um if we can 0:04:20.480 --> 0:04:23.120 about an area of expertise that you have. You gave 0:04:23.160 --> 0:04:27.640 an amazing ted talk the Carol sent around uh and 0:04:28.400 --> 0:04:32.000 two million people. I think plus have seen you understand 0:04:32.080 --> 0:04:35.200 you you were a psychologist, a cognitive scientist. I should say, 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:41.320 by training, you understand stress and this is a stressful time. 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:44.200 How do you what what's the lens that you're looking 0:04:44.240 --> 0:04:47.240 through to help us maybe cope with everything that's going 0:04:47.279 --> 0:04:50.880 on around us. Yeah, I think you know. I've I've 0:04:50.880 --> 0:04:53.800 spent my career setting anxiety in the brain and in 0:04:53.839 --> 0:04:56.359 a way that makes me well situated to think about 0:04:56.400 --> 0:04:59.640 these times and how we support our community. I think 0:04:59.640 --> 0:05:03.080 the for thing is to really understand that it's okay 0:05:03.160 --> 0:05:05.920 to feel anxious right now. We often feel anxious when 0:05:05.960 --> 0:05:07.760 we have a loss of control, when we don't know 0:05:07.839 --> 0:05:10.400 what's going to happen. In fact, in my research, when 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:12.960 we actually peek inside the brain, when we use neuro 0:05:13.400 --> 0:05:16.440 science techniques to look inside the brain, we see the 0:05:16.520 --> 0:05:20.200 areas in the brain involved in fear, involved in negative 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:24.640 emotions are most activated before something negative happens. It's kind 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:26.920 of the what if you don't know what's going to happen. 0:05:26.960 --> 0:05:28.640 And so this is a time where we have a 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:32.320 lot of these what ifs, and it's okay to be anxious. 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:35.600 But in doing and knowing that, this is also a 0:05:35.720 --> 0:05:39.840 time to cut yourself from slack to have self compassion. 0:05:40.279 --> 0:05:44.000 We know that we often are harsher on ourselves than 0:05:44.040 --> 0:05:46.559 we are on everyone else around us. It's that little 0:05:46.640 --> 0:05:49.640 voice in your head, and it's time to be compassionate 0:05:49.680 --> 0:05:52.440 with ourselves to say it's okay to be stressed. We 0:05:52.480 --> 0:05:55.160 don't have to have everything planned out, and our goal 0:05:55.240 --> 0:05:57.920 is to focus on the little things that are taking 0:05:58.000 --> 0:06:00.200 us one day at a time. Well, especially in a 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:04.239 situation where we have really no control over what's happening. 0:06:04.240 --> 0:06:06.720 I mean, our world has been turned completely upside down 0:06:07.040 --> 0:06:09.440 present by luck, and we've just got to kind of, 0:06:09.800 --> 0:06:11.760 you know, wait for the answers or wait for the 0:06:11.800 --> 0:06:15.080 situation to change. And I would say, now is it 0:06:15.160 --> 0:06:17.359 time to focus on what you can control. So for 0:06:17.440 --> 0:06:20.440 our students, we talk a lot about making schedules. So 0:06:20.520 --> 0:06:23.799 even though you're not maybe having all your normal routines, 0:06:23.880 --> 0:06:26.400 what schedules can you have? You have class? Can you 0:06:26.480 --> 0:06:28.680 also set as signs some time to study? Maybe you 0:06:28.680 --> 0:06:32.120 have a Zoom study group with friends, um are there 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:34.359 are times when you can just get on Zoom socially 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:38.279 to hang out, actually compartmentalizing that time. Having some control, 0:06:38.320 --> 0:06:41.720 of course, getting away from your device, looking out the window, 0:06:41.800 --> 0:06:46.120 going outside, even as your social distancing. Making that part 0:06:46.120 --> 0:06:48.400 of a schedule routine can give us a sense of 0:06:48.440 --> 0:06:51.560 control that can actually reduce some of the anxiety. That's 0:06:51.560 --> 0:06:53.279 a great piece of advice because I have found that 0:06:53.320 --> 0:06:55.880 since we've shifted, I'm just going on almost a week 0:06:55.920 --> 0:06:59.200 at home now, that it's very easy to not stop 0:06:59.240 --> 0:07:03.440 working and kind of keep going. No, please go ahead, 0:07:03.480 --> 0:07:05.880 It's very easy to do that. Um. And actually, one 0:07:05.920 --> 0:07:09.159 of my senior team said to me today her office 0:07:09.160 --> 0:07:11.240 is across the street from mine, and she said, I 0:07:11.280 --> 0:07:13.679 realized I missed running across the street to your office 0:07:13.720 --> 0:07:15.440 because it was a couple of minutes to just get 0:07:15.440 --> 0:07:18.360 outside and not have my phone. And so I'm creating 0:07:18.400 --> 0:07:21.720 the virtual running across the street. She said, yeah, no, 0:07:21.880 --> 0:07:24.760 it is interesting too, And and to that point, I mean, 0:07:24.880 --> 0:07:27.600 I think as much as we do virtually, and I 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:29.760 see this in my kids, I see this in myself. 0:07:29.800 --> 0:07:32.680 You know, I'm looking at Carol sort of via video 0:07:32.720 --> 0:07:35.800 conference right now. But you know, we are usually about 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:39.200 three feet from each other for many, many hours a day, 0:07:39.360 --> 0:07:42.200 our whole team is together, and I mean there is 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:46.520 some I think anxiety and worry sort of embedded in 0:07:46.640 --> 0:07:49.800 that of not having that sort of physical connection, even 0:07:49.840 --> 0:07:54.440 if even just physical proximity, right, Yeah, And we know 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:58.720 that loneliness can affect, helps confect how we feel, so 0:07:58.800 --> 0:08:01.160 I think it's important to try and get some of 0:08:01.200 --> 0:08:04.000 those connections where you can. Um. We are talking to 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:07.520 our students about making sure, even in a larger lecture crash, 0:08:07.640 --> 0:08:10.640 that they turn on their video just to have that connection. 0:08:10.720 --> 0:08:13.480 We know that looking at people's face gives you a 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:16.880 lot of information actually about how their thinking, thinking, how 0:08:16.920 --> 0:08:20.320 they're feeling, even their body postures. So be engaged in 0:08:20.360 --> 0:08:23.320 that way and then figure out what time you're going 0:08:23.360 --> 0:08:25.800 to turn your computer off. And if you have family 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:30.600 or friends around in your apartment or in your home, 0:08:30.880 --> 0:08:33.520 you know, spend some time with them. Figure out what 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:38.040 you can do that is um really meaningful. Present by 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:39.440 like I've got to ask you just got about a 0:08:39.440 --> 0:08:42.079 minute left. I mean, this has been a tough year 0:08:42.160 --> 0:08:46.280 for barnard Um and anybody who follows the news knows 0:08:46.320 --> 0:08:48.640 that you guys lost a student earlier this year and 0:08:48.640 --> 0:08:51.720 it was in a really horrific way. I think your 0:08:51.800 --> 0:08:54.240 leadership has been pretty incredible, and I do think we're 0:08:54.280 --> 0:08:57.199 at a time where we are looking for leadership. Any 0:08:57.360 --> 0:09:02.520 any thoughts, UM, you know, justing on your experience this year, UH, 0:09:02.559 --> 0:09:05.040 to our listeners and to those folks who are running 0:09:05.040 --> 0:09:07.199 companies UH and just trying to figure out how to 0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:09.200 get through and they're and they're managing a personal life, 0:09:09.200 --> 0:09:12.400 a professional life, concerned about their family, concerned about their workers. 0:09:12.640 --> 0:09:15.079 And I do apologize just got about forty five seconds. 0:09:16.120 --> 0:09:21.000 I think really showing your company or the community that 0:09:21.720 --> 0:09:24.120 you know you you are in this with them, that 0:09:24.400 --> 0:09:26.720 this is anxiety provoking for you, but here are the 0:09:26.720 --> 0:09:29.400 steps you're going to take. Really being part of the 0:09:29.520 --> 0:09:32.360 situation can be really effective for people knowing that we're 0:09:32.360 --> 0:09:35.199 all on the same thing. Well, thank you so much, 0:09:35.360 --> 0:09:38.200 and UH, take care and be well. And I really 0:09:38.240 --> 0:09:41.880 appreciate getting some time with you, Bernard College President see 0:09:41.920 --> 0:09:44.080 on by like joining us on the phone here in 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:46.200 New York City, and I think some really helpful advice. 0:09:46.240 --> 0:09:48.920 I think some of the leaders that we've been talking to, UM, 0:09:49.000 --> 0:09:51.840 what she had to say, um, and really, you know, 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:54.120 remember to be kind of part of your community, taking 0:09:54.160 --> 0:09:56.200 some time out not being so hard on yourself. I 0:09:56.200 --> 0:09:59.040 think when we talked to Michael Ansley about meditation, like 0:09:59.480 --> 0:10:02.079 these are things that have really stuck with me, that 0:10:02.200 --> 0:10:04.120 we are all being turned upside down and you really 0:10:04.120 --> 0:10:05.880 have to think about these things and you have to 0:10:05.960 --> 0:10:07.960 sort of own it to the extent and really be 0:10:08.000 --> 0:10:09.880 honest with yourself about what's going on around you.