Between short-term and medium-to-long-term responses: mapping the impact of COVID-19 on Italian universities

ABSTRACT

This paper presents an empirical analysis that maps the short-term and middle-to-long-term responses of Italian universities to the COVID-19 crisis by focussing on teaching activities. A representative sample of eighteen public universities was analysed to evaluate how they planned their teaching activities for the 2020–21 and 2021/2022 academic years and whether and how the pandemic pushed them to change their strategic plans for the following year. Based on a specific survey, an in-depth analysis of documents, and interviews, the findings reveal very similar short-term responses but three different types of medium-to-long-term responses: rebounding, proactive, and innovative. This empirical evidence indicates that scholars in higher education should heed the ways in which universities react and adapt in turbulent times when they have to make decisions under conditions of high uncertainty and recognize when crises can also become opportunities for change.

KEYWORDS:

• E-learning
• innovative pedagogies
• COVID-19 crisis
• Institutional response
• educational offer

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s). This article has been published under the Journal's transparent peer review policy. Anonymised peer review reports of the submitted manuscript can be accessed under supplemental material online at https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2023.2287461.

Correction Statement

This article has been published under the Journal's transparent peer review policy. Anonymised peer review reports of the submitted manuscript can be accessed under supplemental material online at https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2023.2287461

Notes

1 See also: https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/cosi-l-effetto-covid-ha-accelerato-digitalizzazione-universita-AEmlJo4.

2 Due to the rectors' election, two of them (Bergamo and Roma Tre) experienced changes in governance and could not be included in the long-term analysis.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Giliberto Capano

Giliberto Capano is professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Bologna. He specializes in policy process, policy design, the effectiveness of policy instruments, and comparative governance in higher education.

Paola Coletti

Paola Coletti is associate professor of Political Science at Universitas Mercatorum in Rome. Her scientific interests include Public Policy Analysis, with specific reference to the theories and methods for decision analysis and evaluation.