I can't help but notice that the author is at the University of Vermont. I know because my sister did her masters in that state that there is a distinct oversup

I can't help but notice that the author is at the University of Vermont. I know because my sister did her masters in that state that there is a distinct oversupply of Universities that were barely hanging on as is. Even without Covid, I have to wonder about the long term prospects of a department that doesn't take that kind of warning seriously given the existence of multiple entire schools shutting down around them. Maybe the thought process is "It won't happen to us, we're public". Who knows.