I spent most of my career in financial and operations turnarounds. It didn't start out intentionally that way, but after beginning in consulting the industries in which I have been involved (retail stores, multi-unit auto service, education and training, and most recently cannabis) have faced significant adversity in the last 30 years and one gains some knowledge.
These industries collectively over-expanded with easy money and excessive optimism, and then reacted slowly to macro changes - especially from the evolution of technology whose impact was either not fully appreciated and/or denied by insiders. I continue to follow these industries as I have my whole life, and with the internet that's pretty easy (along with the time afforded by testing retirement).
I have posted on education a fair amount over the years because it is generally an important topic - but more in the politics of education (PBR). In the past 18 months or so I have posted much in the Back Room on what I consider a crisis where postsecondary education institutions close and everyone is shocked: students, parents, faculty, alumni and local communities as well as some administrators. We have a very big problem with both excess capacity and the lack of academic program focus that was perhaps inevitable (from the good times), but whose addressing was delayed by the Obama era takeover of direct student lending and then the tossing of money at schools during COVID to help them. [Not everyone appreciates that the Great Recession + Changes in student lending was great for the postsecondary education industry].
For years bond rating agencies warned of a coming bloodbath, but it didn't happen because of the massive liquidity - at least with private schools (for profits experienced a full-blown melt down from 2013-2020 - example, U of Phoenix went from 440K enrollment peak to under 100K). The crisis in privates was delayed. Sadly, the extra time was wasted by most administrations and now they are scrambling - and we haven't even hit the enrollment cliff. On top of that, the nature of what people want to learn and how/where they want to learn is evolving quickly. Add in cost inflation, especially for building operations and maintenance, insurance and of course wages (huge cost for all educational institutions) and you have the makings of a very big mess.
I discuss this here because (a) many back here are big consumers of educational services at the postsecondary level (b) many are not fully aware of the broader challenges facing postsecondary educational institutions. Maybe by helping them understand it they can be better consumers. Most won't get caught up in a closure. But they might have a child studying somewhere where their program is affected by budget cuts. And as alums, they can encourage administrations to be proactive. (c) Finally, helps folks, most of whom went to ND or similar elite public or private universities at one time, that the places they know of are in a dramatically different position than most everyone else. The administrators, faculty and students have the money/ability to worry about protests and plagiarism and donations and new buildings. Most other schools are fighting for their lives and/or for a new business model while pissing off students and faculty.
Finally, I would say education institutions and retailers are something everyone knows well - the businesses and institutions are generally known regionally if not nationally. So they are of some interest when in trouble. They affect our lives in some way.