I Want My Education My Way: Student Consumerism and the Impact on Higher Education Graham Garner EDLH 734 Trends and Issues in Higher Education

Overview What is a University? What Students Wants: Autonomy or Conformity? The Self-Esteem Factor What For-Profits Offer Evidence of Consumer Models Commodification of Higher Education Problems with Commodification

What is a University?

What Students Wants: Autonomy or Conformity?

The Self-Esteem Factor

What For-Profits Offer

Evidence of Consumer Models

Commodification of Higher Education

Problems with Commodification

What is a University? A university exists to further knowledge, discover truth Practical end is to create good citizens Students are not products “ Doing what it takes to succeed” is not a substitute for true inquiry and honesty Customer model betrays true meaning of a university and instead makes it a degree mill

A university exists to further knowledge, discover truth

Practical end is to create good citizens

Students are not products

“ Doing what it takes to succeed” is not a substitute for true inquiry and honesty

Customer model betrays true meaning of a university and instead makes it a degree mill

Autonomy v. Conformity A college education provides a conformist lifestyle Brand of independence relying on conformity Students expect a relatively struggle-free life because of their degree We turn to pop culture and self to make learning interesting or relevant This compromises giving students what they actually need to obtain what they want She wonders if boredom is actually fear; students are overwhelmed

A college education provides a conformist lifestyle

Brand of independence relying on conformity

Students expect a relatively struggle-free life because of their degree

We turn to pop culture and self to make learning interesting or relevant

This compromises giving students what they actually need to obtain what they want

She wonders if boredom is actually fear; students are overwhelmed

The Self-Esteem Factor University as theme park Degree equates to validation as a human Everyone expected to go to college Students don’t care about academic learning Multiculturalism is an example of diversity as a commodity

University as theme park

Degree equates to validation as a human

Everyone expected to go to college

Students don’t care about academic learning

Multiculturalism is an example of diversity as a commodity

What For-Profits Offer Need Career Less academic, more practical “ just-in-time” designed for working adults Lack of extracurricular Speed Nimble Scope Ease Flexible delivery Learning is more hands-on

Need

Career

Less academic, more practical

“ just-in-time” designed for working adults

Lack of extracurricular

Speed

Nimble

Scope

Ease

Flexible delivery

Learning is more hands-on

Commodification of Higher Education Consumer model removes faculty from shaping curriculum, standards and pedagogy Values economic capital over academic capital Makes instructor the commodity-producer and the student the consumer Creates relationship of opposing interests

Consumer model removes faculty from shaping curriculum, standards and pedagogy

Values economic capital over academic capital

Makes instructor the commodity-producer and the student the consumer

Creates relationship of opposing interests

Problems with Commodification Hierarchy protects upper levels, hurts lower levels Higher-level thinking for lower-level recitation Puts more value on head count Faith, trust and risk-taking removed from process True disciplinary excellence requires time, persistence and hard work Erosion of traditional disciplinary boundaries in favor of portability and transferability

Hierarchy protects upper levels, hurts lower levels

Higher-level thinking for lower-level recitation

Puts more value on head count

Faith, trust and risk-taking removed from process

True disciplinary excellence requires time, persistence and hard work

Erosion of traditional disciplinary boundaries in favor of portability and transferability

References Boretz, E. (2004, Spring). Grade inflation and the myth of student consumerism. College Teaching , 52 (2), 42-46. Cochrane, C. (2000, February). The Reflections of a Distance Learner 1977-1997. Open Learning , 15 (1), 17-34. Germain, M., & Scandura, T. (2005, March). Grade Inflation And Student Individual Differences as Systematic Bias in Faculty Evaluations. Journal of Instructional Psychology , 32 (1), 58-67. Gottfried, P. (2002, Spring). About Consumerist Education. Academic Questions , 15 (2), 53. Harris, M. (2006, July). Out out, damned spot: General education in a market-driven institution. JGE: The Journal of General Education , 55 (3/4), 186-200. Howard-Vital, M. (2006, January). The Appeal of For-Profit Institutions. Change , 38 (1), 68-71. Kantrowitz, B. (2006, October 9). Is Your College a Lemon?. Newsweek , 148 (15), 58. Kingsbury, A. (2005, January 17). Hot on the trail of academic fraud. U.S. News & World Report , 138 (2), 76-76. Lumadue, R. (2006, July). When Graduate Degrees Prostitute the Educational Process: Degrees Gone Wild. Christian Higher Education , 5 (3), 263-278. Naidoo, R., & Jamieson, I. (2005, May). Empowering participants or corroding learning? Towards a research agenda on the impact of student consumerism in higher education. Journal of Education Policy , 20 (3), 267-281. Potts, M. (2005, June). The Consumerist Subversion of Education. Academic Questions , 18 (3), 54-64. Whitney, B. (2003, September). Combating consumerism in the writing classroom. Critical Quarterly , 45 (3), 104.

Boretz, E. (2004, Spring). Grade inflation and the myth of student consumerism. College Teaching , 52 (2), 42-46.

Cochrane, C. (2000, February). The Reflections of a Distance Learner 1977-1997. Open Learning , 15 (1), 17-34.

Germain, M., & Scandura, T. (2005, March). Grade Inflation And Student Individual Differences as Systematic Bias in Faculty Evaluations. Journal of Instructional Psychology , 32 (1), 58-67.

Gottfried, P. (2002, Spring). About Consumerist Education. Academic Questions , 15 (2), 53.

Harris, M. (2006, July). Out out, damned spot: General education in a market-driven institution. JGE: The Journal of General Education , 55 (3/4), 186-200.

Howard-Vital, M. (2006, January). The Appeal of For-Profit Institutions. Change , 38 (1), 68-71.

Kantrowitz, B. (2006, October 9). Is Your College a Lemon?. Newsweek , 148 (15), 58.

Kingsbury, A. (2005, January 17). Hot on the trail of academic fraud. U.S. News & World Report , 138 (2), 76-76.

Lumadue, R. (2006, July). When Graduate Degrees Prostitute the Educational Process: Degrees Gone Wild. Christian Higher Education , 5 (3), 263-278.

Naidoo, R., & Jamieson, I. (2005, May). Empowering participants or corroding learning? Towards a research agenda on the impact of student consumerism in higher education. Journal of Education Policy , 20 (3), 267-281.

Potts, M. (2005, June). The Consumerist Subversion of Education. Academic Questions , 18 (3), 54-64.

Whitney, B. (2003, September). Combating consumerism in the writing classroom. Critical Quarterly , 45 (3), 104.