It is no secret that college and university systems are increasingly focused on the bottom line. With increased Corporate support, commercial courses, and a student-as-customer mentality, profit motives have spread throughout the university system. In response, university leaders are improving efficiency and cutting costs, including eliminating entire departments, majors, and courses.
Profit motives spread throughout the university.
In western cultures, profit is associated with coldness and distance. Money and markets are often seen as selfish pursuits. In contrast, care and concern are associated with intimacy and the community. However, it is essential to note that the profit motive is not always wrong. For example, profit-seeking universities may have better facilities for minority students.
Corporate support
Increasingly, universities recognize that they need to adapt their business model to remain competitive. This has resulted in new ways for universities to work with corporate partners and develop new ways to attract students and faculty. One of the most recent examples is a new $5 million partnership between Red Hat and Boston University, or BU, focused on emerging technologies such as big data, cloud computing, and machine learning. The funding is intended to support collaborative projects and co-supervise PhD and post-doctoral students.
University corporate board members sometimes believe that year-end bonuses will motivate faculty to meet enrollment and grant-money targets. While this may be true for some corporates, many faculty members still view such practices with suspicion. Another factor is the decline in funding for higher education, which forces schools to become more efficient and raise money elsewhere. Nevertheless, psychologists like Nancy Cantor, the chancellor and president of Syracuse University, see the increasing commercialization of higher education as a positive move. The university is working to recover some of its costs by licensing intellectual property created on campus to corporations.
Commercial courses
The commercialization of colleges has several problems. One is that they charge outrageous tuition and encourage students to take massive student loans. Another is that they are increasingly focusing on write my paper the construction industry. This is not good for student’s educational experience and is not healthy for the reputation of colleges and universities. Thankfully, there are some ways to combat this trend.
One way to combat the commercialization of higher education is to create ethical guidelines for faculty and students. These guidelines will protect faculty from being pressured by outside funders. Also, departments can use student evaluations and other student learning measures to evaluate their offerings better.
Student-as-customer situation
The “student-as-customer” metaphor has polarizing effects on both students and universities. Students are increasingly perceived as demanding recipients of services, and they hold universities primarily accountable for their desires. As a result, the distance between students and faculty can grow into hatred.
While most students did not view themselves as consumers, many others regarded their status as active consumers. These students were concerned with good teaching, positive learning experiences, and value for money. However, the student-as-customer situation is not a new one.
Colleges need to understand the consumer mindset in students’ minds—this mindset results in more erratic and less intellectually cultivated students.
Teaching as a business
If you’re thinking of teaching a business in college, you must clearly understand the process involved. Most states issue teaching licenses for a certain period and require that you update your personal information and complete continuing education coursework. There are also reciprocity guidelines for those with credentials from another state.
You’ll need to undergo a formal teacher education program to become a business teacher. In many states, you must pass an NCATE-accredited exam before you’re eligible to teach. Then, you’ll need to pass a series of tests before teaching in public schools.
