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Universities in the Marketplace: The Commercialization of Higher Education
As a dean responsible for international student programs for nearly 20 years, I recall a long ago meeting with an Academic Vice President who had requested a "cost benefit analysis" of our Intensive English Program. An accountant colleague who had prepared the analysis observed in his report that there were "only" 15-20 students enrolled in each class section, and there were three levels-beginning, intermediate, and advanced. "Why," I recall being asked, "can't we just collapse these three sections into two?" The question revealed an ignorance of the challenges of teaching writing to non-native speakers, and absolutely no evident concern about whether merging the classes was educationally sound, much less in the best interest of students.
Derek Bok's 2003 book, Universities in the Marketplace: The Commercialization of Higher Education, is a powerful, thoughtful, and frank analysis of a higher education environment wherein the "bottom line" increasingly seems to be the only thing that matters. The former Harvard President wonders whether maximizing profits can, or should, be the proper guide for making decisions in the university, as he notes that money adds another reason for "putting selfish interests and private pursuits" above a primary commitment to students and learning. "Profit-seeking can threaten the university's obligation to give the best possible teaching," writes Bok, and "the profit motive will lead universities to offer inferior instruction by trading on their reputation and on the gullibility of students." He acknowledges that his commentary might be criticized as "high-minded arguments" coming as it does from the former president of a top-tier institution that has some $20 billion in the bank.
As an administrator, I always felt that a simple question should guide most, if not all, institutional actions: "How will students and their learning benefit from the proposed decision?" Bok begins his book with his own questions: Is everything in the university for sale if the price is right? Will institutions compromise their basic values in quest of profits that "may be changing the nature of academic institutions in ways we will come to regret"? Sadly, his answer on both counts is yes- everything is for sale, from school logos to potential advertising space above campus urinals. And, yes, institutions will sacrifice...