Hannah Stratman Source 5

Is corporatization compromising our college education?

Cotê, James, Allahar, Anton. Lowing Higher Education: The Rise of Corporate Universities and the Fall of a Liberal Education. 2011. Web. March 8 2016


This book is written mainly to show how this corporate shift in universities has lead to the decrease in degrees such as humanities and encourages degrees in other areas, like hard sciences because administrators see this as an edge to get a higher paying job. This book focuses on convincing the revivalism of a liberal arts education. Over time, fewer fund were donated to the liberal arts programs and more to the STEM disciplines. With the expansion to higher education, the authors begin to question the quality of education. Are grades the only way to judge academic success? Why do we believe that graduating on time is a good thing? How long does it take to become educated? Other focuses in higher education has allowed higher education to become corporatized without anyone questioning it because we have all been distracted. Students need an engaging education and could receive that through a college education. The university is a space for learning and a space where theories, forms, and hypothesis are formed. The university is not a bar, a football stadium, or a cocktail party. Some motivated students believe that they are not being pushed to their full potential...something a college education should be doing for you. Students argue that they are being not being forced to think critically and are only measured by multiple test score. Why spend all that money to learn what you could just read on your own?

My first reaction to this article was that its crazy that someone is complaining that college is too easy!! But when i take a minute, I understand. I personally want to be pushed and learn the most that I can learn and be engaged in my studies so that when I finally get to my job in the real world I am well prepared for any obstacle I face. When all I haves a multiple choice test, I cram the night before and don't actually internalize the information. The way I learn best is when I can ask questions in a comfortable setting and when I am forced to think critically about a problem. When you are engaged, you are a lot more likely to remember the information and probably more likely to enjoy it! To me, this book illustrated the fact that corporatization is straying away from a liberal arts education and students are no longer receiving all the benefits. Admissions promote hard sciences because those are the kids that go longer in school and end up paying the most money and then make the school look good. However, we forget the importance of a liberal arts education.Corporatization seems to have made the overall education of higher education less challenging in a way.

In my Doyle source 4, he argues that a college education isn't really worth the benefits. He claims that the economy doesn't need all of the graduates that higher education is just spewing out. It could save a lot of time money and effort if college wasn't necessary to success. He does state reasons why a college education is helpful because those with a higher education degree are more likely to make more... but i think he is trying t make the point that they don't have too. In Cotê' et. he argues that the only education that matters is a liberal arts one. I think that there has to be some middle road. We need to instead focus on giving students an engaging education that keeps them interested and makes them want to learn and stop encouraging students to only pursue hard sciences because thats what makes the most money. Let students choose their own path.

What is the importance a liberal arts education? Has corporatization really made higher education less challenging? Are kids dropping out in this period of corporatization because its too expensive?