Friday, March 20, 2009
University of Phoenix
Yesterday in class we just barely had time to touch on the idea of online universities such as the University of Phoenix and compare them to more traditional institutions such as Trinity where students actually attend classes and learn from qualified professors. However, in the short time that we discussed this topic, there was one very interesting point that Dr. Bridges mentioned, which I also remembered wondering about myself as I read the article ("Drive Thru-U." by James Traub): that the founder of the University of Phoenix, John Sperling, actually attended a liberal arts institution himself (Reed College). People tend to choose such liberal arts schools over larger state universities or other options, because they want a holistic education that provides them with a wide base of knowledge that can be used (and appreciated) in other aspects of life besides one's occupation. Sperling's university however, aims to provide "a useful and profitable service" (education) that pertains to a specific field. This seems odd considering that Sperling himself chose to attend a liberal arts institution, an indication to me that he values general education and sees the good that it can bring; that is, he chose to attend a liberal arts institution but then chose to run a type of educational business that seems to resemble liberal arts colleges less than almost any other type of educational institution. This specific case made me think that maybe the problems we face concerning higher education today (rising tuition, lowered quality of instruction at many schools, bias caused by corporate funding, etc.) are not caused by the public's own ignorance of the forces at hand but perhaps more so by the greed and deception of a very few individuals seeking to turn a profit for themselves. I presume that Sperling is aware that the education his university if offering does not compare to that offered at traditional institutions yet he chooses to market and sell the "product" anyway, because it is making him rich. Isn't it possible the same type of thing is occurring at many other schools today though? That administrators, trustees, or even professors are aware of some of the possibly detrimental effects of their decisions and actions (to students), yet still choose to carry them out because of the potential for personal gain?
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Yes, as we saw in the Corporate University there were individuals that at times sought his or her own self benefit at the expense of the university or other members of the university. I do believe that it is certainly possible that many of the issues that universities do face today may have to do with corruption in the university setting.
ReplyDeleteMuch like in the private sector, universities ought to provide clear and transparent statements of its finances and decisions, so that they are visible to the public. In the case of publicly traded companies, these companies have to submit a quarterly report to the Securities and Exchange Commission detailing their financial statements. While these statements can be manipulated, outside auditing agencies known collectively as the Big Four auditors make sure that these financial statements are true. These four companies include PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, Ernest & Young, and KPMG. One of these auditors analyzes a company and then another audior analyzes the findings of the first auditor. While this can result in manipulation and corruption, there are several steps that do try to make it transparent as possible.
However, most universities are not subject to extensive review by these or other organizations. While universities do report their financial statements, these often vary widely in scope and transparency. While private companies are subject to GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) standards of reporting financial statements, universities are free to choose how to report its finances. Here are some examples of some universities:
Berea College (p. 12):
http://www.berea.edu/publicrelations/publications/documents/presidentsreport07-08.pdf
Grove City College (p. 33):
http://www2.gcc.edu/archive/documents/annual_reports/Annual%20Report%202008.pdf
Trinity University (p.40):
http://www.trinity.edu/departments/public_relations/pres_page/annual_report/2008_Annual_Report.pdf
George Washington University (p.27):
http://alumni.gwu.edu/gwaa/docs/reports/2007-08.pdf
It is notable that Berea College offers full tuition to all of its students and Grove City College has one of the lowest tuitions for private schools. These two schools, while not the most prestigious are regarded as good institutions. These two schools have more detailed reports than Trinity and GWU. However, as noted the format varies from university to university. Should there be a body that regulates these financial statements and brings transparency to the university so that corruption is minimized ? I would be interested in what a representative of the business office would say about these issues presented in class.
The Universities have turned themselves into an institution that is becoming more and more like a corporation. Education has become a product to sell and universities are doing everything they can to attract new consumers (students). But I also think that traditional universities put more money back into the educational process than the new and “improved” version like the University of Phoenix. Traditional Universities such as the liberal college puts the money it earns into making the campus more attractive to incoming students and to help fund new programs with up-to-date technology. The University of Phoenix’s main goal is convince for the students. This focus on convince may be necessary for working adults who are looking for a way to advance their careers, but if a student is attending the “drive-thru universities” in place of the traditional institutions then they are missing on the experiences that come with living on a college campus, a very crucial part of the American culture. This focus on convince and making a profit from the education of students is bringing the focus away from where it should be: educating an individual so that they might be a cultured individual that can contribute to society.
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