The Corporatization of Universities: The Collapse of Faculty and the Decline in Education

Jennifer Le
Section A01
Week2: "Fight the Tower: A Call for Women of Color in Academia" by Prof. K. Valverde

      

       Professor Valverde's personal struggle to fight for her tenure position against the academia made me increasingly curious about how the American university system operates. This lead me to discover an interesting segment on PBS that gave new perspectives into the lives and struggles of university professors. 

        In the media, it is a common thing to hear conservatives arguing that America should become privatized and run like a business. One institutional foundation of American society has already begun this machine of corporatization. Across the country, universities have abandoned the focus of fostering intellectual minds to increasingly become a well-oiled factory that churns out degrees at the exchange for billions in tuition money.       However, this business model has had repercussions, especially for professors.Instead of granting the job security and benefits like health insurance that comes with a tenured position, colleges have abandoned these full-time professors in favor of adjunct faculty members. Professors are seen as the most intellectual members of society, making it even more shocking that these adjunct professors that overwhelm college campuses have little job security and continually jump from campus to campus to make a meager living. 

     During a time when tuition is at an all-time high and college acceptance has become increasingly more competitive, students enter the university system are taught by adjunct professors who juggle the burdens of bigger class sizes, less energy to teach, shorter office hours, and routinely travel to multiple college campuses, making it virtually impossible for students to get the feedback and attention that comes with a quality education. 

     Conservatives often argue that the American government should function like a business, but if the university system is any indication, it will only result in a corporation that sets high service feeds while lowering the quality of its product. How will America continue to change if we continue to value financial gains at the expense of the intellectual minds and job security of millions?