What do colleges owe students for the high price they’re paying? In recent years, colleges have sent the message: “Come here, get a degree, and you can earn a good living.” But is giving students some knowledge about their subject matter enough? How far into students’ lives should the university extend?
Many American universities provide not only classes but also provide other services and leisure activities for students. For example, universities have housing, health centers and counseling services on campus and host musical performances and sporting events. These services strive to meet the needs of students beyond the classroom. A person’s physical, mental, and social health certainly affects classroom performance, so creating a positive environment for student wellness seems to be a good way to promote student success in the classroom.
November 26, 2018 @ 11:22 pm
Thanks for the post. I was recently reading a post regarding the shift in the purpose of higher education in the past. Most of the universities focus on providing knowledge catering to the job market. But, it is not only about JOBS. Are the universities not responsible for developing other skills like critical thinking, communication skills, diverse background etc?
November 26, 2018 @ 11:33 pm
Thanks for your blog post. I think that it’s a positive side of university life for students that services such as leisures and mental/physical health providers on campus. Many students who attend universities in the US have moved far away from their parents, and not all of them have cars. Students are also at times young and/or inexperienced, so having important services at their fingertips like this is crucial for their growth as an contributing member of society and in their transition into adulthood.
November 27, 2018 @ 12:44 am
This is a noticeable point but it is important to consider that all these facilities that universities are providing are paid by students. In other words, they are selling these facilities in addition to the knowledge to students.
November 27, 2018 @ 6:18 am
Hi, thank you so much for your post! I think your point about the shift in the purpose of higher education is for sure true. In this day in age, I feel like its moved more to a business model. Where students are moving from “students” to “clients” if that makes sense? There is such a movement towards being customer service. I will admit, in this day in age, you have to offer ammenities and good service to keep students coming– there are alot of options for education institutions and you have remain competitive to stay afloat economically. However, I think there needs to be a balance of customer service and challenge & support. I also agree with that it is great we are offering services with mental health. It is so important to look at the student holistically.
November 28, 2018 @ 2:37 pm
To dovetail off of Zellie’s post, the shift to a more “business minded” operation took place years ago in higher education, likely as a method of survival for institutions as government funding dwindled. It is unfortunate that students are seen less as people and more as financial units by administrations, but the fault is not entirely with the institution. If our government wants the US to produce high caliber students to compete on the global market then they need to start funding education in a serious manner. Ok, rant over.
November 29, 2018 @ 6:14 am
Feel free to rant here. It’s disheartening that investing in education (both K-12 and higher ed) doesn’t seem to be a priority.
November 29, 2018 @ 2:58 pm
Just read through all the comments. That’s interesting post and discussion. Want to add two thoughts here: 1) public universities tuition is still way cheaper than private universities due to the fact that public universities receive more federal/state funding. However, I agree it is expensive and I really hope there is some mechanism to bring down the cost; 2) International students are paying much more here for the education and all the service on campus. We can trace back to late 2000’s when the higher education funding shrinks and international students enrollment starts increasing dramatically.
November 29, 2018 @ 8:11 pm
You raise some excellent questions here! I think about this question a lot, particularly when I see the debits from my bank account for the various student fees we are required to pay, haha. But in all seriousness, I appreciate your statement that a student’s mental health is very much a part of their ability to succeed in the classroom, I absolutely agree. I do think it is also somewhat the responsibility of the students to take the full advantage of what an institution has to offer, particularly in terms of engaging with alumni networks and using on-campus resources to find jobs and internships. Thanks for writing!