'Lowering Higher Education' - Inside Higher Ed

"The corporate model treats students like customers, and as customers they expect services and products for their tuition fees. The services include high grades in return for little effort."

Really? My students are willing to work hard--and they do work hard--when lectures are engaging, when discussion and other activities are facilitated well, and when assignments are meaningful. While I am concerned about many aspects of corporatization, I'm increasingly disturbed by its critics who point fingers at students rather than reflect on their own practices. The customer mentality has its problems, but it may have allowed students to demand what they have always deserved--good teaching.

It's not enough to blame others for lowering higher education; we also need to elevate higher education by improving the quality of teaching.