Are Universities and colleges becoming too commercial?

By T, Staffer of De Birhan Media  

26-3-2012

Some time ago last year I read on BBC News “A private college in England aiming to rival Oxford and Cambridge is being launched by leading academics. The New College of the Humanities says it will teach "gifted" undergraduates and prepare them for degrees from the University of London. The privately-owned London-based College will charge fees of £18,000. The 14 professors involved include biologist Richard Dawkins and historian Sir David Cannadine, and Professor AC Grayling”.  This private college with the highest  fees  promisingly lands the graduate on a top job. Are really higher study institutions becoming commercialised? I mean are they running for the sake of business than the humanistic and social sake of creating a humanity that is equally served and educated for righteous causes? It is looking like so, ain’t it?

Upon the emergence and intensification of capitalism, it has also become fundamentally crucial that one must go through the formal/modern education system, I asses. PLC and S.C. owned colleges on one stream and public funded/owned on the other. My concern and deliberation here is about the latter that I am being so worried that they are becoming so business minded. This development also caused another prerequisite that for one to exist or live as a human being in this “modern” world, has to hold certificates (diplomas, masters and PhDs) . Even if you argue “I was born intelligent but education ruined me ” after some experience and want to divert into another scope, you may be sadly informed by the new world order that you must have a certificate from a college or university to live. Yes to live as a human being you need a “humanity cert”.

Let me make my natter short. Two prompting factors persuaded me to write this sketch. One, I just finished a higher study course up here where I am and was about to peruse further studies but was cut short due to one thing: money. Yes before I peruse the next stage of my study I was told “you must pay the remaining arrears.” I used every means of consonance, instalment payment and the like to spare me some time. But there was no way, you have to pay the outstanding fee fully (over 4000$) once or risk your further study and pervious cert, they were unequivocal.  I had no choice but to pay my only saving from my coffers and be conferred. I did that. At what cost? At a cost of risking my tomorrow.  Was it not good if they had let me pay later and do what I have asked as an educational institution? Is it not becoming too commercialised?

Secondly, the value of degrees especially that of social studies is worrying. I want an international experience therefore applied for all forms of jobs internationally . Amazingly, I can say almost all employers want two types of professionals: engineers and medical doctors. That is it. And am none of them. What is the fate of those of us who have gone through the social sciences steam? Who will employ us? Is not higher study becoming too money orientated?  Universities are becoming too much like businesses due to global competition for students, increased reporting requirements from governments and the ascendancy of managers more interested in the bottom line than in academic freedom, some professors say. Not only academic freedom but more on the money than the student, who for many reasons is not able to pay tuition or other fees and finish while he/she is cool academically. Universities should focus on their goodwill ingredient than monies.