research blog #6

My paper is concerned with the evolution of the higher education system. In my research, I found out that institutions evolve, just like living organisms, to survive and meet the demands of their environment. With regard to universities, their evolution is shaped by the external pressures and demands put on them. As a case, I am taking a look at the recent privatization and subsequent corporatization of the higher education system. The recent change mostly happened due to financial pressures on our universities stemming from our economic system's adherence to capital and profits. Things of concern within the recent trend are outsourcing of university jobs, increasing significance of the management at the expense of the academe and mass-low quality education (similar to the introduction of mass production in industries at the expense of high quality hand-crafted products). Another sign of corporatization is increased salaries for managers (executives) in universities. The increased pay reflects the tradition in the corporate world where managers, despite not contributing physically to the institution, get paid the most. The question is whether this recent trend is part of the universities' evolution for the better or its invasion by 'capital' and corporate world, yet another sphere of life overtaken by money. One article about the increased pays for executives can be found here : http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/971374-196/nh-higher-ed-salaries-rose-in-decade.html