Re: Students and Tests - Kyle and business models

[David Dockstader <DRDOCK00@UKCC.UKY.EDU>]

I have no problem with the student as a customer.  I'm the store keeper.  I
accurately describe my product and if the student chooses to buy he gets what
I told him he would get.  If it isn't what he wants he can go try some other
product.  Seems like a good system to me.  The more I think about it the better
I like the retailer/customer model.  I think it fits very well.  Is there a
problem with pleasing the customer?  Where we hurt ourselves in education is
that too often we operate on a one size fits all philosophy.  Another problem
is that schools are often not honest in describing what they have to offer.  As
a result students often get sucked into something they really didn't bargain on
Can you blaim them if this makes them unhappy?

On Sat, 7 Dec 1996 09:38:27 -0600 Roger A. Pruitt said:
> Steve Luzader said:
> > I firmly believe that students shouln't be regarded as "customers".
>
> I quite agree and believe that the view that students are customers leads to
> attempts to please the students and ultimately mediocrity in education. I
> believe that you are of like mind with your descriptive "McDonald's
> attitude" towards education.
>
> > I've been describing what I call the "McDonald's attitude" towards
> > education for many years now because it seems to fit the behavior
> > patterns of more and more students.  It seems that students believe
> > that their educational experience should be like a visit to McDonald's:
> > They pay their money, consume their courses like hamburgers, and feel
> > satisfied when they are done, and they shouldn't have to work any
> > harder than they would while consuming their McDonald's hamburgers.
> > And alas, I'm finding now that some college faculty seem to share
> > this notion.  I know faculty here at Frostburg (including physics
> > faculty) who even refer to the students as "customers"!
>
> This is unfortunate.
>
> > And as budgets become tighter and schools become more competitive for
> students, >I don't think this situation is going to get any better.
>
> Perhaps we can refocus and rethink about who really is the customer. Is it
> the student or is it society? Who really pays the bill for the education?
> Here, 3/4 is paid by the state and 1/4 is paid by the student. Of the
> students, fully 80% here are on some kind of financial assistance according
> to our administration. This pretty well shoots down the idea that the
> student is customer.
>
> > Steve Luzader
> > Frostburg State University
>
> Roger Pruitt