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ERIC Number: EJ931253
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-May
Pages: 26
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1740-2743
EISSN: N/A
The Spread of Neoliberalism in US Community Colleges: TQM Accreditation, "Consumers," and Corporate Sponsored Non-Profits
Boyd, Scott H.
Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, v9 n1 p241-266 May 2011
This article examines the extent of neoliberalism's influence within US community colleges during the last decade. It argues that such influence is changing non-profit, publicly funded community colleges into consumer colleges, serving the needs of corporations and "customers" at the expense of civic responsibility. Educating 46% of all United States undergraduate students, 2-year community colleges have historically been "the people's college" educating citizens and university transfer students while simultaneously serving a community's need for vocational training. Evidence of the spread of neoliberal ideology includes the adoption of accreditation mechanisms based on Total Quality Management and Continuous Improvement models derived from industry; the evolution of discourse in public institutions equating students as customers; and non-profit educational associations, funded by multinational technology companies that manipulate and influence educational reforms. This article is an attempt to illuminate the conscious and unconscious intertwining of public, non-profit, and for profit systems and discourses that have lead to the continued commodification of an essential public service.
Institute for Education Policy Studies. University of Northampton, School of Education, Boughton Green Road, Northampton, NN2 7AL, UK. Tel: +44-1273-270943; e-mail: ieps@ieps.org.uk; Web site: http://www.jceps.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A