The Center for American Progress’ Call for a U.S. Office of Consumer Protection in Higher Education
CATEGORY: Education and the Individual, Featured, Higher Education
A hat tip to Michael Offerman at The Other 85 Percent for drawing my attention to a report last month from the Center for American Progress entitled Putting the Customer First in College. The report proposes that the United States Department of Education should form or take the lead in the formation of a quasi-independent entity it would call the Office of Consumer Protection in Higher Education.
This entity would, among other things, produce a “College Customer Bill of Rights;” ensure that students had access to full, clear, and accurate information to make decisions about their educations; and serve as an ombudsman for students with various other actors in the education arena. Offerman notes that the idea parallels in part work already in progress by a group called Transparency by Design. Both my institution, Kaplan University, and his, Capella University, are participating in that project. Offerman generally thinks that the report’s idea is a good one and expresses his hope that it will become a reality. Inside Higher Education ran its typically good article about the report when it was released.
I agree that there is a continuing need for more, more accurate, and better organized and presented data about higher education to help students explore their interests and options. The various matters outlined as potential pieces of the College Customer Bill of Rights make sense, too. It seems to me that many of them are already part of existing law and regulation. I am less sure whether a new public agency and an expanded federal ombudsman role make sense. The proposal is for a network of ten regional College Customer Ombudsman who would have oversight, advocacy, and information dissemination roles on behalf of students.
One can agree with the report that a “customer focus can help build a student-centric higher education system that delivers quality, flexible learning experiences that lead to educational credentials for personal growth and career success” without accepting that the only or the optimal way to get there is through a public agency. This entity, the report says, would be “quasi-independent,” which means “not completely independent” which means “quasi-governmental.” There are other options, one of which is represented by the Transparency By Design project.
I would be interested in hearing what readers think about the proposal for a federal Office of Consumer Protection in Higher Education and in learning how other institutions and organizations are going about trying to provide the kind of full, accurate and (importantly) understandable information that students do need to make informed choices about their educations.
8 Responses to “The Center for American Progress’ Call for a U.S. Office of Consumer Protection in Higher Education”
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The Center for American Progress’ Call for a U.S. Office of Consumer Protection in Higher Education
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I share your hesitations about the public agency but also believe we need to rethink our concept of the education customer.
If a student is learning completely for self enrichment, then they are the customer.
However, many of today’s students are getting an education that they want to “resell” in the workplace. In this instance, the customer is really the employer because they’re the ones who’ll actually be using the education.
Instead of trying to adapt a degree based model (that serves a very valuable and noble purpose) to this end, we should be talking about how to design an employer focused education model from scratch.
It would probably come in smaller chunks organized around peer to peer constructivist learning to solve workflow problems and be easier to use, continuously available and lower cost.
And therefore very disruptive.
Bob,
Thanks for the comment. I share your perspective. “Customer” has become a somewhat overused word, it seems to me. In addition to the student and the employer, the public is also a customer, given its role in the financing of education. That said, it is certainly the case that the employer perspective is not well integrated into most programs.
Barry
Barry,
Not only is the public paying for the education, but it also has a vested interest in a well educated populace.
Kaplan seems to be in a great position to develop employer-focused learning modalities. Is anything going on?
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This sounds like an interesting and useful concept. I believe many students would benefit from services of this kind of agency. I completed an MBA at Florida Metropolitan University only to find out recently that it had many legal problems and that’s why it went under.
Oh yeah, that’s all we need- more government. Why does anyone think we need yet another government agency. Government is bloated beyond recognition as it is. Your proposal is asinine and not well thought out.
I was distressed to read of your association with the socialist Center for American Progress. This tells me that your/their agenda is about leftwing propaganda to turn impressionable children against God and country. The United States has a Bill of Right and this “Student Bill of Right” is an abomination. Education is NOT a right it’s a privilege that every child should be taught to cherish and not squander. Children need to be taught pride of personal responsibility, self determination, and self reliance.
I will never recommend your school to my children or friends children and will go out of my way to warn everyone I know about institutions such as yours.