A Critique of the Customer Model of Higher Education: The Tail Wagging the Dog (Equity in Higher Education Theory, Policy, and Praxis)

A Critique of the Customer Model of Higher Education is part of a public discussion as to why American higher education, once rated number one in the world, is now rated number twelve. The book’s purpose is to expose the many drawbacks of the present system of evaluating college teaching. The book also raises questions about the role social class plays in American academia today, especially where the customer model is involved. A Critique of the Customer Model of Higher Education is based on a wide variety of sources; among them are some of Soucy’s own teaching experiences, along with the experiences of other teachers with student evaluations and research studies of undergraduate culture. This book describes how various students view their college educations, ranging from students at large public universities, to those at small, selective private schools, and to students at community colleges. A Critique of the Customer Model of Higher Education is a provocative book that might upset some defenders of student evaluations of college teaching, while pleasing teachers who no longer want to see the drawbacks of the customer model of higher education brushed under the rug.

Robert J. Soucy earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison after an M.A. from Kansas University. Over his career as a historian, he has taught as an instructor at Harvard University, an assistant professor at Kent State University, and as a full professor at Oberlin College. He is presently a professor emeritus at Oberlin College. He has published five books on different aspects of French fascism, over thirty articles in scholarly journals, and numerous conference papers.