Education is a public good. However, neoliberalism has led to the commodification of education. The transformation began with “A Nation at Risk”, an educational reform to better public schools. Then, five years later the publication of Ray Budde’s, “Education by Charter” which advocated for a reformation of schools and free choice. Competitive markets have caused college tuition costs to rise dramatically as they have nearly doubled on average from $15,000 to $30,000, lower acceptance ratings, and an emphasis on the consumption of diversity. Using quantitative measures to assess student’s eligibility highlights the economization of a noneconomic field which is another example of neoliberalism invading educational practices. I will use peer reviewed academic journals and books to research the affects neoliberalism has had on post-secondary education many of which can be seen at Bowdoin.
Comments:
This is a great topic. Hannah. And you are on the right track when you point out two aspects of neoliberalization of education: (further) commodification and economization. Not only the introduction of quantitative measures but also the expansion of administration shows how “business model” has become prevalent in higher education. And all these new techniques and ways of thinking about education have been implemented not necessarily for the sake of commodifying education ( they are after all prevalent in non-profit schools as well) but that of “good education.”
A couple of suggestions: you should formulate clear questions that will help you frame your topic. What are the key questions that you want to explore in your final project?
Also, conducting library research for your final project sounds great. But I would like to suggest another idea: University of Southern Maine has recently undergone a brutal process of neoliberalization that led to massive budget cuts, layoffs, and the closing or downsizing many departments including humanities and sociology (no surprise!). I can try to put you in touch with people from the university if you want to turn your project into field research. But this is just a suggestion. You do not have to do this. It would be totally fine if you conduct library research for your project. I just want to give you another option.