Many scholars would agree that there is much controversy over students being viewed as customers. Just a week or so ago, I chimed in briefly on the conversation noting that students should be regarded as customers. Having read other perspectives in the readings this week on the matter, I still stand by that proposition. By definition, a customer is someone who makes purchases or buys a good or service. Collins dictionary, Cambridge dictionary, and Dictionary.com are among the many online dictionaries that define a customer this way. Infact, Searcy (2017) noted that “Customers pay for a product or service”. Based on the definition alone, a student can be considered a customer because he or she pays to receive their education from a noble institution.
However, if the definition of a customer is considered as “the rule”, then it is safe to say that there are OfCourse exceptions to this “rule”. One major exception is in cases where students do not have to pay for their education at all or pay directly for their education themself and instead, someone else pays for it like a guardian, parent, or funding agency. In this case, critics argue that students are consumers and not customers. According to Searcy (2017), “many students both pay for and use the product of higher education, but because higher education in the United States was created to produce an informed citizenry for a democratic society, students are clearly the consumer”. I would agree that this is a plausible assertion or as I like to call it, “exception to the rule”.
However, its plausibility is based on the type of definition being used for consumer. Generally, a consumer is someone who uses something but also makes purchases of goods and services. Searcy’s (2017) assertion becomes null and void or refutable if the latter definition of the term “consumer” is considered. In other words, a student who pays for their education can be considered as both a customer and consumer since these concepts are synonymous.
Perhaps, the conversation should not just focus on whether students should be considered customers. Instead, there should be a perspective shift on the argument that zeroes in on the target audience of an educational institution and whether that target audience is receiving quality education and the best student-centric learning experiences. Bea Gonzalez, Vice President for Community Engagement at Syracuse university spoke to this specifically stating that “whether we call it customer service, excellence in teaching, or the student experience, it’s all about putting the learner at the center of operations” (Gonzalez, 2016). Perhaps, to put an end to the debate, a student should just be considered as a student and nothing else. However that student decides to pay their tuition and fees whether it be through grants, loans, out of pocket, and/or scholarships is entirely up to them. Regardless of a student's source of funding, institutions owe it to all students to provide and deliver the best learning experiences, one that is of high quality.
I look forward to viewing your perspectives!
Krista
MDE student
University of Maryland Global Campus
University of Maryland Global Campus | UMGC
References
Gonzalez, B. (2016). Students as Customers: The new normal in higher education. https://evolllution.com/attracting-students/customer_service/students-as-customers-the-new-normal-in-higher-education/
Searcy,Y.D. (2017). Let me speak to the manager! Inside Higher Ed, June 5, 2017.