The Rise of the Pseudouniversity

Abstract

An array of institutions, agencies, corporations, and other businesses are calling themselves universities these days. It is time to call a halt to this trend, which is debasing the nomenclature of knowledge and scholarship. Just as important, these institutions are in many cases providing "degrees" to people who have not studied in a university and who have not earned the academic titles. I refer here to a wide variety of organizations, including: * University of Phoenix-This is now America's largest private "university" and is accredited to offer academic degrees; * Jones International University-Also accredited, it is the first U.S.-based Internet-only "university"; * Cardean University-Part of U-Next, a company with links to Stanford, Columbia and other major universities, it "packages" courses for Internet delivery and offers degrees in several professional fields; and * Motorola University-Owned by a major corporation, this "university" offers training to employees as well as outsiders. These examples are all in the for-proflt sector, as are most of the new pseudouniversities, but the issue of for-profit versus nonprofit status is not the critical factor here.These new pscudouniversities are not universities. They may offer valuable training in fields that appeal to eager customers. They may provide this training in "classes" taught by teachers in a "site based" traditional format, offer instruction through the Internet or other new distance arrangements, or perhaps use a combination of modes of delivery. They may employ well-qualified instructors, although seldom on a full-time basis. But they do not fit the definition of a university and should not bear this title. The time has come to scrutinize the role of this new phenomenon in the universe of postsccondary education. The issue here is not the value or usefulness of the new providers of training but rather protecting one of society's most valuable institutions-the university. What is a University? Denning a university is not an easy task, especially in this era of differentiation in higher education, with new and diverse institutions emerging everywhere. However, we can probably agree on a set of common functions and values. Universities, from their medieval beginnings, have seen themselves as independent places of teaching and analysis, encompassing most of the disciplines known at the time. Universities are normally expected to offer undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in a variety of disciplines and fields, and have been imbued with a sense of responsibility for the public good, be it preserving books in libraries, sponsoring art museums, or service to local communities. For almost two centuries, research, especially basic research, has been a key function of a university. Often times professors-with long-term or permanent appointments-have been at the heart of the university, exercising control over the curriculum, the admission of students, and the awarding of degrees. Contemporary universities are themselves varied. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology docs not call itself a university, but is one in every sense of the word. Boston College, despite its name, is a university because it offers graduate and professional degrees in many fields. Rockefeller University, a small institution that specializes in graduate training and research in the biomedical fields, calls itself a university, but might be overly specialized to warrant the title, despite its quality and reputation. Universities can be publicly owned and receive their funds largely from the government, or they can be privately controlled and responsible for their own budgets. Some are managed by religious organizations; in some countries, universities are managed by families; and there are a small number of for-profit universities, for example in the Philippines. The Pseudouniversities Over the past several decades, an entirely new model of postsecondary institution has arrived on the scene. …