Most professors and many administrators have great difficulty accepting the idea of students as customers. Some put great effort into finding ways to describe students as anything but customers, preferring such terms as “partners,” “empowered learners,” “producers,” and so on.

The resistance to accept students as customers is perhaps because most people don’t like to serve others, even though it may be their job to do so. In truth, we would rather be served. Let’s face it: Many highly educated professors view it as a professional come-down to “serve” 18-year-old “know-nothing” students. Professors who would rather be served by students are likely to be poor teachers compared to those who see it as their duty to serve students.

Couple that with the many problems that exist in higher education with respect to teaching, such as cost, quality, value, and graduation rate. If faculty can’t accept students as customers, then it’s unlikely that problems associated with teaching—the core mission of colleges and universities—will be recognized and corrected.

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