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The Cult of the Student in American Higher Education
Buyer beware.
Those who work in higher education are accustomed to hearing people say that students are the reason we all show up to work every day. Even though they tend to see students primarily as numbers, those who work in administration want to be seen publicly promoting the idea that higher education is firmly centered on the student. It’s common for schools to describe themselves as student-centered, and it’s common for them to demand that the teachers they hire subscribe to a student-centered teaching philosophy.
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with being student-centered. Teaching is essentially a service job, and teachers are employed to serve students. But asking teachers to be student-centered is code for a greater sacrifice that can be damaging to a teacher’s career. A student-centered teacher in higher education will be expected to prioritize teaching and service over research and work/life balance. It is extraordinarily difficult to serve 100+ students a semester and conduct research. Academics often take student-centered teaching gigs because they are the only ones available.
You might assume that having student-centered teachers would be good for students, but it’s complicated. Schools tout their student-centered approach without really explaining what that means, and sometimes they pay lip service to the idea without putting their money where their mouth is. At some schools “student-centered” means that students get extra attention and better access to teachers and resources. At some schools it means students can expect to pass all their classes without doing any work.
There is a darker side to being student-centered that is sadly manipulative. Most students have a choice of where they attend college, and their subjection to the petty tyranny of high school leaves them dangerously prone to flattery.
It’s easy to understand why. In high school they were probably cowed into submission by ridiculous rules and restrictions. Unless they had wealthy parents, they were made to feel insignificant and anonymous. Teachers and administrators probably treated them as if they were a dangerous burden or an unbearable inconvenience.
