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Introduction

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The Corporatization of Student Affairs

Part of the book series: New Frontiers in Education, Culture, and Politics ((NFECP))

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Abstract

During the 2019–2020 academic year, as a part of our Ed.D. capstone we engaged in a case study analysis of the student affairs division at a large public four-year university in the West. The intent of the study was to understand how neoliberal ideology has infused itself throughout the student-centered role of the student affairs professional. As practitioners in the field, we see the corporatizing of student affairs at the interpersonal, divisional, and institutional levels (Anderson & Cohen, 2018; Besley & Peters, 2006; Cannella & Koro-Ljungberg, 2017; Cannella & Miller, 2008; Giroux, 2002, 2007; Hachem, 2018; Olssen & Peters, 2005; Saunders, 2010).

If we’re going to be an access based institution and we’re going to do it at the scale … we’ve got to be able to do this in a way that maintains some fidelity to care. And we have an opportunity to define the mission. I don’t think the legislature has any more answers than we have. … I think that is the challenge that is present in this moment, is can we define this both and proposition?

—Research site student affairs leader

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Office of the Vice President for Equity Diversity and Inclusion, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Daniel K. Cairo

  2. David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Victoria Cabal

Authors
  1. Daniel K. Cairo
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  2. Victoria Cabal
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Correspondence to Daniel K. Cairo .

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Cairo, D.K., Cabal, V. (2021). Introduction. In: The Corporatization of Student Affairs. New Frontiers in Education, Culture, and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88128-3_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88128-3_1

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-88128-3

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