Assessment, Knowledge, and Customer Service: Contextualizing Faculty Work at For-Profit Colleges and Universities

Abstract

As the labor market continues to demand more workers with postsecondary credentials, for-profit colleges and universities offer the training, degrees, and credentials that students seek to remain viable in an increasingly competitive job market. This study seeks to provide a new perspective on for-profit institutions by focusing on the roles and responsibilities of their most visible employees—faculty members. The author uses a cultural framework to explore the context in which faculty work takes place and also explores how the intersection between profit generation and educational quality affects faculty work both inside and outside of the classroom.