Case Study: Room for Sale
Carl, director of the career services office at Northern University, a major mid-western institution, walked out of the administration building shaking his head. His boss, the Vice President for Student Life, had just delivered news that Carl had a feeling might come some day. Budget needs and priorities were shifting, and the evil eyes of the bean counters had wandered his way.
Nicole, the VP, explained that she had no choice. In spite of the institution's outstanding academic reputation, especially in its engineering, computer science, and business programs, financial priorities required that monies be shifted away from some areas and into others. The institutional budget committee, in reviewing various options, concluded that the career services operating budget could be sustained from external sources. Moreover, it was not unreasonable from the committee's point of view to fund the office's current and future physical needs from revenues generated through the various services and events held by the center. The idea of having students pay a career services fee had been floated at one meeting, but was rejected. The office would have to become entrepreneurial.
The next day, at the weekly staff meeting, Carl quickly went through the agenda and then shared the news:"I've been informed that we must assume a growing responsibility for the operational funds needed by this office. This will begin effective next fall semester. In addition, it also will be necessary to fund some of our positions either partially or fully starting the year after. If not, positions may have to be eliminated or reduced in hours."
He paused to allow the significance of these words to sink in. Then he continued, "I raised all the objections that you might expect, but Nicole said her hands were tied. By the end of this week we have to submit a report on how we will deal with this. I've been up all night wrestling with this and have drafted a proposal. I need you to read through this and to be prepared to offer comments and suggestions by the close of business tomorrow."
With that, he handed out the following document:
- Draft -PROPOSALIn order to meet budget priorities at Northern University, the career services office is prepared to generate operational and staffing funds through some or all of the following fees:
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Questions:
- As noted in the March 2000 Atlantic Monthly article,
"The Kept University," corporate research sponsorship
in public higher education has risen dramatically while government
support has fallen. The authors write, "universities, once
wary beneficiaries of corporate largesse, have become eager co-capitalists,
embracing market values as never before." In this context,
then, what is so wrong about the above proposal?
- What ethical foundations of our profession are implicated?
Moral Precept #2: Maintain a recruitment process that is fair and equitable to candidates and employing organizations
(less directly, but still associated):
Moral Precept #1: "Maintain an open and free selection of employment
opportunities in an atmosphere conducive to objective thought, where job candidates can choose long-term uses of their talents that are consistent with personal objectives and all relevant facts" (As will be noted below, implementing such fee structures might result in fewer/less widespread opportunities to consider.)
Moral Precept #3: Support informed and responsible decision making by
candidates. (Relates to same concern alluded to in Moral Precept #1)
Career Services Principle 4: Career services professionals will provide generally comparable services to all employers, regardless of whether the employers contribute services, gifts, or financial support to the educational institution or office and regardless of the level of such support.
Employment Professionals Principle 4: Neither employment professionals nor their organizations will expect, or seek to extract, special favors or treatment as a result of support, or the level of support, to the educational institution or career center in the form of contributed services, gifts, or other financial support
Career Services Professionals Principle 3: Career services professionals will provide students with information on a range of career opportunities and types of employing organizations
Career Services Professionals Principle 9: If charging of fees for career services becomes necessary, such fees will be appropriate to the budgetary needs of the office and will not hinder student or employer access to services
- What risks does this career center run by implementing the
reforms found in this document?
- Placing itself in a potential conflict of interest situation, i.e., putting the desires of selected employers ahead of the needs of students;
- Alienating employers who are unable or opposed to paying such fees, especially during job markets where needs are reduced;
- Reducing the recruiting and involvement of organizations
that recruit non-
business/non-technical majors; - Reducing the "pro-bono" contributions made by
many organizations, i.e.,
participation in career panels, job search seminars, resume clinics, etc.; - Being seen by some faculty as being "under the thumb"
of corporate interests
and not working in the interest of all students; - Alienating students who are in majors not sought by recruiting
organizations,
and creating the impression that career services are for only certain majors; - Creating a relationship with employers that is based on
"what can I get from
you" vs. "how we can work together;" - Creating a mentality where the bottom line replaces student welfare as the focus of a career center's efforts;
- Circumventing career centers in order to recruit students.
- Would an across-the-board student career services fee be a
better solution?
- Might not be politically tenable in all institutions of higher education, unless it is optional. On the other hand, it could be implemented. It could also be a service-specific fee structure. It would set up some expectations that might be unreasonable, e.g., "I expect x number of job referrals, etc. due to paying this fee."
- Regarding this as a fee, some institutions now have a technology
fee in order to pay for the increasing computer hardware and
services costs of providing students computing services.
- What can career center directors do to try to prevent such
edicts being handed down by their administrations? And is there
a way to respond—philosophically and pragmatically—when
such directives are given so as to make expectations more reasonable
if not eliminate them entirely?
- What can a career center director eo?
- Point out ethical standards by which we operate: most VPs are probably not aware
- Less direct featuring of organizations (Tier 1, 2, 3)—e.g., give $ for X years of recognition (now being done by secondary school systems)
- Co-opt employers: Find ways of involving employers in the ongoing dialogue on this issue, e.g., advisory boards. In particular, involve high-level alumni in such organizations in working with you.
- Apply some of the financial benefits of employer contributions to students who are traditionally not as sought out by big business.
