Inserting a New Perspective in the “For-Profit” Debate: An Ethnography of a Proprietary College

• In Event: Roundtable Session 28
  In Roundtable Session: Case Study Approaches to Understanding Higher Education Culture

Abstract

For-profit colleges are the fastest growing institutional type in higher education, however there is scarce empirical research on the sector. This ethnographic study was designed to fill knowledge gaps regarding the academic, physical, and social climate of for-profit colleges and universities. The authors examined the student perspective and spent six months investigating the culture of one mid-sized for-profit college in a suburban city in California. The study revealed four themes regarding student life from data obtained through field notes, participant observation, and in-depth interviews.

Authors

• Constance Iloh, University of Southern California

• William G. Tierney, University of Southern California