The Corporatization of Student Affairs: Student Success in Neoliberal Times

• In Event: Interpersonal Interactions in College

Abstract

The study explores how neoliberal values within Student Affairs inform practitioners' understanding of student success. Through a qualitative single explanatory case study, we highlight the difficulty in defining student success while interrogating the tension between supporting a holistic student experience and meeting institutional expectations of metrics and accountability. We argue that when Student Affairs practitioners explore the tension of existing in the corporatization of higher education, they can make choices that will ensure that their practices support holistic student development alongside retention and graduation.
Keywords: Neoliberalism, Student Affairs, Student Success

Authors

• Victoria Cabal, University of Utah

• Daniel K. Cairo, University of Utah

• Karnell McConnell-Back