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Associate Professor of English at Seton Hall University in the USA. Author of the book "Toward an Anti-Capitalist Composition", which examines alternative approaches to composition and critiques the capitalist system. His research focuses on the interaction of language, culture, and economics, with an emphasis on shaping new thinking in the fields of education and creativity.
Photo provided on the website of the English Department at the University of Washington.
In his article published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, James Rushing Daniel, a professor at Seton Hall University in the United States, discusses the problem of extensive growth in higher education. In the article, entitled "Cult of Growth in Higher Ed," the author warns of the potential consequences that may arise from universities' desire to continuously increase student numbers and expand their programs. Daniel emphasizes that this direction can lead to serious problems in the future, including a decline in the quality of education and a loss of individual attention to students. His analysis serves as an important reminder of the need to rethink growth strategies in the educational sector and emphasize sustainable development.
Higher education strives for constant growth. Universities aim to increase student numbers, expand campuses, and attract endowments. They actively market themselves to reach ever-increasing numbers of students, expand their online presence, and increase their administrative staff. Following a business model, educational institutions link their prosperity to economic growth. They emphasize profit, development, and technological innovation, presenting themselves as key to achieving personal well-being and overall social and economic progress.
According to Daniel, the existing paradigm is beginning to fray and is facing criticism within the academic community. He notes that some researchers, beginning in the 1970s, have expressed dissatisfaction with modern society's excessive reliance on economic growth, arguing that this ultimately harms the environment. In response to these problems, they are developing the concept of "de-growth," which aims to transform the capitalist economy and social institutions with an emphasis on sustainable development and a balance between economic, environmental, and social aspects.
This idea may seem remote from Russian reality. However, one of the theses presented by James Daniel remains relevant for the higher education system in Russia.
In this article, the author discusses how close interactions between universities and businesses often lead to investors from the industrial and financial sectors influencing the decisions of university management. This influence can manifest itself both indirectly and directly, including attempts to change educational programs. Daniel also highlights the strong ties between universities and the IT industry, a prime example of which in the United States is Silicon Valley. Such collaboration facilitates the integration of relevant knowledge and practical skills necessary to prepare specialists who meet the demands of the modern labor market.
The technology industry is demonstrating rapid growth, as PayPal founder Peter Thiel noted when he argued that "sustainable growth is viral growth." This sector currently occupies a dominant position in the university environment. Higher education institutions are actively responding to this trend. They enter into partnerships with EdTech platforms, organize hackathons, create innovation labs, and launch startup factories. Such initiatives contribute to the formation of an ecosystem that supports the development of new technologies and entrepreneurship among students, which, in turn, increases the competitiveness of universities in the education market.
The problem is that universities have fallen victim to the "cult of growth," which leads to significant distortions in the educational sector. For years, educational institutions have been cutting funding for the humanities and arts, favoring programs that promote economic growth. This has a negative impact on the development of the arts and humanities. The author emphasizes that universities are closing important educational programs, laying off faculty, while investing millions of dollars in the construction of modern buildings for business schools and technology programs. Such actions threaten the diversity of educational disciplines and reduce the quality of education overall.
In this article, author Daniel focuses primarily on environmental issues, without addressing the potential consequences of the current situation. It can be assumed that the emphasis on economic and technological development is leading to universities losing their function as centers of culture and knowledge. In pursuit of efficiency, they are increasingly focusing on applied sciences, which contributes to the marginalization of the humanities. It is important to consider who, other than higher education institutions, can assume responsibility for the preservation and development of cultural and intellectual heritage.
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