U21 Global: The In/Corporation Of Higher Education

This article addresses problems behind the growing commercialization of higher education, taking the example of U21 Global—a corporate alliance through which a consortium of universities delivers online degrees for profit. I look specifically at the decision made by the University of British Columbia (UBC) to join U21 Global and argue two things: first, contrary to claims made by supporters of U21 Global, the agreement won’t improve the university’s ability to play a vital role in the online market for higher education. Second, and more importantly, such commercial partnership invariably lead to a further erosion of institutional autonomy and public accountability in the process. Once relegated to the elite who lived in certain geographic areas, university education is now accessible to sectors of society traditionally excluded (Calderon & Webster, 2002; Gould, 2003). It is an exciting time for universities as they are entrusted with the responsibility of providing education for more students than ever. At the same time, this increase in global demand for higher education is accompanied by a growing dominance of neoliberal ideologies and economic globalization (Currie, 2004; Soley, 1995; Polster, 2000a). Education is now a market in which universities must compete for students and money (Bok, 2003). One way that universities have sought to ease their transition into the market is through consortia, both with other universities and corporations. Similar to countries entering into Free Trade Agreements, universities form alliances to enhance their competitive advantage and increase their own net worth. Forming such consortia is a recent but growing phenomenon in higher educatio