Conflicting purposes of higher education in federal language: Defining a liminal discourse

Colleges and universities currently face challenges in the form of calls for increased accountability, clear economic outcomes and return on investments in education. These challenges emanate from many sectors, including students and families, employers in industry, and state and federal governments. The language of these calls for accountability and return on investment comprise a neoliberal rhetoric that posits education as a tool for economic development and prosperity, often at the expense of the more traditional purpose of higher education. This study explores this rhetoric at the federal level, as manifested in commencement addresses delivered by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter, and Deputy Secretary of Education Tony Miller, from 2009 to 2012. The study examines to what extent neoliberal ideology shapes the rhetoric. This study also examines whether the discourse creates an ideal to which institutions must aspire. Study findings reveal a liminal rhetoric that embraces the traditional and neoliberal agendas for higher education, and an ideal that also combines traditional and neoliberal ideologies