Students as Customers

Abstract

The idea that students might be treated as customers triggers academics’ antipathy, which in turn can lead to managerial irritation and political frustration. There are different discourses which barely overlap as their protagonists speak past one another. This article argues that these differences can be reconciled by re-conceiving the relationship between the university and the student. The article reviews the literature on marketing in higher education and the student as customer. It analyses the problems inherent in thinking of students as customers, suggests a multidimensional approach to understanding student roles, and considers what part markets can play in governing and managing higher education systems.

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