The Impact Of Our View Of Students On Future Planning institutions of higher learning are facing rapid and substantial environmental change. In order, however, to maintain some stability any such institution must determine its unique purpose, its strengths and weaknesses, and its educational philosophy. These are usually contained in a broadly framed mission statement that defines the organization as precisely as possible. Consumer Identification 3.
Most students feel that they are consumers.
However, on the other side, people in the business community, which includes legislators, are just as quick to indicate that students are obviously our product. It is attractive and possible to support a case that students are both products and consumers. However, from the perspective of a succinct mission statement to guide operational decision making, defining students as both falls to define them and thus offers little direction. This lack of precision in developing guidelines to aid in determining the ultimate objectives of an institution of higher learning can be a major contributing factor to the many decisions that don't solve the intended problems or create more or just die from lack of application, A significant portion of the academic institution's organizational structure appears based on the premise that students are products. Academic institutions tend to be bureaucratic organizations.