Faculty Perceptions of Administrator Influence on Academic Quality in For-Profit Vocational Higher Education

Abstract

Academic quality in for-profit vocational college programs is a concern for all stakeholders, especially nontraditional college students. The purpose of this study was to expand understanding of how administrators and owners of for-profit (proprietary) colleges influence academic quality in on-ground vocational college programs. A phenomenological method was used to gather the lived experiences of 10 faculty members who taught in these programs at two for-profit vocational colleges in a large metropolitan area in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The study was organized using a systems-thinking framework. Participants were aware that the primary purpose of their for-profit institutions was to generate a profit. Most of the faculty interviewed for this study thought the administrators and owner of both institutions focused too much on profits and too little on education.