Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg
Five of the eighteen largest US universities, including the two with the biggest enrollment, are now for-profit. I fear those may have bought into the idea that maximizing shareholder value is the real corporate mission, and wonder if some of the horror stories have to do with those sorts of schools.
I'm also wondering about the 650 US college bookstores operated by Barnes and Noble. Do schools with those still have a financial incentive for students to patronize the college bookstore?
|
The other side to that is that 13 of the largest US universities are not-for-profit. Most are heavily regulated, closely monitored, and must provide detailed answers to the public when questioned about operating expenses and spending increases.
Nobody has shown any evidence that college bookstores are there to make a large profit for the school's bottom line. If that were the case, how could they compete with private booksellers?
I get tired of baseless accusations implying that these institutions are out to get you. Depending on your career goals they may not always be a great value, but I can assure you they can almost always justify every dollar they collect, because when they can't it becomes a major news story.
The focus here needs to remain on the publishers. They are the ones driving up textbook prices, which is the topic of discussion here.