Dear reader, this question has been haunting me for past few years and probably it may be for you also and others, who have concern for the “ethics” in education.

Before you start reading the student-professor conversation presented below, first let us try to understand the definitions of student and customer, of course there are many definitions, following are few among them:

Definition of student: A person who studies; a person who is enrolled for a course of instruction in a college or university.

Definition of customer: Customer is the purchaser of a service or goods, but where the transaction is defined as service- delivery rather than production – consumption of goods

-Or-

A person or organization who receives a product/service or information, but is not part of the organization supplying it, also called as patient in health care sector and a student in education sector

-Or-

Anyone for whom an organization provides goods or services. The customer judges quality. Any individual or group or organization that has expectations regarding the physical attributes of an output made by a process, or the interaction through which the output was delivered. One who receives the output of a process. Informally, an individual with whom one must deal: a tough customer. Anyone who is imparted by the product, service or process. Customer may be internal, that is, the person, or organization that receives or is imparted by a product/service or process output but is not part of the organization producing it.

In the last years a new usage has dropped up in higher education literature, the student as “CUSTOMER”. Any issue of the chronicle of higher education indeed, almost any private university publication contains the implicit or explicit message that students are customers of the university.

This usage accompanies the business jargon that has also crept into academic discourse, for example, responsibility center management, portfolio of academic output.

According to the few spiritually oriented teachers this development is lamentable as they feel that, it debases the relationship between student teacher, and for few others, easygoing, unsecured, ignorant, teachers, it is very disturbing as it upsets the routine easygoing activities, because, they can’t bluff and intimidate the students anymore with their illogical sophistries, lecture notes transferring techniques, by awarding poor grades just to keep the creative misch- ievous students under control.

In one sense, it is to be accepted that, students are customers for if no students come to university, there would be no need for faculty members! And if faculty members are not there, is there any need of educational institutions? Is there any contradictory view about this?

What happens when “Student” becomes a “Customer”?

In continuation of my previous conversation, I would request you to waste your time further by reading the following argumentation done by a highly creative and tough customer (Student) with his vendor (Professor) in the education shop (University).

A student approaches the University administrator and starts his discussion queries.

Student 1(S1): I want to learn, may I know the cost of learning at this university.

University administrator (U.A): Do you mean tuition fee?

 S1: yes, no doubt about that.

U.A: $ 4400 Per Annum.

S1: Can’t you reduce the price? Is there any concession or discount?

U.A: Yes, why not? If you are among the top 10 in the entrance test, then 50% fee reduction will be there.

S1: Any further discount, during the course?

UA: Yes, if you get “A” grade in all the courses in the 1st year further 50% fee reduction will be there.

S1: Very fine, thank you, then I will take up the entrance test please give the application form and prospectus.

UA:  Take this, thank you; we will look forward for you.

S1 gets admission in the university after appearing for the entrance test and also, he gets 50% fee waive off, as he stands in the top 10. He then contacts the course registration advisor, who is unfortunately one of the professors in the university. 

Professor (P): Mr. S1 welcome to Xyz University.

S1: Thank you, Sir.

P:  Are you interested to register for the course offered by me?

S1: If you can teach me well, I will register for your course.

P: I will try my level best.

S1: Then O.K, Sir, you please register my name for your course.  

Then after attending few classes of P by S1, Professor asks S1…

P: Are you following my course instructions?

S1: No, perfectly not.

P: Ah! It is your problem, all my lectures are very well prepared and are the best? It is you who can’t understand.

S1: Yes sir, you are true, because when you can’t understand yourself that you teach, then how can you expect that I can?  Understand your lectures?

P: Do you want to get good grade or not?

S1: Yes of course, but I don’t think that I will get good grade as long as you teach me!

P: You are very arrogant. You have forgotten that you are talking to your professor.

S1: Yes, I may be arrogant, but you are ignorant of what you are speaking; above all you are intimidating me.

P: How is it so?

S1: You have forgotten that I am your customer and customer is boss; Customer satisfaction should be your motto. Don’t forget that Customer is always right! And you are a vendor. You are supposed to provide quality service.

P: What? You think that you are a customer, and I am a vendor. Can 

you explain me the real sense of this relationship?

S1: Sir, it is simple: I am a customer, because I buy your services, and you are a vendor, as you sell your services.

P: Ah! Stop a minute; it is acceptable, that you are a customer, but 

how can I be a vendor?

S1:  Sir, if you don’t mind, can I ask you one question?

P: Yes, go ahead.

S1:  Sir, can you work without drawing the salary? Can you do free services?

P: What rubbish are you talking? I am not doing any charity here.

S1: OK Sir, I accept that you are not doing charity here, But, do you think that I am mentally challenged, beggar, orphan, or slum resident who is studying at free of cost here?

P: You talk foolishly.

S1: Yes sir, may be that is true; “Every person is a fool in  somebody’s opinion”

P: Don’t forget that you are talking to a person of high credentials, come to your sense.

S1: No, sorry sir, I can’t come to my senses as I still haven’t gone out of my sense! Sir, your credentials are giving you food but                       what about me? I will die without food, as you will deprive me of my prospective credentials. More than that I will lose my money as I have paid so much to the management and don’t forget that you are a management representative apart from a professor.

P: Go to hell whatever you want you can do that.

S1: Yes sir, definitely, I am ready to go to hell, but I will not go alone. I will take you also. Are you ready?

P: I will report this matter to the concerned authorities. You have used offending statements against your teacher.

S1: That’s all what you can do. It is true, someone has rightly said that, 

“One who doesn’t become a soldier would become an informer”, that aptly applies to you. Sir, I will file a lawsuit against you as you have provided poor quality service to your customer. 

P: If you do that you will be dismissed.

S1: Fine, I will claim the refund of money for the deficient service.

P: I don’t want to talk to you any more.

S1: Probably it is not possible, as I am also not having any interest in  doing the same.

Student S2 who is a classmate of S1 intervenes and talks to S1

S2: What did you do? Where shall you go now? 

Is there any such judicial forum, where you can prove that?

 “Learning is a commodity”-“Professor is a seller/vendor/service provider”-“Student is a customer”-“Education is a Market” – “University is the site of service center” -“Tuition fee” is the “price of the commodity”.

S1: You are right, but I am not wrong!

Is there an ethical creature that is hearing the grievances of S1? 

If so then please try to provide a legal remedy to S1, if possible. Or else, gladly accept that “student is a customer”

“I never allow my schooling to interfere with my education”- Mark Twain.

“A barber who does his job well is better than a professor who blabbers in his classroom” 

-Swami Vivakananda.

“ One has to choose between an honest arrogance and hypocritical humility”- Frank Loyd Wright.

By LawZ Bureau,