The course specifically referenced television news magazines like "60 Minutes" and "Dateline," which have provided a watchdog influence on many industries (usually big companies) for decades. With the advent of an ever-broadening array of media (bloggers, u-tube, and even twitter) the possibility that a small company like a massage school or a single incident can be converted into a public outcry (even if it is within the massage field) is increased. This means that we all need to do our jobs right at all time. Internal audits afford us the oppotunity to discover weaknesses before the twenty-first century version of Mike Wallace shows up at our office door on Monday morning. Our isues may seem insignificant compared to "Love Canal" or "Watergate," but, since specialized media may focus on specialized issues, our best defense is to try to identify what can be improved upon, and then, develop, implement and share the improvement.
The problem with stories about graduates with mountains of debt is that in order to get an college or career-school education, debt is going to be part of the deal, especially if you don't have money set-aside for that specific use. I don't know many college or career-school graduates that don't have debt. It's rather like crying wolf in that when the media makes headlines out of things that are a regular and normal part of the process, when something really does need to be investigated, everyone is so jaded that no one cares. How does that help anyone?
Tera,
At our school, we definitely try to have a positive presence in the community. Our student contribute at charity events and help out for fundraisers such as breast cancer relays and walks for heart disease. It definitely helps as far as the image of our school goes.
I would also say that it takes a lot more positive to outweigh the negative and so students and administrators have to work extra hard in order to change the opinions of the community if something does wind up being negatively portrayed.
I think that having schools develop strong community bonds not only benefits the school in the long run, but also benefits the student as it demonstrates the importance of being connected/networked within the context of their career. I would say this is especially important in the sense that it helps them realize that no person is an island and what they do in the community can and does make a difference.
Optimists unite! :)
With the media fixated on shocking and scaring its viewing audience, they tend to focus on the schools and issues that will get the most "bang for their buck." Issues that they can spin to be a misuse of funds or power would probably be the ones they would do the biggest stories on because it would cause the most outrage.
While there are issues in probably every school that could be improved upon, I don't believe that the issues are as widespread as the media would have us believe. Their tactics to get us to watch - "What's in your bathroom that could cause your children to contract malaria? More at 11." - perhaps have their roots in a good place of wanting to inform the public, but how many people would watch a news programs which reported that things were mainly fine and schools were pretty much in compliance?
As with any issue in any area of any life, there is a scope to post-secondary schools. Some of them toe the line and have every single item in place, and some of them are crooked and just want to get people's money. Wouldn't it be reasonable to conclude that most of them fall somewhere in the middle? Moderation, unfortunately, just doesn't make good headlines.
allison,
I don't disagree that there may be schools that could do better but, some of the regulations that we all have to comply with do not necessarily address the root cause of some of the problems which I have seen at certain schools. Regardless, I respect your positive approach toward the increased regulations.
Traci Lee
The media being involved can be positive and negative. The negative can result in stricter regulations for all schools...but is this really a bad thing? On the positive side, if a school is exposed by the media for doing something bad, the issue would then get fixed. I'm sure there are plenty of institutions that could use a little more regulation.
alexandra,
I hear what you are saying but I am also seeing the opposite with media focus on graduates being burdened with debt. I think we need to find the "middle ground" of setting realistic expectations.
Traci Lee
The media paints a pretty picture for the student. It shows students that it is very simple to get student funds to pay for their education. A lot of student come in with high expectations of a "free" education.
andrew,
Well stated! I think you summarized the needs exactly right! It will take time to convince such parties to migrate away from the stigma which grew over a period of many years.
Traci Lee
The media plays a huge role in the regulatory environment of the education industry. The media has exposed many schools of mal-practices and has shown that these schools should not be accredited due to their inconsistancies. We as an industry need to step-up our work ethic and make sure that we are being 100% compliant in all aspects. Moving past the stigma the public has for post secondary schools and colleges is going to be difficult and will require our industry to be vigiliant in our standards and practices.
Kara,
Great summary of the impact of media, including a positive perspective of what may be achieved. Thanks for sharing!
Traci Lee
I think the media has influenced the regulatory environment in the education industry greatly. The media is focused on sensationalism and sales, therefore it has driven fear-based and overly reactive decisions and regulatory actions that in the long run may or may not prove to benefit the consumer they are designed to protect.
However, the media’s efforts will only lend to the industry growing stronger and more competitive. The negative images cast by the media are only fueling the industry to increase community outreach programs that benefit students, community members, and local and state representatives. The increased scrutiny is pushing to tighten internal controls within the industry’s institutions, thus setting the stage for stronger business and education program operations and ultimately student achievement outcomes.
Jorge,
You make a good point about the instantaneous communication and the breadth of reach that exists with today's technology. I agree that transparency is key. The challenge will be trying to provide "apples-to-apples" information since there are so many complexities between various schools that a prospective student may be comparing.
Traci Lee
Media has an influence in the regulatory enviroment in the education industry because it is opening up the eyes of the public and giving them the tools to ask questions.
The public is no longer the innocent child that will just take your hand and follow you. The public is now asking the hard questions and regulations and requirements in the education industry make it easier for the education industry to give the public what it needs to make informed choices.
Traci,
The media today has the ability with the technology available to communicate in faster and in an efficient way. It can be so fast that career colleges must operate on a high level of transparency as shoppers (news reporters) come to our schools to break the latest story and broadcasted to the world within minutes of recording. The moment the legislators get a hold of the story they will use it in a negative way, not looking at the positive impact that career colleges makes to many students that will never go to a four year college.
Jorge
I agree, very rarely do you hear of positive stories focusing on career colleges. I belive the response to career colleges would be much better if the general public were able to hear how we have changed the lives of so many students for the better. There are many things that career colleges are doing right, although we can always improve.
In this case I do not believe the media intentionally influences the industry. They are subservient to the the influences of those that send information (releases, stats/facts, video taped interviews, etc.) to media in order to affect the industry through the media. Those forces with the deeper pockets, the most consistent campaigns and those who intend to achieve a greater gain in results will have a larger impact through the media. In this case, the Ohio state goverment is winning.
Ron,
Well stated. I agree that there is shared responsibility for outcomes and transparency of expectations should help in achieving ideal results.
Traci Lee
John,
Great point - there have also been a few "scandals" that captured media attention for some well-known public universities. I think it continues to be important for colleges to encourage communications on success stories to continue to get positive messaging to the public.
Traci Lee
I believe the media has had a negative bias towards the for-profit post-secondary schools for a number of years. I think some media outlets feel that a school should not be making a profit from educating students and because of the profit motive, that they must be doing something wrong.
There have certainly been a few abuses within the industry but the media makes it sound like the whole field is corrupt. It is interesting that the media is now turning on the non-profit segment due to high tuition costs and increasing debt loads on their students.
