Abstract:

Colleges and universities are increasingly forming academic alliances with private companies. These alliances can result in many positive externalities: lower software and hardware cost, access to teaching resources, improving faculty skill sets, and better positioning of students in the marketplace after graduation. However, are there negative externalities to be considered before entering into such a relationship? Is focusing on one technology or vendor limiting the student experience? Are colleges and universities becoming “shills” for corporate for-profit organizations? How are the decisions made to favor one corporation over another competitor? Are students and faculty being exploited? Can we find a viable compromise to balance educational pedagogy with an alliance? These are some of the issues that need to be explored before implementing such an alliance in any higher-learning setting.

Keywords:

Corporate alliance, Academic Alliance, higher learning, computers in education.