>Keith, what do YOU mean "the president is viewing the students as a
>customer in the business sense," that is that do YOU mean by "the business
>sense."
Louis,
I don't think the terms "business" and "customer" are at all ambiguous when used in joint context, but I will nonetheless accommodate your request (then will you share your opinion about the president's "customer" survey?):
>From The American Heritage Dictionary, Third Edition:
business. 1.a. The occupation, or trade in which a person is engaged. ... 2. Commercial, industrial, or professional dealings. ...
customer. 1. One that buys goods or services. 2. An indivdual with whom one must deal. (Example, "A tough customer.")
education.
Louis, now that you know that "students as 'tough customers' "was not what I meant, would you, in the spirit of Calvin Coolidge, complete the sentence, "The business of a university is ...."
Keith
P.S. As an educator, and one who attempts to teacher critical thinking, I fully appreciate the need to define terms when those terms are ambiguous or where reasonable people might differ on their meaning, but I believe my students have a right to question my motives if I use the "define your terms" ploy when the context is clear.
Keith Maxwell
Professor of Legal Studies and Ethics |Phone: 253 879 3703
University of Puget Sound |Fax: 253 879 3156
Tacoma, WA 98416 |<www.ups.edu/faculty/maxwell>
"Sacred cows make the best hamburger."
