Mark Edmundson Uses Of A Liberal Education Analysis

“On the Uses of a Liberal Education,” by literature scholar and professor Mark Edmundson claims that students have lost their passion for education and learning because of consumerism. Edmundson begins his article by giving his thoughts on teacher evaluations. He then describes the lack of passion in students as well as the change in the liberal education program. Edmundson gives his opinion on student-teacher interactions, analyzes previous ideas on how to teach towards consumers, and finally writes his own ideas on how to conform teaching to the students with a consumerism mind. Edmundson’s article is effective because he shows how a culture of consumption is affecting not only the liberal arts education but the college as a whole by using his personal experiences
After explaining how consumerism influences students, Edmundson then explains how the university is adapting to a consumer's’ mind. Edmundson starts this section by stating that his university has made improvements to lure kids in by having the newest and best things- not just about the education that the school provides (636). Edmundson then quotes a college financial officer who said, “‘Colleges don’t have admissions offices anymore, they have marketing departments’” (637). Edmundson realized that colleges had to start being less challenging and more relaxing to take into account with what parents and students want (637). Therefore, Edmundson states that he had to ‘soften grades’ not only to compel students to join the college but to compete with other departments (637). This section of the article describes the college as a consumers market, which shows us how the college manipulates their ways in order to gain in students and money. After Edmundson explained how students have a lowered passion for education, he then