The public good, the market, and academic capitalism

Abstract

In recent years, U.S. colleges and universities have begun to extend their international presence through different models of cross-border higher education. This research explores three models of U.S. higher education in Panama City, Panama: a branch campus, a franchise model and merger/acquisition models. Using a qualitative approach, this study included a year of document analysis, classroom observations, interviews, and focus groups. Using the lens of academic capitalism, the findings place the different models along a continuum of neoliberalism and the public good.