Scholars, Consumers, or Employees? Exploring Students’ Roles and Expectations of Higher Education: A Focus on D1 Student-Athletes

In this article, we explore the rise in the transactional nature of higher education, through the lens of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I student-athletes. We discuss recent changes in how student-athletes engage in their overall student experience, and the impact on their campus interactions with student affairs professionals. Ultimately, we argue that changes in students’ self-perception and how they approach their college experience have significant implications for the purpose and the teaching mission of higher education, and have drastically shifted the landscape of higher education. Last, we offer recommendations for student affairs educators on how to engage holistically with students in campus environments that may appear transactional.