ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Critique of the Neoliberal University and the Crisis of Art Education

opinion-review · 2026-04-27

During a faculty meeting at Purchase College, a faculty member described students as "consumers," highlighting the neoliberal transformation in higher education. This terminology diminishes the universities' essential functions in fostering knowledge and promoting democratic engagement. The article points out the reduction in tenure-track roles, a staggering 369% rise in non-faculty positions from 1976 to 2011, stagnant salaries for faculty, and a 45% increase in top administrative pay from 2016 to 2024, juxtaposed with a mere 14% rise for assistant professors. Notably, among the 25 highest-paid positions, only one is occupied by a professor. The article also critiques the focus on capital projects over faculty support, mentions the suppression of pro-Palestinian protests in May 2024, and raises concerns about internal administrative threats to academic values.

Key facts

  • A colleague at Purchase College referred to students as 'consumers' in a faculty meeting.
  • Non-faculty professional positions at universities grew 369% between 1976 and 2011, while tenure-track faculty grew only 23%.
  • At Purchase College, top administrator salaries rose over 45% from 2016 to 2024, while assistant professor salaries rose only 14%.
  • Cumulative inflation from 2016 to 2024 was 31%, meaning faculty lost real income.
  • Among the 25 highest-paid positions at Purchase College, only one is held by a professor; fifteen are administrators and nine are police officers.
  • Cooper Union ended free tuition in 2014 after accumulating debt from a $175 million building at 41 Cooper Square.
  • The New School's president makes over $1 million a year while adjuncts make up roughly 90% of the teaching workforce.
  • JD Vance in 2021 called for an 'aggressive attack' on higher education, quoting Richard Nixon: 'The professors are the enemy.'

Entities

Institutions

  • Purchase College
  • American Association of University Professors
  • CUPA-HR
  • The New School
  • Cooper Union
  • Columbia University
  • New York University
  • City University of New York
  • State University of New York
  • Gray Associates
  • National Conservatism Conference
  • University of Berlin
  • Hyperallergic

Locations

  • New York
  • Orlando
  • Berlin

Sources