The consumer movement seeks a better balance between institutional rights and those of the student who contracts for educational services. The author discusses how and why issues of consumer rights--to be safe, to be informed, to choose, and to be heard--are now unexpectedly confronting higher education. (Editor/JT)

When applied to college students the term consumer protection is emotionally charged and evokes diverse images among concerned parties. A collection of essays deals with the escalating debate about the new view of college students as educational consumers. The principals in the debate are students, educators, and federal and state officials. The…

The process of developing informational prospectuses to convey information to prospective students at 11 institutions is illustrated by the experiences at three different institutions: a public university in California; a state university in an Oregon metropolis; and a large, two-campus, suburban community college in Michigan. These case studies…

Two approaches to the problem of abusive advertising practices engaged in by some institutions of higher education are illustrated in two documents. The first involves government regulation of potential and actual abuse, the other encourages voluntary efforts through the development of models for good practice. The first document, Categories and…

The need for colleges and universities to develop standards of fair practice and academic integrity in providing adequate information to prospective students is discussed. The possibility of federal regulation in this area is critically analyzed. A "seller" and "consumer" assistance system, based on obligations to students and…