Special Session: The University of Google? A Panel Discussion about the Disruptive Changes in Marketing Education and What Programs May Look Like in the Not-So-Distant Future: An Abstract

ABSTRACT

Amid skyrocketing costs and student debt, much has been written about the increasing skepticism of whether a traditional four-year degree is “worth it.” The general consensus among outlets such as Forbes, The WSJ, and CNBC (each citing recent polls) is that families’ attitudes toward higher education is changing, due to sharply rising costs. This change does not favor traditional college degree programs. In the midst of this transformation, branded digital marketing certificates have presented themselves as a more economical alternative. Perhaps the most worrisome of which are the recently announced “Google Career Certificates,” which are six-month programs geared to prepare workers for the digital economy. Google leadership states these new certificates are meant to be the equivalent of a four-year degree given that “college degrees are out of reach for many Americans, and you shouldn’t need a college diploma to have economic security.” The purpose of this panel session is to discuss what the traditional marketing degree program response should be to the changing perceptions of value and increased competition. The potential consequences of Google entering higher education have been further exacerbated by impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Disruption that many thought leaders have been talking about for years was accelerated in the span of a few months. The result was a wave of student questions and criticism of the value of online education directed against even the most renowned institutions. While pandemic-related impacts to teaching modality may not be long-term, it will likely take much longer for student sentiment to recover. Evidenced by over seventy lawsuits currently pending against colleges and universities, this confluence of factors should not be ignored. Rather, we need to view this as an opportunity for existential reflection on the most basic of marketing principles as they apply to higher education as a marketable service. As such, in this panel session, the following questions will be addressed by a diverse group of stakeholders Will industry and prospective students/families accept these certificates as a substitute to a traditional degree? How should traditional marketing degree programs adapt or change program offerings to be more competitive/appealing? What is academia’s value proposition? How do we communicate this effectively with prospective students and their families? How do we train students on technologies many professors have never themselves used? Are there opportunities for public/private collaboration that provide technical skills, produce job-ready graduates, and lower costs? What could these look like? Student, industry, and academic representatives will discuss these questions and engage the audience in a lively conversation about the future of marketing education and the changing role of marketing academics. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.