Drowning in Amenities

Universities are meant to be havens of academia, with professors conducting research and students cultivating their knowledge. Recently, however, a trend has emerged where universities offer luxury amenities to attract students, a departure from their academic pursuits. This can be seen as rent-seeking behavior. 

Take, for example, Louisiana State University's lazy river in the shape of “LSU.” A premier research university, LSU officially states that their mission is to “the generation, preservation, dissemination, and application of knowledge” and the development of students for “lifelong success.” How does a lazy river help achieve this goal? It doesn’t.

This is a clear misallocation of resources that should be invested in academics. Instead, funds are diverted to “perks” designed to draw in students, resulting in increased tuition. More rent is extracted from enrolled students with no change in academic results.

There is a significant negative social impact. Higher tuition increases the burden of debt and exacerbates unequal access to education. The shift of focus erodes the academic values of universities, trapping them in a race to attract more students through sparkly benefits rather than educating. Universities need to re-examine their priorities and question whether these changes add real value to society or if they only benefit individual universities.