Administrators, professors, and students all need the school to thrive and prosper, so that their reputations and the value of degrees do not suffer in the future, but all have divergent short-term interests and visions. Part 2

Please create a metaphor for some higher education organization situation. Share and explain the metaphor.

One example of divergent interest can be seen in intercollegiate athletics. Administrators want teams that attract media attention and generate alumni donations and increase the quality and number of student applicants in the fall. However, the top athletes are not always the most talented students academically, may be given extra academic help to graduate, or not graduate at all. The most recent data was cited as hopeful: "the rate for men's...

The fact that only slightly more than half of student athletes from money-generating sports graduate within six years may be considered outstanding should be viewed as more sad and shameful than celebratory. The athletes are essentially used as a 'teaser' much like a prize at the bottom of a box of cereal, to encourage the consumption of the product, even if the prize has little to do with the ostensible purpose of buying breakfast cereal for sustenance.
Works Cited

Carey, Jack. (2007, October 3). Overall NCAA rates hold steady. USA Today.

Retrieved March 19, 2009 at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2007-10-03-NCAA-graduation-rates_N.htm