Student engagement (SE) is currently a significant focus of attention in Higher Education (HE), but its underlying political character and the broader political-economic context have been overlooked. SE has not been considered from the perspective of the ‘Idea’ of the university. Bringing together the literature on SE, the marketisation of HE and the ‘Idea’ of the university, we argue that current policies and practices are based on a one-dimensional conception, which neglects the crucial elements of cognitive and emotional engagement, and that this both reflects and reinforces an economic utilitarian conception of the university and a consumer model of student identity.
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