Many people believe that a college or university is just like a business. Students pay a fee (tuition) for a service (education). However, there are other aspects than these to take into consideration and things are not always as clear and simple as some believe. There are different organizational models under which businesses and schools can operate, but the nature of academic governance is unique and a school cannot always be treated like a traditional business for many reasons. One reason why the comparison between a university and a Business is complex and the subject of much debate: the world of education is itself distinctive. There are many factors to consider and every time you have the combination of money and people involved, things get more complicated. E. Gordon Gee, former president of The Ohio State University, discussed the uniqueness of the educational arena in an interview on April 29, 2008. In his interview, Dr. Gee said that one of the problems with colleges is that “all they want to be like others” when they can't. (Gee, 2008). He stated that equality leads to “mediocrity,” but that a state's schools should seek to work together to create a “systemic approach” (Gee, 2008). In a state, universities are an “economic engine,” and if they work collaboratively, universities within a state can take a more active public leadership role (Gee, 2008). Dr. Gee believes that companies and other organizations should adopt this approach and that it helps “create relevance” for an organization, especially a university (Gee, 2008). This vision of collaboration led Dr. Gee to be appointed by Ohio Governor Kasich to lead a seven-member commission charged with d... half of the document... for a successful presidency. (Paul Fain, interviewer) [Audio file]. Retrieved from The Chronicle of Higher Education website: http://chronicle.com/article/Audio-Gordon-Gees-Guidelines/63338/Gee, G. & Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, W.C. (2006). A convergence between corporate and academic governance. Trusteeship, 14(6), 24-27. Retrieved from ERIC, EBSCOhost on November 26, 2013Lohmann, S. (2004). Can't college be more like business? Economics of Governance, 5(1), 9-27. Doi:10.1007/s10101-003-0067-1.TEDxTalks. (November 18, 2011). TEDxLondon – Dougald Hine. Retrieved November 21, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqVrlUKltIIWinston, G.C. (1997, September). Why can't a college be more like a business? Edit, 29, 32-38. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/docview/208057952? accountid=28180