Harvard in the Globe
Marcella Bombardieri writes today about Jeremy Knowles' new committee to study how to improve teaching at Harvard....
Bombardieri quotes Derek Bok, who has long emphasized the consideration of pedagogy:
``I think the quality of education is going to get more and more important," said interim Harvard president Derek Bok, noting that globalization has boosted the competition that American graduates face in the workforce. ``We see this as a real opportunity to try to improve what we do for undergraduates."
But Bombardieri also writes that
"Harvard officials also hope to spur changes at universities around the country."
To my frustation, she doesn't source that suggestion. I wish she had, because it's actually a provocative one. There are many places around the country where professors teach more and better than at Harvard—Knowles himself admits that— and to say that Harvard is going to teach other places about teaching is, for that reason, mildly irritating.
In any case, Knowles' group, headed by GSAS dean Theda Skocpol, seems like an impressive group. They don't have much time; their report is due next spring. Apparently Larry Summers isn't the only "man in a hurry."
