Universities
Here I will put links to entries on various university subjects (none right now) and notes.
Foundation for Excellence in Higher Education, a big, well-funded attempt to set up Centers at elite universities to teach the humanities outside of the official framework. A very good idea. They could be self-funding by alumni donations if it does good work, and will rightly die if used for grifting.
Universities don't care about teaching quality. What they care about is keeping students happy. That's why they use student evaluations despite their obvious flaws in measuring learning. What the university wants to find out is
(a) do students think they're learning something?
(b) are students enjoying themselves?
I wonder if hospitals evaluate doctors in the same way. We'd expect that, I think--- bedside manner is what patients care about, and someone who *looks* like he's competent, and who gives them a lot of pills and procedures and tells them they're working if only they keep on paying for more of it. The big difference is that the insurance companies, who are paying, get involved. Universities make sure to keep parents, who are paying, far away from knowing what is going on in classes and dormitories. That's what FERPA is for.
