Thoughts
McDonald’s is famous because of its excellent quality control. The quality is not necessarily the finest in the world, but it is consistent from one store to another throughout the world.
Harvard, like other “elite” universities, prides itself on its quality, and that quality is achieved primarily in two ways: first, by admitting only people who have demonstrated that they can perform at an academically high level, and second, by helping its students and graduates get known by employers who are at the highest level of their own businesses.
Some research universities measure academic quality by the amount and significance of the research output of their faculties.
How do we know what to teach? At profession-oriented institutions, from law schools to welding programs, the content of instruction is primarily found in the experts in whatever trade or skill is being taught. These resources exist as sponsors, advisory committees, donors of equipment and materials, and providers of internships and other forms of student work experiences. At research and liberal arts institutions the content for teaching is derived from the research, inventions, discoveries, adjudicated publications, and productions of the qualified faculty at such institutions.
Accreditors typically define academic quality as a measure of how fully the students learn what is being taught. This definition assumes that learning is measured in a way that demonstrates how student learning is directly related to what is being taught. Secondarily, but also important for accreditors, is that the faculty can demonstrate that what is being taught reflects the proper content and level of understanding/performance that is consistent with the mission of the institution.
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