Educating the Educators

At a meeting of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences last May, when Dean of the College Benedict H. Gross ’71 introduced a motion calling for all courses of five or more students to be formally evaluated, he unexpectedly provoked a minor uproar. Several professors spoke against the motion, including Kenan Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield ’53. He strongly criticized the proposal, saying, “Course evaluations introduce the rule of the less wise over the more wise, of students over professors.” Professor of German Peter J. Burgard went further, claiming that required evaluations would “undermine a strong tradition of faculty self-governance in the area of teaching.”