PassageOneRecentlyIattendedseveralmeetingswherewetalkedaboutwaystoretainstudentsandkeepyoungerfaculty全体教师membersfrom阻止,避免做goingelsewhere.(=Stopsb.Fromdoingsth.)Itseemshighereducationhasbecomeanindustryofmeeting-holderswhosetaskitisto“solve”problems—realorimagined.Andinmypositionasaprofessoratthreedifferentcolleges,theactualproblemsineducatingouryoungpeopleandolderstudentshavedeepened,whilethenumberofpeoplehired—nottoteachbuttoholdmeetings—hasincreasedsignificantly.Everynewproblemcreatesanewjobforanadministrativefixer.TakeourCenterforTeachingExcellence.Contrarytoitstitle,thecenterisaclearinghouse(信息交流中心)forusingtechnologyinclassroomsandinonlinecourses.It’sanadministrativesham(欺诈)ofthekindthathasmultiplied大大增加overthelast30years.Iofferasimplepropositioninresponse:Manyofourproblems—classattendance,educationalsuccess,studenthappinessandwell-being—mightbeimprovedbycuttingdownthebureaucratic(官僚的)mechanismsandmeetingsandinsteadhiringanarmyofgoodteachers.Ifwereplacedhalfofouradministrativestaffwithclassroomteachers,wemightactuallygetamajorityofourclassesbackto20orfewerstudentsperteacher.Thiswouldbeanenvironmentinwhichteachersandstudentsactuallykneweachother.Theteachersmustbefreetoteachintheirownway—thecurriculum课程shouldbeflexibleenoughsothattheycanusetheirindividualtalentstoachievethegoalsofthecourse.Additionally,theyshouldbeallowedtoteach,andberewardedfordoingitwell.Teachersarenotpeoplewhoaregreatatandconsumedbyresearchandhappentoappearinaclassroom.Goodteachingandresearcharenotexclusive,buttheyarealsonotautomaticcompanions.Teachingisanartandacraft,talentandpractice;itisnotsomethingthatjustanyonecanbegoodat.Itisutterlyconfusingtomethatpeopledonotrecognizethis,despitethefactthatprettymuchanyonewhohasbeenastudentcantellthedifferencebetweentheirbestandworstteachers.Whatdoestheauthorsayaboutpresent-dayuniversities?