Derek Bok Quotes

As countries embrace mass higher education, the cost of maintaining universities increases dramatically relative to an elite system.

The first country to adopt happiness as an official goal of public policy is the tiny little country of Bhutan in Asia near China and India.

There is far too much law for those who can afford it and far too little for those who cannot.

I think one thing that does cause unhappiness is protracted anxiety and worry.

If you think the cost of education is high, think about ignorance.

I think any self-respecting educational institution ought to judge its policies by its best estimate of what their long-term consequences for their students and for the society will be.

There's a great deal of difference between thinking reflectively about moral issues and achieving higher standards of ethical behavior.

I suspect that no community will become humane and caring by restricting what its members can say.

The oldest of the arts and the youngest of the professions.

Universities are institutions run by amateurs to train professionals.

I won't say there aren't any Harvard graduates who have never asserted a superior attitude. But they have done so to our great embarrassment and in no way represent the Harvard I know.

Education, and I regret to say this as an educator, but there's no indication that education has a direct effect on happiness.

Good teaching is creating really interesting generalizations out of war stories.

Early admission programs tend to advantage the advantaged.

Fewer than half of all university professors publish as much as one article per year.

Despite the hours spent debating different models of general education, the choices faculties make rarely lead to any significant difference in the cognitive development of undergraduates.

Ever since economists revealed how much universities contribute to economic growth, politicians have paid close attention to higher education.

Freshly minted Ph.Ds typically teach the way their favorite professors taught.

If we are prepared to invest the necessary time and effort, affirmative action can contribute to Harvard's quality and not detract from it.

Greater inequality in Europe has made people less happy.

I think it's sort of an outrage that companies should have to hire firms to teach the college graduates they employ how to write.

I think the minority students that we admit to Harvard are every bit as meritorious as the white students that we admit.

If you think education is expensive - try ignorance.