In this twenty-fifth episode of the Philosophy Bakes Bread radio show and podcast, co-hosts Dr. Eric Thomas Weber and Dr. Anthony Cashio interview Dr. Annie Davis Weber of the University of Kentucky on “Assessing Assessment: The Philosophy Behind Measuring Student Success in Higher Education.”
Dr. Annie Davis Weber is Assistant Provost for Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness at the University of Kentucky. She earned her Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy at Vanderbilt University. In 2015, she was honored to have been named a Fellow of the Society of College and University Planners (SCUP).
Listen for our “You Tell Me!” questions and for some jokes in one of our concluding segments, called “Philosophunnies.” Reach out to us on Facebook @PhilosophyBakesBread and on Twitter @PhilosophyBB; email us at philosophybakesbread@gmail.com; or call and record a voicemail that we play on the show, at 859.257.1849. Philosophy Bakes Bread is a production of the Society of Philosophers in America (SOPHIA). Check us out online at PhilosophyBakesBread.com and check out SOPHIA at PhilosophersInAmerica.com.
(62 mins)
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Notes
- Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (New York: Harper Torch, 2006).
- Jostein Gaarder, Sophie’s World (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2007).
- Buddhist philosophy mentioned in the show is exemplified in Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation (New York: Broadway Books, 1999).
- Collegiate Learning Assessment.
- Richard Arum and Josipa Roska, Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011).
We mention Chivas Regal on the show, in connection with the Chiva Regal effect. When something costs more, people often think it’s better, so some schools raise their prices in order to improve the appearance of their institution. Philosophy Bakes Bread is not sponsored by Chivas Regal… yet. Here’s their Web site. Dr. Cashio says that it’s brandy. Chivas Regal calls their product “whisky.” Whether you drink or you don’t, behave responsibly, folks, or we’ll send the assessment assessors to assess you.
You Tell Me!
For our future “You Tell Me!” segments, Annie proposed the following question in this episode, for which we invite your feedback: “How do you know if a university is any good?” What do you say?
Let us know! Twitter, Facebook, Email, or by commenting here below!