Book Quote by George Leef
“Derek Bok's most recent book, Our Underachieving Colleges, is worth scrutinizing. . . . Bok is . . . on solid ground in pointing out that our colleges underachieve in preparing students for citizenship.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Our Underachieving Colleges by Derek Bok, 2015
The author argues that colleges fail to adequately prepare students for active civic participation.
In simple terms: Colleges don’t teach citizenship well.
Key Takeaway
Improve civic education in higher ed.
Themes
education
citizenship
higher education
Mood
critical
concerned
Type
analytical
commentary
When to use this quote
- undergraduate programs
- student orientation
- community service
- policy making
Key Concepts
civic engagement
curriculum design
Questions to Reflect On
- How can universities embed citizenship into curricula?
- What barriers prevent effective civic training?
A Different Perspective
Colleges may lack resources to implement reforms.
![“In Our Underachieving Colleges, [Derek] Bok acts as both diagnostician and healer, wielding social-science statistics and professional studies to trace the etiology of today's illnesses and to recommend palliative treatments for what he has discovered.” quote by Donald Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1f5/donald-kagan-39149_college_in-our-underachieving-colleges-derek-bok_355274.jpg)
![“Following is one of the most underrated aspects of leadership… I have seen many a good [military unit] underachieve, because someone...thought the commander was incompetent, and quietly worked to undermine his authority.” quote by William H. McRaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/63f/william-h-mcraven-13570_aspect_following-is-one-of-the-most-underrated_197506.jpg)
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