--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As academics we have pretty good judgment…" description: "\"As academics we have pretty good judgment about the quality of institutions that cannot simply be measured by counting the number of papers published o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/068/henry-rosovsky-19441_beans_as-academics-we-have-pretty-good-judgmen_1885472.jpg" --- # As academics we have pretty good judgment about the… ![“As academics we have pretty good judgment about the quality of institutions that cannot simply be measured by counting the number of papers published or patents received. Outsiders who swoop in to count beans and make up lists based on statistics have little sense of what excellence is.” quote by Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/068/henry-rosovsky-19441_beans_as-academics-we-have-pretty-good-judgmen_1885472.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/068/henry-rosovsky-19441_beans_as-academics-we-have-pretty-good-judgmen_1885472.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/068/henry-rosovsky-19441_beans_as-academics-we-have-pretty-good-judgmen_1885472.jpg) > “As academics we have pretty good judgment about the quality of institutions that cannot simply be measured by counting the number of papers published or patents received. Outsiders who swoop in to count beans and make up lists based on statistics have little sense of what excellence is.” [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excellence cannot be reduced to simple metrics; true quality involves deeper, intangible factors. **In simple terms:** Numbers don’t capture true quality. Key Takeaway Look beyond statistics to assess value. Themes education evaluation excellence Mood analytical critical Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - university rankings - grant funding decisions - faculty hiring - research impact analysis Key Concepts qualitative assessment institutional culture Questions to Reflect On - What non‑numeric signs indicate excellence? - How can we balance quantitative and qualitative evaluation? A Different Perspective Metrics can be gamed, misleading judgments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academics Pretty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academics-pretty-2691684/) [Beans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beans/) [Counting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counting/) [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Good judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-judgment/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Institutions Simply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions-simply-2052787/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Judgment Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment-quality-2691681/) [Lists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lists/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Number Papers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/number-papers-2691683/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Outsiders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outsiders/) [Paper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paper/) [Papers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/papers/) [Patents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patents/) [Pretty good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretty-good/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Quality Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality-institutions-2691682/) [Statistics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statistics/) ## Related quotes > [Those which we call necessary institutions are simply no more than institutions to which we have become accustomed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/those-which-we-call-necessary-institutions-are-simply-no-more-than/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [I had gone into the hospital with the stupid notion that its primary object was the care and comfort of the sick and wounded.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-swisshelm/i-had-gone-into-the-hospital-with-the-stupid-notion-that-its-primary/) [Jane Swisshelm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-swisshelm/) > [Hope is a great falsifier. Let good judgment keep her in check.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/hope-is-a-great-falsifier-let-good-judgment-keep-her-in-check/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [Good judgment comes from experience. And where does experience come from? Experience comes from bad judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/good-judgment-comes-from-experience-and-where-does-experience-come/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The toughest test of good judgment is to know when to withhold your better judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/the-toughest-test-of-good-judgment-is-to-know-when-to-withhold-your/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Everything is selected by the central government without good judgment or an understanding of culture to make it really safe. They will become nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/everything-is-selected-by-the-central-government-without-good/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [I think my brother is good coach,because he's Jim. He's a good decision maker. He makes good judgments. He's got a vision. He's got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-harbaugh/i-think-my-brother-is-good-coach-because-he-s-jim-he-s-a-good/) [John Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-harbaugh/) > [Given that ever-broadening array of options and alternatives, as consumers and investors, we are often bewildered. We need guidance. That's where today's brands come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/given-that-ever-broadening-array-of-options-and-alternatives-as/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [Loyalty isn't standing by someone when he's right - that's good judgment. Loyalty is standing by someone when he's wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-estrich/loyalty-isn-t-standing-by-someone-when-he-s-right-that-s-good/) [Susan Estrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-estrich/) > [Before the curse of statistics fell upon mankind we lived a happy, innocent life, full of merriment and go and informed by fairly good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/before-the-curse-of-statistics-fell-upon-mankind-we-lived-a-happy/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [Any penalty - I've told you a hundred times - can be eliminated by concentration or good judgment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-parcells/any-penalty-i-ve-told-you-a-hundred-times-can-be-eliminated-by/) [Bill Parcells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-parcells/) > [ An ill agreement is better then a good judgement. \[An ill agreement is better than a good judgment.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/an-ill-agreement-is-better-then-a-good-judgement-an-ill-agreement-is/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [As a gardener, I wonder if flowers really can't speak or just exercise unfailing good judgment in the matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/as-a-gardener-i-wonder-if-flowers-really-can-t-speak-or-just-exercise/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [“One learns good judgment through experience; one gains experience through bad judgment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-phennah/one-learns-good-judgment-through-experience-one-gains-experience/) [Sharon Phennah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-phennah/) > [Through my time in the military and my deployments, I have recognized the importance of having a Commander in Chief who will not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/through-my-time-in-the-military-and-my-deployments-i-have-recognized/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) ## More by Henry Rosovsky > [Public image is extremely important in American society and I observed personally that the Presidency of John F. Kennedy did much in the public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/public-image-is-extremely-important-in-american-society-and-i/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [I would not say that Harvard possesses any sort of absolute dominance. And I personally do not take the rankings of schools all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/i-would-not-say-that-harvard-possesses-any-sort-of-absolute-dominance/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [That doesn't mean that the top fifteen institutions in the ranking somehow don't belong there at all. But what is the difference between number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/that-doesn-t-mean-that-the-top-fifteen-institutions-in-the-ranking/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [It is equally unreasonable to run a university as a "participatory democracy," the approach to governance that once existed in Europe. That approach in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/it-is-equally-unreasonable-to-run-a-university-as-a-participatory/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [The faculty know what they need to develop and they need to work with an administrator with the authority do get it done. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/the-faculty-know-what-they-need-to-develop-and-they-need-to-work-with/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [Asian colleges would do well to use a broad range of criteria in selecting students and move beyond the unproductive "examination hell. "](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/asian-colleges-would-do-well-to-use-a-broad-range-of-criteria-in/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [There are many in East Asia who simply judge students on the basis of national tests. The top universities in the United States do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/there-are-many-in-east-asia-who-simply-judge-students-on-the-basis-of/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [Never underestimate the difficulty of changing false beliefs by facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/never-underestimate-the-difficulty-of-changing-false-beliefs-by-facts/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [That said, there are a few clear factors that determine the potential of a university to reach the highest levels of excellence. In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/that-said-there-are-a-few-clear-factors-that-determine-the-potential/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [Research is an expression of faith in the possibility of progress. The drive that leads scholars to study a topic has to include the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/research-is-an-expression-of-faith-in-the-possibility-of-progress-the/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [The question of how much English should be used in international research universities is one with which I am extremely familiar. I would even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/the-question-of-how-much-english-should-be-used-in-international/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [I have not been able to give a concrete answer to the question of how the nations of Asia can create their own unique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/i-have-not-been-able-to-give-a-concrete-answer-to-the-question-of-how/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [There is another innovation at Harvard which I think made a tremendous difference and that is the decision to try to recruit the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/there-is-another-innovation-at-harvard-which-i-think-made-a/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [Shared governance is often the critical element that is missing in Asian universities, no matter how talented the faculty may be. Either it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/shared-governance-is-often-the-critical-element-that-is-missing-in/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [Equally important for the promotion of excellence in the university is an emphasis on shared governance. The faculty needs to be involved directly in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/equally-important-for-the-promotion-of-excellence-in-the-university/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) [Explore all 32 Henry Rosovsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) ## More Beans quotes > [For Starbucks, there will be no shortage of the highest-quality arabica beans. I suspect that for some others there could potentially be a problem,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/for-starbucks-there-will-be-no-shortage-of-the-highest-quality/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [Every study on chocolate is pointing to the same conclusion: there is something in chocolate that is really good for us. That something is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wolfe/every-study-on-chocolate-is-pointing-to-the-same-conclusion-there-is/) [David Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wolfe/) > [Mine was, as it were, the connecting link between wild and cultivated fields; as some states are civilized, and others half-civilized, and others savage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/mine-was-as-it-were-the-connecting-link-between-wild-and-cultivated/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I like beans. Lentils are beans, right? I love beans and rice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-fielder/i-like-beans-lentils-are-beans-right-i-love-beans-and-rice/) [Prince Fielder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-fielder/) > [Without wanting to claim that I'm really like James Bond I would certainly prefer to be thought of as closer to James Bond than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/without-wanting-to-claim-that-i-m-really-like-james-bond-i-would/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [It is a great delusion to suppose that flesh-meat of any kind is essential to health. Considerably more than three parts of the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-booth/it-is-a-great-delusion-to-suppose-that-flesh-meat-of-any-kind-is/) [Catherine Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-booth/) > [The beanball is one of the meanest things on Earth and no decent fellow would use it. The beanball is a potential murderer. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-johnson/the-beanball-is-one-of-the-meanest-things-on-earth-and-no-decent/) [Walter Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-johnson/) > [For your information, I'm staying like this, and everyone else can just get used to it! If people don't like me the way I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/for-your-information-i-m-staying-like-this-and-everyone-else-can-just/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [I was eating beans by candle light for a decade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-andre/i-was-eating-beans-by-candle-light-for-a-decade/) [Eric Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-andre/) > [ They pick me \[to be tested for steroids\] every time. I don't know why. I don't know if it's because I'm a big guy,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ortiz/they-pick-me-to-be-tested-for-steroids-every-time-i-don-t-know-why-i/) [David Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ortiz/) > [I found myself face to face with a long line of people resembling extras off the set of Night of the Living Dead: shuffling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-frank/i-found-myself-face-to-face-with-a-long-line-of-people-resembling/) [Joan Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-frank/) > [What I really want is to sit next to someone under an L.L. bean blanket on the beach in the fall and drink coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/what-i-really-want-is-to-sit-next-to-someone-under-an-l-l-bean/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) > [Botanically speaking, tomatoes are the fruit of a vine, just as are cucumbers, squashes, beans and peas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-gray/botanically-speaking-tomatoes-are-the-fruit-of-a-vine-just-as-are/) [Horace Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-gray/) > [Hunger makes you restless. you dream about food - not just any food, but perfect food, the best food, magical meals, famous and awe-inspiring,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/hunger-makes-you-restless-you-dream-about-food-not-just-any-food-but/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“Shopping at the Dandelion Co-op made me feel European. Very Audrey Hepburn as Sabrina in Paris (that movie played a few weeks ago in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-genevieve-tucholke/shopping-at-the-dandelion-co-op-made-me-feel-european-very-audrey/) [April Genevieve Tucholke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-genevieve-tucholke/) [Browse all 409 Beans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As academics we have pretty good judgment about the quality of institutions that cannot simply be measured by counting the number of papers published or patents received. 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