2012-2013 Tanner Lectures
October 10-12, 2012

The 'Cost Disease' in Higher Education: Is Technology the Answer?

William G. Bowen (President Emeritus, Princeton University and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation)

Lecture I: October 10
"The Productivity Problem in Higher Education"
5:30-7:00pm / Cemex Auditorium, Knight Management Center

Lecture II: October 11
"Prospects for an Online Learning 'Fix'"
5:30-7:00pm / Cemex Auditorium, Knight Management Center

Discussion I: October 11
Discussion II: October 12
10:00am-12:00pm / Lucas Conference Room 134A, SIEPR-Landau Economics Bldg.
Note: Due to limited seminar room capacity, priority seating will be given to Stanford affiliates

Commentators:
Andrew Delbanco (American Studies, Columbia)
Howard Gardner (Graduate School of Education, Harvard)
John Hennessy (President, Stanford)
Daphne Koller (Computer Science, Stanford)


Lectures 1 & 2 (pdf)

Reviews of Bowen's talk: Stanford Report Lecture I, Lecture II / Stanford Daily


Audio Recordings

Tanner Lecture I


Tanner Lecture II


Tanner Discussion I


Tanner Discussion II

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History of the Tanner Lectures at Stanford 

The Center for Ethics in Society collaborates with The Office of the President to host the Tanner Lectures on Human Values at Stanford.

Appointment as a Tanner lecturer is in recognition for uncommon achievement and outstanding abilities in the field of human values. The lecturers themselves come from the fields of philosophy, religion, the humanities, the sciences, the creative arts, and learned professions, or from leadership in public or private affairs. The lectureships are international and intercultural and transcend ethnic, national, religious, and ideological distinctions. Past Tanner lecturers at Stanford include: Jared Diamond, Dorothy Allison, Paul Krugman, Mary Robinson, Harry Frankfurt, Avishai Margalit, David Brion Davis, and Glenn Loury.

The purpose of the Tanner Lectures is to advance and reflect upon the scholarly and scientific learning relating to human values. This intention embraces the entire range of values pertinent to the human condition, interest, behavior, and aspiration. The lectures are published in an annual volume.

The Tanner Lectures were established by the late American scholar, industrialist, and philanthropist, Obert Clark Tanner. In creating the lectureships, Tanner said, "I hope these lectures will contribute to the intellectual and moral life of mankind. I see them simply as a search for a better understanding of human behavior and human values. This understanding may be pursued for its own intrinsic worth, but it may also eventually have practical consequences for the quality of personal and social life."

Stanford is proud to be one of the nine distinguished universities to host the Tanner Lectures. The Tanner lectureships, which are comprised of annual lectures and seminars, are held at nine universities including Cambridge, Harvard, Michigan, Oxford, Princeton, The University of California, Utah, Yale, and Stanford.


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Past Tanner Lectures