Large scale commercial universities are frequently designed as the educational equivalent of fast food. They seek to produce a highly standardized product. A small team of very skilled faculty compose the curriculum with highly detailed instructions for each class session. Minimally trained local intructors then deliver the course by closely following the script.

Fine teaching, like fine dining, is more dependent on the creative instincts and professional experience of the local faculty than on a person's ability to follow a standard recipe. Schools like Skidmore should emphasize the "value-added" or "fine-dining" quality of the learning experience for students and parents.

Some of the value-added factors include:

• Close student/faculty interaction in collaborative settings.
  
  
• The opportunity to explore intellectual issues in a challenging and nurturing environment.
  
  
• A belief in the liberal arts as a key strategy for personal and professional growth
  
  
• A service-oriented community within an attractive park-like campus.

Authority is an important component to creativity. For example, an expert chef would never surrender the kitchen ot the customers. As the acknowledged culinary expert the chef defines each dish, its seasonings, accompanyments, and establishes the standard for when it is considered ready for service to the customer. At the same time, the chef must be sensitive to public tastes and offer a menu that suits a range of tastes and interests. In similar fashion, as colleges and universities strive to become more student-centered, they should resist surrendering authority over the curriculum, while remaining sensitive to student interests and aspirations.