the higher learning in america-第31部分

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persistently　fell　sick　after　a　few　weeks　of　work　in　the



laboratory；　recurrently　after　each　return　from　enforced



vacations。　Until；　in　the　end；　moved　by　persistent　suspicions　of



sewer…gas　　which；　by　the　way；　had　in　the　meantime　cost　some



futile　inconvenience　and　expense　occasioned　by　unnecessary



overhauling　of　the　plumbing　　one　of　the　staff　pried　into　the



janitor's　domain　in　the　basement；　where　he　found　near　the　chamber



of　the　steam　coils　a　loosely　closed　man…hole　leading　into　the



sewers；　from　which　apparently　such　air　was　drawn　as　would



necessarily　go　to　offset　the　current　leakage　from　this　closed



system　of　ventilation。







2。　This　is　a　nearly　universal　infirmity　of　American　university



policy；　but　it　is　doubtless　not　to　be　set　down　solely　to　the



account　of　the　penchant　for　a　large　publicity　on　the　part　of　the



several　academic　executives。　It　is　in　all　likelihood　due　as　much



to　the　equally　ubiquitous　inability　of　the　governing　boards　to



appreciate　or　to　perceive　what　the　current　needs　of　the　academic



work　are；　or　even　what　they　are　like。　Men　trained　in　the　conduct



of　business　enterprise；　as　the　governing　boards　are；　will　have



great　difficulty　in　persuading　themselves　that　expenditures　which



yield　neither　increased　dividends　nor　such　a　durable　physical



product　as　can　be　invoiced　and　added　to　the　capitalization；　can



be　other　than　a　frivolous　waste　of　good　money；　so　that　what　is



withheld　from　current　academic　expenditure　is　felt　to　be　saved；



while　that　expenditure　which　leaves　a　tangible　residue　of



（perhaps　useless）　real　estate　is；　by　force　of　ingrained　habit；



rated　as　new　investment。







CHAPTER　V







The　Academic　Personnel











　　　　As　regards　the　personnel　of　the　academic　staff　the　control



enforced　by　the　principles　of　competitive　business　is　more



subtle；　complex　and　far…reaching；　and　should　merit　more



particular　attention。　The　staff　is　the　university；　or　it　should



so　be　if　the　university　is　to　deserve　the　place　assigned　it　in



the　scheme　of　civilization。　Therefore　the　central　and　gravest



question　touching　current　academic　policy　is　the　question　of　its



bearing　on　the　personnel　and　the　work　which　there　is　for　them　to



do。　In　the　apprehension　of　many　critics　the　whole　question　of



university　control　is　comprised　in　the　dealings　of　the　executive



with　the　staff。



　　　　Whether　the　power　of　appointment　vests　formally　in　one　man　or



in　a　board；　in　American　practice　it　commonly　vests；　in　effect；　in



the　academic　executive。　In　practice；　the　power　of　removal；　as



well　as　that　of　advancement；　rests　in　the　same　hands。　The



businesslike　requirements　of　the　case　bring　it　to　this　outcome　de



facto；　whatever　formalities　of　procedure　may　intervene　de　jure。



　　　　It　lies　in　the　nature　of　the　case　that　this　appointing　power



will　tend　to　create　a　faculty　after　its　own　kind。　It　will　be



quick　to　recognize　efficiency　within　the　lines　of　its　own



interests；　and　slower　to　see　fitness　in　those　lines　that　lie



outside　of　its　horizon；　where　it　must　necessarily　act　on　outside



solicitation　and　hearsay　evidence。



　　　　The　selective　effect　of　such　a　bias；　guided　as　one　might　say；



by　a　〃consciousness　of　kind；〃　may　be　seen　in　those　establishments



that　have　remained　under　clerical　tutelage；　where；　notoriously；



the　first　qualification　looked　to　in　an　applicant　for　work　as　a



teacher　is　his　religious　bias。　But　the　bias　of　these　governing



boards　and　executives　that　are　under　clerical　control　has　after



all　been　able　to　effect　only　a　partial；　though　far…reaching；



conformity　to　clerical　ideals　of　fitness　in　the　faculties　so



selected；　more　especially　in　the　larger　and　modernized　schools　of



this　class。　In　practice　it　is　found　necessary　somewhat　to　wink　at



devotional　shortcomings　among　their　teachers；　clerical；　or



pronouncedly　devout；　scientists　that　are　passably　competent　in



their　science；　are　of　very　rare　occurrence；　and　yet　something



presentable　in　the　way　of　modern　science　is　conventionally



required　by　these　schools；　in　order　to　live；　and　so　to　effect　any



part　of　their　purpose。　Half　a　loaf　is　better　than　no　bread。　None



but　the　precarious　class　of　schools　made　up　of　the　lower　grade



and　smaller　of　these　colleges；　such　as　are　content　to　save　their



souls　alive　without　exerting　any　effect　on　the　current　of



civilization；　are　able　to　get　along　with　faculties　made　up



exclusively　of　God…fearing　men。



　　　　Something　of　the　same　kind；　and　in　somewhat　the　same　degree；



is　true　for　the　schools　under　the　tutelage　of　businessmen。　While



the　businesslike　ideal　may　be　a　faculty　wholly　made　up　of　men



highly　gifted　with　business　sense；　it　is　not　practicable　to



assemble　such　a　faculty　which　shall　at　the　same　time　be　plausibly



competent　in　science　and　scholarship。　Scientists　and　scholars



given　over　to　the　pursuit　of　knowledge　are　conventionally



indispensable　to　a　university；　and　such　are　commonly　not　largely



gifted　with　business　sense；　either　by　habit　or　by　native　gift。



The　two　lines　of　interest　　business　and　science　　do　not　pull



together；　a　competent　scientist　or　scholar　well　endowed　with



business　sense　is　as　rare　as　a　devout　scientist　　almost　as　rare



as　a　white　blackbird。　Yet　the　inclusion　of　men　of　scientific



gifts　and　attainments　among　its　faculty　is　indispensable　to　the



university；　if　it　is　to　avoid　instant　and　palpable



stultification。



　　　　So　that　the　most　that　can　practically　be　accomplished　by　a



businesslike　selection　and　surveillance　of　the　academic　personnel



will　be　a　compromise；　whereby　a　goodly　number　of　the　faculty　will



be　selected　on　grounds　of　businesslike　fitness；　more　or　less



pronounced；　while　a　working　minority　must　continue　to　be　made　up



of　men　without　much　business　proficiency　and　without　pronounced



loyalty　to　commercial　principles。



　　　　This　fluctuating　margin　of　limitation　has　apparently　not　yet



been　reached；　perhaps　not　even　in　the　most　enterprising　of　our



universities。　Such　should　be　the　meaning　of　the　fact　that　a



continued　commercialization　of　the　academic　staff　appears　still



to　be　in　progress；　in　the　sense　that　businesslike　fitness　counts



progressively　for　more　in　appointments　and　promotions。　These



businesslike　qualifications　do　not　comprise　merely　facility　in



the　conduct　of　pecuniary　affairs；　even　if　such　facility　be



conceived　to　include　the　special　aptitudes　and　proficiency　that



go　to　the　making　of　a　successful　advertiser。　In　academic　circles



as　elsewhere　businesslike　fitness　includes　solvency　as　well　as



commercial　genius。　Both　of　these　qualifications　are　useful　in　the



competitive　manoeuvres　in　which　the　academic　body　is　engaged。　But



while　the　two　are　apparently　given　increasing　weight　in　the



selection　and　grading　of　the　academic　personnel；　the　precedents



and　specifications　for　a　standard　rating　of　merit　in　this　bearing



have　hitherto　not　been　worked　out　to　such　a　nicety　as　to　allow



much　more　than　a　more　or　less　close　approach　to　a　consistent



application　of　the　principle　in　the　average　case。　And　there　lies



always　the　infirmity　in　the　background　of　the　system　that　if　the



staff　were　selected　consistently　with　an　eye　single　to　business



capacity　and　business　animus　the　university　would　presently　be



functa　officio；　and　the　captain　of　erudition　would　find　his



occupation　gone。



　　　　A　university　is　an　endowed　institution　of　culture；　whether



the　endowment　take　the　form　of　assigned　income；　as　in　the　state



establishments；　or　of　funded　wealth；　as　with　most　other



universities。　Such　fraction　of　the　income　as　is　assigned　to　the



salary　roll；　and　which　therefore　comes　in　question　here；　is



apportioned　among　the　staff　for　work　which　has　no　determinate



market　value。　It　is　not　a　matter　of　quid　pro　quo；　since　one



member　of　the　exchange；　the　stipend　or　salary；　is　measurable　in



pecuniary　terms　and　the　other　is　not。　This　work　has　no　business



value；　in　so　far　as　it　is　work　properly　included　among　the　duties



of　the　academic　men。　Indeed；　it　is　a　fairly　safe　test；　work　that



has　a　commercial　value　does　not　belong　in　the　university。　Such



services　of　the　academic　staff　as　have　a　business　value　are　those



portions　of　their　work　that　serve　other　ends　than　the　higher



learning；　as；　e。g。；　the　prestige　and　pecuniary　gain　of　the



institution　at　large；　the　pecuniary　advantage　of　a　given　clique



or　faction　within　the　university；　or　the　profit　and　renown　of　the



directive　head。　Gains　that　accrue　for　services　of　this　general



character　are　not；　properly　speaking；　salary　or　stipend　payable



toward　〃the　increase　and　diffusion　of　knowledge　among　men；〃　even



if　they　are　currently　so　designated；　in　the　absence　of　suitable



distinctions。　Instances　of　such　a　diversion　of　corporate　funds　to



private　ends　have　in　the　past　occurred　in　certain　monastic　and



priestly　orders；　as　well　as　in　some　modern　political



organizations。　Organized　malversation　of　this　character　has



latterly　been　called　〃graft。〃　The　long…term　common　sense　of　the



community　would　presently　disavow　any　corporation　of　learning



overtly　pursuing　such　a　course；　as　being　faithless　to　its　trust；



and　the　conservation　of　learning　would　so　pass　into　other　hands。



Indeed；　there　are　facts　current　which　broadly　suggest　that　the



keeping　of　the　higher　learning　is　beginning　to　pass　into　other；



and　presumptively　more　disinterested；　hands。



　　　　The　permeation　of　academic　policy　by　business　principles　is　a



matter　of　more　or　less；　not　of　abso