the higher learning in america-第52节

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academic　staff；　whose　unbusinesslike　scholarly　proclivities　and



inability　to　keep　the　miner's…inch　of　scholastic　credit　always　in



mind；　must　in　some　measure　always　defeat　the　perfect　working　of



standardization　and　accountancy。



　　　　As　might　be　expected；　this　r間ime　of　graduated　sterility　has



already　made　fair　headway　in　the　undergraduate　work；　especially



in　the　larger　undergraduate　schools；　and　this　in　spite　of　any



efforts　On　the　part　of　the　administration　to　hedge　against　such



an　outcome　by　recourse　to　an　intricate　system　of　electives　and　a



wide　diversification　of　the　standard　units　of　erudition　so



offered。



　　　　In　the　graduate　work　the　like　effect　is　only　less　visible；



because　the　measures　leading　to　it　have　come　into　bearing　more



recently；　and　hitherto　less　unreservedly。　But　the　like　results



should　follow　here　also；　just　so　fast　and　so　far　as　the　same



range　of　business　principles　come　to　be　worked　into　the　texture



of　the　university　organization　in　the　same　efficacious　manner　as



they　have　already　taken　effect　in　the　public　schools。　And；　pushed



on　as　it　is　by　the　progressive　substitution　of　men　imbued　with



the　tastes　and　habits　of　practical　affairs；　in　the　place　of



unpractical　scholarly　ideals；　the　movement　toward　a　perfunctory



routine　of　mediocrity　should　logically　be　expected　to　go　forward



at　a　progressively　accelerated　rate。　The　visible　drift　of　things



in　this　respect　in　the　academic　pursuit　of　the　social　sciences；



so…called；　is　an　argument　as　to　what　may　be　hoped　for　in　the



domain　of　academic　science　at　large。　It　is　only　that　the



executive　is　actuated　by　a　sharper　solicitude　to　keep　the



academic　establishment　blameless　of　anything　like　innovation　or



iconoclasm　at　this　point；　which　reinforces　the　drift　toward　a



mechanistic　routine　and　a　curtailment　of　inquiry　in　this　field；



it　is　not　that　these　sciences　that　deal　with　the　phenomena　of



human　life　lend　themselves　more　readily　to　mechanical　description



and　enumeration　than　the　material　sciences　do；　nor　is　their



subject　matter　intrinsically　more　inert　or　less　provocative　of



questions。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II







　　　　Throughout　the　above　summary　review；　as　also　through　the



foregoing　inquiry；　the　argument　continually　returns　to　or　turns



about　two　main　interests；　　notoriety　and　the　academic



executive。　These　two　might　be　called　the　two　foci　about　which



swings　the　orbit　of　the　university　world。　These　conjugate　foci



lie　on　a　reasonably　short　axis；　indeed；　they　tend　to　coincide；　so



that　the　orbit　comes　near　the　perfection　of　a　circle；　having



virtually　but　a　single　centre；　which　may　perhaps　indifferently　be



spoken　of　as　the　university's　president　or　as　its　renown；



according　as　one　may　incline　to　conceive　these　matters　in　terms



of　tangible　fact　or　of　intangible。



　　　　The　system　of　standardization　and　accountancy　has　this　renown



or　prestige　as　its　chief　ulterior　purpose；　　the　prestige　of　the



university　or　of　its　president；　which　largely　comes　to　the　same



net　result。　Particularly　will　this　be　true　in　so　far　as　this



organization　is　designed　to　serve　competitive　ends；　which　are；　in



academic　affairs；　chiefly　the　ends　of　notoriety；　prestige；



advertising　in　all　its　branches　and　bearings。　It　is　through



increased　creditable　notoriety　that　the　universities　seek　their



competitive　ends；　and　it　is　on　such　increase　of　notoriety；



accordingly；　that　the　competitive　endeavours　of　a　businesslike



management　are　chiefly　spent。　It　is　in　and　through　such　accession



of　renown；　therefore；　that　the　chief　and　most　tangible　gains　due



to　the　injection　of　competitive　business　principles　in　the



academic　policy　should　appear。



　　　　Of　course；　this　renown；　as　such；　has　no　substantial　value　to



the　corporation　of　learning；　nor；　indeed；　to　any　one　but　the



university　executive　by　whose　management　it　is　achieved。　Taken



simply　in　its　first　incidence；　as　prestige　or　notoriety；　it



conduces　in　no　degree　to　the　pursuit　of　knowledge；　but　in　its



ulterior　consequences；　it　appears　currently　to　be　believed；　at



least　ostensibly；　that　such　notoriety　must　greatly　enhance　the



powers　of　the　corporation　of　learning。　These　ulterior



consequences　are　（believed　to　be）；　a　growth　in　the　material



resources　and　the　volume　of　traffic。



　　　　Such　good　effects　as　may　follow　from　a　sedulous　attention　to



creditable　publicity；　therefore；　are　the　chief　gains　to　be　set



off　against　the　mischief　incident　to　〃scientific　management〃　in



academic　affairs。　Hence　any　line　of　inquiry　into　the　business



management　of　the　universities　continually　leads　back　to　the



cares　of　publicity；　with　what　might　to　an　outsider　seem　undue



insistence。　The　reason　is　that　the　businesslike　management　and



arrangements　in　question　are　habitually　　and　primarily　required



either　to　serve　the　ends　of　this　competitive　campaign　of



publicity　or　to　conform　to　its　schedule　of　expediency。　The　felt



need　of　notoriety　and　prestige　has　a　main　share　in　shaping　the



work　and　bearing　of　the　university　at　every　point。　Whatever　will



not　serve　this　end　of　prestige　has　no　secure　footing　in　current



university　policy。　The　margin　of　tolerance　on　this　head　is　quite



narrow；　and　it　is　apparently　growing　incontinently　narrower。



　　　　So　far　as　any　university　administration　can；　with　the



requisite　dignity；　permit　itself　to　avow　a　pursuit　of　notoriety；



the　gain　that　is　avowedly　sought　by　its　means　is　an　increase　of



funds；　　more　or　less　ingenuously　spoken　of　as　an　increase　of



equipment。　An　increased　enrolment　of　students　will　be　no　less



eagerly　sought　after；　but　the　received　canons　of　academic　decency



require　this　object　to　be　kept　even　more　discreetly　masked　than



the　quest　of　funds。



　　　　The　duties　of　publicity　are　large　and　arduous；　and　the



expenditures　incurred　in　this　behalf　are　similarly　considerable。



So　that　it　is　not　unusual　to　find　a　Publicity　Bureau　　often



apologetically　masquerading　under　a　less　tell…tale　name　



incorporated　in　the　university　organization　to　further　this



enterprise　in　reputable　notoriety。　Not　only　must　a　creditable



publicity　be　provided　for；　as　one　of　the　running　cares　of　the



administration；　but　every　feature　of　academic　life；　and　of　the



life　of　all　members　of　the　academic　staff；　must　unremittingly



（though　of　course　unavowedly）　be　held　under　surveillance　at　every



turn；　with　a　view　to　furthering　whatever　may　yield　a　reputable



notoriety；　and　to　correcting　or　eliminating　whatever　may　be



conceived　to　have　a　doubtful　or　untoward　bearing　in　this　respect。



　　　　This　surveillance　of　appearances；　and　of　the　means　of



propagating　appearances；　is　perhaps　the　most　exacting　detail　of



duty　incumbent　on　an　enterprising　executive。　Without　such　a



painstaking　cultivation　of　a　reputable　notoriety；　it　is　believed；



a　due　share　of　funds　could　not　be　procured　by　any　university　for



the　prosecution　of　its　work　as　a　seminary　of　the　higher　learning。



Its　more　alert　and　unabashed　rivals；　it　is　presumed；　would　in



that　case　be　able　to　divert　the　flow　of　loose　funds　to　their　own



use；　and　would　so　outstrip　their　dilatory　competitor　in　the　race



for　size　and　popular　acclaim；　and　therefore；　it　is　sought　to　be



believed；　in　scientific　and　scholarly　application。



　　　　In　the　absence　of　all　reflection　　not　an　uncommon　frame　of



mind　in　this　connection　　one　might　be　tempted　to　think　that　all



this　academic　enterprise　of　notoriety　and　conciliation　should　add



something　appreciable　to　the　aggregate　of　funds　placed　at　the



disposal　of　the　universities；　and　that　each　of　these　competitive



advertising　concerns　should　so　gain　something　appreciable；



without　thereby　cutting　into　the　supply　of　funds　available　for



the　rest。　But　such　is　probably　not　the　outcome；　to　any



appreciable　extent；　assuredly　not　apart　from　the　case　of　the



state　universities　that　are　dependent　on　the　favour　of　local



politicians；　and　perhaps　apart　from　gifts　for　conspicuous



buildings。



　　　　With　whatever　（slight）　reservation　may　be　due；　publicity　in



university　management　is　of　substantially　the　same　nature　and



effect　as　advertising　in　other　competitive　business；　and　with



such　reservation　as　may　be　called　for　in　the　case　of　other



advertising；　it　is　an　engine　of　competition；　and　has　no　aggregate



effect。　As　is　true　of　competitive　gains　in　business　at　large；　so



also　these　differential　gains　of　the　several　university



corporations　can　not　be　added　together　to　make　an　aggregate。　They



are　differential　gains　in　the　main；　of　the　same　natur