the higher learning in america-第53节

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are　differential　gains　in　the　main；　of　the　same　nature　as　the



gains　achieved　in　any　other　game　of　skill　and　effrontery。　The



gross　aggregate　funds　contributed　to　university　uses　from　all



sources　would　in　all　probability　be　nearly　as　large　in　the



absence　of　such　competitive　notoriety　and　conformity。　Indeed；　it



should　seem　likely　that　such　donors　as　are　gifted　with　sufficient



sense　of　the　value　of　science　and　scholarship　to　find　it　worth



while　to　sink　any　part　of　their　capital　in　that　behalf　would　be



somewhat　deterred　by　the　spectacle　of　competitive　waste　and



futile　clamour　presented　by　this　academic　enterprise；　so　that　the



outcome　might　as　well　be　a　diminution　of　the　gross　aggregate　of



donations　and　allowances。　But　such　an　argument　doubtless　runs　on



very　precarious　grounds；　it　is　by　no　means　evident　that　these



munificent　patrons　of　learning　habitually　distinguish　between



scholarship　and　publicity。　But　in　any　case　it　is　quite　safe　to



presume　that　to　the　cause　of　learning　at　large；　and　therefore　to



the　community　in　respect　of　its　interest　in　the　advancement　of



learning；　no　appreciable　net　gain　accrues　from　this　competitive



publicity　of　the　seats　of　learning。



　　　　In　some　slight；　or　doubtful；　degree　this　competitive



publicity；　including　academic　pageants；　genteel　solemnities；　and



the　like；　may　conceivably　augment　the　gross　aggregate　means



placed　at　the　disposal　of　the　universities；　by　persuasively



keeping　the　well…meaning　men　of　wealth　constantly　in　mind　of　the



university's　need　of　additional　funds；　as　well　as　of　the　fact



that　such　gifts　will　not　be　allowed　to　escape　due　public　notice。



But　the　aggregate　increase　of　funds　due　to　these　endeavours　is



doubtless　not　large　enough　to　offset　the　aggregate　expenditure　on



notoriety。　Taken　as　a　whole；　and　counting　in　all　the　wide…ranging



expenditure　entailed　by　this　enterprise　in　notoriety　and　the



maintenance　of　academic　prestige；　university　publicity　doubtless



costs　appreciably　more　than　it　brings。　So　far　as　it　succeeds　in



its　purpose；　its　chief　effect　is　to　divert　the　flow　of　funds　from



one　to　another　of　the　rival　establishments。　In　the　aggregate　this



expedient　for　procuring　means　for　the　advancement　of　learning



doubtless　results　in　an　appreciable　net　loss。



　　　　The　net　loss；　indeed；　is　always　much　more　considerable　than



would　be　indicated　by　any　statistical　showing；　for　this　academic



enterprise　involves　an　extensive　and　almost　wholly　wasteful



duplication　of　equipment；　personnel　and　output　of　instruction；　as



between　the　rival　seats　of　learning；　at　the　same　time　that　it



also　involves　an　excessively　parsimonious　provision　for　actual



scholastic　work；　as　contrasted　with　publicity；　so　also　it



involves　the　overloading　of　each　rival　corps　of　instructors　with



a　heterogeneous　schedule　of　courses；　beyond　what　would　conduce　to



their　best　efficiency　as　teachers。　This　competitive　parcelment；



duplication　and　surreptitious　thrift；　due　to　a　businesslike



rivalry　between　the　several　schools；　is　perhaps　the　gravest



drawback　to　the　American　university　situation。



　　　　It　should　be　added　that　no　aggregate　gain　for　scholarship



comes　of　diverting　any　given　student　from　one　school　to　another



duplicate　establishment　by　specious　offers　of　a　differential



advantage；　particularly　when；　as　frequently　happens；　the



differential　inducement　takes　the　form　of　the　extra…scholastic



amenities　spoken　of　in　an　earlier　chapter；　or　the　greater　alleged



prestige　of　one　school　as　against　another；　or；　as　also　happens；　a



surreptitiously　greater　facility　for　achieving　a　given　academic



degree。



　　　　In　all　its　multifarious　ways　and　means；　university



advertising　carried　beyond　the　modicum　that　would　serve　a　due



〃publicity　of　accounts〃　as　regards　the　work　to　be　done；



accomplishes　no　useful　aggregate　result。　And；　as　is　true　of



advertising　in　other　competitive　business；　current　university



publicity　is　not　an　effective　means　of　spreading　reliable



information；　nor　is　it　designed　for　that　end。　Here　as　elsewhere；



to　meet　the　requirements　of　competitive　enterprise；　advertising



must　somewhat　exceed　the　point　of　maximum　veracity。



　　　　In　no　field　of　human　endeavour　is　competitive　notoriety　and　a



painstaking　conformity　to　extraneous　standards　of　living　and　of



conduct　so　gratuitous　a　burden；　since　learning　is　in　no　degree　a



competitive　enterprise；　and　all　mandatory　observance　of　the



conventions　　pecuniary　or　other　　is　necessarily　a　drag　on　the



pursuit　of　knowledge。　In　ordinary　competitive　business；　as；　e。g。；



merchandising；　advertisement　is　a　means　of　competitive　selling；



and　is　justified　by　the　increased　profits　that　come　to　the



successful　advertiser　from　the　increased　traffic；　and　on　the　like



grounds　a　painstaking　conformity　to　conventional　usage；　in



appearances　and　expenditure；　is　there　wisely　cultivated　with　the



same　end　in　view。　In　the　affairs　of　science　and　scholarship；



simply　as　such　and　apart　from　the　personal　ambitions　of　the



university's　executive；　there　is　nothing　that　corresponds　to　this



increased　traffic　or　these　competitive　profits；（3*）　　nor　will



the　discretionary　officials　avow　that　such　increased　traffic　is



the　purpose　of　academic　publicity。　Indeed；　an　increased　enrolment



of　students　yields　no　increased　net　income；　nor　is　the



corporation　of　learning　engaged　（avowedly；　at　least）　in　an



enterprise　that　looks　to　a　net　income。　At　the　same　time；　such



increased　enrolment　as　comes　of　this　competitive　salesmanship



among　the　universities　is　made　up　almost　wholly　of　wasters；



accessions　from　the　genteel　and　sporting　classes；　who　seek　the



university　as　a　means　of　respectability　and　dissipation；　and　who



serve　the　advancement　of　the　higher　learning　only　as　fire；　flood



and　pestilence　serve　the　needs　of　the　husbandman。



　　　　Competitive　publicity；　therefore；　and　its　maid…servant



conventional　observance；　would　appear　in　all　this　order　of　things



to　have　no　serious　motive；　or　at　least　none　that　can　freely　be



avowed；　as　witness　the　unwillingness　of　any　university



administration　formally　to　avow　that　it　seeks　publicity　or



expends　the　corporate　funds　in　competitive　advertising。　So　that



on　its　face　this　whole　academic　traffic　in　publicity　and　genteel



conventionalities　appears　to　be　little　else　than　a　boyish



imitation　of　the　ways　and　means　employed；　with　shrewd　purpose；　in



business　enterprise　that　has　no　analog　with　the　pursuit　of



knowledge。　But　the　aggregate　yearly　expenditure　of　the



universities　on　this　competitive　academic　publicity　runs　well　up



into　the　millions；　and　it　involves　also　an　extensive　diversion　of



the　energies　of　the　general　body　of　academic　men　to　these



purposes　of　creditable　notoriety；　and　such　an　expenditure　of



means　and　activities　is　not　lightly　to　be　dismissed　as　an



unadvised　play　of　businesslike　fancy　on　the　part　of　the



university　authorities。



　　　　Unquestionably；　an　unreflecting　imitation　of　methods　that



have　been　found　good　in　retail　merchandising　counts　for　something



in　the　case；　perhaps　for　much；　for　the　academic　executives　under



whose　surveillance　this　singularly　futile　traffic　is　carried　on



are　commonly　men　of　commonplace　intelligence　and　aspiration；



bound　by　the　commonplace　habits　of　workday　intercourse　in　a



business　community。　The　histrionic　afflatus　is　also　by　no　means



wanting　in　current　university　management；　and　when　coupled　with



commonplace　ideals　in　the　dramatic　art　its　outcome　will



necessarily　be　a　tawdry；　spectacular　pageantry　and　a　straining



after　showy　magnitude。　There　is　also　the　lower　motive　of



unreflecting　clannishness　on　the　part　of　the　several　university



establishments。　This　counts　for　something；　perhaps　for　more　than



one　could　gracefully　admit。　It　stands　out　perhaps　most　baldly　in



the　sentimental　rivalry　　somewhat　factitious；　it　is　true　



shown　at　intercollegiate　games　and　similar　occasions　of　invidious



comparison　between　the　different　schools。　It　is；　of　course；



gratifying　to　the　clannish　conceit　of　any　college　man　to　be　able



to　hold　up　convincing　statistical　exhibits　showing　the　greater



glory　of　〃his　own〃　university；　whether　in　athletics；　enrolment；



alumni；　material　equipment；　or　schedules　of　instruction；　whether



he　be　an　official；　student；　alumnus；　or　member　of　the　academic



staff；　and　all　this　array　and　circumstance　will　appeal　to　him　the



more　unreservedly　in　proportion　as　he　is　gifted　with　a　more



vulgar　sportsmanlike　bent　and　is　unmoved　by　any　dispassionate



interest　in　matters　of　science　or　schola