the higher learning in america-第17章

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or　scientist　can　become　an　employee　in　respect　of　his　scholarly



or　scientific　work。　Mechanical　systematization　and　authoritative



control　can　in　these　premises　not　reach　beyond　the　material



circumstances　that　condition　the　work　in　hand；　nor　can　it　in



these　external　matters　with　good　effect　go　farther　than　is



necessary　to　supply　the　material　ways　and　means　requisite　to　the



work；　and　to　adapt　them　to　the　peculiar　needs　of　any　given　line



of　inquiry　or　group　of　scholars。　In　order　to　their　best



efficiency；　and　indeed　in　the　degree　in　which　efficiency　in　this



field　of　activity　is　to　be　attained　at　all；　the　executive



officers　of　the　university　must　stand　in　the　relation　of



assistants　serving　the　needs　and　catering　to　the　idiosyncrasies



of　the　body　of　scholars　and　scientists　that　make　up　the



university；（1*）　in　the　degree　in　which　the　converse　relation　is



allowed　to　take　effect；　the　unavoidable　consequence　is　wasteful



defeat。　A　free　hand　is　the　first　and　abiding　requisite　of



scholarly　and　scientific　work。



　　　　Now；　in　accepting　office　as　executive　head　of　a　university；



the　incumbent　necessarily　accepts　all　the　conditions　that　attach



to　the　administration　of　his　office；　whether　by　usage　and　common



sense　expectation；　by　express　arrangement；　or　by　patent



understanding　with　the　board　to　which　he　owes　his　elevation　to



this　post　of　dignity　and　command。　By　usage　and　precedent　it　is



incumbent　on　him　to　govern　the　academic　personnel　and　equipment



with　an　eye　single　to　the　pursuit　of　knowledge；　and　so　to　conduct



its　affairs　as　will　most　effectually　compass　that　end。　That　is　to



say　he　must　so　administer　his　office　as　best　to　serve　the



scholarly　needs　of　the　academic　staff；　due　regard　being



scrupulously　had　to　the　idiosyncrasies；　and　even　to　the　vagaries；



of　the　men　whose　work　he　is　called　on　to　further。　But　by　patent



understanding；　if　not　by　explicit　stipulation；　from　the　side　of



the　governing　board；　fortified　by　the　preconceptions　of　the　laity



at　large　to　the　same　effect；　he　is　held　to　such　a　conspicuously



efficient　employment　of　the　means　in　hand　as　will　gratify　those



who　look　for　a　voluminous　turnover。　To　this　end　he　must　keep　the



academic　administration　and　its　activity　constantly　in　the　public



eye；　with　such　〃pomp　and　circumstance〃　of　untiring　urgency　and



expedition　as　will　carry　the　conviction　abroad　that　the



university　under　his　management　is　a　highly　successful　going



concern；　and　he　must　be　able　to　show　by　itemized　accounts　that



the　volume　of　output　is　such　as　to　warrant　the　investment。　So　the



equipment　and　personnel　must　be　organized　into　a　facile　and



orderly　working　force；　held　under　the　directive　control　of　the



captain　of　erudition　at　every　point；　and　so　articulated　and



standardized　that　its　rate　of　speed　and　the　volume　of　its　current



output　can　be　exhibited　to　full　statistical　effect　as　it　runs。



　　　　The　university　is　to　make　good　both　as　a　corporation　of



learning　and　as　a　business　concern　dealing　in　standardized



erudition；　and　the　executive　head　necessarily　assumes　the



responsibility　of　making　it　count　wholly　and　unreservedly　in　each



of　these　divergent；　if　not　incompatible　lines。（2*）　Humanly



speaking；　it　follows　by　necessary　consequence　that　he　will　first



and　always　take　care　of　those　duties　that　are　most　jealously



insisted　on　by　the　powers　to　whom　he　is　accountable；　and　the　due



performance　of　which　will　at　the　same　time　yield　some



sufficiently　tangible　evidence　of　his　efficiency。　That　other；



more　recondite　side　of　the　university's　work　that　has



substantially　to　do　with　the　higher　learning　is　not　readily　set



out　in　the　form　of　statistical　exhibits；　at　the　best；　and　can



ordinarily　come　to　appraisal　and　popular　appreciation　only　in　the



long　run。　The　need　of　a　businesslike　showing　is　instant　and



imperative；　particularly　in　a　business　era　of　large　turnover　and



quick　returns；　and　to　meet　this　need　the　uneventful　scholastic



life　that　counts　toward　the　higher　learning　in　the　long　run　is　of



little　use；　so　it　can　wait；　and　it　readily　becomes　a　habit　with



the　busy　executive　to　let　it　wait。



　　　　It　should　be　kept　in　mind　also　that　the　incumbent　of



executive　office　is　presumably　a　man　of　businesslike



qualifications；　rather　than　of　scholarly　insight；　　the　method



of　selecting　the　executive　heads　under　the　present　r間ime　makes



that　nearly　a　matter　of　course。　As　such　he　will　in　his　own　right



more　readily　appreciate　those　results　of　his　own　management　that



show　up　with　something　of　the　glare　of　publicity；　as　contrasted



with　the　slow…moving　and　often　obscure　working　of　inquiry　that



lies　（commonly）　somewhat　beyond　his　intellectual　horizon。　So　that



with　slight　misgivings；　if　any；　he　takes　to　the　methods　of



organization　and　control　that　have　commended　themselves　in　that



current　business　enterprise　to　which　it　is　his　ambition　to



assimilate　the　corporation　of　learning。



　　　　These　precedents　of　business　practice　that　are　to　afford



guidance　to　the　captain　of　erudition　are；　of　course；　the



precedents　of　competitive　business。　It　is　one　of　the　unwritten；



and　commonly　unspoken；　commonplaces　lying　at　the　root　of　modern



academic　policy　that　the　various　universities　are　competitors　for



the　traffic　in　merchantable　instruction；　in　much　the　same　fashion



as　rival　establishments　in　the　retail　trade　compete　for　custom。



Indeed；　the　modern　department　store　offers　a　felicitous　analogy；



that　has　already　been　found　serviceable　in　illustration　of　the



American　university's　position　in　this　respect；　by　those　who



speak　for　the　present　r間ime　as　well　as　by　its　critics。　The　fact



that　the　universities　are　assumed　to　be　irreconcilable



competitors；　both　in　the　popular　apprehension　and　as　evidenced　by



the　manoeuvres　of　their　several　directors；　is　too　notorious　to　be



denied　by　any　but　the　interested　parties。　Now　and　again　it　is



formally　denied　by　one　and　another　among　the　competing　captains



of　erudition；　but　the　reason　for　such　denial　is　the　need　of



it。（3*）



　　　　Now；　the　duties　of　the　executive　head　of　a　competitive



business　concern　are　of　a　strategic　nature；　the　object　of　his



management　being　to　get　the　better　of　rival　concerns　and　to



engross　the　trade。　To　this　end　it　is　indispensable　that　he　should



be　a　〃strong　man〃　and　should　have　a　free　hand；　　though　perhaps



under　the　general　and　tolerant　surveillance　of　his　board　of



directors。　Any　wise　board　of　directors；　and　in　the　degree　in



which　they　are　endowed　with　the　requisite　wisdom；　will　be　careful



to　give　their　general　manager　full　discretion；　and　not　to　hamper



him　with　too　close　an　accounting　of　the　details　of　his



administration；　so　long　as　he　shows　gratifying　results。　He　must



be　a　strong　man；　that　is　to　say；　a　capable　man　of　affairs；



tenacious　and　resourceful　in　turning　the　means　at　hand　to　account



for　this　purpose；　and　easily　content　to　let　the　end　justify　the



means。　He　must　be　a　man　of　scrupulous　integrity；　so　far　as　may



conduce　to　his　success；　but　with　a　shrewd　eye　to　the　limits



within　which　honesty　is　the　best　policy；　for　the　purpose　in　hand。



He　must　have　full　command　of　the　means　entrusted　to　him　and　full



control　of　the　force　of　employees　and　subordinates　who　are　to



work　under　his　direction；　and　he　must　be　able　to　rely　on　the



instant　and　unwavering　loyalty　of　his　staff　in　any　line　of　policy



on　which　he　may　decide　to　enter。　He　must　therefore　have　free



power　to　appoint　and　dismiss；　and　to　reward　and　punish；　limited



only　by　the　formal　ratification　of　his　decisions　by　the　board　of



directors　who　will　be　careful　not　to　interfere　or　inquire　unduly



in　these　matters；　　so　long　as　their　strong　man　shows　results。



　　　　The　details　and　objective　of　his　strategy　need　not　be　known



to　the　members　of　the　staff；　indeed；　all　that　does　not　concern



them　except　in　the　most　general　way。　They　are　his　creatures；　and



are　responsible　only　to　him　and　only　for　the　due　performance　of



the　tasks　assigned　them；　and　they　need　know　only　so　much　as　will



enable　them　to　give　ready　and　intelligent　support　to　the　moves



made　by　their　chief　from　day　to　day。　The　members　of　the　staff　are



his　employees；　and　their　first　duty　is　a　loyal　obedience；　and　for



the　competitive　good　of　the　concern　they　must　utter　no　expression



of　criticism　or　unfavourable　comment　on　the　policy；　actions　or



personal　characteristics　of　their　chief；　so　long　as　they　are　in



his　employ。　They　have　eaten　his　bread；　and　it　is　for　them　to　do



his　bidding。



　　　　Such　is　the　object…lesson　afforded　by　business　practice　as　it



bears　on　the　duties　incumbent　on　the　academic　head　and　on　the



powers　of　office　delegated　to　him。　It　is　needless　to　remark　on



what　is　a　fact　of　common　notoriety；　that　this　rule　drawn　from　the



conduct　of　competitive　business　is　commonly　applied　without



substantial　abatement　in　the　conduct　of　academic　affairs。（4*）



　　　　Under　this　rule　the　academic　staff　becomes　a　body　of　graded



subalterns；　who　share　confidence　of　the　chief　in　varying　degrees；



but　who　no　decisive　voice　in　the　policy　or　the　conduct　of　affairs



of　the　concern　in　whose　pay　they　are　held。　The　faculty　is



conceived　as　a　body　of　employees；　hired　to　render　certain



services　and　turn　out　certain　scheduled　vendible　results。



　　　　The　chief　may　take　advice；　and；　as　is　commonly　the　practice



in　analogous　circumstances　in　commercial　business；　he　will　be



likely　to　draw　about　him　from　among　the　faculty　a　conveniently



small　number　of　advisers　who　are　in　sympathy　with　his　own



ambitions；　and　who　will　in　this　way　form　an　unofficial　council；



or　cabinet；　or　〃junta；〃　to　whom　he　can　turn　for　informal；



anonymous　and　irresponsible；　advice　and　moral　support　at　any



juncture。　He　will　also；　in　compliance　with　charter　stipulations



and　parliamentary　usage；　have　certain　officially　recognized



advisers；　　the　various　deans；　advisory　committees；　Academic



Council；　University　Senate；　and　the　like；　　with　whom　he　shares



responsibility；　particularly　for　measures　of　doubtful　popularity；



and　whose　advice　he　formally　takes　coram　publico；　but　he　can　not



well　share　discretion　with　these；　except　on　administrative



matters　of　inconsequential　detail。　For　reasons　of　practical



efficiency；　discretion　must　be　undivided　in　any　competitive



enterprise。　There　is　much　fine…spun　strategy　to　be　taken　care　of



under　cover　of　night　and　cloud。







　　　　But　the　academic　tradition；　whic