the higher learning in america-第20章

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mechanically　drawn　scheme　of　tasks　must　be　the　equivalent　of　all



the　other　units；　otherwise　a　comprehensive　system　of　scholastic



accountancy　will　not　be　practicable；　and　injustice　and　irritation



will　result　both　among　the　pupils　and　the　schoolmasters。　For　the



greater　facility　and　accuracy　in　conducting　this　scholastic



accountancy；　as　well　as　with　a　view　to　the　greater　impressiveness



of　the　published　schedule　of　courses　offered；　these　mechanical



units　of　academic　bullion　are　increased　in　number　and　decreased



in　weight　and　volume；　until　the　parcelment　and　mechanical　balance



of　units　reaches　a　point　not　easily　credible　to　any　outsider　who



might　naively　consider　the　requirements　of　scholarship　to　be　an



imperative　factor　in　academic　administration。　There　is　a



well…considered　preference　for　semi…annual　or　quarterly　periods



of　instruction；　with　a　corresponding　time　limit　on　the　courses



offered；　and　the　parcelment　of　credits　is　carried　somewhat　beyond



the　point　which　this　segmentation　of　the　school　year　would



indicate。　So　also　there　prevails　a　system　of　grading　the　credits



allowed　for　the　performance　of　these　units　of　task…work；　by



percentages　（often　carried　out　to　decimals）　or　by　some　equivalent



scheme　of　notation；　and　in　the　more　solicitously　perfected



schemes　of　control　of　this　task…work；　the　percentages　so　turned



in　will　then　be　further　digested　and　weighed　by　expert



accountants；　who　revise　and　correct　these　returns　by　the　help　of



statistically　ascertained　index　numbers　that　express　the　mean



average　margin　of　error　to　be　allowed　for　each　individual　student



or　instructor。



　　　　In　point　of　formal　protestation；　the　standards　set　up　in　this



scholastic　accountancy　are　high　and　rigorous；　in　application；　the



exactions　of　the　credit　system　must　not　be　enforced　in　so



inflexible　a　spirit　as　to　estrange　that　much…desired　contingent



of　genteel　students　whose　need　of　an　honourable　discharge　is



greater　than　their　love　of　knowledge。　Neither　must　its　demands　on



the　student's　time　and　energy　be　allowed　seriously　to　interfere



with　those　sports　and　〃student　activities〃　that　make　up　the　chief



attraction　of　college　life　for　a　large　proportion　of　the



university's　young　men；　and　that　are；　in　the　apprehension　of



many；　so　essential　a　part　in　the　training　of　the　modern



gentleman。



　　　　Such　a　system　of　accountancy　acts　to　break　the　continuity　and



consistency　of　the　work　of　instruction　and　to　divert　the　interest



of　the　students　from　the　work　in　hand　to　the　making　of　a　passable



record　in　terms　of　the　academic　〃miner's　inch。〃　Typically；　this



miner's　inch　is　measured　in　terms　of　standard　text　per　time　unit；



and　the　immediate　objective　of　teacher　and　student　so　becomes　the



compassing　of　a　given　volume　of　prescribed　text；　in　print　or



lecture　form；　　leading　up　to　the　broad　principle：　〃Nichts　als



was　im　Buche　steht。〃　Which　puts　a　premium　on　mediocrity　and



perfunctory　work；　and　brings　academic　life　to　revolve　about　the



office　of　the　Keeper　of　the　Tape　and　Sealing　Wax。　Evidently　this



organization　of　departments；　schedules　of　instruction；　and　scheme



of　scholastic　accountancy；　is　a　matter　that　calls　for　insight　and



sobriety　on　the　part　of　the　executive；　and　in　point　of　fact　there



is　much　deliberation　and　solicitude　spent　on　this　behalf。



　　　　The　installation　of　a　rounded　system　of　scholastic



accountancy　brings　with　it；　if　it　does　not　presume；　a　painstaking



distribution　of　the　personnel　and　the　courses　of　instruction　into



a　series　of　bureaux　or　departments。　Such　an　organization　of　the



forces　of　the　establishment　facilitates　the　oversight　and　control



of　the　work；　at　the　same　time　that　it　allows　the　array　of



scheduled　means；　appliances　and　personnel　at　its　disposal　to　be



statistically　displayed　to　better　effect。　Under　existing



circumstances　of　rivalry　among　these　institutions　of　learning；



there　is　need　of　much　shrewd　management　to　make　all　the　available



forces　of　the　establishment　count　toward　the　competitive　end；　and



in　this　composition　it　is　the　part　of　worldly　wisdom　to　see　that



appearances　may　often　be　of　graver　consequence　than　achievement；



　as　is　true　in　all　competitive　business　that　addresses　its



appeal　to　a　large　and　scattered　body　of　customers。　The



competition　is　for　custom；　and　for　such　prestige　as　may　procure



custom；　and　these　potential　customers　on　whom　it　is　desirable　to



produce　an　impression；　especially　as　regards　the　undergraduate



school；　are　commonly　laymen　who　are　expected　to　go　on　current



rumour　and　the　outward　appearance　of　things　academic。



　　　　The　exigencies　of　competitive　business；　particularly　of　such



retail　trade　as　seems　chiefly　to　have　contributed　to　the



principles　of　businesslike　management　in　the　competing　schools；



throw　the　stress　on　appearances。　In　such　business；　the　〃good



will〃　of　the　concern　has　come　to　be　（ordinarily）　its　most　valued



and　most　valuable　asset。　The　visible　success　of　the　concern；　or



rather　the　sentiments　of　confidence　and　dependence　inspired　in



potential　customers　by　this　visible　success；　is　capitalized　as



the　chief　and　most　substantial　element　of　the　concern's



intangible　assets。　And　the　accumulation　of　such　intangible



assets；　to　be　gained　by　convincing　appearances　and　well…devised



pronouncements；　has　become　the　chief　object　of　persistent



endeavour　on　the　part　of　sagacious　business　men　engaged　in　such



lines　of　traffic。　This；　that　the　substance　must　not　be　allowed　to



stand　in　the　way　of　the　shadow；　is　one　of　the　fundamental



principles　of　management　which　the　universities；　under　the



guidance　of　business　ideals；　have　taken　over　from　the　wisdom　of



the　business　community。



　　　　Accepting　the　point　of　view　of　the　captains　of　erudition；　and



so　looking　on　the　universities　as　competitive　business　concerns；



and　speaking　in　terms　applicable　to　business　concerns　generally；



the　assets　of　these　seminaries　of　learning　are　in　an　exceptional



degree　intangible　assets。　There　is；　of　course；　the　large　item　of



the　good…will　or　prestige　of　the　university　as　a　whole；



considered　as　a　going　concern。　But　this　collective　body　of



〃immaterial　capital〃　that　pertains　to　the　university　at　large　is



made　up　in　great　part　of　the　prestige　of　divers　eminent　persons



included　among　its　personnel　and　incorporated　in　the　fabric　of



its　bureaucratic　departments；　and　not　least　the　prestige　of　its



executive　head；　in　very　much　the　same　way　as　the　like　will　hold



true；　e。　g。；　for　any　company　of　public　amusement；　itinerant　or



sedentary；　such　as　a　circus；　a　theatrical　or　operatic　enterprise；



which　all　compete　for　the　acclamation　and　custom　of　those　to　whom



these　matters　appeal。



　　　　For　the　purposes　of　such　competition　the　effectual　prestige



of　the　university　as　a　whole；　as　well　as　the　detail　prestige　of



its　personnel；　is　largely　the　prestige　which　it　has　with　the



laity　rather　than　with　the　scholarly　classes。　And　it　is　safe　to



say　that　a　somewhat　more　meretricious　showing　of　magnitude　and



erudition　will　pass　scrutiny；　for　the　time　being；　with　the　laity



than　with　the　scholars。　Which　suggests　the　expediency　for　the



university；　as　a　going　concern　competing　for　the　traffic；　to　take



recourse　to　a　somewhat　more　tawdry　exhibition　of　quasi…scholarly



feats；　and　a　somewhat　livelier　parade　of　academic　splendour　and



magnitude；　than　might　otherwise　be　to　the　taste　of　such　a　body　of



scholars　and　scientists。　As　a　business　proposition；　the



meretricious　quality　inherent　in　any　given　line　of　publicity



should　not　consign　it　to　neglect；　so　long　as　it　is　found



effectual　for　the　end　in　view。



　　　　　Competitive　business　concerns　that　find　it　needful　to



commend　themselves　to　a　large　and　credulous　body　of　customers；



as；　e。　g。；　newspapers　or　department　stores；　also　find　it



expedient　somewhat　to　overstate　their　facilities　for　meeting　all



needs；　as　also　to　overstate　the　measure　of　success　which　they



actually　enjoy。　Indeed；　much　talent　and　ingenuity　is　spent　in



that　behalf；　as　well　as　a　very　appreciable　outlay　of　funds。　So



also　as　touches　the　case　of　the　competitive　seminaries　of



learning。　And　even　apart　from　the　exigencies　of　intercollegiate



rivalry；　taken　simply　as　a　question　of　sentiment　it　is　gratifying



to　any　university　directorate　to　know　and　to　make　known　that　the



stock　of　merchantable　knowledge　on　hand　is　abundant　and



comprehensive；　and　that　the　registration　and　graduation　lists



make　a　brave　numerical　showing；　particularly　in　case　the



directive　head　is　duly　imbued　with　a　businesslike　penchant　for



tests　of　accountancy　and　large　figures。　It　follows　directly　that



many　and　divers　bureaux　or　departments　are　to　be　erected；　which



will　then　announce　courses　of　instruction　covering　all　accessible



ramifications　of　the　field　of　learning；　including　subjects　which



the　corps　of　instructors　may　not　in　any　particular　degree　be　fit



to　undertake。　A　further　and　unavoidable　consequence　of　this



policy；　therefore；　is　perfunctory　work。



　　　　For　establishments　that　are　substantially　of　secondary　school



character；　including　colleges　and　undergraduate　departments；　such



a　result　may　not　be　of　extremely　serious　consequence；　since　much



of　the　instruction　in　these　schools　is　of　a　perfunctory　kind



anyway。　But　since　the　university　and　the　college　are；　in　point　of



formal　status　and　of　administrative　machinery；　divisions　of　the



same　establishment　and　subject　to　the　same　executive　control；　and



since；　under　competitive　business　principles；　the　collegiate



division　is　held　to　be　of　greater　importance；　and　requires　the



greater　share　of　attention；　it　comes　about　that　the　college　in



great　measure　sets　the　pace　for　the　whole；　and　that　the



undergraduate　scheme　of　credits；　detailed　accountancy；　and



mechanical　segmentation　of　the　work；　is　carried　over　into　the



university　work　proper。　Such　a　result　follows　more　consistently



and　decisively；　of　course；　in　those　establishments　where　the　line



of　demarkation　between　undergraduate　and　graduate　instruction　is



advisedly　blurred　or　disregarded。　It　is　not　altogether　unusual



latterly；　advisedly　to　efface　the　distinction　between　the



undergraduate　and　the　graduate　division　and　endeavour　to　make　a



gradual　transition　from　the　one　to　the　other。（5*）　This　is　done　in



the　less　conspicuous　fashion　of　scheduling　certain　courses　as



Graduate　and　Senior；　and　allowing　scholastic　credits　acquired　in



ce