the higher learning in america-第23章

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among　the　larger　universities；　and；　needless　to　say；　it　is



therefore　also　gaining；　by　force　of　precedent　and　imitation；



among　the　younger　schools　engaged　in　more　of　a　struggle　to



achieve　a　secure　footing　of　respectability。



　　　　Its　bearing　on　the　higher　learning　is；　of　course；



sufficiently　plain；　and　its　intimate　connection　with　business



principles　at　large　should　be　equally　plain。　The　scheme　of



reputability　in　the　pecuniary　culture　comprises　not　only　the



imperative　duty　of　acquiring　something　more　than　an　equitable



share　of　the　community's　wealth；　but　also　the　dutiful　privilege



of　spending　this　acquired　wealth；　and　the　leisure　that　goes　with



it；　in　a　reputably　conspicuous　way；　according　to　the　ritual　of



decorum　in　force　for　the　time　being。　So　that　proficiency　in　the



decorously　conspicuous　waste　of　time　and　means　is　no　less



essential　in　the　end　than　proficiency　in　the　gainful　conduct　of



business。　The　ways　and　means　of　reputably　consuming　time　and



substance；　therefore；　is　by　prescriptive　necessity　to　be　included



in　the　training　offered　at　any　well…appointed　undergraduate



establishment　that　aims　in　any　comprehensive　sense　to　do　its



whole　duty　by　the　well…to…do　young　men　under　its　tutelage。（9*）　It



is；　further　and　by　compulsion　of　the　same　ideals；　incumbent　on



such　an　establishment　to　afford　these　young　men　a　precinct



dedicate　to　cultured　leisure；　and　conventionally　sheltered　from



the　importunities　of　the　municipal　police；　where　an　adequate　but



guarded　indulgence　may　be　had　for　those　extravagances　of



adolescence　that　count　for　so　much　in　shaping　the　canons　of



genteel　intercourse。



　　　　There　is；　of　course；　no　intention　here　to　find　fault　with



this　gentlemanly　ideal　of　undergraduate　indoctrination；　or　with



the　solicitude　shown　in　this　behalf　by　the　captains　of　erudition；



in　endeavouring　to　afford　time；　place　and　circumstance　for　its



due　inculcation　among　college　men。　It　is　by　no　means　here　assumed



that　learning　is　substantially　more　to　be　desired　than



proficiency　in　genteel　dissipation。　It　is　only　that　the　higher



learning　and　the　life　of　fashion　and　affairs　are　two　widely



distinct　and　divergent　lines；　both　lying　within　the　current



scheme　of　civilization；　and　that　it　is　the　university's



particular　office　in　this　scheme　to　conserve　and　extend　the



domain　of　knowledge。　There　need　be　no　question　that　it　is　a　work



of　great　social　merit　and　consequence　to　train　adepts　in　the



ritual　of　decorum；　and　it　is　doubtless　a　creditable　work　for　any



school　adapted　to　that　purpose　to　equip　men　for　a　decorative



place　in　polite　society；　and　imbue　them　with　a　discriminating



taste　in　the　reputable　waste　of　time　and　means。　And　all　that　may



perhaps　fall；　not　only　legitimately；　but　meritoriously；　within



the　province　of　the　undergraduate　school；　at　least　it　is　not　here



intended　to　argue　the　contrary。　At　the　same　time　a　secure



reputation　for　efficiency　and　adequate　facilities　along　this　line



of　aspirations　on　the　part　of　any　such　school　will　serve　a　good



business　purpose　in　duly　attracting　students　　or　residents　



from　the　better　classes　of　society；　and　from　those　classes　that



aspire　to　be　〃better。〃



　　　　But　this　is　essentially　not　university　work。　In　the　nature　of



the　case　it　devolves　on　the　college；　the　undergraduate　school；



and　it　can　not　be　carried　through　with　due　singleness　of　purpose



in　an　establishment　bound　by　tradition　to　make　much　of　that



higher　learning　that　is　substantially　alien　to　the　spirit　of　this



thing。　If；　then；　as　indications　run；　the　large　undergraduate



schools　are　in　due　course　to　develop　somewhat　unreservedly　into



gentlemen's　colleges；　that　is　an　additional　reason　why；　in　the



interest　of　both　parties；　the　divorce　of　the　university　from　the



collegiate　division　should　be　made　absolute。　Neither　does　the



worldly　spirit　that　pervades　the　gentlemen's　college　further　the



university's　interest　in　scholarship；　nor　do　the　university's



scholarly　interests　further　the　college　work　in　gentility。



　　　　Well　to　the　front　among　these　undergraduate　appurtenances　of



gentlemanship　are　the　factional　clubs　known　as　Greek…letter



fraternities。　These　touch　the　province　of　learning　in　the



universities　only　incidentally　and　superficially；　as　they　do　not



in　practice　enter　the　graduate　division　except　by　way　of　a　thin



aftermath　of　factional　animus；　which　may　occasionally　infect　such



of　the　staff　as　are　gifted　with　a　particularly　puerile



temperament。　They　are；　in　effect；　competitive　organizations　for



the　elaboration　of　the　puerile　irregularities　of　adolescence；　and



as　such　they　find　little　scope　among　the　graduate　students　or



among　the　adult　personnel　at　large。　But　as　part　of　the　apparatus



of　the　undergraduate　division　they　require　a　strict　surveillance



to　keep　them　within　the　（somewhat　wide）　limits　of　tolerance；　and



so　their　presence　affects　the　necessary　discipline　of　the　school



at　large；　entailing　a　more　elaborate　and　rigorous　surveillance



and　more　meddling　with　personal　habits　than　would　otherwise　be



required；　and　entailing　also　some　slight　corporate　expense。



　　　　Much　the　same　is　true　for　the　other　social　clubs；　not　of　an



advisedly　factional　character；　that　are　latterly　being　installed



by　authority　under　university　patronage　and　guaranteed　by　the



university　funds；　as；　also；　and　in　a　more　pronounced　degree；　for



college　athletics；　except　that　the　item　of　expense　in　connection



with　these　things　is　much　more　serious　and　the　resulting



diversion　of　interest　from　all　matters　of　learning　is



proportionally　greater。　Among　these　means　of　dissipating　energy



and　attention；　college　athletics　is　perhaps　still　the　most



effective；　and　it　is　also　the　one　most　earnestly　pushed　by　the



businesslike　authorities；　at　the　same　time　that　it　is　the　most



widely　out　of　touch　with　all　learning；　whether　it　be　the　pursuit



of　knowledge　or　the　perfunctory　taskwork　of　the　collegiate



division。　So　notorious；　indeed；　is　the　discrepancy　between



college　athletics　and　scholarly　work　that　few　college　authorities



latterly　venture　to　avow　as　cordial　a　support　of　this　training　in



sportsmanship　as　they　actually　give。　Yet　so　efficient　a　means　of



attracting　a　certain　class　of　young　men　is　this　academic



enterprise　in　sports　that；　in　practical　effect；　few　schools　fail



to　give　it　all　the　support　that　the　limits　of　decorum　will　admit。



There　is　probably　no　point　at　which　specious　practices　and



habitual　prevarication　are　carried　so　far　as　here。　Little　need　be



said　of　the　threadbare　subterfuges　by　which　（ostensibly



surreptitious）　pecuniary　inducements　are　extended　to　students　and



prospective　students　who　promise　well　as　college　athletes；（10*）



or　of　the　equally　threadbare　expedients　by　which　these　members　of



the　gild　of　sportsmen　are　enabled　to　meet　the　formal　requirements



of　scholarship　imposed　by　shamefaced　intercollegiate



bargaining。（11*）



　　　　But　apart　from　such　petty　expedients；　however　abundant　and



commonplace；　there　is　the　more　significant　practice　of　retaining



trainers　and　helpers　at　the　university's　expense　and　with



academic　countenance。　There　is　the　corps　of　workmen　and



assistants　to　take　care　of　the　grounds；　buildings　and　apparatus；



and　there　is　the　corps　of　trainers　and　coaches；　masseurs　and



surgeons；　masquerading　under　the　caption　of　〃physical　culture；〃



whose　chief　duty　is　to　put　the　teams　in　form　for　the　various



contests。　One　may　find　a　football　or　baseball　coach　retained



officially　as　a　member　of　the　faculty　and　carried　on　the　academic



pay…roll；　in　a　university　that　practices　a　penurious　economy　in



the　equipment　and　current　supply　of　materials　and　services



necessary　to　the　work　of　its　scientific　laboratories；　and　whose



library　is　in　a　shameful　state　of　neglect　for　want　of　adequate



provision　for　current　purchases　and　attendance。　The



qualifications　of　such　a　〃professor〃　are　those　of　a　coach；　while



in　point　of　scholarly　capacity　and　attainments　it　would　be　a



stretch　of　charity　to　say　that　he　is　of　quite　a　neutral



composition。　Still；　under　the　pressure　of　intercollegiate



competition　for　the　services　of　such　expert　lanistae；　he　may　have



to　be　vested　with　the　highest　academic　rank　and　conceded　the



highest　scholastic　honours；　with　commensurate　salary。　Expediency



may　so　decide；　partly　to　cloak　the　shamefulness　of　the



transaction；　partly　to　meet　the　exacting　demands　of　a　coach　whose



professional　services　have　a　high　commercial　rating　in　the



sporting　community；　and　who　is　presumed　to　be　indispensable　to



the　university's　due　success　in　intercollegiate　athletics。



　　　　The　manifest　aim；　and　indeed　the　avowed　purpose；　of　these



many　expedients　of　management　and　concessions　to　fashion　and



frailty　is　the　continued　numerical　growth　of　the　undergraduate



school；　　the　increase　of　the　enrolment　and　the　obtaining　of



funds　by　use　of　which　to　achieve　a　further　increase。　To　bring



this　assiduous　endeavour　into　its　proper　light；　it　is　to　be　added



that　most　of　these　undergraduate　departments　are　already　too



large　for　the　best　work　of　their　kind。　Since　these　undergraduate



schools　have　grown　large　enough　to　afford　a　secure　contrast　as



against　the　smaller　colleges　that　are　engaged　in　the　same　general



field；　it　is　coming　to　be　plain　to　university　men　who　have　to　do



with　the　advanced　instruction　that；　for　the　advanced　work　in



science　and　scholarship；　the　training　given　by　a　college　of



moderate　size　commonly　affords　a　better　preparation　than　is　had



in　the　very　large　undergraduate　schools　of　the　great



universities。　This　holds　true；　in　a　general　way；　in　spite　of　the



fact　that　the　smaller　schools　are　handicapped　by　an　inadequate



equipment；　are　working　against　the　side…draft　of　a　religious



bias；　with　a　corps　of　under…paid　and　over…worked　teachers　in



great　part　selected　on　denominational　grounds；　and　are



under…rated　by　all　concerned。　The　proposition；　however；　taken　in



a　general　way　and　allowing　for　exceptions；　is　too　manifestly　true



to　admit　of　much　question；　particularly　in　respect　of　preparation



for　the　sciences　proper；　as　contrasted　with　the　professions。



　　　　The　causes　of　this　relative　inefficiency　that　seems　to　attach



unavoidably　to　the　excessively　large　undergraduate　establishments



can　not　be　gone　into　here；　in　part　they　are　obvious；　in　part



quite　obscure。　But　in　any　case　the　matter　can　not　be　gone　into



here；　except　so