the higher learning in america-第28章

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constructions　than　for　any　other　academic　use。　It　appears　that



the　successful　men　of　affairs　to　whom　the　appeal　for　funds　is



directed；　find　these　wasteful；　ornate　and　meretricious　edifices　a



competent　expression　of　their　cultural　hopes　and　ambitions。







NOTES：







1。　A　single　illustrative　instance　may　serve　to　show　how　the　land



lies　in　this　respect；　even　though　it　may　seem　to　the　uninitiated



to　be　an　extreme　if　not　an　exaggerated　case；　while　it　may　perhaps



strike　those　familiar　with　these　matters　as　a　tedious



commonplace。　A　few　years　ago；　in　one　of　the　larger；　younger　and



more　enterprising　universities；　a　commodious　laboratory；　well



appointed　and　adequately　decorated；　was　dedicated　to　one　of　the



branches　of　biological　science。　To　meet　the　needs　of　scientific



work　such　a　laboratory　requires　the　services　of　a　corps　of



experienced　and　intelligent　assistants　and　caretakers；



particularly　where　the　establishment　is　equipped　with　modern



appliances　for　heating；　ventilation　and　the　like；　as　was　the　case



in　this　instance。　In　this　laboratory　the　necessary　warmth　was



supplied　by　what　is　sometimes　called　the　method　of　indirect　steam



heat；　that　is　to　say；　the　provision　for　heat　and　for　ventilation



were　combined　in　one　set　of　appliances；　by　bringing　the　needed



air　from　the　open　through　an　outdoor　〃intake；〃　passing　it　over



steam…heated　coils　（in　the　basement　of　the　building）；　and　so



distributing　the　air　necessary　for　ventilation；　at　the　proper



temperature；　throughout　the　building　by　means　of　a　suitable



arrangement　of　air…shafts。　Such　was　the　design。　But　intelligent



service　comes　high；　and　ignorant　janitors　are　willing　to



undertake　what　may　be　asked　of　them。　And　sufficient　warmth　can　be



had　in　an　inclement　climate　and　through　a　long　winter　season　only



at　an　appreciable　expense。　So；　with　a　view　to　economy；　and



without　the　knowledge　of　the　scientific　staff　who　made　use　of　the



laboratory；　the　expedient　was　hit　upon　by　the　academic　executive；



in　consultation　with　a　suitable　janitor；　that　the　outdoor　intake



be　boarded　up　tightly。　so　that　the　air　which　passed　over　the



heating　coils　and　through　the　air…shafts　to　the　laboratory　rooms



was　thenceforth　drawn　not　from　the　extremely　cold　atmosphere　of



outdoors　but　from　the　more　temperate　supply　that　filled　the



basement　and　had　already　had　the　benefit　of　circulating　over　the



steam　coils　and　through　the　ventilating　shafts。　By　this　means　an



obvious　saving　in　fuel　would　be　effected；　corresponding　to　the



heat　differential　between　the　outdoor　air；　at　some　0*　to　…20*　and



that　already　confined　in　the　building；　at　some　60*。　How　long　this



fuel…saving　expedient　was　in　force　can　not　well　be　ascertained；



but　it　is　known　to　have　lasted　at　least　for　more　than　one　season。



　　　　The　members　of　the　scientific　staff　meantime　mysteriously　but



persistently　fell　sick　after　a　few　weeks　of　work　in　the



laboratory；　recurrently　after　each　return　from　enforced



vacations。　Until；　in　the　end；　moved　by　persistent　suspicions　of



sewer…gas　　which；　by　the　way；　had　in　the　meantime　cost　some



futile　inconvenience　and　expense　occasioned　by　unnecessary



overhauling　of　the　plumbing　　one　of　the　staff　pried　into　the



janitor's　domain　in　the　basement；　where　he　found　near　the　chamber



of　the　steam　coils　a　loosely　closed　man…hole　leading　into　the



sewers；　from　which　apparently　such　air　was　drawn　as　would



necessarily　go　to　offset　the　current　leakage　from　this　closed



system　of　ventilation。







2。　This　is　a　nearly　universal　infirmity　of　American　university



policy；　but　it　is　doubtless　not　to　be　set　down　solely　to　the



account　of　the　penchant　for　a　large　publicity　on　the　part　of　the



several　academic　executives。　It　is　in　all　likelihood　due　as　much



to　the　equally　ubiquitous　inability　of　the　governing　boards　to



appreciate　or　to　perceive　what　the　current　needs　of　the　academic



work　are；　or　even　what　they　are　like。　Men　trained　in　the　conduct



of　business　enterprise；　as　the　governing　boards　are；　will　have



great　difficulty　in　persuading　themselves　that　expenditures　which



yield　neither　increased　dividends　nor　such　a　durable　physical



product　as　can　be　invoiced　and　added　to　the　capitalization；　can



be　other　than　a　frivolous　waste　of　good　money；　so　that　what　is



withheld　from　current　academic　expenditure　is　felt　to　be　saved；



while　that　expenditure　which　leaves　a　tangible　residue　of



（perhaps　useless）　real　estate　is；　by　force　of　ingrained　habit；



rated　as　new　investment。







CHAPTER　V







The　Academic　Personnel











　　　　As　regards　the　personnel　of　the　academic　staff　the　control



enforced　by　the　principles　of　competitive　business　is　more



subtle；　complex　and　far…reaching；　and　should　merit　more



particular　attention。　The　staff　is　the　university；　or　it　should



so　be　if　the　university　is　to　deserve　the　place　assigned　it　in



the　scheme　of　civilization。　Therefore　the　central　and　gravest



question　touching　current　academic　policy　is　the　question　of　its



bearing　on　the　personnel　and　the　work　which　there　is　for　them　to



do。　In　the　apprehension　of　many　critics　the　whole　question　of



university　control　is　comprised　in　the　dealings　of　the　executive



with　the　staff。



　　　　Whether　the　power　of　appointment　vests　formally　in　one　man　or



in　a　board；　in　American　practice　it　commonly　vests；　in　effect；　in



the　academic　executive。　In　practice；　the　power　of　removal；　as



well　as　that　of　advancement；　rests　in　the　same　hands。　The



businesslike　requirements　of　the　case　bring　it　to　this　outcome　de



facto；　whatever　formalities　of　procedure　may　intervene　de　jure。



　　　　It　lies　in　the　nature　of　the　case　that　this　appointing　power



will　tend　to　create　a　faculty　after　its　own　kind。　It　will　be



quick　to　recognize　efficiency　within　the　lines　of　its　own



interests；　and　slower　to　see　fitness　in　those　lines　that　lie



outside　of　its　horizon；　where　it　must　necessarily　act　on　outside



solicitation　and　hearsay　evidence。



　　　　The　selective　effect　of　such　a　bias；　guided　as　one　might　say；



by　a　〃consciousness　of　kind；〃　may　be　seen　in　those　establishments



that　have　remained　under　clerical　tutelage；　where；　notoriously；



the　first　qualification　looked　to　in　an　applicant　for　work　as　a



teacher　is　his　religious　bias。　But　the　bias　of　these　governing



boards　and　executives　that　are　under　clerical　control　has　after



all　been　able　to　effect　only　a　partial；　though　far…reaching；



conformity　to　clerical　ideals　of　fitness　in　the　faculties　so



selected；　more　especially　in　the　larger　and　modernized　schools　of



this　class。　In　practice　it　is　found　necessary　somewhat　to　wink　at



devotional　shortcomings　among　their　teachers；　clerical；　or



pronouncedly　devout；　scientists　that　are　passably　competent　in



their　science；　are　of　very　rare　occurrence；　and　yet　something



presentable　in　the　way　of　modern　science　is　conventionally



required　by　these　schools；　in　order　to　live；　and　so　to　effect　any



part　of　their　purpose。　Half　a　loaf　is　better　than　no　bread。　None



but　the　precarious　class　of　schools　made　up　of　the　lower　grade



and　smaller　of　these　colleges；　such　as　are　content　to　save　their



souls　alive　without　exerting　any　effect　on　the　current　of



civilization；　are　able　to　get　along　with　faculties　made　up



exclusively　of　God…fearing　men。



　　　　Something　of　the　same　kind；　and　in　somewhat　the　same　degree；



is　true　for　the　schools　under　the　tutelage　of　businessmen。　While



the　businesslike　ideal　may　be　a　faculty　wholly　made　up　of　men



highly　gifted　with　business　sense；　it　is　not　practicable　to



assemble　such　a　faculty　which　shall　at　the　same　time　be　plausibly



competent　in　science　and　scholarship。　Scientists　and　scholars



given　over　to　the　pursuit　of　knowledge　are　conventionally



indispensable　to　a　university；　and　such　are　commonly　not　largely



gifted　with　business　sense；　either　by　habit　or　by　native　gift。



The　two　lines　of　interest　　business　and　science　　do　not　pull



together；　a　competent　scientist　or　scholar　well　endowed　with



business　sense　is　as　rare　as　a　devout　scientist　　almost　as　rare



as　a　white　blackbird。　Yet　the　inclusion　of　men　of　scientific



gifts　and　attainments　among　its　faculty　is　indispensable　to　the



university；　if　it　is　to　avoid　instant　and　palpable



stultification。



　　　　So　that　the　most　that　can　practically　be　accomplished　by　a



businesslike　selection　and　surveillance　of　the　academic　personnel



will　be　a　compromise；　whereby　a　goodly　number　of　the　faculty　will



be　selected　on　grounds　of　businesslike　fitness；　more　or　less



pronounced；　while　a　working　minority　must　continue　to　be　made　up



of　men　without　much　business　proficiency　and　without　pronounced



loyalty　to　commercial　principles。



　　　　This　fluctuating　margin　of　limitation　has　apparently　not　yet



been　reached；　perhaps　not　even　in　the　most　enterprising　of　our



universities。　Such　should　be　the　meaning　of　the　fact　that　a



continued　commercialization　of　the　academic　staff　appears　still



to　be　in　progress；　in　the　sense　that　businesslike　fitness　counts



progressively　for　more　in　appointments　and　promotions。　These



businesslike　qualifications　do　not　comprise　merely　facility　in



the　conduct　of　pecuniary　affairs；　even　if　such　facility　be



conceived　to　include　the　special　aptitudes　and　proficiency　that



go　to　the　making　of　a　successful　advertiser。　In　academic　circles



as　elsewhere　businesslike　fitness　includes　solvency　as　well　as



commercial　genius。　Both　of　these　qualifications　are　useful　in　the



competitive　manoeuvres　in　which　the　academic　body　is　engaged。　But



while　the　two　are　apparently　given　increasing　weight　in　the



selection　and　grading　of　the　academic　personnel；　the　precedents



and　specifications　for　a　standard　rating　of　merit　in　this　bearing



have　hitherto　not　been　worked　out　to　such　a　nicety　as　to　allow



much　more　than　a　more　or　less　close　approach　to　a　consistent



application　of　the　principle　in　the　average　case。　And　there　lies



always　the　infirmity　in　the　background　of　the　system　that　if　the



staff　were　selected　consistently　with　an　eye　single　to　business



capacity　and　business　animus　the　university　would　presently　be



functa　officio；　and　the　captain　of　erudition　would　find　his



occupation　gone。



　　　　A　university　is　an　endowed　institution　of　culture；　whether



the　endowment　take　the　form　of　assigned　income；　as　in　the　state



establishments；　or　of　funded　wealth；　as　with　most　other



universities。　Such　fraction　o