the higher learning in america-第43章

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of　tangible　fact　or　of　intangible。



　　　　The　system　of　standardization　and　accountancy　has　this　renown



or　prestige　as　its　chief　ulterior　purpose；　　the　prestige　of　the



university　or　of　its　president；　which　largely　comes　to　the　same



net　result。　Particularly　will　this　be　true　in　so　far　as　this



organization　is　designed　to　serve　competitive　ends；　which　are；　in



academic　affairs；　chiefly　the　ends　of　notoriety；　prestige；



advertising　in　all　its　branches　and　bearings。　It　is　through



increased　creditable　notoriety　that　the　universities　seek　their



competitive　ends；　and　it　is　on　such　increase　of　notoriety；



accordingly；　that　the　competitive　endeavours　of　a　businesslike



management　are　chiefly　spent。　It　is　in　and　through　such　accession



of　renown；　therefore；　that　the　chief　and　most　tangible　gains　due



to　the　injection　of　competitive　business　principles　in　the



academic　policy　should　appear。



　　　　Of　course；　this　renown；　as　such；　has　no　substantial　value　to



the　corporation　of　learning；　nor；　indeed；　to　any　one　but　the



university　executive　by　whose　management　it　is　achieved。　Taken



simply　in　its　first　incidence；　as　prestige　or　notoriety；　it



conduces　in　no　degree　to　the　pursuit　of　knowledge；　but　in　its



ulterior　consequences；　it　appears　currently　to　be　believed；　at



least　ostensibly；　that　such　notoriety　must　greatly　enhance　the



powers　of　the　corporation　of　learning。　These　ulterior



consequences　are　（believed　to　be）；　a　growth　in　the　material



resources　and　the　volume　of　traffic。



　　　　Such　good　effects　as　may　follow　from　a　sedulous　attention　to



creditable　publicity；　therefore；　are　the　chief　gains　to　be　set



off　against　the　mischief　incident　to　〃scientific　management〃　in



academic　affairs。　Hence　any　line　of　inquiry　into　the　business



management　of　the　universities　continually　leads　back　to　the



cares　of　publicity；　with　what　might　to　an　outsider　seem　undue



insistence。　The　reason　is　that　the　businesslike　management　and



arrangements　in　question　are　habitually　　and　primarily　required



either　to　serve　the　ends　of　this　competitive　campaign　of



publicity　or　to　conform　to　its　schedule　of　expediency。　The　felt



need　of　notoriety　and　prestige　has　a　main　share　in　shaping　the



work　and　bearing　of　the　university　at　every　point。　Whatever　will



not　serve　this　end　of　prestige　has　no　secure　footing　in　current



university　policy。　The　margin　of　tolerance　on　this　head　is　quite



narrow；　and　it　is　apparently　growing　incontinently　narrower。



　　　　So　far　as　any　university　administration　can；　with　the



requisite　dignity；　permit　itself　to　avow　a　pursuit　of　notoriety；



the　gain　that　is　avowedly　sought　by　its　means　is　an　increase　of



funds；　　more　or　less　ingenuously　spoken　of　as　an　increase　of



equipment。　An　increased　enrolment　of　students　will　be　no　less



eagerly　sought　after；　but　the　received　canons　of　academic　decency



require　this　object　to　be　kept　even　more　discreetly　masked　than



the　quest　of　funds。



　　　　The　duties　of　publicity　are　large　and　arduous；　and　the



expenditures　incurred　in　this　behalf　are　similarly　considerable。



So　that　it　is　not　unusual　to　find　a　Publicity　Bureau　　often



apologetically　masquerading　under　a　less　tell…tale　name　



incorporated　in　the　university　organization　to　further　this



enterprise　in　reputable　notoriety。　Not　only　must　a　creditable



publicity　be　provided　for；　as　one　of　the　running　cares　of　the



administration；　but　every　feature　of　academic　life；　and　of　the



life　of　all　members　of　the　academic　staff；　must　unremittingly



（though　of　course　unavowedly）　be　held　under　surveillance　at　every



turn；　with　a　view　to　furthering　whatever　may　yield　a　reputable



notoriety；　and　to　correcting　or　eliminating　whatever　may　be



conceived　to　have　a　doubtful　or　untoward　bearing　in　this　respect。



　　　　This　surveillance　of　appearances；　and　of　the　means　of



propagating　appearances；　is　perhaps　the　most　exacting　detail　of



duty　incumbent　on　an　enterprising　executive。　Without　such　a



painstaking　cultivation　of　a　reputable　notoriety；　it　is　believed；



a　due　share　of　funds　could　not　be　procured　by　any　university　for



the　prosecution　of　its　work　as　a　seminary　of　the　higher　learning。



Its　more　alert　and　unabashed　rivals；　it　is　presumed；　would　in



that　case　be　able　to　divert　the　flow　of　loose　funds　to　their　own



use；　and　would　so　outstrip　their　dilatory　competitor　in　the　race



for　size　and　popular　acclaim；　and　therefore；　it　is　sought　to　be



believed；　in　scientific　and　scholarly　application。



　　　　In　the　absence　of　all　reflection　　not　an　uncommon　frame　of



mind　in　this　connection　　one　might　be　tempted　to　think　that　all



this　academic　enterprise　of　notoriety　and　conciliation　should　add



something　appreciable　to　the　aggregate　of　funds　placed　at　the



disposal　of　the　universities；　and　that　each　of　these　competitive



advertising　concerns　should　so　gain　something　appreciable；



without　thereby　cutting　into　the　supply　of　funds　available　for



the　rest。　But　such　is　probably　not　the　outcome；　to　any



appreciable　extent；　assuredly　not　apart　from　the　case　of　the



state　universities　that　are　dependent　on　the　favour　of　local



politicians；　and　perhaps　apart　from　gifts　for　conspicuous



buildings。



　　　　With　whatever　（slight）　reservation　may　be　due；　publicity　in



university　management　is　of　substantially　the　same　nature　and



effect　as　advertising　in　other　competitive　business；　and　with



such　reservation　as　may　be　called　for　in　the　case　of　other



advertising；　it　is　an　engine　of　competition；　and　has　no　aggregate



effect。　As　is　true　of　competitive　gains　in　business　at　large；　so



also　these　differential　gains　of　the　several　university



corporations　can　not　be　added　together　to　make　an　aggregate。　They



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