the higher learning in america-第45章

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remissness　would　presently　lead　to　his　retirement　from　office；　at



least　something　of　that　kind　seems　a　fair　inference　from　the　run



of　the　facts。　His　place　would　then　be　supplied　by　an　incumbent



duly　qualified　on　this　score　of　one…eyed　business　sagacity；　and



one　who　would　know　how　to　keep　his　scholarly　impulses　in　hand。　It



is　at　least　conceivable　that　the　apprehension　of　some　such



contingency　may　underlie　current　university　management　at　some



points；　and　it　may　there　fore　in　some　instances　have　given　the



administration　of　academic　affairs　an　air　of　light…headed



futility；　when　it　should　rather　be　credited　with　a　sagaciously



disingenuous　yielding　to　circumstance。



　　　　The　run　of　the　facts　as　outlined　above；　and　the　line　of



inference　just　indicated　as　following　from　them；　reflect　no　great



credit　on　the　manly　qualities　of　the　incumbents　of　executive



office；　but　the　alternative；　as　also　noted　above；　is　scarcely



preferable　even　in　that　respect；　while　it　would　be　even　less



flattering　to　their　intellectual　powers。　Yet　there　appears　to　be



no　avoiding　the　dilemma　so　presented。　Of　disinterested　grounds



for　the　common　run　of　academic　policy　there　seem　to　be　only　these



two　lines　to　choose　between：　　either　a　short…sighted　and



headlong　conformity　to　the　vulgar　prejudice　that　does　not　look



beyond　〃practical〃　training　and　competitive　expansion；　coupled



with　a　boyish　craving　for　popular　display；　or　a　strategic



compromise　with　the　elders　of　the　Philistines；　a　futile　doing　of



evil　in　the　hope　that　some　good　may　come　of　it。



　　　　This　latter　line　of　apology　is　admissible　only　in　those　cases



where　the　university　corporation　is　in　an　exceptionally



precarious　position　in　respect　of　its　endowment；　where　it　is　in



great　need　and　has　much　to　hope　for　in　the　way　of　pecuniary　gain



through　stooping　to　conventional　prejudices；　that　are　of　no



scholastic　value；　but　that　are　conceived　to　bind　its　potential



benefactors　in　a　web　of　fatally　fragile　bigotry；　or；　again；　where



the　executive　is　in　sensible　danger　of　being　superseded　by　an



administration　imbued　with　（conceivably）　yet　lower　and　feebler



scholarly　ideals。



　　　　Now；　it　happens　that　there　are　notable　instances　of



universities　where　such　a　policy　of　obsequiously　reputable



notoriety　and　aimless　utilitarian　management　is　pursued　under



such　circumstances　of　settled　endowment　and　secure　tenure　as　to



preclude　all　hazard　of　supersession　on　the　part　of　the　executive



and　all　chance　of　material　gain　from　any　accession　of　popular



renown　or　stagnant　respectability。　There　is　a　small　class　of



American　university　corporations　that　are　so　placed；　by　the



peculiar　circumstances　of　their　endowment；　as　to　be　above　the



apprehension　of　need；　so　long　as　they　are　content　to　live



anywhere　nearly　within　the　domain　of　learning；　at　the　same　time



that　they　have　nothing　to　lose　through　alienating　the　affections



of　the　vulgar；　and　nothing　to　gain　by　deferring　to　the



sentimental　infirmities　of　elderly　well…to…do　persons。　This　class



is　not　a　numerous　one；　not　large　enough　to　set　the　pace　for　the



rest；　but　evidently　also　not　numerous　enough　to　go　on　their　own



recognizances；　and　adopt　a　line　of　policy　suited　to　their　own



circumstances　and　not　bound　to　the　fashion　set　by　the　rest。　Some



of　the　well　known　establishments　of　this　class　have　already　been



alluded　to　in　another　connection。



　　　　Statistical　display；　spectacular　stage　properties；



vainglorious　make…believe　and　obsequious　concessions　to　worldly



wisdom；　should　seem　to　have　no　place　in　the　counsels　of　these



schools；　which　should　therefore　hopefully　be　counted　on　to　pursue



the　quest　of　knowledge　with　that　single　mind　which　they　profess。



Yet　such　is　eminently；　not　to　say　pre…eminently；　not　the　case。



Their　policy　in　these　matters　commonly　differs　in　no　sensible



degree　from　that　pursued　by　the　needier　establishments　that　are



engaged　in　a　desperate　race　of　obsequiousness；　for　funds　to　be



procured　by　favour　of　well…to…do　donors；　or　through　the　support



of　worldly…wise　clergymen　and　politicians。　Indeed；　some　of　the



most　pathetic　clamour　for　popular　renown；　as　well　as　instances　of



the　most　profligate　stooping　to　vulgar　prejudice；　are　to　be



credited　to　establishments　of　this；　potentially　independent；



class。　The　management；　apparently；　are　too　well　imbued　with　the



commonplace　preconceptions　of　worldly　wisdom　afloat　among　the



laity；　to　admit　of　their　taking　any　action　on　their　own



deliberate　initiative　or　effectually　taking　thought　of　that



pursuit　of　learning　that　has　been　entrusted　to　their　care。　So；



perhaps　through　some　puzzleheaded　sense　of　decorum；　they　have



come　to　engage　in　this　bootless　conventional　race　for　funds　which



they　have　no　slightest　thought　of　obtaining；　and　for　an　increased



enrolment　which　they　advisedly　do　not　desire。



　　　　In　the　light　of　these　instances；　one　is　constrained　to



believe　that　the　academic　executive　who　has　so　been　thrown　up　as



putative　director　of　the　pursuit　of　learning　must　go　in　for　this



annexation　of　vocational　schools；　for　amateurish　〃summer



sessions；〃　for　the　appointment　of　schoolmasters　instead　of



scholars　on　the　academic　staff；　for　the　safe…keeping　and



propagation　of　genteel　conventionalities　at　the　cost　of



scholarship；　for　devout　and　polite　ceremonial；　　one　is



constrained　to　believe　that　such　a　university　executive　goes　in



for　this　policy　of　tawdry　routine　because　he　lacks　ordinary



intelligence　or　because　he　lacks　ordinary　courage。　His　discretion



is　overborne　either　by　his　own　store　of　unreflecting　prejudice；



or　by　fear　of　losing。　personal　prestige　among　the　ignorant；　even



though　he　has　no　substantial　ground；　personal　or　official；　for　so



yielding　to　current　prejudice。　Such　appears　to　be　the　state　of



the　case　in　these　instances；　where　the　exigencies　of　university



politics　afford　no　occasion　for　strategic　compromise　with　the



worldly…wise；　which　pointedly　suggests　that　the　like　threadbare



motives　of　unreflecting　imitation　and　boyish　make…believe　may



also　have　unduly　much　to　do　with　academic　policy；　even　in　that



common　run　of　cases　that　might　otherwise　have　best　been　explained



as　an　effect　of　shrewd　strategy；　designed　to　make　terms　with　the



mischievous　stupidity　of　an　underbred　laity。







　　　　But　any　discussion　of　motives　necessarily　has　an　invidious



air；　and　so　can　not　but　be　distasteful。　Yet；　since　this　executive



policy　can　be　explained　or　understood　only　as　the　outcome　of



those　motives　that　appeal　decisively　to　the　discretionary



officials；　it　is　necessary　to　pursue　the　inquiry　a　degree　farther



at　this　point；　even　at　the　cost　of　such　slight　odium　as　may　not



be　avoided；　and　at　the　risk　of　a　certain　appearance　of　dispraise。



It　is　perhaps　needless　to　say　that　this　question　of　motivation　is



not　gone　into　here　except　as　it　may　serve　to　exhibit　the　run　of



the　facts。　The　run　of　the　facts　is　not　intelligible　except　in　the



light　of　their　meaning　as　possible　motives　to　the　pursuit　of　that



policy　of　which　they　are　the　outcome。



　　　　On　the　above　considerations；　it　follows　that　the　executive



heads　of　these　competitive　universities　are　a　picked　body　of　men；



endowed　with　a　particular　bent；　such　as　will　dispose　them　to　be



guided　by　the　run　of　motives　indicated。　This　will　imply　that　they



are；　either　by　training　or　by　native　gift；　men　of　a　somewhat



peculiar　frame　of　mind；　　peculiarly　open　to　the　appeal　of



parade　and　ephemeral　celebrity；　and　peculiarly　facile　in　the



choice　of　means　by　which　to　achieve　these　gaudy　distinctions；



peculiarly　solicitous　of　appearances；　and　peculiarly　heedless　of



the　substance　of　their　performance。　It　is　not　that　this



characterization　would　imply　exceptionally　great　gifts；　or



otherwise　notable　traits　of　character；　they　are　little　else　than



an　accentuation　of　the　more　commonplace　frailties　of　commonplace



men。　As　a　side　light　on　this　spiritual　complexion　of　the　typical



academic　executive；　it　may　be　worth　noting　that　much　the　same



characterization　will　apply　without　abatement　to　the　class　of



professional　politicians；　particularly　to　that　large　and



long…lived　class　of　minor　politicians　who　make　a　living　by



keeping　well　in　the　public　eye　and　avoiding　blame。（4*）



　　　　There　is；　indeed　more　than　a　superficial　or　accidental



resemblance　between　the　typical　academic　executive　and　the



professional　politician　of　the　familiar　and　more　vacant　sort；



both　as　regards　the　qualifications　requisite　for　entering　on　this



career　and　as　regards　the　conditions　of　tenure。　Among　the　genial



make…believe　that　goes　to　dignify　the　executive　office　is　a



dutiful　protest；　indeed；　a　somewhat　clamorous　protest；　of



conspicuous　self…effacement　on　the　part　of　the　incumbent；　to　the



effect　that　the　responsibilities　of　office　have　come　upon　him



unsought；　if　not　unawares；　which　is　related　to　the　facts　in　much



the　same　manner　and　degree　as　the　like　holds　true　for　the



manoeuvres　of　those　wise　politicians　that　〃heed　the　call　of　duty〃



and　so　find　themselves　〃in　the　hands　of　their　friends。〃　In　point



of　fact；　here　as　in　political　office…seeking；　the　most　active



factor　that　goes　to　decide　the　selection　of　the　eventual



incumbents　of　office　is　a　tenacious　and　aggressive



self…selection。　With　due；　but　by　no　means　large；　allowance　for



exceptions；　the　incumbents　are　chosen　from　among　a　self…selected



body　of　candidates；　each　of　whom　has；　in　the　common　run　of　cases；



been　resolutely　in　pursuit　of　such　an　office　for　some　appreciable



time；　and　has　spent　much　time　and　endeavour　on　fitting　himself



for　its　duties。　Commonly　it　is　only　after　the　aspirant　has



achieved　a　settled　reputation　for　eligibility　and　a　predilection



for　the　office　that　he　will　finally　secure　an　appointment。　The



number　of　aspirants；　and　of　eligibles；　considerably　exceeds　the



number　of　such　executive　offices；　very　much　as　is　true　for　the



parallel　case　of　aspirants　for　political　office。



　　　　As　to　the　qualifications；　in　point　of　character　and



attainments；　that　so　go　to　make　eligibility　for　the　executive



office；　it　is　necessary　to　recall　what　has　been　said　in　an



earlier　chapter（5*）　on　the　characteristics　of　those　boards　of



control　with　whom　rests　the　choice　in　these　matters　of



appointment。　These　boards　are　made　up　of　well…to…do　businessmen；



with　a　penchant　for　popular　notability。　and　the　qualifications



necessary　to　be　put　in　evid