the higher learning in america-第17章

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it　reflected　the　historical　fact　that　the　colleges　of　the　early



days　had　been　established　primarily　as　training　schools　for



ministers　of　the　church。　In　their　later　growth；　in　the　recent



past；　while　the　chief　purpose　of　these　seminaries　has　no　longer



been　religious；　yet　ecclesiastical　prepossessions　long　continued



to　mark　the　permissible　limits　of　the　learning　which　they



cultivated；　and　continued　also　to　guard　the　curriculum　and



discipline　of　the　schools。



　　　　That　phase　of　academic　policy　is　past。　Due　regard　at　least



is；　of　course；　still　had　to　the　religious　proprieties　　the



American　community；　by　and　large；　is　still　the　most　devout　of



civilized　countries　　but　such　regard　on　the　part　of　the



academic　authorities　now　proceeds　on　grounds　of　businesslike



expediency　rather　than　on　religious　conviction　or　on　an



ecclesiastical　or　priestly　bias　in　the　ruling　bodies。　It　is　a



concessive　precaution　on　the　part　of　a　worldly…wise　directorate；



in　view　of　the　devout　prejudices　of　those　who　know　no　better。



　　　　The　rule　of　the　clergy　belongs　virtually　to　the　prehistory　of



the　American　universities。　While　that　rule　held　there　were　few　if



any　schools　that　should　properly　be　rated　as　of　university　grade。



Even　now；　it　is　true；　much　of　the　secondary　school　system；



including　the　greater　part；　though　a　diminishing　number；　of　the



smaller　colleges；　is　under　the　tutelage　of　the　clergy；　and　the



academic　heads　o*　these　schools　are　almost　universally　men　of



ecclesiastical　standing　and　bias　rather　than　of　scholarly



attainments。　But　that　fact　does　not　call　for　particular　notice



here；　since　these　schools　lie　outside　the　university　field；　and



so　outside　the　scope　of　this　inquiry。



　　　　For　a　generation　past；　while　the　American　universities　have



been　coming　into　line　as　seminaries　of　the　higher　learning；　there



has　gone　on　a　wide…reaching　substitution　of　laymen　in　the　place



of　clergymen　on　the　governing　boards。　This　progressive



secularization　is　sufficiently　notorious；　even　though　there　are



some　among　the　older　establishments　the　terms　of　whose　charters



require　a　large　proportion　of　clergymen　on　their　boards。　This



secularization　is　entirely　consonant　with　the　prevailing　drift　of



sentiment　in　the　community　at　large；　as　is　shown　by　the　uniform



and　uncritical　approval　with　which　it　is　regarded。　The



substitution　is　a　substitution　of　businessmen　and　politicians；



which　amounts　to　saying　that　it　is　a　substitution　of　businessmen。



So　that　the　discretionary　control　in　matters　of　university　policy



now　rests　finally　in　the　hands　of　businessmen。



　　　　The　reason　which　men　prefer　to　allege　for　this　state　of



things　is　the　sensible　need　of　experienced　men　of　affairs　to　take



care　of　the　fiscal　concerns　of　these　university　corporations；　for



the　typical　modern　university　is　a　corporation　possessed　of　large



property　and　disposing　of　large　aggregate　expenditures；　so　that



it　will　necessarily　have　many　and　often　delicate　pecuniary



interests　to　be　looked　after。　It　is　at　the　same　time　held　to　be



expedient　in　case　of　emergency　to　have　several　wealthy　men



identified　with　the　governing　board；　and　such　men　of　wealth　are



also　commonly　businessmen。　It　is　apparently　believed；　though　on



just　what　ground　this　sanguine　belief　rests　does　not　appear；　that



in　case　of　emergency　the　wealthy　members　of　the　boards　may　be



counted　on　to　spend　their　substance　in　behalf　of　the　university。



In　point　of　fact；　at　any　rate；　poor　men　and　men　without　large



experience　in　business　affairs　are　felt　to　have　no　place　in　these



bodies。　If　by　any　chance　such　men；　without　the　due　pecuniary



qualifications；　should　come　to　make　up　a　majority；　or　even　an



appreciable　minority　of　such　a　governing　board；　the　situation



would　be　viewed　with　some　apprehension　by　all　persons　interested



in　the　case　and　cognizant　of　the　facts。　The　only　exception　might



be　cases　where；　by　tradition；　the　board　habitually　includes　a



considerable　proportion　of　clergymen：







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Such　great　regard　is　always　lent



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　By　men　to　ancient　precedent。〃











　　　　The　reasons　alleged　are　no　doubt　convincing　to　those　who　are



ready　to　be　so　convinced；　but　they　are　after　all　more　plausible



at　first　sight　than　on　reflection。　In　point　of　fact　these



businesslike　governing　boards　commonly　exercise　little　if　any



current　surveillance　of　the　corporate　affairs　of　the　university；



beyond　a　directive　oversight　of　the　distribution　of　expenditures



among　the　several　academic　purposes　for　which　the　corporate



income　is　to　be　used；　that　is　to　say；　they　control　the　budget　of



expenditures；　which　comes　to　saying　that　they　exercise　a



pecuniary　discretion　in　the　case　mainly　in　the　way　of　deciding



what　the　body　of　academic　men　that　constitutes　the　university　may



or　may　not　do　with　the　means　in　hand；　that　is　to　say；　their



pecuniary　surveillance　comes　in　the　main　to　an　interference　with



the　academic　work；　the　merits　of　which　these　men　of　affairs　on



the　governing　board　are　in　no　special　degree　qualified　to　judge。



Beyond　this；　as　touches　the　actual　running　administration　of　the



corporation's　investments；　income　and　expenditures；　　all　that



is　taken　care　of　by　permanent　officials　who　have；　as　they



necessarily　must；　sole　and　responsible　charge　of　those　matters。



Even　the　auditing　of　the　corporation's　accounts　is　commonly



vested　in　such　officers　of　the　corporation；　who　have　none　but　a



formal；　if　any；　direct　connection　with　the　governing　board。　The



governing　board；　or　more　commonly　a　committee　of　the　board；　on



the　other　hand；　will　then　formally　review　the　balance　sheets　and



bundles　of　vouchers　duly　submitted　by　the　corporation's　fiscal



officers　and　their　clerical　force；　　with　such　effect　of



complaisant　oversight　as　will　best　be　appreciated　by　any　person



who　has　bad　the　fortune　to　look　into　the　accounts　of　a　large



corporation。







　　　　So　far　as　regards　its　pecuniary　affairs　and　their　due



administration；　the　typical　modern　university　is　in　a　position；



without　loss　or　detriment；　to　dispense　with　the　services　of　any



board　of　trustees；　regents；　curators；　or　what　not。　Except　for　the



insuperable　difficulty　of　getting　a　hearing　for　such　an



extraordinary　proposal；　it　should　be　no　difficult　matter　to　show



that　these　governing　boards　of　businessmen　commonly　are　quite



useless　to　the　university　for　any　businesslike　purpose。　Indeed；



except　for　a　stubborn　prejudice　to　the　contrary；　the　fact　should



readily　be　seen　that　the　boards　are　of　no　material　use　in　any



connection；　their　sole　effectual　function　being　to　interfere　with



the　academic　management　in　matters　that　are　not　of　the　nature　of



business；　and　that　lie　outside　their　competence　and　outside　the



range　of　their　habitual　interest。



　　　　The　governing　boards　　trustees；　regents；　curators；　fellows；



whatever　their　style　and　title　　are　an　aimless　survival　from



the　days　of　clerical　rule；　when　they　were　presumably　of　some



effect　in　enforcing　conformity　to　orthodox　opinions　and



observances；　among　the　academic　staff。　At　that　time；　when　means



for　maintenance　of　the　denominational　colleges　commonly　had　to　be



procured　by　an　appeal　to　impecunious　congregations；　it　fell　to



these　bodies　of　churchmen　to　do　service　as　sturdy　beggars　for



funds　with　which　to　meet　current　expenses。　So　that　as　long　as　the



boards　were　made　up　chiefly　of　clergymen　they　served　a　pecuniary



purpose；　whereas；　since　their　complexion　has　been　changed　by　the



substitution　of　businessmen　in　the　place　of　ecclesiastics；　they



have　ceased　to　exercise　an