the higher learning in america-第26章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





into　a　question　as　to　the　purposes　sought　by　the　installation　of



such　a　system。



　　　　For　the　everyday　work　of　the　higher　learning；　as　such；　little



of　a　hierarchical　gradation；　and　less　of　bureaucratic



subordination；　is　needful　or　serviceable；　and　very　little　of



statistical　uniformity；　standard　units　of　erudition；　or　detail



accountancy；　is　at　all　feasible。　This　work　is　not　of　a　mechanical



character　and　does　not　lend　itself；　either　in　its　methods　or　its



results；　to　any　mechanically　standardized　scheme　of　measurements



or　to　a　system　of　accounting　per　cent　per　time　unit。　This　range



of　instruction　consists　substantially　in　the　facilitation　of



scholarly　and　scientific　habits　of　thought；　and　the　imposition　of



any　appreciable　measure　of　such　standardization　and　accounting



must　unavoidably　weaken　and　vitiate　the　work　of　instruction；　in



just　the　degree　in　which　the　imposed　system　is　effective。



　　　　It　is　not　within　the　purpose　of　this　inquiry　to　go　into　the



bearing　of　all　this　on　the　collegiate　（undergraduate）　departments



or　on　the　professional　and　technical　schools　associated　with　the



university　proper　in　American　practice。　But　something　of　a



detailed　discussion　of　the　system　and　principles　of　control



applied　in　these　schools　is　necessary　because　of　its　incidental



bearing　on　graduate　work。



　　　　It　is　plain　beyond　need　of　specification　that　in　the



practical　view　of　the　public　at　large；　and　of　the　governing



boards；　the　university　is　primarily　an　undergraduate　school；　with



graduate　and　professional　departments　added　to　it。　And　it　is



similarly　plain　that　the　captains　of　erudition　chosen　as



executive　heads　share　the　same　preconceptions；　and　go　to　their



work　with　a　view　primarily　to　the　needs　of　their　undergraduate



departments。　The　businesslike　order　and　system　introduced　into



the　universities；　therefore；　are　designed　primarily　to　meet　the



needs　and　exploit　the　possibilities　of　the　undergraduate　school；



but；　by　force　of　habit；　by　a　desire　of　uniformity；　by　a　desire　to



control　and　exhibit　the　personnel　and　their　work；　by　heedless



imitation；　or　what　not；　it　invariably　happens　that　the　same



scheme　of　order　and　system　is　extended　to　cover　the　graduate　work



also。



　　　　While　it　is　the　work　of　science　and　scholarship；　roughly　what



is　known　in　American　usage　as　graduate　work；　that　gives　the



university　its　rank　as　a　seat　of　learning　and　keeps　it　in



countenance　as　such　with　laymen　and　scholars；　it　is　the



undergraduate　school；　or　college；　that　still　continues　to　be　the



larger　fact；　and　that　still　engages　the　greater　and　more



immediate　attention　in　university　management。　This　is　due　in　part



to　received　American　usage；　in　part　to　its　more　readily　serving



the　ends　of　competitive　ambition；　and　it　is　a　fact　in　the　current



academic　situation　which　must　be　counted　in　as　a　chronic



discrepancy；　not　to　be　got　clear　of　or　to　be　appreciably



mitigated　so　long　as　business　principles　continue　to　rule。



　　　　What　counts　toward　the　advancement　of　learning　and　the



scholarly　character　of　the　university　is　the　graduate　work；　but



what　gives　statistically　formidable　results　in　the　way　of　a



numerous　enrolment；　many　degrees　conferred；　public　exhibitions；



courses　of　instruction　　in　short　what　rolls　up　a　large　showing



of　turnover　and　output　　is　the　perfunctory　work　of　the



undergraduate　department；　as　well　as　the　array　of　vocational



schools　latterly　subjoined　as　auxiliaries　to　this　end。　Hence　the



needs　and　possibilities　of　the　undergraduate　and　vocational



schools　are　primarily；　perhaps　rather　solely；　had　in　view　in　the



bureaucratic　organization　of　the　courses　of　instruction；　in　the



selection　of　the　personnel；　in　the　divisions　of　the　school　year；



as　well　as　in　the　various　accessory　attractions　offered；　such　as



the　athletic　equipment；　facilities　for　fraternity　and　other　club



life；　debates；　exhibitions　and　festivities；　and　the　customary



routine　of　devotional　amenities　under　official　sanction。







　　　　The　undergraduate　or　collegiate　schools；　that　now　bulk　so



large　in　point　of　numbers　as　well　as　in　the　attention　devoted　to



their　welfare　in　academic　management；　have　undergone　certain



notable　changes　in　other　respects　than　size；　since　the　period　of



that　shifting　from　clerical　control　to　a　business　administration



that　marks　the　beginning　of　the　current　r間ime。　Concomitant　with



their　growth　in　numbers　they　have　taken　over　an　increasing　volume



of　other　functions　than　such　as　bear　directly　on　matters　of



learning。　At　the　same　time　the　increase　in　numbers　has　brought　a



change　in　the　scholastic　complexion　of　this　enlarged　student



body；　of　such　a　nature　that　a　very　appreciable　proportion　of



these　students　no　longer　seek　residence　at　the　universities　with



a　view　to　the　pursuit　of　knowledge；　even　ostensibly。　By　force　of



conventional　propriety　a　〃college　course〃　　the　due　term　of



residence　at　some　reputable　university；　with　the　collegiate



degree　certifying　honourable　discharge　　has　become　a　requisite



of　gentility。　So　considerable　is　the　resulting　genteel　contingent



among　the　students；　and　so　desirable　is　their　enrolment　and　the



countenance　of　their　presence；　in　the　apprehension　of　the



university　directorate；　that　the　academic　organization　is　in



great　part；　and　of　strategic　necessity；　adapted　primarily　to



their　needs。



　　　　This　contingent；　and　the　general　body　of　students　in　so　far



as　this　contingent　from　the　leisure　class　has　leavened　the　lump；



are　not　so　seriously　interested　in　their　studies　that　they　can　in



any　degree　be　counted　on　to　seek　knowledge　on　their　own



initiative。　At　the　same　time　they　have　other　interests　that　must



be　taken　care　of　by　the　school；　on　pain　of　losing　their　custom



and　their　good　will；　to　the　detriment　of　the　university's



standing　in　genteel　circles　and　to　the　serious　decline　in



enrolment　which　their　withdrawal　would　occasion。　Hence　college



sports　come　in　for　an　ever　increasing　attention　and　take　an



increasingly　prominent　and　voluminous　place　in　the　university's



life；　as　do　also　other　politely　blameless　ways　and　means　of



dissipation；　such　as　fraternities；　clubs；　exhibitions；　and　the



extensive　range　of　extra…scholastic　traffic　known　as　〃student



activities。〃



　　　　At　the　same　time　the　usual　and　average　age　of　the　college



students　has　been　slowly　falling　farther　back　into　the　period　of



adolescence；　and　the　irregularities　and　uncertain　temper　of　that



uneasy　period　consequently　are　calling　for　more　detailed



surveillance　and　a　more　circumspect　administration　of　college



discipline。　With　a　body　of　students　whose　everyday　interest；　as



may　be　said　without　exaggeration；　lies　in　the　main　elsewhere　than



in　the　pursuit　of　knowledge；　and　with　an　imperative　tradition



still　standing　over　that　requires　the　college　to　be　（ostensibly



at　least）　an　establishment　for　the　instruction　of　the　youth；　it



becomes　necessary　to　organize　this　instruction　on　a　coercive



plan；　and　hence　to　itemize　the　scholastic　tasks　of　the　inmates



with　great　nicety　of　subdivision　and　with　a　meticulous　regard　to



an　exact　equivalence　as　between　the　various　courses　and　items　of



instruction　to　which　they　are　to　be　subjected。　Likewise　as



regards　the　limits　of　permissible　irregularities　of　conduct　and



excursions　into　the　field　of　sports　and　social　amenities。



　　　　To　meet　the　necessities　of　this　difficult　control；　and　to



meet　them　always　without　jeopardizing　the　interests　of　the　school



as　a　competitive　concern；　a　close…cut　mechanical　standardization；



uniformity；　surveillance　and　accountancy　are　indi