the higher learning in america-第29章

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the　charlatan　ever　in　the　near　background。　By　and　large；　if　the



number　of　distinct　lines　of　instruction　offered　by　a　given



departmental　corps　appreciably　exceeds　the　number　of　men　on　the



staff；　some　of　these　lines　or　courses　will　of　necessity　be



carried　in　a　perfunctory　fashion　and　can　only　give　mediocre



results；　at　the　best。　What　practically　happens　at　the　worst　is



better　left　under　the　cover　of　a　decent　reticence。



　　　　Even　those　preferred　lines　of　instruction　which　in　their　own



right　engage　the　serious　interest　of　the　instructors　can　get



nothing　better　than　superficial　attention　if　the　time　and　energy



of　the　instructors　are　dissipated　over　a　scattering　variety　of



courses。　Good　work；　that　is　to　say　sufficiently　good　work　to　be



worth　while；　requires　a　free　hand　and　a　free　margin　of　time　and



energy。　If　the　number　of　distinct　lines　of　instruction　is



relatively　large；　and　if；　as　happens；　they　are　distributed



scatteringly　among　the　members　of　the　staff；　with　a　relatively



large　assignment　of　hours　to　each　man；　so　as　to　admit　no　assured



and　persistent　concentration　on　any　point；　the　run　of　instruction



offered　will　necessarily　be　of　this　perfunctory　character；　and



will　therefore　be　of　such　amateurish　and　pedantic　quality。　Such



an　outcome　is　by　no　means　unusual　where　regard　is　had　primarily



to　covering　a　given　inclusive　range　of　subjects；　rather　than　to



the　special　aptitudes　of　the　departmental　corps；　as　indeed



commonly　happens；　and　as　happens　particularly　where　the　school　or



the　department　in　question　is　sufficiently　imbued　with　a



businesslike　spirit　of　academic　rivalry。　It　follows　necessarily



and　in　due　measure　on　the　introduction　of　the　principles；



methods；　and　tests　of　competitive　business　into　the　work　of



instruction。（6*）



　　　　Under　these　principles　of　accountancy　and　hierarchical



control；　each　of　the　several　bureaux　of　erudition　　commonly



called　departments　　is　a　competitor　with　all　its　fellow　bureaux



in　the　（thrifty）　apportionment　of　funds　and　equipment；　　for　the



businesslike　university　management　habitually　harbours　a　larger



number　of　departments　than　its　disposable　means　will　adequately



provide　for。　So　also　each　department　competes　with　its　fellow



departments；　as　well　as　with　similar　departments　in　rival



universities；　for　a　clientele　in　the　way　of　student



registrations。　These　two　lines　of　competition　are　closely



interdependent。　An　adverse　statistical　showing　in　the　number　of



students；　or　in　the　range；　variety　and　volume　of　courses　of



instruction　offered　by　any　given　department；　is　rated　by　the



businesslike　general　directorate　as　a　shortcoming；　and　it　is



there　fore　likely　to　bring　a　reduction　of　allowances。　At　the　same



time；　of　course；　such　an　adverse　showing　reflects　discredit　on



the　chief　of　bureau；　while　it　also　wounds　his　self…respect。　The



final　test　of　competency　in　such　a　chief；　under　business



principles；　is　the　statistical　test；　in　part　because　numerical



tests　have　a　seductive　air　of　businesslike　accountancy；　and　also



because　statistical　exhibits　have　a　ready　use　as　advertising



material　to　be　employed　in　appeals　to　the　potential　donors　and



the　unlearned　patrons　of　the　university；　as　well　as　to　the　public



at　large。



　　　　So　the　chief　of　bureau；　with　the　aid　and　concurrence　of　his



loyal　staff；　will　aim　to　offer　as　extensive　and　varied　a　range　of



instruction　as　the　field　assigned　his　department　will　admit。　Out



of　this　competitive　aggrandizement　of　departments　there　may　even



arise　a　diplomatic　contention　between　heads　of　departments；　as　to



the　precise　frontiers　between　their　respective　domains；　each



being　ambitious　to　magnify　his　office　and　acquire　merit　by



including　much　of　the　field　and　many　of　the　students　under　his



own　dominion。（7*）　Such　a　conflict　of　jurisdiction　is　particularly



apt　to　arise　in　case；　as　may　happen；　the　number　of　scholastic



departments　exceeds　the　number　of　patently　distinguishable



provinces　of　knowledge；　and　competitive　business　principles



constantly　afford　provocation　to　such　a　discrepancy；　at　the　hands



of　an　executive　pushed　by　the　need　of　a　show　of　magnitude　and



large　traffic。　It　follows；　further；　from　these　circumstances；



that　wherever　contiguous　academic　departments　are　occupied　with



such　closely　related　subject　matter　as　would　place　them　in　a



position　to　supplement　one　another's　work；　the　negotiations



involved　in　jealously　guarding　their　respective　frontiers　may



even　take　on　an　acrimonious　tone；　and　may　involve　more　or　less　of



diplomatic　mischief…making；　so　that；　under　this　rule　of



competitive　management；　opportunities　for　mutual　comfort　and　aid



will　not　infrequently　become　occasion　for　mutual　distrust　and



hindrance。



　　　　The　broader　the　province　and　the　more　exuberant　the　range　of



instruction　appropriated　to　a　given　department　and　its　corps　of



teachers；　the　more　creditable　will　be　the　statistical　showing；



and　the　more　meagre　and　threadbare　are　likely　to　be　the



scientific　results。　The　corps　of　instructors　will　be　the　more



consistently　organized　and　controlled　with　a　view　to　their



dispensing　accumulated　knowledge；　rather　than　to　pursue　further



inquiry　in　the　direction　of　their　scholarly　inclination　or



capacity；　and　frequently；　indeed；　to　dispense　a　larger　volume　and



a　wider　range　of　knowledge　than　they　are　in　any　intimate　sense



possessed　of。



　　　　It　is　by　no　means　that　no　regard　is　had　to　the　special



tastes；　aptitudes；　and　attainments　of　the　members　of　the　staff；



in　so　apportioning　the　work；　these　things　are；　commonly；　given



such　consideration　as　the　exigencies　of　academic　competition　will



permit；　but　these　exigencies　decide　that　the　criterion　of　special



fitness　becomes　a　secondary　consideration。　Wherever　the



businesslike　demands　of　a　rounded　and　extensive　schedule　of



courses　traverse　the　lines　of　special　aptitude　and　training；　the



requirements　of　the　schedule　must　rule　the　case；　whereas；　of



course；　the　interests　of　science　and　scholarship；　and　of　the　best



efficiency　in　the　instruction　given；　would　decide　that　no　demands



of　the　schedule　be　allowed　to　interfere　with　each　man's　doing　the



work　which　he　can　do　best；　and　nothing　else。



　　　　A　schedule　of　instruction　drawn　on　such　lines　of　efficiency



would　avoid　duplication　of　course；　and　would　curtail　the　number



of　courses　offered　by　any　given　department　to　such　a　modicum　as



the　special　fitness　of　the　members　of　the　staff　would　allow　them



to　carry　to　the　best　effect。　It　would　also　proceed　on　the　obvious



assumption　that　co…ordinate　departments　in　the　several



universities　should　supplement　one　another's　work；　　an



assumption　obvious　to　the　meanest　academic　common　sense。　But



amicable　working　arrangements　of　this　kind　between　departments　of



different　universities；　or　between　the　several　universities　as　a



whole；　are　of　course　virtually　barred　out　under　the　current



policy　of　competitive　duplication。　It　is　out　of　the　question；　in



the　same　manner　and　degree　as　the　like　co…operation　between　rival



department　stores　is　out　of　the　question。　Yet　so　urgently　right



and　good　is　such　a　policy　of　mutual　supplement　and　support；



except　as　a　business　proposition；　that　some　exchange　of　academic



civilities　paraded　under　its　cloak　is　constantly　offered　to　view



in　the　manoeuvres　of　the　competing　captains　of　erudition。　The



well…published　and　nugatory（8*）　periodic　conferences　of



presidents　commonly　have　such　an　ostensible　purpose。



　　　　Competitive　enterprise；　reinforced　with　a　sentimental



penchant　for　large　figures；　demands　a　full　schedule　of



in