the higher learning in america-第33章

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can　enable　any　observer　to　appreciate　the　extraordinary　lengths



to　which　this　matter　is　carried　in　practice；　and　the　pervasive



way　in　which　it　resistlessly　bends　more　and　more　of　current



instruction　to　its　mechanical　tests　and　progressively　sterilizes



all　personal　initiative　and　ambition　that　comes　within　its　sweep。



And　nothing　but　the　same　continued　contact　with　the　relevant



facts　could　persuade　any　outsider　that　all　this　skilfully　devised



death　of　the　spirit　is　brought　about　by　well…advised　efforts　of



improvement　on　the　part　of　men　who　are　intimately　conversant　with



the　facts；　and　who　are　moved　by　a　disinterested　solicitude　for



the　best　academic　good　of　the　students　under　their　charge。　Yet



such；　unmistakably；　are　the　facts　of　the　case。



　　　　While　the　initial　move　in　this　sterilization　of　the　academic



intellect　is　necessarily　taken　by　the　statistically…minded



superior　officers　of　the　corporation　of　learning；　the　detail　of



schedules　and　administrative　routine　involved　is　largely　left　in



the　discretion　of　the　faculty。　Indeed；　it　is　work　of　this



character　that　occupies　nearly　the　whole　of　the　attention　of　the



faculty　as　a　deliberative　body；　as　well　as　of　its　many　and



various　committees。　In　these　matters　of　administrative　routine



and　punctilio　the　faculty；　collectively　and　severally；　can



exercise　a　degree　of　initiative　and　discretion。　And　these　duties



are　taken　as　seriously　as　well　may　be；　and　the　matters　that　so



come　within　the　faculty's　discretion　are　handled　in　the　most



unambiguous　spirit　of　responsible　deliberation。　Each　added　move



of　elaboration　is　taken　only　after　the　deliberative　body　has



assured　itself　that　it　embodies　a　needed　enhancement　of　the



efficiency　of　the　system　of　control。　But　each　improvement　and



amplification　also　unavoidably　brings　the　need　of　further



specification　and　apparatus；　desired　to　take　care　of　further



refinements　of　doubt　and　detail　that　arise　out　of　the　last



previous　extensions　of　the　mechanism。　The　remedy　sought　in　all



such　conjunctures　is　to　bring　in　further　specifications　and



definitions；　with　the　effect　of　continually　making　two



specifications　grow　where　one　grew　before；　each　of　which　in　its



turn　will　necessarily　have　to　be　hedged　about　on　both　sides　by



like　specifications；　with　like　effect；（12*）　with　the　consequence



that　the　grading　and　credit　system　is　subject　to　a　ceaseless



proliferation　of　ever　more　meticulous　detail。　The　underlying



difficulty　appears　to　be　not　that　the　collective　wisdom　of　the



faculty　is　bent　on　its　own　stultification；　as　an　unsympathetic



outsider　might　hastily　conclude；　but　that　there　is　in　all　the



deliberations　of　such　a　body　a　total　disregard　of　common　sense。



It　is；　presumably；　not　that　the　constituent　members　are　quite



devoid　of　that　quality；　but　rather　that　no　point　in　their



elaboration　of　apparatus　can　feasibly　be　reached；　beyond　which　a



working　majority　can　be　brought　conscientiously　to　agree　that



dependence　may　safely　be　placed　on　common　sense　rather　than　on



further　and　more　meticulous　and　rigorous　specification。







　　　　It　is　at　this　point　that　the　American　system　of　fellowships



falls　into　the　scheme　of　university　policy；　and　here　again　the



effect　of　business　principles　and　undergraduate　machinery　is　to



be　seen　at　work。　At　its　inception　the　purpose　of　these



fellowships　was　to　encourage　the　best　talent　among　the　students



to　pursue　disinterested　advanced　study　farther　and　with　greater



singleness　of　purpose　and　it　is　quite　plain　that　at　that　stage　of



its　growth　the　system　was　conceived　to　have　no　bearing　on



intercollegiate　competition　or　the　statistics　of　registration。



This　was　something　over　thirty　years　ago。　A　fellowship　was　an



honourable　distinction；　at　the　same　time　it　was　designed　to



afford　such　a　stipend　as　would　enable　the　incumbent　to　devote　his



undivided　energies　to　scholastic　work　of　a　kind　that　would　yield



no　pecuniary　return。　Ostensibly；　such　is　still　the　sole　purpose



of　the　fellowships；　the　traditional　decencies　require　（voluble



and　reiterated）　professions　to　that　effect。　But　in　point　of



practical　effect；　and　progressively；　concomitant　with　the



incursion　of　business　principles　into　university　policy；　the



exigencies　of　competitive　academic　enterprise　have　turned　the



fellowships　to　account　in　their　own　employ。　So　that；　in　effect；



today　the　rival　universities　use　the　fellowships　to　bid　against



one　another　for　fellows　to　come　into　residence；　to　swell　the



statistics　of　graduate　registration　and　increase　the　number　of



candidates　for　advanced　degrees。　And　the　eligible　students　have



learned　so　to　regard　the　matter；　and　are　quite　callously



exploiting　the　system　in　that　sense。



　　　　Not　that　the　fellowships　have　altogether　lost　that　character



of　a　scholarly　stipendiary　with　which　they　started　out；　but　they



have；　under　businesslike　management；　acquired　a　use　not



originally　intended；　and　the　new；　competitive　use　of　them　is



unequivocally　their　main　use　today。　It　would　be　hazardous　to



guess　just　how　far　the　directorates　of　the　rival　universities



consciously　turn　the　fellowships　to　account　in　this　enterprising



way；　or　how　far；　on　the　other　hand；　they　are　able　to　let



self…deception　cover　the　policy　of　competitive　bargaining　in



which　they　are　engaged；　but　it　would　be　difficult　to　believe　that



their　right　hand　is　altogether　ignorant　of　what　their　left　hand



is　doing。　It　would　doubtless　also　be　found　that　both　the　practice



and　the　animus　back　of　it　differ　appreciably　from　one　school　to



another。　But　there　is　no　element　of　hazard　in　the　generalization



that；　by　and　large；　such　competitive　use　of　the　fellowships　is



today　their　chief　use；　and　that　such　is　the　fact　is　quite　openly



avowed　among　the　academic　staff　of　some　universities　at　least。



　　　　As　a　sequel　and　symptom　of　this　use　of　the　fellowship



stipends　in　bargaining　for　an　enlarged　enrolment　of　advanced



students；　it　has　become　a　moot　question　in　academic　policy



whether　a　larger　number　of　fellowships　with　smaller　stipends　will



give　a　more　advantageous　net　statistical　result　than　a　smaller



number　of　more　adequate　stipends。　An　administration　that　looks



chiefly　to　the　short…term　returns　　as　is　commonly　the　practice



in　latterday　business　enterprise　　will　sensibly　incline　to　make



the　stipends　small　and　numerous；　while　the　converse　will　be　true



where　regard　is　had　primarily　to　the　enrolment　of　carefully



selected　men　who　may　reflect　credit　on　the　institution　in　the



long　run。　Up…to…date　business　policy　will　apparently　commend　the



former　rather　than　the　latter　course；　for　business　practice；　in



its　later　phases；　is　eminently　guided　by　consideration　of



short…term　gains。　It　is　also　true　that　the　average　stipend



attached　to　the　fellowships　offered　today　is　very　appreciably



lower　than　was　the　practice　some　two　or　three　decades　ago；　at　the



same　time　that　the　cost　of　living　　which　these　stipends　were



originally　designed　to　cover　　has　increased　by　something　like



one　hundred　per　cent。　As　final　evidence　of　the　decay　of　scholarly



purpose　in　the　matter　of　fellowships；　and　as　a　climax　of



stultification；　it　is　to　be　added　that　stipends　originally



established　as　an　encouragement　to　disinterested　scholarship　are



latterly　being　used　to　induce　enrolment　in　the　professional



schools　attached　to　the　universities。（13*）







　　　　One　further　point　of　contact　and　contamination　is　necessary



to　be　brought　into　this　account　of　the　undergraduate



administration　and　its　bearing　on　advanced　work。　The　scholastic



accessories　spoken　of　above