the higher learning in america-第38章

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uses　under　which　they　were　once　worked　out。　So　there　results　a



meaningless　juxtaposition　of　details；　that　prove　nothing　in



detail　and　contradict　one　another　in　assemblage。　All　of　which　may



suggest　reflections　on　the　fitness　of　housing　the　quest　of　truth



in　an　edifice　of　false　pretences。



　　　　These　architectural　vagaries　serve　no　useful　end　in　academic



life。　As　an　object　lesson　they　conduce；　in　their　measure；　to



inculcate　in　the　students　a　spirit　of　disingenuousness。　But　they



spread　abroad　the　prestige　of　the　university　as　an　ornate　and



spendthrift　establishment；　which　is　believed　to　bring　increased



enrolment　of　students　and；　what　is　even　more　to　the　point；　to



conciliate　the　good…will　of　the　opulent　patrons　of　learning。　That



these　edifices　are　good　for　this　purpose；　and　that　this　policy　of



architectural　mise　en　scene　is　wise；　appears　from　the　greater



readiness　with　which　funds　are　procured　for　such　ornate



constructions　than　for　any　other　academic　use。　It　appears　that



the　successful　men　of　affairs　to　whom　the　appeal　for　funds　is



directed；　find　these　wasteful；　ornate　and　meretricious　edifices　a



competent　expression　of　their　cultural　hopes　and　ambitions。







NOTES：







1。　A　single　illustrative　instance　may　serve　to　show　how　the　land



lies　in　this　respect；　even　though　it　may　seem　to　the　uninitiated



to　be　an　extreme　if　not　an　exaggerated　case；　while　it　may　perhaps



strike　those　familiar　with　these　matters　as　a　tedious



commonplace。　A　few　years　ago；　in　one　of　the　larger；　younger　and



more　enterprising　universities；　a　commodious　laboratory；　well



appointed　and　adequately　decorated；　was　dedicated　to　one　of　the



branches　of　biological　science。　To　meet　the　needs　of　scientific



work　such　a　laboratory　requires　the　services　of　a　corps　of



experienced　and　intelligent　assistants　and　caretakers；



particularly　where　the　establishment　is　equipped　with　modern



appliances　for　heating；　ventilation　and　the　like；　as　was　the　case



in　this　instance。　In　this　laboratory　the　necessary　warmth　was



supplied　by　what　is　sometimes　called　the　method　of　indirect　steam



heat；　that　is　to　say；　the　provision　for　heat　and　for　ventilation



were　combined　in　one　set　of　appliances；　by　bringing　the　needed



air　from　the　open　through　an　outdoor　〃intake；〃　passing　it　over



steam…heated　coils　（in　the　basement　of　the　building）；　and　so



distributing　the　air　necessary　for　ventilation；　at　the　proper



temperature；　throughout　the　building　by　means　of　a　suitable



arrangement　of　air…shafts。　Such　was　the　design。　But　intelligent



service　comes　high；　and　ignorant　janitors　are　willing　to



undertake　what　may　be　asked　of　them。　And　sufficient　warmth　can　be



had　in　an　inclement　climate　and　through　a　long　winter　season　only



at　an　appreciable　expense。　So；　with　a　view　to　economy；　and



without　the　knowledge　of　the　scientific　staff　who　made　use　of　the



laboratory；　the　expedient　was　hit　upon　by　the　academic　executive；



in　consultation　with　a　suitable　janitor；　that　the　outdoor　intake



be　boarded　up　tightly。　so　that　the　air　which　passed　over　the



heating　coils　and　through　the　air…shafts　to　the　laboratory　rooms



was　thenceforth　drawn　not　from　the　extremely　cold　atmosphere　of



outdoors　but　from　the　more　temperate　supply　that　filled　the



basement　and　had　already　had　the　benefit　of　circulating　over　the



steam　coils　and　through　the　ventilating　shafts。　By　this　means　an



obvious　saving　in　fuel　would　be　effected；　corresponding　to　the



heat　differential　between　the　outdoor　air；　at　some　0*　to　…20*　and



that　already　confined　in　the　building；　at　some　60*。　How　long　this



fuel…saving　expedient　was　in　force　can　not　well　be　ascertained；



but　it　is　known　to　have　lasted　at　least　for　more　than　one　season。



　　　　The　members　of　the　scientific　staff　meantime　mysteriously　but



persistently　fell　sick　after　a　few　weeks　of　work　in　the



laboratory；　recurrently　after　each　return　from　enforced



vacations。　Until；　in　the　end；　moved　by　persistent　suspicions　of



sewer…gas　　which；　by　the　way；　had　in　the　meantime　cost　some



futile　inconvenience　and　expense　occasioned　by　unnecessary



overhauling　of　the　plumbing　　one　of　the　staff　pried　into　the



janitor's　domain　in　the　basement；　where　he　found　near　the　chamber



of　the　steam　coils　a　loosely　closed　man…hole　leading　into　the



sewers；　from　which　apparently　such　air　was　drawn　as　would



necessarily　go　to　offset　the　current　leakage　from　this　closed



system　of　ventilation。







2。　This　is　a　nearly　universal　infirmity　of　American　university



policy；　but　it　is　doubtless　not　to　be　set　down　solely　to　the



account　of　the　penchant　for　a　large　publicity　on　the　part　of　the



several　academic　executives。　It　is　in　all　likelihood　due　as　much



to　the　equally　ubiquitous　inability　of　the　governing　boards　to



appreciate　or　to　perceive　what　the　current　needs　of　the　academic



work　are；　or　even　what　they　are　like。　Men　trained　in　the　conduct



of　business　enterprise；　as　the　governing　boards　are；　will　have



great　difficulty　in　persuading　themselves　that　expenditures　which



yield　neither　increased　dividends　nor　such　a　durable　physical



product　as　can　be　invoiced　and　added　to　the　capitalization；　can



be　other　than　a　frivolous　waste　of　good　money；　so　that　what　is



withheld　from　current　academic　expenditure　is　felt　to　be　saved；



while　that　expenditure　which　leaves　a　tangible　residue　of



（perhaps　useless）　real　estate　is；　by　force　of　ingrained　habit；



rated　as　new　investment。







CHAPTER　V







The　Academic　Personnel











　　　　As　regards　the　personnel　of　the　academic　staff　the　control



enforced　by　the　principles　of　competitive　business　is　more



subtle；　complex　and　far…reaching；　and　should　merit　more



particular　attention。　The　staff　is　the　university；　or　it　should



so　be　if　the　university　is　to　deserve　the　place　assigned　it　in



the　scheme　of　civilization。　Therefore　the　central　and　gravest



question　touching　current　academic　policy　is　the　question　of　its



bearing　on　the　personnel　and　the　work　which　there　is　for　them　to



do。　In　the　apprehension　of　many　critics　the　whole　question　of



university　control　is　comprised　in　the　dealings　of　the　executive



with　the　staff。



　　　　Whether　the　power　of　appointment　vests　formally　in　one　man　or



in　a　board；　in　American　practice　it　commonly　vests；　in　effect；　in



the　academic　executive。　In　practice；　the　power　of　removal；　as



well　as　that　of　advancement；　rests　in　the　same　hands。　The



businesslike　requirements　of　the　case　bring　it　to　this　outcome　de



facto；　whatever　formalities　of　procedure　may　intervene　de　jure。



　　　　It　lies　in　the　nature　of　the　case　that　this　appointing　power



will　tend　to　create　a　faculty　after　its　own　kind。　It　will　be



quick　to　recognize　efficiency　within　the　lines　of　its　own



interests；　and　slower　to　see　fitness　in　those　lines　that　lie



outside　of　its　horizon；　where　it　must　necessarily　act　on　outside



solicitation　and　hearsay　evidence。



　　　　The　selective　effect　of　such　a　bias；　guided　as　one　might　say；



by　a　〃consciousness　of　kind；〃　may　be　seen　in　those　establishments



that　have　remained　under　clerical　tutelage；　where；　notoriously；



the　first　qualification　looked　to　in　an　applicant　for　work　as　a



teacher　is　his　religious　bias。　But　the　bias　of　these　governing



boards　and　executives　that　are　under　clerical　control　has　after



all　been　able　to　effect　only　a　partial；　though　far…reaching；



conformity　to　clerical　ideals　of　fitness　in　the　faculties　so



selected；　more　especially　in　the　larger　and　modernized　schools　of



this　class。　In　practice　it　is　found　necessary　somewhat　to　wink　at



devotional　shortcomings　among　t