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第54章

the higher learning in america-第54章

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advantage over the common run。 The instruction is half…way



gratuitous; that is the purpose of placing these schools on a



foundation or maintaining them at the public expense。 It is



presumed to be worth more than its cost to the students。 The fees



and other incidental expenses do not nearly cover the cost of the



schools; otherwise no foundation or support from the public funds



would be required; and the universities would have no colourable



excuse for going into this field。 But even if the instruction and



facilities offered by these schools are virtually gratuitous; yet



the fees and incidental expenses; together with the expenditure



of time and the cost of living required for a residence at the



schools; make up so considerable an item of expense as



effectually to exclude the majority of those young men who might



otherwise be inclined to avail themselves of these advantages。 In



effect; none can afford the time and expense of this business



training; whether in Commerce; Law; or the other professions;



except those who are already possessed of something more than the



average wealth or average income; and none; presumably; take



kindly to this training; in commerce or law; e。g。; except those



who already have something more than the average taste and



aptitude for business traffic; or who have a promising 〃opening〃



of this character in sight。 So that this training that is desired



to serve the private advantage of commercial students is; for the



greater part; extended to a select body of young men; only such



applicants being eligible; in effect; as do not on any showing



need this gratuity。



    In proportion to the work which it undertakes; the College of



Commerce is  or it would be if it lived up to its professions



 the most expensive branch of the university corporation。 In



this connection the case of the law school offers a significant



object…lesson of what to expect in the further growth of the



schools of commerce。 The law school is of older standing and



maturer growth; at the same time that its aims and circumstances



are of much the same general character as those that condition



the schools of commerce; and it is therefore to be taken as



indicating something of what must be looked for in the college of



commerce if it is to do the work for which it is established。 The



indications; then; are (a) that the instruction in the field of



commercial training may be expected gradually to fall into a more



rigidly drawn curriculum; which will discard all irrelevant



theoretical excursions and will diverge more and more widely from



the ways of scientific inquiry; in proportion as experience and



tactful organization bring the school to a maturer insight into



its purposes and a more consistent adherence to its chief purpose



of training expert men for the higher business practice; and (b)



that the personnel of its staff must increasingly be drawn from



among the successful businessmen; rather than from men of



academic training。



    Among the immediate consequences of this latter feature; as



shown in the example of the law schools; is a relatively high



cost。 The schedule of salaries in the law schools attached to the



universities; e。 g。; runs appreciably higher than in the



university proper。 the reason being; of course; that men suitable



efficiently to serve as instructors and directive officials in a



school of law are almost necessarily men whose services in the



practice of the law would command a high rate of pay。 What is



needed in the law school (as in the school of commerce) is men



who are practically conversant with the ways and means of earning



large fees;  that being the point of it all。 Indeed; the scale



of pay which their services will command in the open market is



the chief and ordinary test of their fitness for the work of



instruction。 The salaries paid these men of affairs; who have so



been diverted to the service of the schools; is commonly some



multiple of the salary assigned to men of a comparable ability



and attainments in the academic work proper。 The academic rank



assigned them is also necessarily; and for the like reason;



commensurate with their higher scale of pay; all of which throws



an undue preponderance of discretion and authority into the hands



of these men of affairs; and so introduces a disproportionate



bias in favour of unscientific and unscholarly aims and ideals in



the university at large。



    Judged by the example of the law schools; then; the college



of commerce; if it is to live and thrive; may be counted on to



divert a much larger body of funds from legitimate university



uses; and to create more of a bias hostile to scholarly and



scientific work in the academic body; than the mere numerical



showing of its staff would suggest。 It is fairly to be expected



that capable men of affairs; drawn from the traffic of successful



business for this service; will require even a higher rate of



pay; at the same time that they will be even more cordially out



of sympathy with the ideals of scholarship; than the personnel of



the law schools。 Such will necessarily be the outcome; if these



schools are at all effectually to serve the purpose for which



they are created。



    But for the present; as matters stand now; near the inception



of this enterprise in training masters of gain; such an outcome



has not been reached。 Neither have the schools of commerce yet



been placed on such a footing of expensiveness and authoritative



discretion as the high sanction of the quest of gain would seem



properly to assign them; nor are they; as at present organized



and equipped; at all eminently fit to carry out the work



entrusted to their care。 Commonly; it is to be admitted; the men



selected for the staff are men of some academic training; rather



than men of affairs who have shown evidence of fitness to give



counsel and instruction; by eminently gainful success in



business。 They are; indeed; commonly men of moderate rating in



the academic community; and are vested with a moderate rank and



authority; and the emoluments of these offices are also such as



attach to positions of a middling grade in academic work; instead



of being comparable with the gains that come to capable men



engaged in the large business outside。 Yet it is from among these



higher grades of expert businessmen outside that the schools of



commerce must draw their staff of instructors and their



administrative officers if they are to accomplish the task



proposed to them。 A movement in this direction is already visibly



setting in。



    It is reasonably to be expected that one or the other result



should follow: either the college of commerce must remain;



somewhat as in practice it now is; something in the way of an



academic division; with an academic routine and standards; and



with an unfulfilled ambition to serve the higher needs of



business training; with a poorly paid staff of nondescript



academic men; not peculiarly fitted to lead their students into



the straight and narrow way of business success; nor yet



eminently equipped for a theoretical inquiry into the phenomena



of business traffic and their underlying causes so that the



school will continue to stand; in effect; as a more or less



pedantic and equivocal adjunct of a department of economics; or



the schools must be endowed and organized with a larger and



stricter regard to the needs of the higher business traffic; with



a personnel composed of men of the highest business talent and



attainments; tempted from such

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