the higher learning in america-第61章

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so　appeal　to　the　authorities　in　discretion；　and　that　move　them　to



divert　the　universities　from　the　pursuit　of　knowledge；　is　not



altogether　easy　to　say；　more　particularly　it　is　not　easy　to　find



an　explanation　that　shall　take　account　of　the　facts　and　yet



reflect　no　discredit　on　the　intelligence　or　the　good　faith　of



these　discretionary　authorities。



　　　　The　motives　that　actuate　the　members　of　the　governing　boards



are　perhaps　less　obscure　than　those　which　determine　the　conduct



of　the　academic　executive。　The　governing　boards　are；　in　effect；



made　up　of　businessmen；　who　do　not　habitually　look　beyond　the



〃practical〃　interest　of　commercial　gain　and　the　commonplaces　of



commercial　routine　and　political　bravado。　It　is　（should　be）



otherwise　with　the　academic　management；　who　are；　by　tradition；



presumed　to　be　animated　with　scholarly　ideals；　and　whose　avowed



ulterior　motive　is　in　all　cases　the　single…minded　furtherance　of



the　cause　of　learning。



　　　　On　its　face　it　should　not　seem　probable　that　motives　of



personal　gain；　in　the　form　of　pecuniary　or　other　material



interest；　would　have　a　serious　part　in　the　matter。　In　all



probability　there　is　in　no　case　a　sensible　pecuniary　gain　to　the



university　as　such　from　its　expenditures　on　publicity；　and　there



is　still　less　question　of　gain　in　any　other　than　the　pecuniary



respect。　There　is　also　commonly　no　very　substantial　pecuniary



gain　to　be　derived　from　this　business　either　by　the　academic　head



or　by　the　members　of　the　board；　　an　exceptional　instance　to　the



contrary　will　not　vitiate　this　general　proposition。　It　all　brings



no　appreciable　pecuniary　return　to　them；　particularly　so　far　as



it　is　concerned　with　the　pursuit　of　prestige；　and　apart　from



exceptional；　and　therefore　negligible；　cases　it　admits　of　no



appreciable　conversion　of　funds　to　private　use。　At　the　same　time



it　seems　almost　an　affront　to　entertain　the　notion　that　these



impassively　purposeful　men　of　affairs　are　greatly　moved　by



personal　motives　of　vanity；　vaingloriously　seeking　renown　for



efficiently　carrying　on　a　traffic　in　publicity　that　has　no　other



end　than　renown　for　efficiently　carrying　it　on。　And　yet　it　will



be　found　extremely　difficult　to　take　account　of　the　facts　and　at



the　same　time　avoid　such　an　odiously　personal　interpretation　of



them。



　　　　Such；　indeed；　would　have　to　be　the　inference　drawn　by　any　one



who　might　ingenuously　take　the　available　facts　at　their　face



value；　　not　counting　as　facts　the　dutiful　protestations　of　the



authorities　to　the　contrary。　But　it　should　be　kept　in　mind　that　a



transparent　ingenuousness　is　not　characteristic　of　business



phenomena；　within　the　university　or　without。　A　degree　of



deviation；　or　〃diplomacy；〃　may　be　forced　on　the　academic



management　by　the　circumstances　of　their　office；　particularly　by



the　one…eyed　business　sense　of　their　governing　boards。　Indeed；



admissions　to　such　an　effect　are　not　altogether　wanting。



　　　　Rated　as　they　are；　in　the　popular　apprehension；　as　gentlemen



and　scholars；　and　themselves　presumably　accepting　this　rating　as



substantially　correct；　no　feature　of　the　scheme　of　management



imposed　on　the　academic　executive　by　business　principles　should



（presumably）　be　so　repugnant　to　their　sensibilities　and　their



scholarly　judgment　as　this　covert　but　unremitting　pursuit　of　an



innocuous　notoriety；　coupled　as　it　necessarily　is　with　a



systematic　misdirection　of　the　academic　forces　to　unscholarly



ends；　but　prudential　reasons　will　decide　that　this　must　be　their



chief　endeavour　if　they　are　to　hold　their　own　as　a　competitive



university。　Should　the　academic　head　allow　his　sense　of　scholarly



fitness　and　expediency　to　hamper　this　business　of　reputable



notoriety；　it　is；　perhaps　with　reason；　feared　that　such



remissness　would　presently　lead　to　his　retirement　from　office；　at



least　something　of　that　kind　seems　a　fair　inference　from　the　run



of　the　facts。　His　place　would　then　be　supplied　by　an　incumbent



duly　qualified　on　this　score　of　one…eyed　business　sagacity；　and



one　who　would　know　how　to　keep　his　scholarly　impulses　in　hand。　It



is　at　least　conceivable　that　the　apprehension　of　some　such



contingency　may　underlie　current　university　management　at　some



points；　and　it　may　there　fore　in　some　instances　have　given　the



administration　of　academic　affairs　an　air　of　light…headed



futility；　when　it　should　rather　be　credited　with　a　sagaciously



disingenuous　yielding　to　circumstance。



　　　　The　run　of　the　facts　as　outlined　above；　and　the　line　of



inference　just　indicated　as　following　from　them；　reflect　no　great



credit　on　the　manly　qualities　of　the　incumbents　of　executive



office；　but　the　alternative；　as　also　noted　above；　is　scarcely



preferable　even　in　that　respect；　while　it　would　be　even　less



flattering　to　their　intellectual　powers。　Yet　there　appears　to　be



no　avoiding　the　dilemma　so　presented。　Of　disinterested　grounds



for　the　common　run　of　academic　policy　there　seem　to　be　only　these



two　lines　to　choose　between：　　either　a　short…sighted　and



headlong　conformity　to　the　vulgar　prejudice　that　does　not　look



beyond　〃practical〃　training　and　competitive　expansion；　coupled



with　a　boyish　craving　for　popular　display；　or　a　strategic



compromise　with　the　elders　of　the　Philistines；　a　futile　doing　of



evil　in　the　hope　that　some　good　may　come　of　it。



　　　　This　latter　line　of　apology　is　admissible　only　in　those　cases



where　the　university　corporation　is　in　an　exceptionally



precarious　position　in　respect　of　its　endowment；　where　it　is　in



great　need　and　has　much　to　hope　for　in　the　way　of　pecuniary　gain



through　stooping　to　conventional　prejudices；　that　are　of　no



scholastic　value；　but　that　are　conceived　to　bind　its　potential



benefactors　in　a　web　of　fatally　fragile　bigotry；　or；　again；　where



the　executive　is　in　sensible　danger　of　being　superseded　by　an



administration　imbued　with　（conceivably）　yet　lower　and　feebler



scholarly　ideals。



　　　　Now；　it　happens　that　there　are　notable　instances　of



universities　where　such　a　policy　of　obsequiously　reputable



notoriety　and　aimless　utilitarian　management　is　pursued　under



such　circumstances　of　settled　endowment　and　secure　tenure　as　to



preclude　all　hazard　of　supersession　on　the　part　of　the　executive



and　all　chance　of　material　gain　from　any　accession　of　popular



renown　or　stagnant　respectability。　There　is　a　small　class　of



American　university　corporations　that　are　so　placed；　by　the



peculiar　circumstances　of　their　endowment；　as　to　be　above　the



apprehension　of　need；　so　long　as　they　are　content　to　live



anywhere　nearly　within　the　domain　of　learning；　at　the　same　time



that　they　have　nothing　to　lose　through　alienating　the　affections



of　the　vulgar；　and　nothing　to　gain　by　deferring　to　the



sentimental　infirmities　of　elderly　well…to…do　persons。　This　class



is　not　a　numerous　one；　not　large　enough　to　set　the　pace　for　the



rest；　but　evidently　also　not　numerous　enough　to　go　on　their　own



recognizances；　and　adopt　a　line　of　policy　suited　to　their　own



circumstances　and　not　bound　to　the　fashion　set　by　the　rest。　Some



of　the　well　known　establishments　of　this　class　have　already　been



alluded　to　in　another　connection。



　　　　Statistical　display；　spectacular　stage　properties；



vainglorious　make…believe　and　obsequious　concessions　to　worldly



wisdom；　should　seem　to　have　no　place　in　the　counsels　of　these



schools；　which　should　therefore　hopefully　be　counted　on　to　pursue



the　quest　of　knowledge　with　that　single　mind　which　they　profess。



Yet　such　is　eminently；　not　to　say　pre…eminently；　not　the　case。



Their　policy　in　these　matters　commonly　di