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第62章

the higher learning in america-第62章

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



Their policy in these matters commonly differs in no sensible



degree from that pursued by the needier establishments that are



engaged in a desperate race of obsequiousness; for funds to be



procured by favour of well…to…do donors; or through the support



of worldly…wise clergymen and politicians。 Indeed; some of the



most pathetic clamour for popular renown; as well as instances of



the most profligate stooping to vulgar prejudice; are to be



credited to establishments of this; potentially independent;



class。 The management; apparently; are too well imbued with the



commonplace preconceptions of worldly wisdom afloat among the



laity; to admit of their taking any action on their own



deliberate initiative or effectually taking thought of that



pursuit of learning that has been entrusted to their care。 So;



perhaps through some puzzleheaded sense of decorum; they have



come to engage in this bootless conventional race for funds which



they have no slightest thought of obtaining; and for an increased



enrolment which they advisedly do not desire。



    In the light of these instances; one is constrained to



believe that the academic executive who has so been thrown up as



putative director of the pursuit of learning must go in for this



annexation of vocational schools; for amateurish 〃summer



sessions;〃 for the appointment of schoolmasters instead of



scholars on the academic staff; for the safe…keeping and



propagation of genteel conventionalities at the cost of



scholarship; for devout and polite ceremonial;  one is



constrained to believe that such a university executive goes in



for this policy of tawdry routine because he lacks ordinary



intelligence or because he lacks ordinary courage。 His discretion



is overborne either by his own store of unreflecting prejudice;



or by fear of losing。 personal prestige among the ignorant; even



though he has no substantial ground; personal or official; for so



yielding to current prejudice。 Such appears to be the state of



the case in these instances; where the exigencies of university



politics afford no occasion for strategic compromise with the



worldly…wise; which pointedly suggests that the like threadbare



motives of unreflecting imitation and boyish make…believe may



also have unduly much to do with academic policy; even in that



common run of cases that might otherwise have best been explained



as an effect of shrewd strategy; designed to make terms with the



mischievous stupidity of an underbred laity。







    But any discussion of motives necessarily has an invidious



air; and so can not but be distasteful。 Yet; since this executive



policy can be explained or understood only as the outcome of



those motives that appeal decisively to the discretionary



officials; it is necessary to pursue the inquiry a degree farther



at this point; even at the cost of such slight odium as may not



be avoided; and at the risk of a certain appearance of dispraise。



It is perhaps needless to say that this question of motivation is



not gone into here except as it may serve to exhibit the run of



the facts。 The run of the facts is not intelligible except in the



light of their meaning as possible motives to the pursuit of that



policy of which they are the outcome。



    On the above considerations; it follows that the executive



heads of these competitive universities are a picked body of men;



endowed with a particular bent; such as will dispose them to be



guided by the run of motives indicated。 This will imply that they



are; either by training or by native gift; men of a somewhat



peculiar frame of mind;  peculiarly open to the appeal of



parade and ephemeral celebrity; and peculiarly facile in the



choice of means by which to achieve these gaudy distinctions;



peculiarly solicitous of appearances; and peculiarly heedless of



the substance of their performance。 It is not that this



characterization would imply exceptionally great gifts; or



otherwise notable traits of character; they are little else than



an accentuation of the more commonplace frailties of commonplace



men。 As a side light on this spiritual complexion of the typical



academic executive; it may be worth noting that much the same



characterization will apply without abatement to the class of



professional politicians; particularly to that large and



long…lived class of minor politicians who make a living by



keeping well in the public eye and avoiding blame。(4*)



    There is; indeed more than a superficial or accidental



resemblance between the typical academic executive and the



professional politician of the familiar and more vacant sort;



both as regards the qualifications requisite for entering on this



career and as regards the conditions of tenure。 Among the genial



make…believe that goes to dignify the executive office is a



dutiful protest; indeed; a somewhat clamorous protest; of



conspicuous self…effacement on the part of the incumbent; to the



effect that the responsibilities of office have come upon him



unsought; if not unawares; which is related to the facts in much



the same manner and degree as the like holds true for the



manoeuvres of those wise politicians that 〃heed the call of duty〃



and so find themselves 〃in the hands of their friends。〃 In point



of fact; here as in political office…seeking; the most active



factor that goes to decide the selection of the eventual



incumbents of office is a tenacious and aggressive



self…selection。 With due; but by no means large; allowance for



exceptions; the incumbents are chosen from among a self…selected



body of candidates; each of whom has; in the common run of cases;



been resolutely in pursuit of such an office for some appreciable



time; and has spent much time and endeavour on fitting himself



for its duties。 Commonly it is only after the aspirant has



achieved a settled reputation for eligibility and a predilection



for the office that he will finally secure an appointment。 The



number of aspirants; and of eligibles; considerably exceeds the



number of such executive offices; very much as is true for the



parallel case of aspirants for political office。



    As to the qualifications; in point of character and



attainments; that so go to make eligibility for the executive



office; it is necessary to recall what has been said in an



earlier chapter(5*) on the characteristics of those boards of



control with whom rests the choice in these matters of



appointment。 These boards are made up of well…to…do businessmen;



with a penchant for popular notability。 and the qualifications



necessary to be put in evidence by aspirants for executive office



are such as will convince such a board of their serviceability。



Among the indispensable general qualifications; therefore; will



be a 〃businesslike〃 facility in the management of affairs; an



engaging address and fluent command of language before a popular



audience; and what is called 〃optimism;〃  a serene and voluble



loyalty to the current conventionalities and a conspicuously



profound conviction that all things are working out for good;



except for such untoward details as do not visibly conduce to the



vested advantage of the well…to…do businessmen under the



established law and order。 To secure an appointment to executive



office it is not only necessary to be possessed of these



qualifications; and contrive to put them in evidence; the



aspirant must ordinarily also; to use a colloquialism; be willing



and able to 〃work his passage〃 by adroit

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