the higher learning in america-第64章

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similar　tradition　of　a　college　president　has　created　a



presumptive　need　of　a　similar　official　in　the　universities；　



the　reason　being　evidently　that　these　universities　in　other　lands



have　not；　in　the　typical　case；　grown　out　of　an　underlying



college。



　　　　In　the　sentimental　apprehension　of　the　laity　out　of　doors；



and　in　a　degree　even　in　the　unreflecting　esteem　of　men　within　the



academic　precincts；　the　presidential　office　still　carries



something　of　this　traditionally　preconceived　scholarly　character；



and　it　is　this　still　surviving　traditional　preconception；　which



confuses　induction　into　the　office　with　scholarly　fitness　for　its



dignities；　that　still　makes　the　office　of　the　academic　executive



available　for　those　purposes　of　expansive　publicity　and



businesslike　management　that　it　has　been　made　to　serve。　Except



for　this　uncritical　esteem　of　the　office　and　its　incumbency；　so



surviving　out　of　an　inglorious　past；　no　great　prestige　could



attach　to　that　traffic　in　spectacular　solemnities；　edifying



discourse　and　misdirected　business　control；　that　makes　up　the



substantial　duties　of　the　office　as　now　conducted。　It　is



therefore　of　the　utmost　moment　to　keep　up；　or　rather　to　magnify；



that　appearance　of　scholarly　competence　and　of　intimate



solidarity　with　the　corporation　of　learning　that　gives　the



presidential　office　this　prestige　value。　But　since　it　is　only　for



purposes　external；　not　to　say　extraneous；　to　the　corporation　of



learning　that　this　prestige　value　is　seriously　worth　while；　it　is



also　only　toward　the　outside　that　the　make…believe　of



presidential　erudition　and　scholarly　ideals　need　seriously　be



kept　up。　For　the　common　run　of　the　incumbents　today　to　pose



before　their　faculties　as　in　any　eminent　degree　conversant　with



the　run　of　contemporary　science　or　scholarship；　or　as　rising　to



the　average　even　of　their　own　faculties　in　this　respect；　would　be



as　bootless　as　it　is　uncalled　for。　But　the　faculties；　as　is　well



enough　understood；　need　of　course　entertain　no　respect　for　their



executive　head　as　a　citizen　of　the　republic　of　learning；　so　long



as　they　at　all　adequately　appreciate　his　discretionary　power　of



use　and　abuse；　as　touches　them　and　their　fortunes　and　all　the



ways；　means　and　opportunities　of　academic　work。　By　tradition；　and



in　the　genial　legendary　lore　that　colours　the　proceedings　of　the



faculty…meeting；　he　is　still　the　senior　member　of　an　assemblage



of　scholarly　gentlemen；　but　in　point　of　executive　fact　he　is



their　employer；　who　does　business　with　and　by　them　on　a



commercial　footing。　To　the　faculty；　the　presidential　office　is　a



business　proposition；　and　its　incumbent　is　chiefly　an　object　of



circumspection；　to　whom　they　owe　a　〃hired…man's　loyalty。〃



　　　　It　is　toward　the　outside；　in　the　face　of　the　laity　out　of



doors；　that　the　high　fence　　〃the　eight…fold　fence〃　　of



scholarly　pretension　is　to　be　kept　up。　Hence　the　indicated　means



of　its　up…keep　are　such　as　will　presumably　hold　the　（transient）



respect　and　affection　of　this　laity；quasi…scholarly　homiletical



discourse；　frequent；　voluminous；　edifying　and　optimistic；



ritualistic　solemnities；　diverting　and　vacant；　spectacular



affectations　of　（counterfeit）　scholastic　usage　in　the　way　of



droll　vestments；　bizarre　and　archaic；　parade　of　（make…believe）



gentility；　encouragement　and　（surreptitious）　subvention　of



athletic　contests；　promulgation　of　（presumably　ingenuous）



statistics　touching　the　volume　and　character　of　the　work　done。



　　　　It　is　only　by　keeping　up　these　manifestations　toward　the



outside；　and　making　them　good　in　the　esteem　of　the　unlearned；



that　the　presidential　office　can　be　made　to　serve　the　ends　of　the



board　of　control　and　the　ambitions　of　the　incumbent；　and　this



large　apparatus　and　traffic　of　make…believe；　therefore；　is　the



first　and　most　unremitting　object　of　executive　solicitude。　It　is



the　〃place　whereon　to　stand〃　while　moving　the　academic　universe。



The　uses　to　be　made　of　the　standing…place　so　achieved　have



already　been　set　out　in　some　detail　in　earlier　chapters。　They



centre　about　three　main　considerations：　Visible　magnitude；



bureaucratic　organization；　and　vocational　training。







　　　　As　already　noted　in　earlier　passages；　the　boards　of　control



are　bodies　of　businessmen　in　whose　apprehension　the　methods



successfully　employed　in　competitive　business　are　suitable　for



all　purposes　of　administration；　from　which　follows　that　the



academic　head　who　is　to　serve　as　their　general　manager　is　vested；



in　effect；　with　such　discretionary　powers　as　currently　devolve　on



the　discretionary　officials　of　business　corporations；　from　which



follows；　among　other　things；　that　the　members　of　the　faculty　come



to　take　rank　as　employees　of　the　concern；　hired　by　and



responsible　to　the　academic　head。



　　　　The　first　executive　duty　of　the　incumbent　of　office；



therefore；　is　to　keep　his　faculty　under　control；　so　as　to　be　able



unhampered　to　carry　out　the　policy　of　magnitude　and



secularization　with　a　view　to　which　the　governing　board　has



invested　him　with　his　powers。　This　work　of　putting　the　faculty　in



its　place　has　by　this　time　been　carried　out　with　sufficient



effect；　so　that　its　〃advice　and　consent〃　may　in　all　cases　be



taken　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　should　a　remnant　of　initiative



and　scholarly　aspiration　show　itself　in　any　given　concrete　case



in　such　a　way　as　to　traverse　the　lines　of　policy　pursued　by　the



executive；　he　can　readily　correct　the　difficulty　by　exercise　of　a



virtually　plenary　power　of　appointment；　preferment　and　removal；



backed　as　this　power　is　by　a　nearly　indefeasible　black…list。　So



well　is　the　academic　black…list　understood；　indeed；　and　so



sensitive　and　trustworthy　is　the　fearsome　loyalty　of　the　common



run　among　academic　men；　that　very　few　among　them　will　venture



openly　to　say　a　good　word　for　any　one　of　their　colleagues　who　may



have　fallen　under　the　displeasure　of　some　incumbent　of　executive



office。　This　work　of　intimidation　and　subornation　may　fairly　be



said　to　have　acquired　the　force　of　an　institution；　and　to　need　no



current　surveillance　or　effort。（6*）



　　　　The　subservience　of　the　faculty；　or　of　a　working　majority；



may　safely　be　counted　on。　But　the　forms　of　advisement　and



responsibility　are　still　necessary　to　be　observed；　the　president



is　still；　by　tradition；　the　senior　member　of　the　faculty；　and　its



confidential　spokesman。　From　which　follows　a　certain；　at　least



pro　forma；　disingenuousness　in　the　executive's　coercive　control



of　academic　policy；　whereby　the　ostensible　discretion　and



responsibility　comes　to　rest　on　the　faculty；　while　the　control



remains　with　the　executive。　But；　after　all；　this　particular　run



of　ambiguity　and　evasions　has　reached　such　settled　forms　and　is



so　well　understood　that　it　no　longer　implies　an　appreciable



strain　on　the　executive's　veracity　or　on　his　diplomatic　skill。　It



belongs　under　the　category　of　legal　fiction；　rather　than　that　of



effectual　prevarication。



　　　　So　also　as　regards　the　businesslike；　or　bureaucratic；



organization　and　control　of　the　administrative　machinery；　and　its



utilization　for　vocational　ends　and　statistical　showing。　All　that



has　been　worked　out　in　its　general　features；　and　calls；　in　any



concrete　case；　for　nothing　much　beyond　an　adaptation　of　general



practices　to　the　detail　requirements　of　the　special　case。　It



devolves；　properly；　on　the　clerical　force；　and　especially　on



those　chiefs　of　clerical　bureau　called　〃deans；〃　together　with　the



many　committees…for…the…sifting…of…sawdust　into　which　the　faculty



of　a　well…administered　university