the higher learning in america-第7章

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Reconstruction　　that　the　changes　set　in　which　have　reshaped　the



academic　situation　in　America。



　　　　At　this　era；　some　half　a　century　ago；　the　American　college



was；　or　was　at　least　pressed　to　be；　given　over　to　disinterested



instruction；　not　specialized　with　a　vocational；　or　even　a



denominational；　bias。　It　was　coming　to　take　its　place　as　the



superior　or　crowning　member；　a　sort　of　capstone；　of　the　system　of



public　instruction。　The　life　history　of　any　one　of　the　state



universities　whose　early　period　of　growth　runs　across　this　era



will　readily　show　the　effectual　guidance　of　such　an　ideal　of　a



college；　as　a　superior　and　definitive　member　in　a　school　system



designed　to　afford　an　extended　course　of　instruction　looking　to



an　unbiassed　increase　and　diffusion　of　knowledge。　Other



interests；　of　a　professional　or　vocational　kind；　were　also



entrusted　to　the　keeping　of　these　new…found　schools；　but　with　a



conclusive　generality　the　rule　holds　that　in　these　academic



creations　a　college　establishment　of　a　disinterested；



non…vocational　character　is　counted　in　as　the　indispensable



nucleus；　　that　much　was　at　that　time　a　matter　of　course。



　　　　The　further　development　shows　two　marked　features：　The



American　university　has　come　into　bearing；　and　the　college　has



become　an　intermediate　rather　than　a　terminal　link　in　the



conventional　scheme　of　education。　Under　the　names　〃undergraduate〃



and　〃graduate；〃　the　college　and　the　university　are　still　commonly



coupled　together　as　subdivisions　of　a　complex　whole；　but　this



holding　together　of　the　two　disparate　schools　is　at　the　best　a



freak　of　aimless　survival。　At　the　worst；　and　more　commonly；　it　is



the　result　of　a　gross　ambition　for　magnitude　on　the　part　of　the



joint　directorate。　Whether　the　college　lives　by　itself　as　an



independent　establishment　on　a　foundation　of　its　own；　or　is　in



point　of　legal　formality　a　subdivision　of　the　university



establishment；　it　takes　its　place　in　the　educational　scheme　as



senior　member　of　the　secondary　school　system；　and　it　bears　no



peculiarly　close　relation　to　the　university　as　a　seat　of



learning。　At　the　closest　it　stands　to　the　university　in　the



relation　of　a　fitting　school；　more　commonly　its　relations　are



closer　with　the　ordinary　professional　and　vocational　schools；　and



for　the　most　part　it　stands　in　no　relation；　beyond　that　of



juxtaposition；　with　the　one　or　the　other。



　　　　The　attempt　to　hold　the　college　and　the　no　means　together　in



bonds　of　ostensible　Solidarity　is　by　university　an　advisedly



concerted　adjustment　to　the　needs　of　scholarship　as　they　run



today。　By　historical　accident　the　older　American　universities



have　grown　into　bearing　on　the　ground　of　an　underlying　college；



and　the　external　connection　so　inherited　has　not　usually　been



severed；　and　by　ill…advised；　or　perhaps　unadvised；　imitation　the



younger　universities　have　blundered　into　encumbering　themselves



with　an　undergraduate　department　to　simulate　this　presumptively



honourable　pedigree；　to　the　detriment　both　of　the　university　and



of　the　college　so　bound　up　with　it。　By　this　arrangement　the



college　　undergraduate　department　　falls　into　the　position　of



an　appendage；　a　side　issue；　to　be　taken　care　of　by　afterthought



on　the　part　of　a　body　of　men　whose　chief　legitimate　interest　runs



　should　run　　on　other　things　than　the　efficient　management　of



such　an　undergraduate　training…school；　　provided　always　that



they　are　a　bona　fide　university　faculty；　and　not　a　body　of



secondary…school　teachers　masquerading　under　the　assumed　name　of



a　university。



　　　　The　motive　to　this　inclusion　of　an　undergraduate　department



in　the　newer　universities　appears　commonly　to　have　been　a



headlong　eagerness　on　the　part　of　the　corporate　authorities　to



show　a　complete　establishment　of　the　conventionally　accepted



pattern；　and　to　enroll　as　many　students　as　possible。



　　　　Whatever　may　have　been　true　for　the　earlier　time；　when　the



American　college　first　grew　up　and　flourished；　it　is　beyond



question　that　the　undergraduate　department　which　takes　the　place



of　the　college　today　cannot　be　rated　as　an　institution　of　the



higher　learning。　At　the　best　it　is　now　a　school　for　preliminary



training；　preparatory　to　entering　on　the　career　of　learning；　or



in　preparation　for　the　further　training　required　for　the



professions；　but　it　is　also；　and　chiefly；　an　establishment



designed　to　give　the　concluding　touches　to　the　education　of　young



men　who　have　no　designs　on　learning；　beyond　the　close　of　the



college　curriculum。　It　aims　to　afford　a　rounded　discipline　to



those　whose　goal　is　the　life　of　fashion　or　of　affairs。　How　well；



or　how　ill；　the　college　may　combine　these　two　unrelated　purposes



is　a　question　that　does　not　immediately　concern　the　present



inquiry。　It　is　touched　on　here　only　to　point　the　contrast　between



the　American　college　and　the　university。



　　　　It　follows　from　the　character　of　their　work　that　while　the



university　should　offer　no　set　curriculum；　the　college　has；



properly；　nothing　else　to　offer。　But　the　retention　or　inclusion



of　the　college　and　its　aims　within　the　university　corporation　has



necessarily　led　to　the　retention　of　college　standards　and　methods



of　control　even　in　what　is　or　purports　to　be　university　work；　so



that　it　is　by　no　means　unusual　to　find　university　（graduate）　work



scheduled　in　the　form　of　a　curriculum；　with　all　that



boarding…school　circumstance　and　apparatus　that　is　so　unavoidable



an　evil　in　all　undergraduate　training。　In　effect；　the　outcome　of



these　short…sighted　attempts　to　take　care　of　the　higher　learning



by　the　means　and　method　of　the　boys'　school；　commonly　is　to



eliminate　the　higher　learning　from　the　case　and　substitute　the



aims　and　results　of　a　boys'　training…school。



　　　　Undergraduate　work　being　task　work；　it　is　possible；　without



fatal　effect；　to　reduce　it　to　standard　units　of　time　and　volume；



and　so　control　and　enforce　it　by　a　system　of　accountancy　and



surveillance；　the　methods　of　control；　accountancy　and　coercion



that　so　come　to　be　worked　out　have　all　that　convincing　appearance



of　tangible　efficiency　that　belongs　to　any　mechanically　defined



and　statistically　accountable　routine；　such　as　will　always



commend　itself　to　the　spirit　of　the　schoolmaster；　the　temptation



to　apply　such　methods　of　standardized　routine　wherever　it　is　at



all　feasible　is　always　present；　and　it　is　cogently　spoken　for　by



all　those　to　whom　drill　is　a　more　intelligible　conception　than



scholarship。　The　work　of　learning；　which　distinctively　belongs　in



the　university；　on　the　other　hand；　is　a　matter　of　personal



contact　and　co…operation　between　teacher　and　student；　and　is　not



measurable　in　statistical　units　or　amenable　to　mechanical　tests；



the　men　engaged　in　this　work　can　accordingly　offer　nothing　of　the



same　definite　character　in　place　of　the　rigid　routine　and



accountancy　advocated　by　the　schoolmasters；　and　the　outcome　in



nearly　all　cases　where　the　control　of　both　departments　vests　in



one　composite　corporate　body；　as　it　usually　does；　is　the　gradual



insinuation　of　undergraduate　methods　and　standards　in　the



graduate　school；　until　what　is　nominally　university　work　settles



down；　in　effect；　into　nothing　more　than　an　extension　of　the



undergraduate　curriculum。　This　effect　is　had　partly　by　reducing



such　of　the　graduate　courses　as　are　found　amenable　to　the



formalities　of　the　undergraduate　routine；　and　partly　by



dispensing　with　such　graduate　work　as　will　not　lend　itself；　even



ostensibly；　to　the　schoolmaster's　methods。







　　　　What　has　been　said　of　the　college　in　this　con