the higher learning in america-第70章

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the　scheme　of　things　academic；　for　good　and　all：　　which；　by　the



way；　is　precisely　what　would　have　to　be　aimed　at；　since　it　is　the



present　scheme　and　organization　that　unavoidably　work　the



mischief；　and　since；　also　（as　touches　the　interest　of　the　higher



learning）；　they　work　nothing　but　mischief。



　　　　It　should　be　plain；　on　reflection；　to　any　one　familiar　with



academic　matters　that　neither　of　these　official　bodies　serves　any



useful　purpose　in　the　university；　in　so　far　as　bears　in　any　way



on　the　pursuit　of　knowledge。　They　may　conceivably　both　be　useful



for　some　other　purpose；　foreign　or　alien　to　the　quest　of



learning；　but　within　the　lines　of　the　university's　legitimate



interest　both　are　wholly　detrimental；　and　very　wastefully　so。



They　are　needless；　except　to　take　care　of　needs　and　emergencies



to　which　their　own　presence　gratuitously　gives　rise。　In　so　far　as



these　needs　and　difficulties　that　require　executive　surveillance



are　not　simply　and　flagrantly　factitious；　　as；　e。g。；　the



onerous　duties　of　publicity　　they　are　altogether　such　needs　as



arise　out　of　an　excessive　size　and　a　gratuitously　complex



administrative　organization；　both　of　which　characteristics　of　the



American　university　are　created　by　the　governing　boards　and　their



executive　officers；　for　no　better　purpose　than　a　vainglorious



self…complacency；　and　with　no　better　justification　than　an



uncritical　prepossession　to　the　effect　that　large　size；　complex



organization；　and　authoritative　control　necessarily　make　for



efficiency；　whereas；　in　point　of　fact；　in　the　affairs　of　learning



these　things　unavoidably　make　for　defeat。



　　　　Objection　to　any　such　measure　of　abolition　is　not　to　be



grounded　in　their　impracticability　or　their　inefficiency；　



supposing　only　that　they　could　be　carried　out　in　the　face　of　the



prejudices　of　the　ignorant　and　of　the　selfishly　interested



parties；　the　obstacles　to　any　such　move　lie　simply　in　the　popular



prejudice　which　puts　implicit　faith　in　large；　complicated；　and



formidable　organizations；　and　in　that　appetite　for　popular



prestige　that　animates　the　class　of　persons　from　which　the　boards



and　executives　are　drawn。



　　　　This　unreasoning　faith　in　large　and　difficult　combinations



has　been　induced　in　the　modern　community　by　its　experience　with



the　large…scale　organization　of　the　mechanical　industries；　and



still　more　particularly　by　the　convincing　pecuniary　efficiency　of



large　capital；　authoritative　control；　and　devious　methods；　in



modern　business　enterprise；　and　of　this　popular　prejudice　the



boards　of　control　and　their　executive　officers　have　at　least



their　full　share；　　indeed　they　owe　their　place　and　power　in



great　part　to　their　being　animated　with　something　more　than　an



equitable　share　of　this　popular　prepossession。　It　is　undeniable；



indeed　it　is　a　matter　of　course；　that　so　long　as　the　university



continues　to　be　made　up；　as　is　now　customary；　of　an　aggregation



of　divers　and　sundry　schools；　colleges；　divisions；　etc。；　each　and



several　of　which　are　engaged　in　a　more　or　less　overt　rivalry；　due



to　their　being　so　aggregated　into　a　meaningless　coalition；　　so



long　will　something　formidable　in　the　way　of　a　centralized　and



arbitrary　government　be　indispensable　to　the　conduct　of　the



university's　affairs；　but　it　is　likewise　patent　that　none　of　the



several　constituent　schools；　colleges；　etc。；　are　any　the　better



off；　in　respect　of　their　work；　for　being　so　aggregated　in　such　an



arbitrary　collective　organization。　The　duties　of　the　executive　



aside　from　the　calls　of　publicity　and　self…aggrandizement　　are



in　the　main　administrative　duties　that　have　to　do　with　the



interstitial　adjustments　of　the　composite　establishment。　These



resolve　themselves　into　a　co…ordinated　standardization　of　the



several　constituent　schools　and　divisions；　on　a　mechanically



specified　routine　and　scale；　which　commonly　does　violence　to　the



efficient　working　of　all　these　diverse　and　incommensurable



elements；　with　no　gain　at　any　point；　excepting　a　gain　in　the



facility　of　control　control　for　control's　sake；　at　the　best。　Much



of　the　official　apparatus　and　routine　office…work　is　taken　up



with　this　futile　control。　Beyond　this；　and　requisite　to　the　due



working　of　this　control　and　standardization；　there　is　the　control



of　the　personnel　and　the　checking…up　of　their　task　work；　together



with　the　disciplining　of　such　as　do　not　sufficiently　conform　to



the　resulting　schedule　of　uniformity　and　mediocrity。



　　　　These　duties　are；　all　and　several；　created　by　the　imposition



of　a　central　control；　and　in　the　absence　of　such　control　the　need



of　them　would　not　arise。　They　are　essentially　extraneous　to　the



work　on　which　each　and　several　of　the　constituent　schools　are



engaged；　and　their　only　substantial　effect　on　that　work　is　to



force　it　into　certain　extraneous　formalities　of　routine　and



accountancy；　such　as　to　divert　and　retard　the　work　in　hand。　So



also　the　control　exercised　more　at　large　by　the　governing　board；



except　in　so　far　as　it　is　the　mere　mischief…making　interference



of　ignorant　outsiders；　it　is　likewise　directed　to　the　keeping　of



a　balance　between　units　that　need　no　balancing　as　against　one



another；　except　for　the　need　which　so　is　gratuitously　induced　by



drawing　these　units　into　an　incongruous　coalition　under　the



control　of　such　a　board；　whose　duties　of　office　in　this　way　arise



wholly　out　of　the　creation　of　their　office。



　　　　The　great　and　conspicuous　effect　of　abolishing　the　academic



executive　and　the　governing　board　would　be；　of　course；　that　the



university　organization　as　now　known　would　incontinently　fall　to



pieces。　The　several　constituent　schools　would　fall　apart；　since



nothing　holds　them　together　except　the　strong　hand　of　the　present



central　government。　This　would；　of　course；　seem　a　monstrous　and



painful　outrage　to　all　those　persons　who　are　infatuated　with　a



veneration　of　big　thing；　to　whom　a　〃great〃　　that　is　to　say



voluminous　　university　is　an　object　of　pride　and　loyal



affection。　This　class　of　persons　is　a　very　large　one；　and　they



are　commonly　not　given　to　reJection　on　the　merits　of　their



preconceived　ideals　of　〃greatness。〃　So　that　the　dissolution　of



this　〃trust〃…like　university　coalition　would　bitterly　hurt　their



feelings。　So　intolerable　would　the　shock　to　this　popular



sentiment　presumably　be；　indeed；　that　no　project　of　the　kind　can



have　any　reasonable　chance　of　a　hearing。



　　　　Apart　from　such　loss　of　〃prestige　value〃　in　the　eyes　of　those



whose　pride　centres　on　magnitude；　the　move　in　question　would



involve　no　substantial　loss。　The　chief　direct　and　tangible　effect



would　be　a　considerable　saving　in　〃overhead　charges；〃　in　that　the



greater　part　of　the　present　volume　of　administrative　work　would



fall　away。　The　greater　part　　say；　three…fourths　　of　the



present　officers　of　administration；　with　their　clerical　staff；



would　be　lost；　under　the　present　system　these　are　chiefly



occupied　with　the　correlation　and　control　of　matters　that　need



correlation　and　control　only　with　a　view　to　centralized



management。



　　　　The　aggregate　of　forces　engaged　and　the　aggregate　volume　of



work　done　in　the　schools　would　suffer　no　sensible　diminution。



Indeed；　the　contemplated　change　should　bring　a　very　appreciably



heightened　efficiency　of　all　the　working　units　that　are　now　tied



up　in　the　university　coalition。　Each　of　these　units　would　be　free



to　follow　its　own　devices；　within　the　lines　imposed　by　the　work



in　hand；　since　none　of　them　would　then　be　required　to　walk　in



lock…step　with　several　others　with　which　it　had　no　more　vital



art