第 19 节
作者:
青涩春天 更新:2021-02-27 02:38 字数:9321
give the direction of academic policy and administration more of
a businesslike character。 The choice may not always fall on a
competent business man; but that is not due to its inclining too
far to the side of scholarship。 It is not an easy matter even for
the most astute body of businessmen to select a candidate who
shall measure up to their standard of businesslike efficiency in
a field of activity that has substantially nothing in common with
that business traffic in which their preconceptions of efficiency
have been formed。
In many cases the alumni have much to say in the choice of a
new academic head; whether by courtesy or by express provision;
and the results under these circumstances are not substantially
different。 It follows as an inevitable consequence of the current
state of popular sentiment that the successful businessmen among
the alumni will have the deciding voice; in so far as the matter
rests with the alumni; for the successful men of affairs assert
themselves with easy confidence; and they are looked up to; in
any community whose standards of esteem are business standards;
so that their word carries weight beyond that of any other class
or order of men。 The community at large; or at least that portion
of the community that habitually makes itself heard; speaks to
the same effect and on the same ground; viz。; a sentimental
conviction that pecuniary success is the final test of manhood。
Business principles are the sacred articles of the secular creed;
and business methods make up the ritual of the secular cult。
The one clear note of acclaim that goes up; from the avowed
adepts of culture and from those without the pale; when a new
head has; as recently been called to one of the greater
universities; is in commendation of his business capacity;
〃commercial sense;〃 executive ability; financiering tact; and the
effectual canvass of his qualifications does not commonly range
much outside of these prime requisites。 The modicum of
scholarship and scholarly ideals and insight concessively deemed
indispensable in such a case is somewhat of the nature of a
perquisite; and is easily found。 It is not required that the
incumbent meet the prepossessions of the contingent of learned
men in the community in this respect; the choice does not rest
with that element; nor does its ratification; but rather at the
other end of the scale; with that extreme wing of the laity that
is taken up with 〃practical;〃 that is to say pecuniary; affairs。
As to the requirements of scholarly or scientific competency;
a plausible speaker with a large gift of assurance; a
businesslike 〃educator〃 or clergyman; some urbane pillar of
society; some astute veteran of the scientific demi…monde; will
meet all reasonable requirements。 Scholarship is not barred; of
course; though it is commonly the quasi…scholarship of the
popular raconteur that comes in evidence in these premises; and
the fact that these incumbents of executive office show so much
of scholarly animus and attainments as they do is in great
measure a fortuitous circumstance。 It is; indeed; a safe
generalization that in point of fact the average of university
presidents fall short of the average of their academic staff in
scholarly or scientific attainments; even when all persons
employed as instructors are counted as members of the staff。 It
may also be remarked by the way that when; as may happen; a
scholar or scientist takes office as directive head of a
university; he is commonly lost to the republic of learning; he
has in effect passed from the ranks of learning to those of
business enterprise。
The upshot of it all should be that when and in so far as a
businesslike governing board delegates powers to the university's
academic head; it delegates these powers to one of their own
kind; who is somewhat peremptorily expected to live up to the
aspirations that animate the board。 What such a man; so placed;
will do with the powers and opportunities that so devolve on him
is a difficult question that can be answered only in terms of the
compulsion of the circumstances in which he is placed and of the
moral wear and tear that comes of arbitrary powers exercised in a
tangle of ambiguities。(7*)
NOTES:
1。 An instance showing something of the measure and incidence of
fiscal service rendered by such a businesslike board may be
suggestive; even though it is scarcely to be taken as faithfully
illustrating current practice; in that the particular board in
question has exercised an uncommon measure of surveillance over
its university's pecuniary concerns。
A university corporation endowed with a large estate
(appraised at something over 30;000;000) has been governed by a
board of the usual form; with plenary discretion; established on
a basis of co…optation。 In point of practical effect; the board;
or rather that fraction of the board which takes an active
interest in the university's affairs; has been made up of a group
of local business men engaged in divers enterprises of the kind
familiar to men of relatively large means; with somewhat
extensive interests of the nature of banking and underwriting;
where large extensions of credit and the temporary use of large
funds are of substantial consequence。 By terms of the corporate
charter the board was required to render to the governor of the
state a yearly report of all the pecuniary affairs of the
university; but no penalty was attached to their eventual failure
to render such report; though some legal remedy could doubtless
have been had on due application by the parties in interest; as
e。 g。; by the academic head of the university。 No such report has
been rendered; however; and no steps appear to have been taken to
procure such a report; or any equivalent accounting。 But on
persistent urging from the side of his faculty; and after some
courteous delay; the academic head pushed an inquiry into the
corporation's finances so far as to bring out facts somewhat to
the following effect:
The board; or the group of local business men who constituted
the habitual working majority of the board; appear to have kept a
fairly close and active oversight of the corporate funds
entrusted to them; and to have seen to their investment and
disposal somewhat in detail and; it has been suggested;
somewhat to their own pecuniary advantage。 With the result that
the investments were found to yield a current income of some
three per cent。 (rather under than over); in a state where
investment on good security in the open market commonly yielded
from six per cent to eight per cent。 Of this income approximately
one…half (apparently some forty…five per cent) practically
accrued to the possible current use of the university
establishment。 Just what disposal was made of the remainder is
not altogether clear; though it is loosely presumed to have been
kept in hand with an eventual view to the erection and repair of
buildings。 Something like one…half of what so made up the
currently disposable income was further set aside in the
character of a sinking fund; to accumulate for future use and to
meet contingencies; so that what effectually accrued to the
university establishment for current use to meet necessary
academic expenditures would amount to something like one per cent
(or less) on the total investment。 But of this finally disposable
fraction of the income; again; an appreciable sum was set aside
as a special sinking fund to accumulate for the eventual use of
the university library; which; it may be remarked; was in the
meantime seriously handicapped for want of funds with which to
provide for current needs。 So also the academic establishment at
large was perforce managed on a basis of penurious economy; to
the present inefficiency and the lasting damage of the
university。
The figures and percentages given above are not claimed to be
exact; it is known that a more accurate specification of details
would result in a less favourable showing。
At the time when these matters were disclosed (to a small
number of the uneasy persons interested) there was an ugly
suggestion afloat touching the pecuniary integrity of the board's
management; but this is doubtless to be dismissed as being merely
a loose expression of ill…will; and the like is also doubtless to
be said as regards the suggestion that ther