第 30 节
作者:
青涩春天 更新:2021-02-27 02:38 字数:9321
exploiting the system in that sense。
Not that the fellowships have altogether lost that character
of a scholarly stipendiary with which they started out; but they
have; under businesslike management; acquired a use not
originally intended; and the new; competitive use of them is
unequivocally their main use today。 It would be hazardous to
guess just how far the directorates of the rival universities
consciously turn the fellowships to account in this enterprising
way; or how far; on the other hand; they are able to let
self…deception cover the policy of competitive bargaining in
which they are engaged; but it would be difficult to believe that
their right hand is altogether ignorant of what their left hand
is doing。 It would doubtless also be found that both the practice
and the animus back of it differ appreciably from one school to
another。 But there is no element of hazard in the generalization
that; by and large; such competitive use of the fellowships is
today their chief use; and that such is the fact is quite openly
avowed among the academic staff of some universities at least。
As a sequel and symptom of this use of the fellowship
stipends in bargaining for an enlarged enrolment of advanced
students; it has become a moot question in academic policy
whether a larger number of fellowships with smaller stipends will
give a more advantageous net statistical result than a smaller
number of more adequate stipends。 An administration that looks
chiefly to the short…term returns as is commonly the practice
in latterday business enterprise will sensibly incline to make
the stipends small and numerous; while the converse will be true
where regard is had primarily to the enrolment of carefully
selected men who may reflect credit on the institution in the
long run。 Up…to…date business policy will apparently commend the
former rather than the latter course; for business practice; in
its later phases; is eminently guided by consideration of
short…term gains。 It is also true that the average stipend
attached to the fellowships offered today is very appreciably
lower than was the practice some two or three decades ago; at the
same time that the cost of living which these stipends were
originally designed to cover has increased by something like
one hundred per cent。 As final evidence of the decay of scholarly
purpose in the matter of fellowships; and as a climax of
stultification; it is to be added that stipends originally
established as an encouragement to disinterested scholarship are
latterly being used to induce enrolment in the professional
schools attached to the universities。(13*)
One further point of contact and contamination is necessary
to be brought into this account of the undergraduate
administration and its bearing on advanced work。 The scholastic
accessories spoken of above clubs; fraternities; devotional
organizations; class organizations; spectacles and social
functions; athletics; and 〃student activities〃 generally do
not in any appreciable degree bear directly on the advanced work;
in as much as they find no ready lodgement among the university
students proper。 But they count; indirectly and effectually;
toward lowering the scholarly ideals and keeping down the number
of advanced students; chiefly by diverting the interest and
energies of the undergraduate men from scholarly pursuits and
throwing them into various lines of business and sportsmanship。
The subsidized clubs work; in these premises; to much the
same effect as the fraternities; both are; in effect; designed to
cultivate expensive habits of life。 The same is true in a higher
degree of athletic sports。 The full round of sportsmanlike
events; as well as the round schedule of social amenities for
which the polite side of undergraduate life (partly subsidized)
is designed to give a taste and training; are beyond the compass
of men devoted to scholarship。 In effect these things come in as
alternatives to the pursuit of knowledge。 These things call for a
large expenditure of time and means; neither of which can be
adequately met by the scientist or scholar。 So that men who have
been trained to the round of things that so go to make up the
conventional scheme of undergraduate interests can not well look
to a career in the higher learning as a possible outcome of their
residence in college。 On the other hand; young men habitually;
and no doubt rightly; expect a business career to yield an income
somewhat above the average of incomes in the community; and more
particularly in excess of the commonplace incomes of academic
men; such an income; indeed; as may afford the means to cover the
conventional routine of such polite expenditures。 So that; in the
absence of an independent income; some sort of a business career
that promises well in the pecuniary respect becomes the necessary
recourse of the men to whom these amenities of expenditure have
become habitual through their undergraduate training。 With like
effect the mental discipline exercised by these sports and polite
events greatly favours the growth of tactful equivocation and a
guarded habit of mind; such as makes for worldly wisdom and
success in business; but which is worse than useless in the
scholar or scientist。 And further and perhaps more decisively; an
undergraduate who does his whole duty in the way of sports;
fraternities; clubs; and reputable dissipation at large; commonly
comes through his undergraduate course with a scanty and
superficial preparation for scholarly or scientific pursuits; if
any。 So that even in case he should still chance to harbour a
penchant for the pursuit of learning he will be unfit by lack of
training。
NOTES:
1。 Cf。 George T。 Ladd; 〃The Need of Administrative Changes in the
American University;〃 reprinted in University Control; by J。
McKeen Cattell; especially pp。 352…353。
2。 Cf。 George T。 Ladd; as above; pp。 351…352。
3。 Apart from the executive's need of satisfying the prejudices
of the laity in this matter; there is no ground for this
competition between the universities; either in the pecuniary
circumstances of the several establishments or in the work they
are to take care of。 So much is admitted on all hands。 But the
fact remains that no other one motive has as much to do with
shaping academic policy as this same competition for traffic。 The
cause of it appears to be very little if anything else than that
the habits of thought induced by experience in business are
uncritically carried over into academic affairs。
Critics of the present r間ime are inclined to admit that the
colleges of the land are in great part so placed as to be thrown
into competition by force of circumstances; both as to the
acquisition of funds and as to the enrolment of students。 The
point may be conceded; though with doubt and reservation; as
applies to the colleges; for the universities there is no visible
ground of such rivalry; apart from unreflecting prejudice on the
part of the laity; and an ambition for popular acclaim on the
part of the university directorate。
4。 An incumbent of executive office; recently appointed; in one
of the greater universities was at pains a few years ago to speak
his mind on this head; to the effect that the members of the
academic staff are employees in the pay of the university and
under the orders of its president; and as such they are bound to
avoid all criticism of him and his administration so long as they
continue on the pay…roll; and that if any member of the staff has
any fault to find with the conduct of affairs he must first sever
his connection with the university; before speaking his mind。
These expressions were occasioned by the underhand dismissal of a
scholar of high standing and long service; who had incurred the
displeasure of the president then in charge; by overt criticism
of the administration。 As to its general features the case might
well have been the one referred to by Professor Ladd (University
Control; as above; p。 359); though the circumstances of the
dismissal offer several details of a more discreditable character
than Professor Ladd appears to have been aware of。
5。 The strategic reason for this is the desire to retain for
graduate registration any student who might otherwise prefer to
look for graduate instruction elsewhere。 The plan ha