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