CHAPTERIV
AcademicPrestigeandtheMaterialEquipmentInthecourseoftheprecedingchapterithasappearedthattheintroductionofbusinessprinciplesintouniversitypolicyhashadtheimmediateandubiquitouseffectofgreatlyheighteningthedirectorate’ssolicitudeforadueandcreditablepublicity,aconvincingvisiblesuccess,atactfulandeffectualshowingofefficiencyreflectedinanuninterruptedgrowthinsizeandothertangiblequantitativefeatures。Thisisgoodpolicyasseenfromthepointofviewofcompetitivebusinessenterprise。Incompetitivebusinessitisofthegravestimportancetokeepuptheconcern’sprestige,or\"goodwill。\"A
businessconcernsoplacedmustbepossessedofsuchprestigeaswilldrawandholdaprofitabletraffic;otherwisetheenterpriseisinaprecariouscase。Fortheobjectiveendandaimofbusinessenterpriseisprofitablesales,ortheequivalentofsuchsalesiftheconcernisnotoccupiedwithwhatwouldstrictlybecalledsales。Theendsoughtisanetgainovercosts;ineffect,tobuycheapandselldear。Thequalitiesthatcountasofprimeconsequenceinbusinessenterprise,therefore,particularlyinsuchbusinessenterpriseashastodowithmanyimpressionablecustomers,arethesalesmanlikevirtuesofeffronteryandtact。Thesearehighqualitiesinallbusiness,becausetheirdueexerciseisbelievedtobringanetreturnabovethecostofthegoodstotheseller,and,indeed,abovetheirvaluetothebuyer。Unlessthemanincompetitivebusinessisable,byforceofthesebusinesslikeaptitudes,togetsomethingmorethanhegives,itisfeltthathehasfallenshortofthehighestefficiency。Sotheefficientsalesman,andsimilarlytheefficientlymanagedbusinessconcern,areenabledtoaddtotheirmarketablegoodsanimmaterialincrementof\"prestigevalue,\"assomeoftheeconomistsarecallingit。A
marginofprepossessionsorillusionsastotheirsuperior,butintangibleandinexpensive,utilityattachestoagivenlineofgoodsbecauseoftheadvertiser’sorsalesman’swork,——workspentnotsomuchonthegoodsasonthecustomer’ssensibilities。
Incasetheseillusionsofsuperiorworthareofanenduringcharacter,theywilladdanincrementofsuchintangibleutilityalsotogoodsorothermarketableitemssubsequentlytobeofferedbythesameconcern;andtheycanbeaddedupasapresumptiveaggregateandcapitalizedasintangibleassetsofthebusinessconcerninquestion。Suchabodyofaccumulatedandmarketableillusionsconstitutewhatisknownas\"good—will,\"inthestrictersenseoftheterm。Theillusionsinquestionneed,ofcourse,notbedelusions;theymaybewellorillfounded;forthepurposeinhandthatisanidlequestion。
Themostfamiliarandconvincingillustrationsofsuchgoodwillareprobablythoseaffordedbythesalesofpatentmedicines,andsimilarproprietaryarticlesofhouseholdconsumption;butintangiblevaluesofasimilarnatureareinvolvedinnearlyallcompetitivebusiness。Theyaretheproductofsalesmanship,notofworkmanship;andtheyareusefultotheseller,nottothebuyer。Theyareusefulforpurposesofcompetitivegaintothebusinessman,notforserviceabilitytothecommunityatlarge,andtheirvaluetotheirpossessorliesinthedifferentialadvantagewhichtheygivetoonesellerasagainstanother。Theyhave,onthewhole,noaggregatevalueorutility。Fromthepointofviewofthecommongood,workandexpendituresoincurredforthesecompetitivepurposesarebootlesswaste。
Undercompulsionofsuchprecedents,drawnfromtheconductofcompetitivebusiness,publicityand\"goodwill\"havecometotakeaforemostplaceinthesolicitudeoftheacademicdirectorate。Notthatthisnotorietyandprestige,ortheeffortsthatgototheircultivation,conduceinanyappreciabledegreetoanyostensiblepurposeavowed,oravowable,byanyuniversity。
Thesethings,thatistosay,ratherhinderthanhelpthecauseoflearning,inthattheydivertattentionandeffortfromscholarlyworkmanshiptostatisticsandsalesmanship。Allthatisbeyondcavil。Thegainwhichsoaccruestoanyuniversityfromsuchanaccessionofpopularillusionsisadifferentialgainincompetitionwithrivalseatsoflearning,notagaintotherepublicoflearningortotheacademiccommunityatlarge;anditisagaininmarketableillusions,notinserviceabilityfortheendsoflearningorforanyotheravowedoravowableendsoughtbytheuniversities。Butascompetitorsforthegood—willoftheunletteredpatronsoflearningtheuniversitydirectoratesareconstrainedtokeepthisneedofareputablenotorietyconstantlyinmind,howeverlittleitmayallappealtotheirownscholarlytastes。
Itisinverylargepart,ifnotchiefly,astouchestheacquirementofprestige,thattheacademicworkandequipmentareamenabletobusinessprinciples,——notoverlookingthepervasivesystemofstandardizationandaccountancythataffectsboththeworkandtheequipment,andthatservesotherpurposesaswellasthoseofpublicity;sothat\"businessprinciples\"inacademicpolicycomestomean,chiefly,theprinciplesofreputablepublicity。Itmeansthismorefrequentlyandmoreconsistentlythananythingelse,sofarasregardstheacademicadministration,asdistinguishedfromthefiscalmanagementofthecorporation。
Ofcourse,thestandards,ideals,principlesandprocedureofbusinesstrafficenterintotheschemeofuniversitypolicyinotherrelationsalso,ashasalreadyappearedandaswillbeshownmoreatlargepresently;butafterallduequalificationishad,itremainstruethatthisbusinessofpublicitynecessarily,oratleastcommonly,accountsforadisproportionatelylargeshareofthebusinesstobetakencareofinconductingauniversity,ascontrastedwithsuchanenterprise,e。g。,asabank,asteelworks,orarailwaycompany,onacapitalofaboutthesamevolume。Thisfollowsfromthenatureofthecase。Thecommonrunofbusinessconcernsareoccupiedwithindustrialenterpriseofsomekind,andwithtransactionsincredit,——witharunningsequenceofbargainsfromwhichthegainsoftheconcernaretoaccrue,——anditisuponthesegainsthatattentionandeffortcenters,andtowhichthemanagementoftheconcernconstantlylooks。Suchconcernshavetomeettheircompetitorsinbuying,selling,andeffectingcontractsofallkinds,fromwhichtheirgainsaretocome。Auniversity,ontheotherhand,canlooktonosuchgainsintheworkwhichisitssoleostensibleinterestandoccupation;andthepecuniarytransactionsandarrangementswhichitentersintoonthebasisofitsaccumulatedprestigearearelativelyverytrivialmatter。
Thereis,inshort,noappreciablepecuniarygaintobelookedforfromanytrafficrestingontheacquiredprestige,andthereforethereisnorelationofequivalenceordiscrepancybetweenanyoutlayincurredinthisbehalfandthevolumeofgainfulbusinesstobetransactedonthestrengthofit;withtheresultthattheacademicdirectorateappliesitselftothispursuitwithoutarri鑢epens閑。Sofarastheacquiredprestigeisdesignedtoserveapecuniaryenditcanonlybeusefulinthewayofimpressingpotentialdonors,ahighlyspeculativelineofenterprise,offeringasuggestiveparalleltothedrawingsofalottery。
Outlayforthepurposeofpublicityisnotconfinedtotheemploymentoffield—agentsandthecirculationofcreditablegossipandreassuringprintedmatter。Thegreatershareofitcomesinasincidentaltotheinstallationofplantandequipmentandtheroutineofacademiclifeandceremony。Asregardsthematerialequipment,thedemandsofacreditableappearancearepervadingandrigorous;andtheirconsequencesinthewayofelaborateandpremeditatedincidentalsare,perhaps,hereseenattheirbest。Tothelaitya\"university\"hascometomean,inthefirstplaceandindispensably,anaggregationofbuildingsandotherimprovedreal—estate。Thismaterialequipmentstrikesthelayattentiondirectlyandconvincingly;whilethepursuitoflearningisarelativelyobscurematter,themotionsofwhichcannotwellbefollowedbytheunlettered,evenwiththehelpofthenewspapersandthecircularliteraturethatissuesfromtheuniversity’spublicitybureau。Theacademicworkis,afterall,unseen,anditstaysinthebackground。Currentexpenditurefortheprosecutionofthiswork,therefore,offerstheenterpriseinadvertisementalessadvantageousfieldfortheconvincinguseoffundsthanthematerialequipment,especiallythelargeritems,——laboratoryandlibrarybuildings,assemblyhalls,curiousmuseumexhibits,groundsforathleticcontests,andthelike。
Thereisconsequentlyasteadydriftofprovocationtowardsexpenditureonconspicuousextensionsofthe\"plant,\"andacorrelativeconstanttemptationtoparsimonyinthemoreobscurematterofnecessarysuppliesandservice,andsimilarrunning—expenseswithoutwhichtheplantcannoteffectuallybeturnedtoaccountforitsostensibleuse;withtheresult,notinfrequently,thattheusefulnessofanimposingplantisseriouslyimpairedforwantofwhatmaybecalled\"workingcapital。\"(1*)
Indeed,instancesmightbecitedwherefundsthatweremuchneededtohelpoutinmeetingrunningexpenseshavebeenturnedtouseforconspicuousextensionsoftheplantinthewayofbuildings,inexcessnotonlyofwhatwasneededfortheirallegedpurposebutinexcessofwhatcouldconvenientlybemadeuseof。Moreparticularlyisthereamarkedproclivitytoextendtheplantandtheschoolorganizationintonewfieldsofscholasticenterprise,oftenirrelevantorquiteforeigntotheprovinceoftheuniversityasaseminaryoflearning;andtopushthesealienramifications,totheneglectoftheurgentneedsoftheacademicworkalreadyinhand,inthewayofequipment,maintenance,supplies,serviceandinstruction。
Therunning—expensesarealwaysthemosturgentitemsofthebudget,asseenfromthestandpointoftheacademicwork;andtheyareordinarilytheitemthatismostparsimoniouslyprovidedfor。Ascantyprovisionatthispointunequivocallymeansadisproportionatecurtailmentoftheusefulnessoftheequipmentaswellasofthepersonnel,——as,e。g。,theextremelycommonandextremelyunfortunatepracticeofkeepingtheallowanceformaintenanceandserviceintheuniversitylibrariessolowasseriouslytoimpairtheirserviceability。Buttheexigenciesofprestigewilleasilymakeitseemmoretothepoint,intheeyesofabusinesslikeexecutive,toprojectanewextensionoftheplant;whichwillthenbehalf—employed,onascantyallowance,inworkwhichliesontheouterfringeorbeyondtheuniversity’slegitimateprovince。(2*)
Insodiscriminatingagainsttheworkingcapacityoftheuniversity,andinfavourofitsreal—estate,thispursuitofreputablepublicityfurtherdecidesthattheexteriorofthebuildingsandthegroundsshouldhavethefirstandlargestattention。Itistrue,theinitialpurposeofthismaterialequipment,itisostensiblybelieved,istoserveashousingandappliancesfortheworkofinquiryandinstruction。Such,ofcourse,continuestobeavoweditsmainpurpose,inaperfunctorilyostensibleway。Thismeansaprovisionoflibraries,laboratories,andlecturerooms。Thelastoftheseistheleastexacting,anditistheonemostcommonlywellsupplied。Itisalso,onthewhole,themoreconspicuousinproportiontotheoutlay。Butallthesearematterschieflyofinteriorarrangement,appliancesandmaterials,andtheyareallofarelativelyinconspicuouscharacter。Exceptasdetailedinprintedstatisticstheydonotordinarilylendthemselveswithappreciableeffecttotheartofadvertising。Inmeetingallthesematerialrequirementsoftheworkinhandaverylargeexpenditureoffundsmightadvantageouslybemade——
advantageouslytotheacademicusewhichtheyaretoserve——
withoutmuchvisibleeffectasseeninperspectivefromtheoutside。Andsofarasbearsonthisacademicuse,theexteriorofthebuildingsisamatterofaltogetherminorconsequence,asarealsothedecorativeappointmentsoftheinterior。
Inpractice,undercompulsionofthebusinessprinciplesofpublicity,itwillbefound,however,thattheexteriorandthedecorativeappointmentsarethechiefobjectofthedesigner’sattention;theinteriorarrangementandworkingappointmentswillnotinfrequentlybecomeamatterofrudeapproximationtotherequirementsofthework,carebeingfirsttakenthatthesearrangementsshallnotinterferewiththedecorativeorspectacularintentoftheoutside。Butevenwiththebest—advisedmanagementofitspublicityvalue,itisalwaysappreciablymoredifficulttosecureappropriationsforthematerialequipmentofalaboratoryorlibrarythanfortheshelloftheedifice,andstillmoresoforthemaintenanceofanadequatecorpsofcaretakersandattendants。
Aswillbefoundtrueofotherlinesofthisuniversityenterpriseinpublicity,soalsoastothispresentationofareputableexterior;itisdesignedtoimpressnottheacademicpersonnel,orthescholarlyelementatlarge,butthelaity。Theacademicfolkandscholarsarecommonlylesssusceptibletotheappealofcuriousfacadesandperplexingfeatsofarchitecture;
andthen,suchanappealwouldhavenoparticularmotiveintheircase;itisnotnecessarytoimpressthem。Itisintheeyesoftheunlettered,particularlythebusinesscommunity,thatitisdesirablefortheuniversitytopresentanimposingfront;thatbeingthefeatureofacademicinstallationwhichtheywillreadilyappreciate。Tocarryinstantconvictionofahighacademicworthtothislargeelementofthepopulace,theuniversitybuildingsshouldbulklargeinthelandscape,shouldbewastefullyexpensive,andshouldconformtothearchitecturalmannerismsinpresentvogue。Inafewyearsthestyleofarchitecturalaffectationswillchange,ofcourse,asfashionsnecessarilychangeinanycommunitywhosetastesaregovernedbypecuniarystandards;andanyparticulararchitecturalcontrivancewillthereforepresentlylosemuchofitsprestigevalue;butbythetimeitsoisovertakenbyobsolescence,thestructureswhichembodytheparticularaffectationinquestionwillhavemadetheappealforwhichtheyweredesigned,andsowillhaveservedtheirpurposeofpublicity。Andthen,too,edificescreatedwithathriftyviewtoalargespectaculareffectatalowcostarealsoliabletosorapidaphysicaldecayastobereadyforremovalandreplacementbeforetheyhavegreatlyoutlivedtheirusefulnessinthisrespect。
Inrecentscholasticedificesoneisnotsurprisedtofindlectureroomsacousticallyilldesigned,andwithanannoyingdistributionoflight,duetotherequirementsofexteriorsymmetryandthedecorativedistributionofwindows;andthelikeholdstrueeveninahigherdegreeforlibrariesandlaboratories,sincefortheseusesthedemandsintheserespectsareevenmoreexacting。Norisitunusualtofindwasteofspaceandweaknessofstructure,due,e。g。,toafictitiouswindingstair,thrownintothedesigntopermitsuchafacadeaswillsimulatethedefensivedetailsofamediaevalkeep,tobesurmountedwithembrasuredbattlementsanda(make—believe)
loopholedturret。So,again,spacewill,onthesameground,bewastedinheavy—ceiled,ill—lightedlobbies;whichmightoncehaveservedasamusteringplaceforabodyofunrulymen—at—arms,butwhichmeannothingmoretothepointtoday,andinthesepremises,thansomanyinconvenientflagstonestobecrossedincomingandgoing。
Theseprinciplesofspectacularpublicitydemandaniceadjustmentoftheconspicuousfeaturesoftheplanttothecurrentvagariesindecorativeartandmagnificence,thatistosay,conformitytothesophisticationscurrentonthatlevelofcultureonwhichtheseunletteredmenofsubstanceliveandmoveandhavetheirbeing。Astouchesthecaseoftheseatsoflearning,thesecurrentlaysophisticationsdrawonseveralmoreorlessdiverse,andnotaltogethercongruous,linesofconventionallyapprovedmanifestationoftheabilitytopay。Outofthepastcomestheconventionalpreconceptionthatthesescholasticedificesshouldshowsomethingofthereveredtraitsofecclesiasticalandmonasticreal—estate;whileoutofthepresentcomesaningrainedpredilectionforthemoresprightlyandexuberanteffectsofdecorationandmagnificencetowhichthemodernconcert—hall,themoreexpensivecafesandclubrooms,andthePullmancoacheshavegivenadegreeofauthentication。Anyonegiventocuriousinquirymightfindcongenialemploymentintracingoutthemannerandproportioninwhichthese,andthelike,strainsofaestheticindoctrinationareblendedintheedificesandgroundsofawell—advisedmodernuniversity。
Itisnotnecessaryheretooffermanyspeculationsontheenduringartisticmeritofthesecostlystagepropertiesoftheseatsoflearning,sincetheirpermanentvalueinthatrespectisscarcelytoberatedasasubstantialmotiveintheirconstruction。Butthereis,e。g。,noobviousreasonwhy,withthenextchangeinthetideofmannerism,thedisjointedgrotesqueriesofaneclecticandmodifiedGothicshouldnotpresentlypassintothesamecategoryofapologeticneglect,withthearchitecturalevilswroughtbythemid—Victoriangeneration。
Butthereisanothersidetothisarchitectureofnotoriety,thatmeritssomeslightfurtherremark。Itisconsistentlyandunavoidablymeretricious。Justatpresenttheenjoinedvogueissomeformofbastardantique。Thearchaicformswhichitostensiblypreservesarestructurallyoutofdate,illadaptedtothemodernmaterialsandthemodernbuilder’suseofmaterials。
Modernbuilding,onalargescaleanddesignedfordurableresults,isframeworkbuilding。Themodernrequirementsoflight,heating,ventilationandaccessrequireittobesuch;andthematerialsusedlendthemselvestothatmannerofconstruction。
Thestrainsinvolvedinmodernstructuresareframe—workstrains;
whereastheformswhichtheseedificesarerequiredtosimulatearemasonryforms。Theoutwardconformationandostensiblestructureofthebuildings,therefore,arecommonlymeaningless,exceptasanarchitecturalprevarication。Theyhavetobeadapted,simulated,deranged,becauseinmodernusetheyareimpracticableintheshape,proportionandcombinationthatofrightbelongedtothemunderthecircumstancesofmaterialsandusesunderwhichtheywereonceworkedout。Sothereresultsameaninglessjuxtapositionofdetails,thatprovenothingindetailandcontradictoneanotherinassemblage。Allofwhichmaysuggestreflectionsonthefitnessofhousingthequestoftruthinanedificeoffalsepretences。
Thesearchitecturalvagariesservenousefulendinacademiclife。Asanobjectlessontheyconduce,intheirmeasure,toinculcateinthestudentsaspiritofdisingenuousness。Buttheyspreadabroadtheprestigeoftheuniversityasanornateandspendthriftestablishment;whichisbelievedtobringincreasedenrolmentofstudentsand,whatisevenmoretothepoint,toconciliatethegood—willoftheopulentpatronsoflearning。Thattheseedificesaregoodforthispurpose,andthatthispolicyofarchitecturalmiseensceneiswise,appearsfromthegreaterreadinesswithwhichfundsareprocuredforsuchornateconstructionsthanforanyotheracademicuse。Itappearsthatthesuccessfulmenofaffairstowhomtheappealforfundsisdirected,findthesewasteful,ornateandmeretriciousedificesacompetentexpressionoftheirculturalhopesandambitions。
NOTES:
1。Asingleillustrativeinstancemayservetoshowhowthelandliesinthisrespect,eventhoughitmayseemtotheuninitiatedtobeanextremeifnotanexaggeratedcase;whileitmayperhapsstrikethosefamiliarwiththesemattersasatediouscommonplace。Afewyearsago,inoneofthelarger,youngerandmoreenterprisinguniversities,acommodiouslaboratory,wellappointedandadequatelydecorated,wasdedicatedtooneofthebranchesofbiologicalscience。Tomeettheneedsofscientificworksuchalaboratoryrequirestheservicesofacorpsofexperiencedandintelligentassistantsandcaretakers,particularlywheretheestablishmentisequippedwithmodernappliancesforheating,ventilationandthelike,aswasthecaseinthisinstance。Inthislaboratorythenecessarywarmthwassuppliedbywhatissometimescalledthemethodofindirectsteamheat;thatistosay,theprovisionforheatandforventilationwerecombinedinonesetofappliances,bybringingtheneededairfromtheopenthroughanoutdoor\"intake,\"passingitoversteam—heatedcoils(inthebasementofthebuilding),andsodistributingtheairnecessaryforventilation,atthepropertemperature,throughoutthebuildingbymeansofasuitablearrangementofair—shafts。Suchwasthedesign。Butintelligentservicecomeshigh,andignorantjanitorsarewillingtoundertakewhatmaybeaskedofthem。Andsufficientwarmthcanbehadinaninclementclimateandthroughalongwinterseasononlyatanappreciableexpense。So,withaviewtoeconomy,andwithouttheknowledgeofthescientificstaffwhomadeuseofthelaboratory,theexpedientwashituponbytheacademicexecutive,inconsultationwithasuitablejanitor,thattheoutdoorintakebeboardeduptightly。sothattheairwhichpassedovertheheatingcoilsandthroughtheair—shaftstothelaboratoryroomswasthenceforthdrawnnotfromtheextremelycoldatmosphereofoutdoorsbutfromthemoretemperatesupplythatfilledthebasementandhadalreadyhadthebenefitofcirculatingoverthesteamcoilsandthroughtheventilatingshafts。Bythismeansanobvioussavinginfuelwouldbeeffected,correspondingtotheheatdifferentialbetweentheoutdoorair,atsome0*to—20*andthatalreadyconfinedinthebuilding,atsome60*。Howlongthisfuel—savingexpedientwasinforcecannotwellbeascertained,butitisknowntohavelastedatleastformorethanoneseason。
Themembersofthescientificstaffmeantimemysteriouslybutpersistentlyfellsickafterafewweeksofworkinthelaboratory,recurrentlyaftereachreturnfromenforcedvacations。Until,intheend,movedbypersistentsuspicionsofsewer—gas——which,bytheway,hadinthemeantimecostsomefutileinconvenienceandexpenseoccasionedbyunnecessaryoverhaulingoftheplumbing——oneofthestaffpriedintothejanitor’sdomaininthebasement;wherehefoundnearthechamberofthesteamcoilsalooselyclosedman—holeleadingintothesewers,fromwhichapparentlysuchairwasdrawnaswouldnecessarilygotooffsetthecurrentleakagefromthisclosedsystemofventilation。
2。ThisisanearlyuniversalinfirmityofAmericanuniversitypolicy,butitisdoubtlessnottobesetdownsolelytotheaccountofthepenchantforalargepublicityonthepartoftheseveralacademicexecutives。Itisinalllikelihooddueasmuchtotheequallyubiquitousinabilityofthegoverningboardstoappreciateortoperceivewhatthecurrentneedsoftheacademicworkare,orevenwhattheyarelike。Mentrainedintheconductofbusinessenterprise,asthegoverningboardsare,willhavegreatdifficultyinpersuadingthemselvesthatexpenditureswhichyieldneitherincreaseddividendsnorsuchadurablephysicalproductascanbeinvoicedandaddedtothecapitalization,canbeotherthanafrivolouswasteofgoodmoney;sothatwhatiswithheldfromcurrentacademicexpenditureisfelttobesaved,whilethatexpenditurewhichleavesatangibleresidueof(perhapsuseless)realestateis,byforceofingrainedhabit,ratedasnewinvestment。
CHAPTERV
TheAcademicPersonnelAsregardsthepersonneloftheacademicstaffthecontrolenforcedbytheprinciplesofcompetitivebusinessismoresubtle,complexandfar—reaching,andshouldmeritmoreparticularattention。Thestaffistheuniversity,oritshouldsobeiftheuniversityistodeservetheplaceassigneditintheschemeofcivilization。Thereforethecentralandgravestquestiontouchingcurrentacademicpolicyisthequestionofitsbearingonthepersonnelandtheworkwhichthereisforthemtodo。Intheapprehensionofmanycriticsthewholequestionofuniversitycontroliscomprisedinthedealingsoftheexecutivewiththestaff。
Whetherthepowerofappointmentvestsformallyinonemanorinaboard,inAmericanpracticeitcommonlyvests,ineffect,intheacademicexecutive。Inpractice,thepowerofremoval,aswellasthatofadvancement,restsinthesamehands。Thebusinesslikerequirementsofthecasebringittothisoutcomedefacto,whateverformalitiesofproceduremayintervenedejure。
Itliesinthenatureofthecasethatthisappointingpowerwilltendtocreateafacultyafteritsownkind。Itwillbequicktorecognizeefficiencywithinthelinesofitsowninterests,andslowertoseefitnessinthoselinesthatlieoutsideofitshorizon,whereitmustnecessarilyactonoutsidesolicitationandhearsayevidence。
Theselectiveeffectofsuchabias,guidedasonemightsay,bya\"consciousnessofkind,\"maybeseeninthoseestablishmentsthathaveremainedunderclericaltutelage;where,notoriously,thefirstqualificationlookedtoinanapplicantforworkasateacherishisreligiousbias。Butthebiasofthesegoverningboardsandexecutivesthatareunderclericalcontrolhasafterallbeenabletoeffectonlyapartial,thoughfar—reaching,conformitytoclericalidealsoffitnessinthefacultiessoselected;moreespeciallyinthelargerandmodernizedschoolsofthisclass。Inpracticeitisfoundnecessarysomewhattowinkatdevotionalshortcomingsamongtheirteachers;clerical,orpronouncedlydevout,scientiststhatarepassablycompetentintheirscience,areofveryrareoccurrence;andyetsomethingpresentableinthewayofmodernscienceisconventionallyrequiredbytheseschools,inordertolive,andsotoeffectanypartoftheirpurpose。Halfaloafisbetterthannobread。Nonebuttheprecariousclassofschoolsmadeupofthelowergradeandsmallerofthesecolleges,suchasarecontenttosavetheirsoulsalivewithoutexertinganyeffectonthecurrentofcivilization,areabletogetalongwithfacultiesmadeupexclusivelyofGod—fearingmen。
Somethingofthesamekind,andinsomewhatthesamedegree,istruefortheschoolsunderthetutelageofbusinessmen。Whilethebusinesslikeidealmaybeafacultywhollymadeupofmenhighlygiftedwithbusinesssense,itisnotpracticabletoassemblesuchafacultywhichshallatthesametimebeplausiblycompetentinscienceandscholarship。Scientistsandscholarsgivenovertothepursuitofknowledgeareconventionallyindispensabletoauniversity,andsucharecommonlynotlargelygiftedwithbusinesssense,eitherbyhabitorbynativegift。
Thetwolinesofinterest——businessandscience——donotpulltogether;acompetentscientistorscholarwellendowedwithbusinesssenseisasrareasadevoutscientist——almostasrareasawhiteblackbird。Yettheinclusionofmenofscientificgiftsandattainmentsamongitsfacultyisindispensabletotheuniversity,ifitistoavoidinstantandpalpablestultification。
Sothatthemostthatcanpracticallybeaccomplishedbyabusinesslikeselectionandsurveillanceoftheacademicpersonnelwillbeacompromise;wherebyagoodlynumberofthefacultywillbeselectedongroundsofbusinesslikefitness,moreorlesspronounced,whileaworkingminoritymustcontinuetobemadeupofmenwithoutmuchbusinessproficiencyandwithoutpronouncedloyaltytocommercialprinciples。
Thisfluctuatingmarginoflimitationhasapparentlynotyetbeenreached,perhapsnoteveninthemostenterprisingofouruniversities。Suchshouldbethemeaningofthefactthatacontinuedcommercializationoftheacademicstaffappearsstilltobeinprogress,inthesensethatbusinesslikefitnesscountsprogressivelyformoreinappointmentsandpromotions。Thesebusinesslikequalificationsdonotcomprisemerelyfacilityintheconductofpecuniaryaffairs,evenifsuchfacilitybeconceivedtoincludethespecialaptitudesandproficiencythatgotothemakingofasuccessfuladvertiser。Inacademiccirclesaselsewherebusinesslikefitnessincludessolvencyaswellascommercialgenius。Bothofthesequalificationsareusefulinthecompetitivemanoeuvresinwhichtheacademicbodyisengaged。Butwhilethetwoareapparentlygivenincreasingweightintheselectionandgradingoftheacademicpersonnel,theprecedentsandspecificationsforastandardratingofmeritinthisbearinghavehithertonotbeenworkedouttosuchanicetyastoallowmuchmorethanamoreorlesscloseapproachtoaconsistentapplicationoftheprincipleintheaveragecase。Andthereliesalwaystheinfirmityinthebackgroundofthesystemthatifthestaffwereselectedconsistentlywithaneyesingletobusinesscapacityandbusinessanimustheuniversitywouldpresentlybefunctaofficio,andthecaptainoferuditionwouldfindhisoccupationgone。
Auniversityisanendowedinstitutionofculture;whethertheendowmenttaketheformofassignedincome,asinthestateestablishments,oroffundedwealth,aswithmostotheruniversities。Suchfractionoftheincomeasisassignedtothesalaryroll,andwhichthereforecomesinquestionhere,isapportionedamongthestaffforworkwhichhasnodeterminatemarketvalue。Itisnotamatterofquidproquo;sinceonememberoftheexchange,thestipendorsalary,ismeasurableinpecuniarytermsandtheotherisnot。Thisworkhasnobusinessvalue,insofarasitisworkproperlyincludedamongthedutiesoftheacademicmen。Indeed,itisafairlysafetest;workthathasacommercialvaluedoesnotbelongintheuniversity。Suchservicesoftheacademicstaffashaveabusinessvaluearethoseportionsoftheirworkthatserveotherendsthanthehigherlearning;as,e。g。,theprestigeandpecuniarygainoftheinstitutionatlarge,thepecuniaryadvantageofagivencliqueorfactionwithintheuniversity,ortheprofitandrenownofthedirectivehead。Gainsthataccrueforservicesofthisgeneralcharacterarenot,properlyspeaking,salaryorstipendpayabletoward\"theincreaseanddiffusionofknowledgeamongmen,\"eveniftheyarecurrentlysodesignated,intheabsenceofsuitabledistinctions。Instancesofsuchadiversionofcorporatefundstoprivateendshaveinthepastoccurredincertainmonasticandpriestlyorders,aswellasinsomemodernpoliticalorganizations。Organizedmalversationofthischaracterhaslatterlybeencalled\"graft。\"Thelong—termcommonsenseofthecommunitywouldpresentlydisavowanycorporationoflearningovertlypursuingsuchacourse,asbeingfaithlesstoitstrust,andtheconservationoflearningwouldsopassintootherhands。