登陆注册
15513800000048

第48章 CHAPTER II(17)

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.

同类推荐
  • 太上灵宝玉匮明真斋忏方仪

    太上灵宝玉匮明真斋忏方仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • BURNING DAYLIGHT

    BURNING DAYLIGHT

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 秘本种子金丹

    秘本种子金丹

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 啸亭杂录

    啸亭杂录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 吴江雪

    吴江雪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 通职帝圣之都市传说

    通职帝圣之都市传说

    尹明渊一行人从异界回归现实后相认、重聚、更强,又继续沾花惹草
  • 荒芜时光

    荒芜时光

    她是世家女儿,他只是个穷小子,他为她放弃一切,她为他几乎与家族为敌。。。。。。
  • 毒逆天下:张狂大小姐

    毒逆天下:张狂大小姐

    若一朝被狗咬,常人十年怕狗吠,然,她墨云倾十年见狗踢!传言道,蓝家有女艳绝天下,水家有女柔倾天下...而墨家...有女毒逆天下!
  • 「冰、尧」玩转古代(已完结)

    「冰、尧」玩转古代(已完结)

    她,倾国倾城,她的笑,足以扭转乾坤,但最美的笑只对他……前世,他是王爷,爱她。今世,他是杀手,爱她。他是她最爱的人,不管什么时候。就算没有记忆,心中也有深深打烙印,永不退却。穿越了,是因为她留下的东西。他陪着她,一起走了。她拥有234的IQ,学完了她想学的所有东西。她穿越到古代,成为了最霸道宫主,搞了一些现代人使用的东西,让她的组织成为了人闻人怯的帮派。她是黑帮的老二,她呼风唤雨,没有人违抗他的命令。前世,他是王爷,爱她。却因为一件错事,而得到了她生生世世的诅咒。今世,他是杀手,爱她,却因为被她看穿,而放弃了对她的爱。他是她最爱的人,不管什么时候。就算没有记忆,心中也有深深打烙印,永不退却。他和她一样拥有呼风唤雨的力量,她,不管是现代,还是古代,都是霸主,而他,只有在古代,才能给他所有。不过,她的组织足以与他抗衡。合并,天下无敌。敌对,惨绝人寰。
  • 魔幻,神妖魔:公主哪里逃

    魔幻,神妖魔:公主哪里逃

    神界,妖界,魔界,她,淘气可爱;她,妖娆邪魅;她,冰冷刺骨。她们会遇上白马王子,还是黑马骑士呢?
  • 锋剑传说

    锋剑传说

    “剑名‘弈’,剑身长三尺三寸,乃是乾元城最好的铸剑师杜铁取极北之地万年寒冰铁,又经七七四十九天打造而成,剑成时又有张天师再传弟子张灵虚加持符法。此剑随我一十三载,共击杀有名高手三百八十六人,曲一瓢品评天下名剑,此剑排名第七!”宫诚沉声道。“哦,名剑都有名字的吗?那我这柄剑就叫锋剑吧,这剑的长度我没量过,乃是雷州秀山脚下张家村口的张铁匠用三天三夜打造而成,价值一贯铜钱,还没杀过人呢,我想以后也不大可能用来杀人。”何锋拔剑出鞘,笑道。二人相对而立,一场大战看来已是无可避免。
  • 桔梗花下:滴落的星星

    桔梗花下:滴落的星星

    在青春里,我们每一个都像是迷人的星星,站在不同花下幻想着最纯真的爱,我们想的淡如风,可现实很心痛,这里的女孩和我们相似,他们把自己包裹成星星的形状,坐在桔梗花下,期盼着花语般的爱情。。。。。
  • 爱暖心扉(心灵鸡汤系列书)

    爱暖心扉(心灵鸡汤系列书)

    给心灵一杯鸡汤,给心灵一个安慰,让自己做得更好,活得更快乐。纯净的语言,简练的小故事,打造心灵读物的纯真年代!以浅显的语言表达着人间真情,以至深的情感述说着五彩人生,在每一个角落把真情的火炬点燃,让每一缕清香在尘世间流传,让真情在心灵的碰撞中凝固成永恒。
  • 穿越之玩转射雕

    穿越之玩转射雕

    很喜欢金庸笔下的冯蘅和黄药师,但他们的故事是以悲剧收场的。同样聪慧绝伦的有情人却无法厮守到老,很是令人唏嘘。金庸笔下的冯蘅秀丽绝伦、冰雪聪明、过目不忘,人说慧极必伤,这般温柔雅驯的女子不该如此红颜薄命,所以笔者仅用自己的想法诉说我心中的冯蘅。(简介逼死人,目测简介有点酥。总的来说,就是完全不一样的冯蘅和黄药师的故事,有兴趣就点进来看看吧~)
  • 聊界之战

    聊界之战

    生生不息,君有倾天,叶有轻尘,唐有宇辰。三君之战,威武不败。后世人称,三君乃至天地之主;界域主宰;不败天神。