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science and scholarship； the training given by a college of
moderate size commonly affords a better preparation than is had
in the very large undergraduate schools of the great
universities。 This holds true； in a general way； in spite of the
fact that the smaller schools are handicapped by an inadequate
equipment； are working against the side…draft of a religious
bias； with a corps of under…paid and over…worked teachers in
great part selected on denominational grounds； and are
under…rated by all concerned。 The proposition； however； taken in
a general way and allowing for exceptions； is too manifestly true
to admit of much question； particularly in respect of preparation
for the sciences proper； as contrasted with the professions。
The causes of this relative inefficiency that seems to attach
unavoidably to the excessively large undergraduate establishments
can not be gone into here； in part they are obvious； in part
quite obscure。 But in any case the matter can not be gone into
here； except so far as it has an immediate bearing on the
advanced work of the university； through the inclusion of these
collegiate schools in the university corporation and under the
same government。 As has already been remarked； by force of the
competitive need of a large statistical showing and a wide sweep
of popular prestige and notoriety； and by reason of other
incentives of a nature more intimate to the person of the
executive； it is in effect a matter of course that the
undergraduate school and its growth becomes the chief object of
solicitude and management with a businesslike executive； and that
so its shaping of the foundations of the establishment as a whole
acts irresistibly to fashion the rest of the university
administration and instruction in the image of the undergraduate
policy。 Under the same compulsion it follows also that whatever
elements in the advanced work of the university will not lend
themselves to the scheme of accountancy； statistics；
standardization and coercive control enforced in and through the
undergraduate division； will tend to be lost by disuse and
neglect； as being selectively unfit to survive under that system。
The advanced work falls under the same stress of competition
in magnitude and visible success； and the same scheme of enforced
statistical credits will gradually insinuate itself into the work
for the advanced degrees； so that these as well as the lower
degrees will come to be conferred on the piece…work plan。
Throughout the American universities there is apparent such a
movement in the direction of a closer and more mechanical
specification of the terms on which the higher degrees are to be
conferred； a specification in terms of stipulated courses of
class…room work and aggregate quantity of standard credits and
length of residence。 So that his need of conformity to the
standard credit requirements will therefore constrain the
candidate for an advanced degree to make the substantial pursuit
of knowledge subordinate to the present pursuit of credits； to be
attended to； if at all； in the scant interstitial intervals
allowed by a strictly drawn accountancy。 The effect of it all on
their animus； and on the effective prosecution of the higher
learnings by the instructors； should be sufficiently plain； but
in case of doubt any curious person may easily assure himself of
it by looking over the current state of things as they run in any
one of the universities that grant degrees。
Nothing but continued workday familiarity with this system of
academic grading and credit； as it takes effect in the conduct
and control of instruction； and as its further elaboration
continues to employ the talents and deliberation of college men；
can enable any observer to appreciate the extraordinary lengths
to which this matter is carried in practice； and the pervasive
way in which it resistlessly bends more and more of current
instruction to its mechanical tests and progressively sterilizes
all personal initiative and ambition that comes within its sweep。
And nothing but the same continued contact with the relevant
facts could persuade any outsider that all this skilfully devised
death of the spirit is brought about by well…advised efforts of
improvement on the part of men who are intimately conversant with
the facts； and who are moved by a disinterested solicitude for
the best academic good of the students under their charge。 Yet
such； unmistakably； are the facts of the case。
While the initial move in this sterilization of the academic
intellect is necessarily taken by the statistically…minded
superior officers of the corporation of learning； the detail of
schedules and administrative routine involved is largely left in
the discretion of the faculty。 Indeed； it is work of this
character that occupies nearly the whole of the attention of the
faculty as a deliberative body； as well as of its many and
various committees。 In these matters of administrative routine
and punctilio the faculty； collectively and severally； can
exercise a degree of initiative and discretion。 And these duties
are taken as seriously as well may be； and the matters that so
come within the faculty's discretion are handled in the most
unambiguous spirit of responsible deliberation。 Each added move
of elaboration is taken only after the deliberative body has
assured itself that it embodies a needed enhancement of the
efficiency of the system of control。 But each improvement and
amplification also unavoidably brings the need of further
specification and apparatus； desired to take care of further
refinements of doubt and detail that arise out of the last
previous extensions of the mechanism。 The remedy sought in all
such conjunctures is to bring in further specifications and
definitions； with the effect of continually making two
specifications grow where one grew before； each of which in its
turn will necessarily have to be hedged about on both sides by
like specifications； with like effect；（12*） with the consequence
that the grading and credit system is subject to a ceaseless
proliferation of ever more meticulous detail。 The underlying
difficulty appears to be not that the collective wisdom of the
faculty is bent on its own stultification； as an unsympathetic
outsider might hastily conclude； but that there is in all the
deliberations of such a body a total disregard of common sense。
It is； presumably； not that the constituent members are quite
devoid of that quality； but rather that no point in their
elaboration of apparatus c