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to the equally ubiquitous inability of the governing boards to
appreciate or to perceive what the current needs of the academic
work are； or even what they are like。 Men trained in the conduct
of business enterprise； as the governing boards are； will have
great difficulty in persuading themselves that expenditures which
yield neither increased dividends nor such a durable physical
product as can be invoiced and added to the capitalization； can
be other than a frivolous waste of good money； so that what is
withheld from current academic expenditure is felt to be saved；
while that expenditure which leaves a tangible residue of
（perhaps useless） real estate is； by force of ingrained habit；
rated as new investment。
CHAPTER V
The Academic Personnel
As regards the personnel of the academic staff the control
enforced by the principles of competitive business is more
subtle； complex and far…reaching； and should merit more
particular attention。 The staff is the university； or it should
so be if the university is to deserve the place assigned it in
the scheme of civilization。 Therefore the central and gravest
question touching current academic policy is the question of its
bearing on the personnel and the work which there is for them to
do。 In the apprehension of many critics the whole question of
university control is comprised in the dealings of the executive
with the staff。
Whether the power of appointment vests formally in one man or
in a board； in American practice it commonly vests； in effect； in
the academic executive。 In practice； the power of removal； as
well as that of advancement； rests in the same hands。 The
businesslike requirements of the case bring it to this outcome de
facto； whatever formalities of procedure may intervene de jure。
It lies in the nature of the case that this appointing power
will tend to create a faculty after its own kind。 It will be
quick to recognize efficiency within the lines of its own
interests； and slower to see fitness in those lines that lie
outside of its horizon； where it must necessarily act on outside
solicitation and hearsay evidence。
The selective effect of such a bias； guided as one might say；
by a 〃consciousness of kind；〃 may be seen in those establishments
that have remained under clerical tutelage； where； notoriously；
the first qualification looked to in an applicant for work as a
teacher is his religious bias。 But the bias of these governing
boards and executives that are under clerical control has after
all been able to effect only a partial； though far…reaching；
conformity to clerical ideals of fitness in the faculties so
selected； more especially in the larger and modernized schools of
this class。 In practice it is found necessary somewhat to wink at
devotional shortcomings among their teachers； clerical； or
pronouncedly devout； scientists that are passably competent in
their science； are of very rare occurrence； and yet something
presentable in the way of modern science is conventionally
required by these schools； in order to live； and so to effect any
part of their purpose。 Half a loaf is better than no bread。 None
but the precarious class of schools made up of the lower grade
and smaller of these colleges； such as are content to save their
souls alive without exerting any effect on the current of
civilization； are able to get along with faculties made up
exclusively of God…fearing men。
Something of the same kind； and in somewhat the same degree；
is true for the schools under the tutelage of businessmen。 While
the businesslike ideal may be a faculty wholly made up of men
highly gifted with business sense； it is not practicable to
assemble such a faculty which shall at the same time be plausibly
competent in science and scholarship。 Scientists and scholars
given over to the pursuit of knowledge are conventionally
indispensable to a university； and such are commonly not largely
gifted with business sense； either by habit or by native gift。
The two lines of interest business and science do not pull
together； a competent scientist or scholar well endowed with
business sense is as rare as a devout scientist almost as rare
as a white blackbird。 Yet the inclusion of men of scientific
gifts and attainments among its faculty is indispensable to the
university； if it is to avoid instant and palpable
stultification。
So that the most that can practically be accomplished by a
businesslike selection and surveillance of the academic personnel
will be a compromise； whereby a goodly number of the faculty will
be selected on grounds of businesslike fitness； more or less
pronounced； while a working minority must continue to be made up
of men without much business proficiency and without pronounced
loyalty to commercial principles。
This fluctuating margin of limitation has apparently not yet
been reached； perhaps not even in the most enterprising of our
universities。 Such should be the meaning of the fact that a
continued commercialization of the academic staff appears still
to be in progress； in the sense that businesslike fitness counts
progressively for more in appointments and promotions。 These
businesslike qualifications do not comprise merely facility in
the conduct of pecuniary affairs； even if such facility be
conceived to include the special aptitudes and proficiency that
go to the making of a successful advertiser。 In academic circles
as elsewhere businesslike fitness includes solvency as well as
commercial genius。 Both of these qualifications are useful in the
competitive manoeuvres in which the academic body is engaged。 But
while the two are apparently given increasing weight in the
selection and grading of the academic personnel； the precedents
and specifications for a standard rating of merit in this bearing
have hitherto not been worked out to such a nicety as to allow
much more than a more or less close approach to a consistent
application of the principle in the average case。 And there lies
always the infirmity in the background of the system that if the
staff were selected consistently with an eye single to business
capacity and business animus the university would presently be
functa officio； and the captain of erudition would find his
occupation gone。
A university is an endowed institution of culture； whether
the endowment take the form of assigned income； as in the state
establishments； or of funded wealth； as with most other
universities。 Such fraction of the income a