THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY 325 



of the whole university, and for adjusting differences and conflicts 

 touching educational interests between the different departments, a uni- 

 versity council is a most feasible expedient. Only be it understood that 

 such a council should be no sinecure, or body designed to assume a 

 show of responsibility while actually having little power to check in- 

 trigues, to judge intelligently and righteously, and to act with something 

 more than a mere shadow of influence or authority. 



Most important of all the improvements for which we might have a 

 fair measure of hope, if something like the suggested changes could be 

 inaugurated and fairly and thoroughly tested in the administration of 

 our greater and older universities, would be the improvement in a good 

 understanding and in reciprocal confidence and in effective cooperation, 

 between the board of teachers and the board of business management, 

 between the professors and the trustees. In the lack of knowledge, of 

 confidence and of cooperation, most of the embarrassments, difficulties, 

 failures, and scandals connected with the present system of university 

 administration in this country undoubtedly arise. And perhaps in the 

 majority of these cases they arise from or center about the action of the 

 president. It will be noticed that the scheme tentatively proposed in 

 this article does not necessarily call for any president. And, indeed, we 

 may boldly ask ourselves. Why should there be any president, if by this 

 title we mean to cover the office of any one man combining within him- 

 self, even apparetitly, all the functions belonging to this name in the 

 days — and, if you please, even now — of the small denominational 

 college ? A figure-head to represent the university at home or abroad on 

 occasions of peculiar import and corresponding grandeur can easily be 

 appointed, either with a three-years' tenure or for each special occasion. 



Doubtless many difficult problems will arise and await a speedy or 

 more remote solution, in the way of any institution which attempts to 

 inaugurate the needed changes. Doubtless, too, the particular character 

 of the changes enacted would wisely vary in different cases. In the 

 cases of universities under state control, every thing could scarcely be 

 arranged in the same way as in the cases of the private institutions. 

 Doubtless, again, the effect of change upon the alumni and the public at 

 large would have to be seriously taken into the account. But neither 

 the public, nor the alumni, nor the trustees, and perhaps not even the 

 presidents of these institutions, realize how deep is the dissatisfaction 

 with the existing system, how urgent, if not loud, is the call for a some- 

 what radical change. At any rate, it is high time that the problems 

 afforded by this system should be frankly and boldly faced; high time 

 that the disadvantages should be announced, if not at once corrected. 



