THE COLLEGE PROFESSOR 281 



the problem or its solution. And if the college professor is to be 

 represented anywhere, it should be by himself. 



Hence, there need be notliing in faculty representation which is 

 invidious to the rights of either president or trustees. And there is 

 reason to believe that responsible representation would in many cases 

 be welcomed. To quote again from President Schurman's last report, 

 " No greater good could come to Cornell University than a quickening 

 and deepening of the faculty sense of responsibility for its welfare. Too 

 often the faculties of American universities have rolled all responsi- 

 bility on the president and trustees." And later he adds, speaking of 

 the relations of the faculty to the executive officers, " It is for them 

 [the faculty] to keep the institution democratic. And nowhere else is 

 democracy so important as in the university." 



Then, secondly, as embodying the point in which he is most directly 

 interested, it should be the aim of the college professor to have all acad- 

 emic appointments made publicly, with sufficient time allowed, if pos- 

 sible, to secure the consideration of all available candidates; and to 

 have the list of candidates submitted for consideration to a committee 

 of the faculty, chosen by the faculty themselves; and further to in- 

 clude in this policy the matter of salaries and promotions. I know 

 that at this point gentlemen will cry. Politics ! Politics ! But it must 

 be remembered that politics open and aboveboard is no longer " poli- 

 tics." There can be no " politics " except where there is secrecy, as 

 under the present system of pocket-appointments. 



Thirdly, however, it should be his aim to have the general features 

 of the budget submitted for consideration to a similar committee of the 

 faculty. At present the budget is supposed to lie wholly beyond the 

 faculty's domain. Yet there are few questions in which it is not more 

 or less involved, from the granting of a scholarship to a new system of 

 electives. In the college, as elsewhere, it is a question always of what 

 you can afford. And what you can afford is a question of the various 

 alternatives. If the faculty are to act wisely, either for themselves or 

 the college, they must know the financial possibilities. And if the 

 trustees are to spend wisely, the recommendations upon which they act 

 must have had these in mind. Under the present system of non-com- 

 munication expenditure is too often footless. And nothing has done 

 more to discourage the faculty sense of responsibility than the feeling 

 that only part of the situation is shown them and that the president 

 holds a card up his sleeve. 



Finally, in the interest, both of himself and his profession, he 

 should insist upon a high standard, both of scholarly attainment and 

 of personal culture and responsibility, for academic appointment; and 

 especially should he insist that membership in the official faculty be 

 restricted to men of rank and maturity. In other words, like the labor- 



