Februaey 15, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



257 



can command $5,000 for six weeks' work as foot- 

 ball coach. 



29. 



I am distinctly of the opinion that we are too 

 careful in differentiating officers of the university 

 according to age and title rather than to ability, 

 activity and general usefulness. 



Universities are lax in encouraging young men 

 to leave the university when they are not fitted, 

 and at the same time American universities seem 

 to be equally lax and short-sighted in disposing 

 of older men who in their prime were a great 

 help and honor to the university. The modem 

 trust is much more humane in these matters and, 

 it seems to me, takes better care of its good men. 



Salaries should not be paid in amounts propor- 

 tionate to arbitrary gradations of title. When a 

 man has proved his usefulness to the university, 

 the university should be willing to pay him any 

 reasonable salary to retain his services. 



30. 

 A member of a university faculty is likely to 

 put more life into his work, if from time to time 

 he should receive some definite recognition of ex- 

 cellence to which he may attain, whether in 

 teaching, research, executive work, or length of 

 honorable and efiicient service. This recognition 

 may come to him in a variety of ways, one of 

 which is increased remtmeration. It is desirable 

 that such encouragement should be given him 

 more often than he could be promoted from title 

 to title, for a complex system of titles would be 

 unwieldy. Therefore, a minimum and maximum 

 salary should be established for each title, a man 

 being advanced, now within his title, now from 

 one title to another, as he shall merit. 



In reading this President Jordan made 

 the following comment : 



I may add a word of my own to Pro- 

 fessor Stillman's discussion of this topic. 



The problem is rendered more complex 

 through the existence of the assistant pro- 

 fessor, on whom in great part the work of 

 the American college now falls. His- 

 torically, the assistant professor is a re- 

 cent development and his position has no 

 analogue in the universities of England 

 or Germany. 



The fact that the American universities 

 are teaching institutions, as distinguished 

 from those whose primary function is that 



of an examining board, has had a large 

 influence in shaping our university organ- 

 ization. 



In England and Germany, in general, 

 there is an established standard of excel- 

 lence of erudition or of culture to which 

 the student aspires. In framing this 

 standard, no consideration is paid to the 

 powers or the tastes of the individual 

 standard. It is a standard set by society 

 or by academic tradition, and only in late 

 years has the number of such ideals or 

 goals of effort been multiplied. 



In Europe generally, the professor 

 teaches what he pleases, but the student 

 uses what he teaches only as an aid to a 

 predetermined end. The teachers of minor 

 grade find their opportunity when the 

 professor fails to make his work useful as 

 a preparation for examinations. If a 

 Privatdocent can make his work attract- 

 ive and practical, the students will pay 

 for it. Otherwise he may starve. The 

 university has no responsibility for him, no 

 interest in his fate. Neither does the uni- 

 versity feel any obligation that the sub- 

 jects demanded in examination shall be 

 well taught to each individual candidate. 



This is especially true of the older uni- 

 versities of England, and to this day the 

 chief university function which is unques- 

 tioned is that of examining for degrees. 

 One and all, they are primarily examin- 

 ing and not teaching universities. 



In an examining institution, fees are 

 charged. These fees mostly go to the pro- 

 fessor, and very unequally, but that is his 

 own concern. If he is interested in them, 

 he should choose a remunerative field. 

 The professor needs only assistants of an 

 inferior order. These he may pay him- 

 self, and their status does not concern the 

 university. If professor and assistants 

 fail to cover the ground, the private tutor 

 covers the rest, and for him again the 

 university has no responsibility. 



