UA-R-GC-1914-01-01-1961-11-18_Page-049

research involve increasingly large sums of money, an institution should choose its fields of prominence. Otherwise it will be headed for bankruptcy, at worst, and at best towards starvation of other less dramatic but socially and culturally indispensable branches of learning. In the national interest even the affiuent universities must consider some division of labor among them to replace their present ambitions to keep up with the Joneses in all branches. Supporting activities- business management, public relations, fund-raising-oJJer presidents one of their best chances to buy freedom for attention to education ... Here the reasonable mastery of the elements of administration can do much to free a president for his primary role. In the areas that do not relate directly to the educational program, expert subordinates will serve the college or university better than close presiden­tial attention. The president should find strong subordinates and delegate the widest discretion to them. Higher education cannot compete with the salary scales of the business world, but an educational institution can offer many potent intangible attractions to members of the business community that will offset the differences in income. Just as the entire faculty should know the president's educational phil­osophy and objectives, so should non-academic officers. They will better understand the relationship of their activities to the academic program and they will be able to explain their actions to faculty in terms of mutual goals. A president is frequently besieged to serve in non-academic civic and governmental capacities, to make speeches to lay groups, and to make numerous ceremonial appearances on and off campus. Since he can neither accept nor reject them all, he must be governed by the time and energy available for his prime professional obligations. Declinations and substitu­tions are better received when he explains why his obligations to his institu­tion preclude his acceptance. By sharing the load of important speeches with his colleagues, the presi­dent can develop a cadre of able spokesmen who will help to create a public [ 15