DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF EDUCATION BULLETIN, 1918, No. 7 THE BUREAU OF EXTENSION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA BY LOUIS ROUND WILSON AND LESTER ALONZO WILLIAMS WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING ‘OFFICE 1918 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. DrEpaRTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Bureau or Epucation, Washington, April 22, 1918. Sir: For five years this office has watched with increasing interest the development of the extension work of the University of North Carolina, some of which, though as yet peculiar to this State, is, with necessary adaptations to the varying: conditions in other States, capable of general adoption. Because of the importance of some of the phases of this work I have induced the president of the Univer- sity to have prepared the account which is herewith transmitted for publication as a bulletin of the Bureau of Education. Respectfully submitted. PrP. CoAxTON, Commissioner. The Srcrerary OF THE INTERIOR. 4 THE BUREAU OF EXTENSION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, INTRODUCTION. The work of the Bureau of Extension of the University of North Carolina is presented here as typical of what can be done in making widely serviceable the resources of an institution of higher learning. The University of North Carolina, chartered in 1789, is one of the oldest of the State universities. Its genesis and development have been along the lines characteristic of the private, endowed institu- tions of the East, rather than those of the Western State universities. It is separate from the State’s college of agriculture, and so its ex- tension activities are not associated with the many and important activities of the department of agriculture. It has a student body of 1,000 during the regular session, and an additional 1,000 students in a summer term. Its regular faculty numbers 75 and has always been notable for its scholarship and its research interests. The faculty has maintained for many years three journals of a scholarly nature, and has been steadily active in the representative national societies. These points are significant in giving orientaticn to its recently developed extension work. It is important to note that this develop- ment is not a record of attaching a new department of extension to de- partments of teaching and research, for the sake of superficial interest or “ protective popularity ”; but it represents the normal outgrowth of a concept of the university as an organism, and of the extension organization as merely the channel through which the inner. life of the institution is given a chance to express itself fully in its environ- ment. It rests on the assumption that the inner life must be sound and true to type to have anything of value to express in extension; and on the further assumption that, in so functioning fully and truly, it not only does not injure the inner life, but strengthens and purifies it. On this belief as a basis, the extension work began as an organized department in 1912, with no special appropriation, and with no expenditures except for printing. The organization consisted of a committee from the faculty, under a chairman, the university libra- rian, Dr. L. R. Wilson, who has ever since been its directing head. 5 8 : BUREAU OF EXTENSION. I, GENERAL INFORMATION. The first division of the bureau to be formed. was that of general information—a division whose specific duties were (1) to empha- size the fact that all the various State departments and all State- supported institutions and agencies were possessed of information which, if secured and utilized, would be of value to the citizenship of the State; (2) to show that these departments, institutions, and agencies would gladly furnish the information they possessed; (3) to indicate which of these or other agencies outside the State could best furnish information of a certain kind; and especially (4) to bring the public, in its search for information on a wide variety of subjects, into direct connection with the members of the faculty and the 80,000-volume library of the university. In prosecuting this work the university library was made the headquarters for this division, and the librarian, as director of the bureau, was put in charge. All inquiries which did not properly fall under the head of the other eight divisions have been handled by this one, which has acted as a telephone “ central” in bringing questioner and source of information together. Questions which could be answered by individual members of the faculty have been handed by the director to those best qualified to answer them; or, if the in- formation desired could be supplied by the library, answers have been sent in letter or other special form; or, books, pamphlets, and package libraries in which the information is contained have been sent direct by parcels post or express, the borrower paying the trans- portation charges each way. Information supplied in this way has ranged from the loaning of a book on the subject of commission form of city government to a member of a board of aldermen to the sending of one of the mem- bers of the faculty to the Appalachian Training School at Boone for a three days’ stay to sketch a suitable, attractive plan for the future development of the campus of that institution. For the convenience of school debating societies and women’s clubs, special package debate and study libraries have been assembled, and are always at the command of borrowers. Single books or pamphlets are sent when larger collections are not available. In conjunction with the division of public discussion and debate, through which a large number of bulletins and pamphlets have been loaned and distributed for the special annual high-school debate, 1,700 letters were written during the academic year 1915-16, convey- ing information sought, and a total of 1,485 pieces of material were supplied from the package library collection. Inasmuch as only 40 towns of the State have public libraries, and the State library commission service is limited to general traveling SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEYS. 9 libraries, debate libraries, and special collections on agriculture, this service has been clearly recognized as greatly needed and has been most heartily welcomed by the State. Il. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEYS: COUNTRY-LIFE ; STUDIES. Country-life studies of North Carolina were begun in September, 1914, under E. C. Branson, head of the department of rural eco- nomics and sociology. The work in the main is concentrated upon an investigation and interpretation of economic and social problems in the State at large and in detail by counties. PHASES OF THE WORK, The phases of it are: (1) Formal class courses in agricultural eco- nomics and in rural social problems, each three hours a_ week throughout the year; (2) a credit course consisting of research studies and field work; (3) unofficial studies by the State and county clubs; (4) addresses afield, averaging 40 a year; (5) the university News Letter, which goes to 10,000 readers weekly the year round, along with bulletins and brief circulars on economic and social sub- jects of State-wide interest; and (6) annual country-life conferences during the university summer school session. - The formal class courses are important because they introduce students to a rapidly increasing literature in a new field of college work, and because they enable students to set local, State, and county details cver against a large background for sane, safe interpretation. But the formal class work is in no wise distinctive or especially noteworthy beyond the fact that it is intensely focused upon home- State and home-county conditions and problems. Consideration, therefore, is given here in brief detail of other phases of the work which aim at reaching the people beyond the campus walls with care- fully digested information about North Carolina, and stirring them to constructive activity in vital matters of commonwealth concern. 1. CAROLINA. STUDIES. - During the last three years 227 subjects of State-wide importance have been thrashed out in the department headquarters, which are a clearing house of economic and social data about North Carolina. In these studies the State has been compared with the other States of the Union and ranked accordingly. Each county has been compared with all the rest and ranked accordingly; and the restilts subjected to a search for causes, consequences, and remedies. A few of the subjects treated in this way may be mentioned to illustrate the character and range of these studies: Church-member- 45342°—18 2 12 BUREAU OF EXTENSION. The club yearbook.—The club studies completed during 1916-17 will be published in the fall of 1917 as the second club yearbook. The first, published in 1916, was devoted to North Carolina: Re- sources, advantages, and opportunities. The contents of the first were as follows: . 1. Our mineral resources.—J. H. Allred, Surry County. 2. Our timber resources: Forest and wood lot.—J. H. Lassister, Northampton County. . 3. Our water powers: Available and developed.—D. B. Eagle, Iredell County. . Our industrial development in 1910.—H. M. Smith, Henderson County. . Our industries in 1914.—H. C. Branson, university faculty. . Our soils and seasons.—M. H. Ranlodph, Mecklenburg County. . Diversity of farm products in North Cavolina.—R. E. Price, Rutherford County. 8. Food and feed crops in 1915: Our six-year gains.—H. C. Branson, univer- sity faculty. 9. The crop-producing power of Carolina farms.—J. B. Huff, Madison County. 10. The crop-producing power of Carolina farmers.—F. H. Deaton, Iredell County. 11. Per-acre and per-worker crop production.—H. C. Branson, university faculty. ; 12. Live-stock farming in Carolina. 18. Cooperative enterprise in North Carolina. County. 14. Economic freedom in North Carolina.——M. B. Fowler, Orange County. 15. Our twenty-two million wilderness acres.—Lawton Blanton, Cleveland County. . 16. Elbow room for home seekers.—-G. H. Cooper, Rowan County. 17. Room for new farm families in Carolina.—H. C. Branson, university fac- ulty. 18. Taxation and home ownership.—A. O. Joines, Alleghany County. 19. Our need for greater wealth.—R. E. Price, Rutherford County. 20. A State publicity bureau.—R. H. Price, Rutherford County. 21. The fair: A means of stimulation and publicity—M. H. Randolph, Meck- lenburg County. 22. Our Carolina highlanders: Geographic conditions and influences.—D. N. Edwards, Wilkes County. Economic status: Agriculture, industries, and educa- tion.—C. C. Miller, Watauga County. Social status, classes and conditions.— J. B. Huff, Madison County. for) eS a D. N. Mdwards, Wilkes County. L. P. Gwaltney, Alexander 38. THE COUNTY CLUBS AND CLUB BULLETINS. Affihated with the North Carolina Club, directly or indirectly, are the various county clubs of students. The county clubs or cer- tain members of them, are studying the economic and social problems of their home counties. So far 66 county surveys have been pre- pared for publication in the home papers. The citizens of Sampson County have published the Sampson County studies in pamphlet form for textbook use by students in the high schools, by the teachers in the county institutes, and for thoughtful reading by the farmers, ministers, bankers, and other SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SURVEYS. 13 business people in general. The 15 chapters comprising the booklet “Sampson County: Economic and Social” follow the usual outline of county studies as follows: (1) The historical background; (2) Timber resources; (8) Mineral resources; (4) Water-power re- sources; (5) Industries and opportunities; (6) Facts about the folks; (7) Facts about wealth and taxation; (8) Facts about the schools; (9) Facts about farm conditions; (10) Facts about farm practices; (11) Facts about food and feed production; (12) The local market problem; (18) Where the county leads; (14) Where the county lags; and (15) The way out. Similar bulletins for Mecklenburg, Durham, and Rutherford Counties have been prepared by university students and their pub- lication provided for by university alumni, and material for similar studies concerning more than half the counties of the State has been collected and is available for editing and publication. 4, FIELD WORK. Local market problems.—Bankers and merchants in the commer- cial clubs of the State have been interested-in 43 intensive studies of local market problems made by university students during the last three years. These studies have covered (1) the local demand for food and feed stuffs, the local production and the shortage—total and in detail; (2) the bills for imported food supplies, and their significance and (3) the remedies. The professor of rural economics and sociology has delivered addresses on the local market problem in Elizabeth City, Wilmington, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, and Char- lotte, three of which have been published in booklet form by local banks and business groups. . Field surveys —‘ Orange County: Economic and Social,” will be published at the earliest possible date. This bulletin will give the results of six field investigations actively involving the Carolina Club members, the Chapel Hill Community Club, the county school board, and the State and Federal authorities—some 400 people, all told. These surveys concerned: (1) Country schools, (2) churches and . Sunday schools, (3) public health and sanitation, (4) farm homes, (5) farm practices, and (6) soils and soil resources. The special field study of negro churches and Sunday schools in Orange County, made by Rev. Walter Patten, will be published by the country life committee of the Northern Presbyterian Home Mission Board. “Forsyth County: Economic and Social” is a bulletin based on the work of six Forsyth students at the university and three mem- bers of the university faculty. It will be published by a group of business people in Winston-Salem as soon as it can be finally edited. 16 BUREAU OF EXTENSION. almost. one-thirdswere girls.. Of*these, two from Mount Olive won the distinction of datesdind the negative in the final debate and lost the decision by the narrow margin of three to two. Tn addition to the annual contests, interest in discussion is main- - tained throughout the whole school year by means of fortnightly debates, for which material is supphed in the university News Let- ter, the special discussion and debate bulletins issued by the Bureau — of Extension, and from the hbrary of the university, local public - libraries, or from the North Carolina library commission. Every section of the State, and every type of high school, feels-the stimula- tion of the union; and in these days of national crisis, when the thought of the Nation is focused on the question of ships, navies, and » railroads, the youth of North Carolina is laymg the firm foundation of intelligent citizenship. Tn all the work of this division the bureau has had the support of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Literary Societies of the university, whose record for debating dates back to 1795. The influence of the alumni and of the student body has been felt in every community, and in many communities the alumni and present members of the student body have made all the plans for the conduct of the local debates. The bureau has been entirely reheved of entertaining the boys who have won the privilege of entering the finals at the uni- versity, as this has been done by the university students in residence, leaving only the girls, their chaperons, and the principals of the high schools, te be entertained by the members of the faculty. The activities of this division have been carried on by the assistant director of the bureau. Expressed in tabular form, they exhibit the following scope: En 1915-16, In 1916-17. Letters written in conducting the debate_____ 5, 000 6, 000 Bulletins on query furnished debaters______ 2, 9438 3, 000 Other documents and material on query fur- Hished depaters. 2s aes ee ee ee eran 6, OST 4, 000 Number of schools participating_____________ 325 332 Number of counties represented_____________ 94 94 Number of debaters participating ___________ 1, 300 1, 328 Total North Carolina audience reached______ 100, 000 125, 000 IV. CORRESPONDENCE STUDY COURSES. As a means of placing the teaching force of the university at the disposal of the people in the State, correspondence study courses are offered. About one-half of these courses carry credit toward the un- dergraduate degree; the other courses carry no credit. Practically every department is represented by these courses, with the exception of science. All the work in the conduct of the courses is done by the regular faculty members without extra pay. CORRESPONDENCE STUDY COURSES. 17 The courses are arranged on the basis of 30 lessons, each of which is equivalent to one week’s work in the regular session at the uni- versity. Credit is allowed on the basis of one, two, or three units, de- pending upon whether the course in regular session comes one, two, or three times per week through the year. A unit means a year-hour, not a semester-hour. | } After registration the first two of these lessons are sent to the student who is expected to do the work of the first lesson and send in a report within one week. While this report is being examined by the instructor and returned within the week, the student is expected to prepare the work of the second lesson and report. As these cor- rected reports are sent back to the students, a new assignment is also sent, thus keeping the student supphed with a new lesson each week and helping to keep the interest alive. -The majority of these courses are taken by teachers, although a fair proportion of the students represent. other professions and occu- pations. Prevailing conditions in North Carolina determine what the student body in correspondence work shall be. There are no large industrial centers in which sufficiently large groups of engi- neers, mechanics, salesmen, clerks, ete., can be organized to warrant the expense of supplying an instructor to the group. It is not de- sirable or feasible to carry on work in such with individuals by corre- spondence alone. Little or no opportunity has been offered so far by which this work can be carried on through the summer months, be- cause so many of the instructors are away on vacation. This has proven a handicap, and steps are being taken to overcome it. The work is made self-supporting by fees for the courses. The fee for credit courses is $5; for noncredit courses, $8. An additional registration fee of $2 is also charged the first time a student regis- ters for any course. This registration is permanent so long as the student continues to take the work. Fees are not remitted once the work is begun. No credit courses of junior or senior grade are given as yet, and courses for not over one-fourth the credits required for the A. B. degree can be taken by correspondence study. Sixty year- hours, or 120 semester-hours, is the minimum for graduation. Hence, 15 year-hours or 30 semester-hours may be taken toward a degree through correspondence study. The officer in charge of this work is a professor in the university, who serves without extra pay.