UNIVERSITY EXTENSION. The term "university extension" was origi nally applied to a movement designed to extend university instruction beyond campus limits, or as was sometimes said to "carry the university to the people." It made the college campus co-extensive with the State and enlarged the student body by the admission of thousands seek ing the benefits of special training or general culture. The movement has been fostered from both sides. It is a part of the impulse toward universal education. It suggests also a new interpretation of university service, rendered not to the privileged few but to a larger group.
The work of the university extension has with passing years been greatly ex panded. The university is not only a seat of learning, but a great laboratory or research bureau. With this comes the call to apply this new knowledge to life, to make the hidden treasures of learning immediately available as the current coin of world exchange.
There has also been a growth in the various agencies that do this work. So true is this that the term university ex tension is giving place to educational ex tension or some similar phrase denoting its wider content.
The system of extension lectures was developed by English universities from 1867 on through the influence of Prof. James Stuart of Cambridge. In 1872-1873 Cambridge University instituted exten sion work in many towns of England. In 1876 was founded the London Society for Extension of University Teaching. In 1885 the University of Oxford put into operation its Delegacy for Extension of Teaching Beyond the Limits of the Uni versity. An address before the American Library Association in 1887 resulted in beginning similar work in Buffalo, Chicago and St. Louis under the auspices of the city library. Previous to this the Chautauqua movement was spreading and instruction was offered through sum mer schools, reading circles, or corre spondence study. In 1890 the American Society for the Extension of University Teaching was organized in Philadelphia.
In 1891 New York made the first State appropriation ($10,000) for extension work. In 1892 the University of Chi cago took up extension work as a serious task. Columbia University had already made some beginnings, and that same year (1892) extension work was begun by the University of Wisconsin. These three- institutions have continued to lead in developing all phases of extension work. In 1915 the National University Extension Association was organized. In 1918 a Federal Division of Extension Service was established as an emergency measure by order of the President and was maintained for six months. Following this, in 1919, the extension divisions of the State universities effected the incor poration of the National University Ex tension Association, which has offices in Washington and mediates between the Bureau of Education and the State divisions of extension work. This as sociation maintains an executive secre tary and is active in preparing bulletins on all phases of extension work.
Methods of Work. 1. Classes.—Ex tension classes are only slight deviations from regular curriculum work. In subject matter and method they sometimes du plicate college courses. Sometimes they are arranged for special needs. Short courses are provided for busy men and women. These classes may be held at or near the university, or in distant centers.
2. Lectures.—These may be technical or popular, formal or informal. They sometimes supplement private study or group study. It was from this point that extension work had its early be ginnings.
3. Club Study.—In this way groups of workers get together at intervals for conference and discussion. Their work is ordered by printed leaflets, instruc tion guides and bibliographies.
4. Correspondence Study.—This is ex tension work brought to the individual. Questions are prepared on assigned topics, answers are written and papers sent in are corrected and graded. This method of work is especially suitable for credit courses.