Serving Two Masters: Center for Consumer Research at the University of California, Davis, 1976-1992

INTRODUCTION The Purnell Act in 1925 expanded the research goals for agricultural experiment stations at land grant universities to include, "the development and improvement of the rural home and rural life" (9). This legitimized efforts to expand research programs to serve needs other than agricultural production (Kerr 1987). Institutionalization of this expanded mission within land grant universities stimulated the creation of colleges and departments of home economics. This structure persisted for many decades and still exists at many land grant universities, but at others such as the University of California, Davis, the home economics structure was replaced in the 1960s by separate departments representing constituent fields of study; including nutrition, design, human development, textiles and clothing, food science, and applied behavioral sciences, some became larger as departments than the original College of Home Economics. Other programs became part of established departments, as in the case of consumer economics at Davis which was moved into the Department of Agricultural Economics. Under the new structure, consumer studies became diffuse and less visible. Faculty with consumer interests were scattered across campus in different departments and colleges, and courses on consumer topics taught in disciplinary departments often were given a low priority in staffing. Concerned about the lack of coherence of consumer studies on the Davis campus, the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) in 1972 formed a planning group of interested faculty to consider new structures that could cut across departmental and disciplinary boundaries to bring together faculty, students, and extension specialists interested in consumer issues. As courses and degree programs were included within existing departments, the committee devoted most of its deliberations to strengthening consumer research and public service. Rather than separating research and service, as is often done, the planning group recommended creation of an organized research unit to be called the Center for Consumer Research (CCR), that would be explicitly mandated to conduct research "of direct and primary benefit to consumers." This. would be a campus-wide unit with primary support from CAES where most of the interested departments and faculty were located. Following several years of advocacy, the Center for Consumer Research received formal approval in 1976. A policy advisory committee of eight faculty representing seven departments and three colleges on the campus was established. This interdisciplinary emphasis was characteristic of subsequent advisory committees and the Center's programs. An associate dean of CAES was appointed Acting Director. The first year CCR sponsored a conference of consumer researchers from throughout the University of California system to discuss directions and approaches in consumer research. The second year it sponsored a conference on consumer protection that brought together state and federal officials with consumer researchers. With support from the Kellogg Program, mini-grants of $5,000 to $10,000 each were awarded to support faculty research on consumer issues. The national search for a permanent director proved unsuccessful the first year. The variety of disciplines represented on the planning group made it difficult to agree on a candidate. The search continued a second year at which time the author of this article was hired for a renewable five-year term. The core budget and facilities of the Center were established and remained largely intact for the next 14 years, consisting of two large offices centrally located in the former home economics building, a full-time office manager, a half-time director, and two half-time research assistants. The minimum staff and support were intended to encourage CCR to collaborate with other administrative units. This administrative structure anticipated the recommendation made by Schuh and was intended to bridge the gap between research and practice to create "more problem-oriented Centers . …