Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-12
UNIVERSITY FOR ALL.
Movement by Which the People of
Every Community May Enjoy
College Privileges.
1t Takes Its Start in England But
Spreads Throughout the I'm
tied States
DR.. II. B. Adams. of Johns Hopkins,
Describes the Great and Grow
ing Scheme.

In his address upon the Higher Educa-
ton of the People, delivered before the
Wis. State Historical society last
January. Professor H B. Adams,
or johns Hopkins, usedsss these
cords: There is in England In
our time a remarkable educational
movement called university extension. 1t
is move ment towards educational democ-
ra,y and it presents striking contrast to
The old educational aristocracy represented
by the privileged classes, who TOR many
Generations monop )llzed me colleges OF
England.
There is anew spirit in the academic
life of today. Men are coming out from
the cloisters and quadrangles of those con-
| sentative Old universities of Oxford and
Cam bridge They are bringing to the
English people. in their towns and rural
districts some of the best fruits of academ-
ic learning in the form of local lecture,
given in systematic and instructive
courses. University extension has been
well defined as an organized attempt to
bring the university to the people when
| the people cannot come to the university.
university extension is the academic
supply of trained lecturers to meet def
mite local demand, which first arose in
associations of school teachers in the
north of England and among workingmen
| in great industrial centers. In response to
many local petitions the university of
Cambridge first took the field IN 1878
Oxford followed in 1878. A joint society,
| representing the two great universities
and many smaller institutions, was formed
| In london for the extension OF university
! teaching. The work Of university extern
sion has now reached vast proportions
In the year 1o99-90 no less than 14S
courses of local lectures were de
livered under the auspices OF Oxford uni
versity. Cambridge furnished l25 courses
and London l07, making total of 307 in
one year Nearly $4,000 people attended
the Oxford courses in 1S09-9O; over H.
900 those of Cambridge, and nearly II 900
those of London, Altogether it is estl-
mattel by the latest ard best authorities
upon English university extension that
over 40, 900 Englishmen, outside universe
ty walls, have been reached in a single
year by these new and democratic methods
of promoting higher popular education.
''In the University Extension Journal
for March, 1890, there is an interesting ar
ticle by the Rev S. A. Barnett, upon the
University of the Future. The introduce
tory paragraphs suggest the likeness of
the medieval and modern democratic
spirit in academic life:
Academic critics sometimes carp at the
university extension system; they forget
that it bears a near resemblance to the
early growth of Oxford and Cambridge.
The force which made the universities was
a great popular movement directly affect
ing large portion of English youth; PEG
pie were more mobile In taose days, and
men of every class could throng to Oxford
or Cambridge without great disturbance OF
the national lie.
Any yeomau's son might be ''clerk OF
Oxenford' If he could find board and books
out of aims begged in the street. Modern
comforts and the tyranny of trade have
changed all this. A man will not or can
not leave the arm chair or the desk on the
impulse of the moment TO hurry to the
feet of some great teacher. The popula-
ton is too great to find accommodation at
two OR even at twelve centers OF learning.
Democratise the universities as we will,
they can only receive the few within their
walls.
ssThe force which created Oxford and
Cambridge is still at work; there is,
again, a great popular movement IN the
search for know edge, anG that movement
can now be let, not by inviting students
to leave their homes, but by sending
teachers to the men and women whose
lives are fixed round the ganglia If indus-
try The university extension system
does, in modern days, what the UNIVERSE
ties did in ancient days-lt is their child
and not their rival.
1.-The main point of difference be-
tween the English university extension
system of lectures and the olafashioned
Iyceum course is this: the extension course
is confined to one great subject and the lee
lures are all given by the same man; where
as. under the old system, single lectures by
different individuals made up kind Of
variety course, without unity or method.
University extension lays all possible
stress upon the idea of continuous progress
sive instruction upon one important
theme, like the French revolution, or
Irish history. Accompanying the lectures
there is always printed syllabus or out
line of topics, which every student in the
audience bas in his hands. This syllabus
saves note-taking and affords the
student convenient means for
reviewing at home the substance of the
lecture. Printed questions are sometimes
appended to the syllabus, and these ques-
tions may be answered by the student at his
leisure. The answers are sent by mail to
the lecturer, who examines the papers and
publicly comments upon them without
mentioning names, IN class conference
held before or after the next lecture.
In every university extension audience,
which is as miscellaneous as the congre-
cation of a church, there is saving rem
nant Of earnest stud nts who are eager to
profit By instruction from the lecturer.
Experience has shown that about one half
of every popular audience is disposed to do
some private work In connection with
university extension.
Wisconsin needs no argument tc prove
the manifest success of her OWE state poll
cy Of concentrating educational energy In
that great central reservoir, the university,
from which helpful influences are now
being extended throughout this entire |
state by means of farmers institutes, |
mechanics Institutes and teachers
Institutes. The whole country knows !
what educational facts are already
ACCOMPLISHED here 1t may be added In
this connection, tkat the friends Of uni
versity extension in eastern as well as
western stares, are beginning to inquire |
very carefully into the good example OF the !
university of Wisconsin. Educationally, |
as we'll as physically, Madison is city set
upon a hill and she cannot be hid.
But there ia one undeveloped side of
university extension in Wisconsin for !
which an earnest plea may here be made, |
an that is The side Of liberal studies relat- |
ing to man and society, such studies as
history, literature, art, politi al and social |
science. Man does not live by bread |