The University of Virginia record :: March 15, 1932

The first reference to University Extension at the University of Virginia
appears in an early issue of College Topics, at present a student publication but
originally a publication of the General Athletic Association. Volume XI, number
26, of College Topics, issued April 18, 1891, carried an account of a meeting
of University of Virginia alumni at Columbia University Hall in Washington,
D. C., on April 13 preceding "at which the system of education known as university
extension was discussed by leading professors and learned men." A visiting
speaker on this occasion "thought it eminently fitting and proper that the
meeting in the interest of university extension should be called under the auspices
of the Alumni Association of the University of Virginia, that institution which
was founded by Thomas Jefferson who taught the true democracy of education."
Notwithstanding this early reference to and interest in extension, the work was
not formally introduced in the University until September 1912 when a system of
extension lectures was inaugurated. There followed almost immediately the appearance
of extension publications dealing with subjects which related directly to
current problems in the life of the State. These publications were early organized
into a regular series, The University of Virginia Record Extension Series, the
first number of which appeared in September 1915. In the same year the University
"desirous of extending its services beyond its academic walls to as many
people of the State as possible who cannot have advantage of the resident courses
in the institution" established "an Extension Bureau" as an administrative unit.
By 1920-1921 the activities of this bureau had been increased to include, according
to the University catalogue for that year, (1) Extension Teaching (Extension
credit courses), (2) Extension Lectures, (3) Debate and Public Discussion, (4)
Citizenship Education, (5) Package Libraries, (6) Publications, (7) Visual
Education, (8) Home Reading Courses (in coöperation with the United States
Bureau of Education), and (9) Short Courses. In 1922-1923 the title symbolizing
the service was changed from Bureau of Extension to Division of Extension to
conform to general practice in nomenclature among American universities.

There were few precedents to follow when Extension work was first organized
at the University of Virginia. Unquestionably the inspiration for the
Extension movement in America came from English universities where a system

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of extension lectures had been instituted as early as 1865. But the temperament
of the English people and the conditions in the mother country are very different
from those in America. The University of Virginia, like other State universities
in America, had to deal with conditions peculiar to itself and to the State which
created it for its service. Accordingly, first the Extension Bureau and later the
Division of Extension had to experiment and explore. The results have been
constant changes in methods of off-campus instruction due to efforts to profit by
experience and to conform more closely with the University's developing ideas of
its responsibilities in the fields of adult education and university extension.

Much of the Extension Division's attention today is directed to the purpose
of interpreting adult education and of keeping the ideal of continuing education
before the people of the State, and of encouraging local communities and appropriate
organizations to establish adult education institutions, especially for those
unprepared to undertake education on a college or university level. Probably the
most clearly recognized function of the Division is that of bringing education on
the university level to college graduates and other mature adults throughout the
State who are qualified to pursue such courses with pleasure and profit. Especial
effort is also made by the Division to coöperate both with individuals and professional
groups in this State. Many features of its program prophetic of the most
far-reaching results are coöperative undertakings.

Through lectures, publications, press reports, conferences and direct correspondence
the Division discusses and defines the adult education movement
and encourages a general consideration of the problems involved. The more
specific contributions of the Division are organized under three principal
Bureaus as follows: Extension Teaching, School Relations and Educational
Aids.

I. Extension Teaching

Formal Instruction.—Formal instruction includes Extension courses
offered for credit towards a University degree. Only the equivalent
of courses offered in residence are given for credit in Extension. Prerequisites
and general requirements are the same for Extension credit courses
as for courses in residence. In every way possible, the work is made the
equal of that offered at the University.

Students and Fees.—Fifteen or more qualified students are usually required
for a credit class, although under certain circumstances a class may
be organized for a smaller number, as, for example, when a very advanced
course is desired. The usual fee is $12.00 per course.

Subjects Offered in Extension Credit Courses.—Cultural courses are emphasized
by the Division but at the same time student participation in the
choice of subject is encouraged. Courses requiring laboratory work, with a
few exceptions, are not offered for credit in Extension.

Coöperation With Other Virginia Colleges.—The University with its
resident faculty cannot alone meet all of the requests for University Extension
credit courses. Rather than attempt to employ a special Extension
faculty of its own, it has asked the coöperation of other higher educational

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institutions in Virginia to assist in taking this form of instruction to the
people of the state. The University is responsible for administrative procedure
and general supervision while the several colleges and universities assist in
providing instruction. A more satisfactory geographical distribution of
Extension instructors results.

The universities and colleges now coöperating with the Extension Division,
in the order in which coöperative agreements were made, are as follows:
Roanoke College, Washington and Lee University, Farmville State
Teachers College, Harrisonburg State Teachers College, Fredericksburg
State Teachers College, Randolph-Macon College, Sweet Briar College, Randolph-Macon
Woman's College, Hampden-Sydney College, Lynchburg College,
Emory and Henry College, Radford State Teachers College, William
and Mary College, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

Extension Teaching Centers.—The Extension Division maintains, in
addition to offices at the University, local offices in centers in the state from
which the work in the cities or sections represented can best be carried forward.
These centers with addresses are as follows:

Richmond Center, Franklin and Shafer Streets, Richmond.

Roanoke Center, Boxley Building, Roanoke.

Lynchburg Center, E. C. Glass High School, Lynchburg.

Petersburg Center, Chamber of Commerce Building, Petersburg.

An Extension Class Catalogue is published annually, the latest issue of which
will be sent free upon request.

Informal Instruction.—Informal instruction is carried forward principally
by two methods: Conference or lecture courses and home study (correspondence)
courses. Neither method leads to credit towards University degrees.

Conference or Lecture Courses bring together outstanding teachers and
mature men and women who are interested in discussing and studying together,
usually informally, some subject or problem. The Division's chief interest
is, as with credit courses, in cultural subjects although opportunity for student
choice of subject is furnished. These courses are valuable in reaching on a
high level many adults who are not interested in a form of instruction developed
especially for college youth and designed to give the student academic
credit.

Conferences or lectures in such courses are usually from six to fifteen in
number and at weekly intervals. Organizational requirements as to numbers,
number of lectures, fees, etc., are adjusted in accordance with the peculiar
demands or conditions under which each course is conducted.

Home Study, or correspondence instruction, represents the Division's
latest venture in adult educational methods. The method is introduced in an
effort to discover some satisfactory plan for offering educational guidance of
a high order to many isolated men and women—on the farm, in the small
town or in cities where needs are not otherwise met. Work by the method
is frankly experimental. It was begun in 1929. If after several years the

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method proves to be ineffective or inadequate, an effort will be made to find
a satisfactory substitute.

At best home study is intelligently directed study. Student initiative is
at a premium and amply provided for.

Emphasis again is on purely cultural courses although courses in other
subjects are included, but work in the physical sciences and modern languages is
not offered by home study. The tuition fee per course is $15.00. Special catalogues
are issued to give complete information in regard to home study courses.

II. School Relations

The work of this Bureau is concerned primarily in assisting the high
school officials of the state in the conduct for educational purposes of interscholastic
literary and athletic contests. Certain contests culminate annually
in a final state meet at the University held usually in May. Theoretically
at least those exhibiting the highest literary and athletic talents come together
to match wits and skills.

The school relations work also includes a coöperative program with the
Virginia Classical Association for conducting state contests in Latin, and
with the F. F. A.'s, an organization of boys and girls in the state interested
in agriculture, in conducting a state-wide oratorical contest; and the loan of
educational slides and motion pictures and art prints to schools and interested
organizations or individuals throughout the state.

Complete announcements of the work of the Bureau of School Relations
will be sent upon request.

III. Educational Aids

The educational aid services include the following:

Extension Library.—The Division lends by mail under prescribed regulations,
and with certain limitations, books from the University, Extension and
departmental libraries for nominal costs of postage and packing. Emphasis
is on the loan of the best current books, although provision is made for a
wide range of interest. Alphabetical lists of books available for loan are
sent free upon request.

Assistance is also furnished in assembling information and reference material
on subjects of current interest for use by individuals or organizations
requesting such data.

The University Library renders valuable assistance to the Division in
its effort to increase the usefulness of the Extension Library.

Radio and Newspaper Book Reviews.—Closely associated with the library
extension work is that of the weekly reviews of current books, selected on the
basis of merit, by members of the University and associated faculties over
the WRVA broadcasting station in Richmond, Virginia. (The facilities of
WRVA are offered without charge by the Larus Brothers Tobacco Company,
owners and operators of the station.) The Division conducts the
reviews in coöperation with the Virginia Quarterly Review. The reviews

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are fifteen minutes in length and are broadcast every Tuesday evening usually
between seven and eight. Only five omissions have occurred since the
weekly talks were begun on November 13, 1928; both in duration and continuity
the reviews are unique in radio broadcasting. The purpose of the
reviews is to give a critical opinion of a selected number of the best current
books.

Special reviews in two forms, a long article dealing with one book and
a brief discussion of several books, are furnished to the newspapers of the
state which request them for publication in their book or feature sections.
A single review in the longer form has been known to have been printed in
seventeen papers; the usual number is ten or twelve. All books reviewed
are loaned upon request by the Extension Library.

Publications.—For the purpose of carrying the results of study, research,
and investigation of the University faculty to as many people as possible, the
Extension Division publishes twelve bulletins on various subjects each year.
Most of the bulletins are issued free of charge, but for some a nominal price
is set which covers only the cost of printing. The Extension Division also issues
at regular intervals a leaflet, "Extension Topics," which is chiefly a letter to
Extension students serving as a bond between them and the University; and
"University of Virginia Extension," which is circulated widely as a medium of
information about the classes, publications and activities of the Division. Special
care is given to the task of placing the printed materials in the hands of those
who most appreciate and profit by them. A leaflet published annually describes
available Extension publications.

Bureau of School and Community Drama.—The Bureau of School and
Community Drama has as its immediate purpose assistance in the selection
of suitable plays for schools and community organizations. It also offers
help in the actual production or staging of plays.

Printed announcements giving more fully the services that can be
rendered by this Bureau are sent upon request.

Aid to Teachers of Illiterates.—At the suggestion of the State Department
of Public Instruction, package libraries containing a few books for
illiterates and materials outlining a method of teaching adult illiterates to
read and write have been assembled. Upon request, these libraries are
loaned teachers of illiterates, and others interested in methods of adult
elementary education. While the Division does not attempt to teach illiterates
or near-illiterates nor to carry forward elementary adult education, it
will continue to assist upon request teachers in these fields.

University of Virginia Library

LECTURERS AND CONFERENCE LEADERS

History and Purpose

I. Extension Teaching

II. School Relations

III. Educational Aids