Chapter IV. Physical Facilities

Under modern conditions the impractical character of the popular saying about Mark Hopkins and the log becomes apparent in every element of the combination. Knowledge is so varied and so highly specialized that the accomplishments and interests of a small staff will bring to students an entirely inadequate measure of knowledge and wisdom. Seekers after learning are so numerous that the log must be developed into large and expensive buildings. The teaching process as a pouring out on the part of the teacher and absorption on the part of the student has given way to student learning through personal experimental experience with the materials of knowledge; laboratories and libraries are an essential factor that must be added to Mark and the log.

The fact that home economics objectives are in process of development is reflected in the character of its housing in the land-grant colleges. Although 18 of the institutions report their departments housed in 22 buildings used exclusively for this purpose, relatively few of these buildings were constructed with the specific requirements of modern home economics service in mind. Sixteen home economics units share buildings with other divisions, and in these instances expedients have in most cases been used to adapt the housing to home economics use.

Among the 22 buildings which are clearly shown by reports to be used exclusively for home economics instruction, 2 were erected before 1890; 5 between 1900 and 1910; 10 between 1911 and 1920; and 5 between 1920-1928. One institution, the State College of Washington, reports a new 5-story home economics building under construction. The space provided is to be ten times that in the present building. Among buildings used exclusively for home economics instruction, considerable range in valuation is noted. At the University of California, a 3-story building erected in 1908 is reported to be valued at $17,000. A 2-story building at Colorado Agricultural College erected in 1910 is valued at $46,000. At the University of Nebraska, a 3story building erected in 1908 is valued at $55,000. At Kansas State Agricultural College, three buildings, one built in 1885, one in 1908, and the other in 1921, are valued at $79,000, $70,000, and $125,000, respectively. At Cornell University, the 4-story building in use since 1911 originally cost $154.000. At the present writing the central unit of a new building is under construction, the cost to be $475,000. At Oregon Agricultural College, two 3-story buildings erected in 1913 and 1920 are valued at $61,300 and $143,769. At the University of Minnesota, the department of home economics is housed in a 4-story building constructed in 1916 and valued at $9,000. The home economics building at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College erected in 1920 is valued at $200,000. The University of Tennessee reports a 4-story

building for home economics erected in the year 1926, costing $200,000. Michigan State College has a comparatively new 4-story building erected in 1923-24 valued at $350,000.

The number of rooms used for home economics undergraduate instruction var.es greatly among institutions. In 11, or about 32 per cent, of the 36 institutions reporting, fewer than 10 rooms are available for home economics work; in 3, or 8 per cent, between 10 and 15; in 6, or 16 per cent, between 15 and 20; in 7, or 20 per cent, between 20 and 30; and in 10, or about 30 per cent, more than 30 rooms are in use. Five of the 10 institutions have more than 50 rooms used for home economics undergraduate instruction.

Adequate office space is essential in order that staff members may have opportunity for uninterrupted work and conference. In one institution, no office space is available for home economics staff members; in two, one office is provided for seven persons; in another, one office is used by six staff members. In but 4 institutions among the 37 reporting is there an office for each staff member. Office facilities are inadequate.

More important than number, age, and value of buildings in which home economics is housed are the provisions made for student experimental experience of individual effort in the fields with which home economics instruction is concerned. Such facilities in home economics are libraries, laboratories, nursery schools, home management houses, and those provided for practice work in medical schools and hospitals. Each of these will be discussed in turn.

Because of the relatively small size of most home economics units in the land-grant institutions and also probably because in so many instances the work is largely dependent upon the literature of other well-established fields, few of the home economics units have their own departmental libraries. Only 12 of 33 institutions reporting have library facilities of this type. The central library provides service and since the head of home economics is in 40 institutions responsible for recommending the purchase of new books in her field the opportunity is given to build up and to maintain an adequate collection wherever funds are sufficient. It should be noted in this connection that unless full advantage of this opportunity is taken by the head of the home economics unit, responsibility for inadequate collection rests to a large degree upon her shoulders.

Laboratories

In a field of study so much concerned with sciences as is home economics, laboratories must make up a considerable part of the teaching facilities. Among 38 institutions there are 402 laboratories in addition to home management houses and nursery schools, used in the direct teaching of home economics subjects.

One hundred and sixty-eight, or 42 per cent, of all laboratories are used for demonstration and experimental work in food preparation and service, food selection, dietetics, and other nutritional studies. One hundred and nineteen, or

29 per cent, are equipped for practice work in clothing and textiles. Fifty-one, or 12 per cent, for design and other practice work in connection with applied arts; 24, or 6 per cent, in institutional management laboratories, among which are cafeterias, and dining rooms for institutional service. Another 6 per cent were designated by the institutions as research laboratories equipped especially for research work. Twelve, or 3 per cent, are home management laboratories equipped and used for studies in selection and use of household equipment. Five institutions report laboratories fitted especially for practice work in house furnishing; four report home nursing laboratories.

Two hundred and eighty-five, or two-thirds of all the laboratories, are equipped for group work; 159 for individual work. This indicates a tendency to equip many laboratories as far as possible like home kitchens and home situations. It is not many years ago that all food laboratories in home economics schools were equipped with individual stoves and utensils but to-day there is a decided tendency to abandon the individual unit in favor of equipment that emphasizes less the difference between the laboratory and the home situation. Research laboratories are equipped for individual work but since this is on a different plane than undergraduate work, similarity to home situations would be a disadvantage.

The largest number of laboratories reported by any one institution is 33 (at Iowa State College) 9 of which are used for foods work; 9 for textiles and clothing; 10 for applied arts; 3, home management; 1, institutional management; and 1, vocational education. Oregon Agricultural College reports 32 laboratories: Ten for foods; 8, clothing and textiles; 3, applied arts; 3, home management; 3, institutional management; 1, research, and 1, housing. One institution, Ohio State University, reports 22 laboratories; Michigan State College, 21; University of Nebraska, 18; University of Minnesota, 17; University of Wisconsin, 15; South Dakota Agricultural College, 14; 2 institutions, University of California, and Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, 13; 2, Cornell University and University of Missouri, 12; 3, Montana State College, Colorado Agricultural College, and State College of Washington, 11; 2, North Dakota Agricultural College, and one other, 10; Rutgers University, 9; University of California at Los Angeles, 8; 2, University of Kentucky and West Virginia University, 6; 3, Rhode Island State College, Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College; and University of Nevada, 4; 7 institutions, or 20 per cent of those reporting, are equipped with 3 laboratories each; and 1 institution shows but 2 laboratories, 1 for foods and 1 for clothing.

The number of laboratories that are used for graduate work as well as undergraduate instruction is significant. One hundred and fifty-one, or 37 per cent of all laboratories reported, are used for graduate as well as for undergraduate work. If the graduate work done is to any great extent upon the research level, it would seem that the appropriate techniques and equipment should depart considerably from those required for undergraduate work in which similarity to home situations is at present a determining factor.

Nursery Schools

The establishment of nursery schools in connection with home economics departments has a threefold purpose, namely: To give preparental training to students majoring in home economics; to give opportunity for parents to observe scientific methods of guid

ing young children; and to provide for research in child development and behavior. Thirteen institutions report nursery schools in operation during the year 1927-28.

They are Alabama Polytechnic Institute, University of California, Iowa State College, Kansas State Agricultural College, Michigan State College, Purdue University, University of Nebraska, Cornell University, Ohio State University, Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, Oregon State Agricultural College, University of Tennessee, and University of Wisconsin. The Colorado Agricultural College maintains a nursery school during the summer session. Home economics departments in two other institutions report nursery schools established in the fall of 1928.

In seven institutions the nursery school laboratory is situated in the home economics building; in two, in home management houses. Four institutions report separate houses rented or owned for the purpose of a nursery school laboratory set-up.

Children who attend the nursery school are selected from a number of sources. Twelve of the 13 institutions report selection from the families of faculty members; 12, that children are selected from among those of well-to-do parents; and 5, that children in the nursery school are from among the poorer homes in the community. Most institutions choose from at least two of the three groups mentioned. Since the nursery school is a laboratory for the study of child behavior, a more accurate picture can be obtained from a mixed group of children than from the study of those who have been too highly selected from among one group.

The importance of the preschool period demonstrated by recent studies has been one of the newer discoveries in the field of psychology. For this reason the children enrolled in the nursery school are between 12 and 5 years of age; most of them under 4 years of age. They come to the nursery schools in the morning and remain for varying lengths of time.

One institution reports that the children remain in the nursery school only two and one-half hours (University of Nebraska); two institutions report three hours (Oregon Agricultural College, Purdue University) a day for five days of the week. At Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College and Alabama Polytechnic Institute, the children remain four hours; at Cornell University, University of Tennessee, Michigan State College, Kansas State Agricultural College, and Iowa State College, six hours; at Ohio State University, and the University of California, they are in attendance seven hours each day for five days of the week.

During this time they are guided in play and in various tasks to stimulate certain types of development and to establish desirable physiological habits.

Among the 13 institutions 49 staff members with special training in child development, child psychology, and child care have charge of the nursery school. Among their duties, in addition to the guidance of children and training of students, are conferences with parents. In the majority of nursery schools weekly conferences are held between parents and specialists in the various fields of child guid

ance. Three institutions report that both parents are urged to attend the nursery school at least once every quarter for conference with instructors and for observation of the nursery school techniques. Study groups of mothers are generally organized and maintained in order to relate the work of the nursery school to that of the home. These study groups are valuable in bringing to the teachers in the departments a fuller knowledge of the child's home environment, habits of behavior, and an understanding of the emotional life of the child. The majority of institutions report that cooperation between parents and staff is maintained by specialists in foods and clothing, who confer with mothers in regard to diets and proper clothing for children.

In this work the nursery school staff is aided by the department of education in eight institutions; the department of physical education in five; and the department of psychology in eight; the department of sociology in four; medical school in two; dental school in one. In two institutions the English department cooperates by giving stories and readings suitable for preschool children; in one the music department, by studies in rhythm; in four, the department of physiology cooperates; and in one, the department of bacteriology. Here is evidenced a fine type of cooperation for the purpose of bringing scientific information in the various fields to bear upon the problems of child guidance and child behavior.

Financing of Nursery Schools

Nursery schools in 5 of the 13 institutions are financed by receipts from fees paid into the department on the basis of the children attending. These are the University of California, Michigan State College, Oregon Agricultural College, and the University of Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin reports that gifts of small apparatus are received from mothers and that the larger types of apparatus are purchased with the interest money from a memorial fund. The food which is prepared and served to the nursery-school children by the students in nutrition and dietetics, is paid for by the mothers. At Oregon Agricultural College the blanket laboratory fee of $4.50 per student per term covers all courses for home economics majors. The Michigan State College reports that the food for the children in the nursery school is purchased already prepared at wholesale price from the Women's Commons. In the University of California a fee of $10 per month is charged each child attending the nursery school. Among the remaining eight institutions where nursery schools are a part of the laboratory equipment for teaching courses in child care and development the receipts are from fees charged on a "per child" basis, laboratory fees for students taking the course in child development, and the home economics budget.