University Serves The Society

It was an era of Great Changing in the United States during late19th century and early20th century. These great changes were evidenced by great inventions in science and technology, leap-forward in production in agriculture and manufacture industries, and progress in politics and societies. The great changes also occurred in higher education:the concept of "Real Life" broke through the traditional boundary of university lives which had been viewed as spiritual beliefs and academic life within university campuses. As a result, the great changing fostered people to see clearly the vivid and attractive civic lives outside universities where people were working hard for their bread and busy with business by negotiations. They saw the close relevance of university lives to people’s lives outside campuses. Elective-System were introduced into university curricula; knowledge in sciences and production of agriculture and other industries obtained the same status as the classic subjects; the utility of education was gradually recognized and highlighted; democratization of education was emerging and more and more people benefited from it, especially the state universities developed from the Land-granted colleges in the central west areas. The relationship between universities and communities are becoming closer. It is the objective of universities to serve the communities and their people.It was in this era that the University of Wisconsin located in the central-west part of the United States initiated its Farmers’Institute and Short Courses, conducted studies in dairy to meet the needs of people and communities in the State. In the early20th century, the university set up its Extension Division encouraging professors to participate in the formulation of several the Progressivism laws in Wisconsin State and to work as members of the State Administrative Commission. The University Extension services to local communities and the State were strengthened and expanded. These ideas and activities to serve communities were summarized as Wisconsin Idea, which has an international reputation. This dissertation clarifies the implication of Wisconsin Idea and the action patterns concerned, analyzes why and how the pattern was formulated and the impacts. Then interpretation of university’s roles and functions is made from a historical perspective.The dissertation is composed of three parts:introduction, main body of evidenced research and conclusion. In the part of Introduction the reason and significance of the research are introduced, definition of key concepts and documentary review made, and methodologies introduced. In the part of evidenced research there are four chapters. The first chapter introduces the implication of Wisconsin Idea, especially the presidents of the University of Wisconsin and outstanding representatives John Bascom,Thomas C.Chamberlin and Charles R.Van Hise. Their ideas and theories are the main body of Wisconsin Idea, which represent theoretical components of Wisconsin Idea. The chapter also identifies how they guided and led the University’s actions to serve communities. The second chapter introduces the patterns of Wisconsin Idea in action and implementation, in particular the action realms in serving communities including the services in extension division, services in agricultural colleges and departments as well as the consultancy services by specialists and teachers. These embody the action aspects. The third chapter analyzes how and why the Wisconsin Idea comes into being. Wisconsin Idea is the reply to the social and economic requirements in the United States and has been fostered by reforms in higher education based on the favorable political, economic and cultural contexts in Wisconsin State. The fourth chapter introduces the impacts of Wisconsin Idea, expressing these affirmative and enthusiastic responses from societies, also the criticisms from societies. Wisconsin Idea updating people’s conception of universities and higher education, serve as a model in university’s service to communities. The implication of Wisconsin Idea to China’s higher education reforms was also identified.The part of conclusion is the summary of the core issues in this dissertation. Wisconsin Idea symbols the emerging of new model of universities oriented to social services in the United States and a breakthrough of the traditional isolated identify of universities. It also embodied the realization of democratic essence in education.