HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA SUMMER SESSIONS: 1891-1915

LINDA CAROL SARPEN RITCHIE, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study the history of the Summer Sessions Department at the University of Nebraska from 1891 to 1915. An examination of the reasons for its founding, a review of the political and social influences on education in the country, and analysis of the trends in coursework and administrative structure, and a study of related enrollment figures as indicators of the success of failure of the program were conducted. The roots of the University of Nebraska Summer Sessions can be traced to various forms of European university and adult education. The Lyceum and Chautauqua were two forms of adult education that were prominent in the nineteenth century. Great public leaders and statesmen such as Andrew Jackson, Horace Mann, and John Dewey were influential in extending support for public education. Progressive businessmen also realized the monetary and social benefits which would result from better educated citizens. The demand for improved classroom instruction created the need for the establishment of coursework to train teachers at universities. Other forms of training, especially the normal schools and teachers' institutes, were established to prepare teachers. In Nebraska, the need for better teacher training received strong support from the rural population. This support was a result of the realization that better instruction for students in public schools would ultimately create a more positive future economically, socially, and politically. The administration of the University of Nebraska Summer Sessions was handled by the Chancellor or his designee. The Summer Sessions program has remained separate from the academic year programs since its foundation in 1891. The coursework, while initially directed specifically to teachers, began to expand at the outset of the twentieth century. On a statewide basis, the Inter-Collegiate Agreement and teacher certification were contributing factors to the University's summer program. The Agreement, which was an effort to combine the resources of ten Nebraska colleges into a comprehensive summer school program, mandated that the University of Nebraska had the responsibility of providing non-teaching courses during the summer. While the philosophy of the Agreement was sound, the University withdrew after two years of involvement. The Inter-Collegiate Agreement was a failure and had little lasting effect on the University's program. Teacher certification, on the other hand, influenced both enrollment and curriculum. Teachers were required to take preparatory courses within their teaching disciplines in order to be certified by the state. To meet certification needs, the University of Nebraska offered these courses to the educators of Nebraska. While many of the original Summer Session practices have changed, some still continue today. One practice which remains is the operation of the Summer Sessions budget which is separate from academic year budgets. Another continuing policy requires separate contracts in the summer for members of the teaching faculty. The Director of the Summer Sessions is also the administrative head of the program who reports directly to the Chancellor of the University. Additional study to complete the history of the Summer Sessions at the University of Nebraska from 1915 to the present is needed. Studying the similarities and differences in the growth, functions and purposes between universities' Summer Sessions would be significant.

Subject Area

Education history

Recommended Citation

RITCHIE, LINDA CAROL SARPEN, "HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA SUMMER SESSIONS: 1891-1915" (1980). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8100776.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8100776

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