20—The Daily Collegian Monday, November 7, 1977
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Coburn, about 25 miles east of State College, is the site for students from different disciplines of study how to observe
the University's Coburn Project. The project would teach the problems of a rural community.
photos by Ken Kasper
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Field study
small town
--,..,........
By MARY ANNE MULLIGAN
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
One student's attempt to make a
change in the basic structure of the
University may lead to a unique field
study experience for social science
majors.
The Coburn Project would provide
action-oriented field experience in the
study of rural life in and around Coburn,
a small village 25 miles east of State
College.
According to' Ernie Kuhlman (13th
political science), the originator of the
project, students would study the
politics, society and economy of the
Coburn area. The goal of the project
would be to assess general problems,
causes and trends of rural America and
moya . .pwalm
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to provide
perspective
to eventually be able to provide input
that would improve the quality of life in
the area.
Kuhlman said the project is an
outgrowth of his philosophy that "the
University, as an institute of higher
learning, is falling short of student
needs." He said the University is no
longer "a student-education institution"
but rather it has become "more of a
research-oriented facility."
Kuhlman also said he believes the
University is not meeting the needs of
the people of Pennsylvania as required
of a land-grant institution.
The University is concentrating too
much on the corporate development of
agriculture and not enough on the needs
of the small family farmer, according to
Larry Spence, assistant professor of
political science. He said the University
is partially responsible for the economic,
social and political depression now being
felt in rural Pennsylvania.
University students, by and large,
come from urban and suburban areas.
They return to these areas without ever
coming to know the problems of rural
areas. Consequently, they are not
prepared to make intelligent
professional debisions affecting rural
communities.
Kuhlman said the Coburn Project
would teach students how to observe
rural America without noticing just its
beauty." Students would learn "how to
find the intricacies and • problems
present in rural communities."
Kuhlman said, "It's the only course I
know of on campus that does that."
The idea for the Coburn Project was
born
_in a democratic political theory
course taught by Spence last year.
Spence and the other students were
intrigued'with Kuhlman's idea and spent
the remainder of the term studying the
possibilities of producing a workable
experience from an abstract thought.
Students from the first course carried
the project over into another course and
this term it has mushroomed into a
research assignment for six students in
Political Science 1.
Kuhlman said students find the project
to be "like a good book you can't put
down."
Ideally, the Coburn Project would
become a 12-credit field experience
course in which studen4 would actually
live in the rural setting of Coburn. In this
sense it would be somewhat of a prac
ticum in the College of the Liberal Arts.
Students planning to enroll in the
program would take a three-credit in
troduction to the project and would
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participate in a three-credit post-project
seminar.
The course would be open to studenti'
from different disciplines the
political and social sciences,
agriculture, human development.
The project would require faculty
commitment over a number of years.
Spence said this has been a problem '
because faculty promotion and tenure
are based on a "crude index of number
of publications." He said the University'
"has to make change's to make space for II
new types of projects."
,Eugene Melander, assistant vice
president
for undergraduate studies, k
said the University "cannot remain
static in its programming." He sees the
Coburn Pi•oject as an attempt to in
tegrate classroom experience with field
situations where principles and concepts
are operational.
"The possibility for such a program is
certainly there," Melander said. He said
he knows of no University policies that
would prevent a program like the
Coburn Project from being im
plemented.
Money could be another matter.
Melander said he doesn't know if funding
for a program like the Coburn Project is
available. He said, however, that with
"the spirit of instructional research and
development," such a program might be'
possible within a single department.
Interest in the Coburn Project Ibis
been expressed , by others within the
University. Emory Brown, assistant
director of the Cooperative' Extension
Service, said his staff would be willing to
work with.the project because students
might act as "catalysts" in improving
the quality of life in rural areas.
Roger Musser, a tormer resident of
Coburn who now lives in the nearby town
of Spring Mills, said that the University (
"has really just started to do
something" for the people of the area
through the extension service. He said
that the people of Coburn "are fairly
excited" about the project.
Musser, and his wife Lynne, said
although the people of the area are very
friendly, they are also "very, very
speculative."
Linda Mock, who has lived in Coburn
for nearly six years, said she feels she is
"just now starting to belong." Although
residents of Coburn are generally en
thusiastic about the project, students are
not likely to be accepted completely.
Kuhlman said residents of the area see
the University as "elitist." He said he
hopes the Coburn Project can change
that image.
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