The purposes of this study were (1) to identify the major functions and objectives of the Division of Higher Education at North Texas State University, (2) to determine the degree of importance of the functions and objectives as perceived by selected graduates, faculty, and administrators, and (3) to determine the perceived degree of financial support for these functions and objectives. Fourteen functions and objectives of the Division of Higher Education at North Texas State University were included in a questionnaire validated by a panel of five judges. The questionnaire was mailed to each of the respondents consisting of 151 graduates, fourteen faculty, and thirteen administrators randomly selected from the Division of Higher Education.

The main purpose of the study is to describe the developmental story of one of the larger university cooperative education programs in the United States to provide the evidence of outcomes and to utilize selected elements of the program in other colleges and universities. The study utilizes historical methodology with a descriptive approach to investigate and analyze the program's establishment, its development of staffing, organization, students, employers, funding, and its evaluation by using primary and secondary sources, annual reports, federal grant request proposals, evaluation reports, and the on-campus newspaper. The information for this study was also gathered through personal interviews with previous and present staff members of the program. The study shows that the program was established in the dean of students' office, but in order to get more support from the faculty, the program was moved to the academic affairs office. As a result of the academic support by the faculty, the program expanded. The findings show that the federal grant, Title VIII, contributed significantly to the initiation and growth of the program. The investigator observes that the director's leadership and the staff members' commitment to the program were two of the most important factors in the continued growth …