Finding Aid for Office of Continuing Education & Public Service Subject File, 1950-2009 | University of Illinois Archives

Title: Office of Continuing Education & Public Service Subject File, 1950-2009

ID: 31/2/1

Primary Creator: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Office of Continuing Education and Public Service

Extent: 3.0 cubic feet

Date Acquired: 05/28/2009

Subjects: Continuing Education, Continuing Education and Public Service, Extramural Courses, Faculty Conferences, Summer Session

Formats/Genres: Papers, Sound Recordings

Office of Continuing Education & Public Service Subject File (1950-2009) contains correspondence relating to noncredit programming, continuing education, and off-campus programs (1980-97), reports and studies (1976-2001) on long-term planning for Continuing Education & Public Service, outreach programs, faculty attitudes towards continuing education, a strategic plan for the Office of Continuing Education & Public Service, and a campus priorities report for continuing education and public service, Extramural Library materials (1951-2000), extramural credit course bulletins and faculty handbooks (1950-83), International Programs and Studies brochures and reports (1989-99), summer session course lists and budgets (1953, 1999-2002), publications (1976-1990), 35mm color slides depicting sports scenes, Continuing Education and Public Service staff, Allerton Park, Campus Building, and the Illini Center (1984-2002), and proceedings and abstracts of conferences administered by the Office of Continuing Education & Public Service (1987-2009).

Organized in 1933, the Division of University Extension was responsible for the extension of the University's education resources to qualified persons who were not students in residence.¹ It conducted extramural courses,² short courses³, correspondence courses, conferences and other programs.⁴ The Division did not include the Extension Service in Agriculture and Home Economics. It drew from faculties of all University instructional units, but maintained its own administrative staff.⁵ On July 18, 1973, the division was renamed the Office of Continuing Education and Public Service and a University Continuing Education Office was established.⁶<span style="vertical-align: super;"> </span>

The major functions of the office are to conduct campus extension programs, work with continuing education and public service field staff, work with major academic units on campus to develop continuing education and public service activities that link societal needs and university purposes and resources, assist academic units to strengthen their commitment and effectiveness.

The Office included Conferences and Institutes, Engineering, Extramural Classes, International Affairs, Music and Visual Arts.⁷ Since the Office was established, it has continued its original extramural course and correspondence course functions, and added a program development staff in 1974 and an Administrator for Client services in 1976. Since its organization it has had more involvement in the Champaign-Urbana area, one of the objectives of the reorganization of the Extension. It serves both in an administrative role, coordinating departments extension services, while also serving a logistics role. As of 1979, the emphasis of the Office has shifted to professional education for the person already in the field. While correspondence courses are still offered they are no longer as necessary due to the community colleges opened in the 1960's and 1970's.⁸

1. Board of Trustees Transactions, 37th Report, September 26, 1933, p. 374-75

2. Ibid., 39th Report, May 27, 1936, p. 754.

3. History, the University of Illinois Division of University Extension, 1933-68, A Progress Report, Helen Farlow, p. 9

4. Ibid., p. 5.

5. Ibid., p. 5.

6. Board of Trustees Transactions, 57th Report, July 18, 1973, p. 326.

7. University of Illinois Office of Continuing Education and Public Service Guided Individual Study 1978-79, pp. 15-18.

8. Interview with Dennis Dahl, January 31, 1979.

Continuing Education
Continuing Education and Public Service
Extramural Courses
Faculty Conferences
Summer Session

Repository: University of Illinois Archives

Acquisition Source: Office of Continuing Education and Public Service

Other Note: 3 pages

URL: https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/uasfa/3102001.pdf

PDF finding aid for Office of Continuing Education & Public Service Subject File (31/2/1)