Wendell G. Anderson Papers, 1941-1993 | University of Illinois Archives

The University established the Division of University Extension in 1933 to serve residents of Illinois who are not able to attend the location where the university facilities are. Extension was mainly concerned with offering extramural and correspondence courses. It functioned a single unit till 1973.¹ On July 18, 1973, the Board of Trustees established the Office of Continuing Education and Public Service to provide leadership regarding the continuing education, public service and extension activities at the Urbana-Champaign Campus.²

The major functions of the office are:

--to conduct some of the current campus extension programs;

--to work with the University-wide continuing education and public service field staff and in other ways identify the major input to program planning;

--to work with the major academic units on the campus (college, school, institute) to help develop continuing education and public service activities that link societal needs and university purposes and resources;

--to assist the academic units to strengthen their commitment and effectiveness in continuing education and public service.

The Office included Conferences and Institutes, Engineering, Extramural Classes, International Affairs, Music and Visual Arts.³ 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.⁴

1. Interview with Dennis Dahl, January 31, 1979, Director-Office of Continuing Education and Public Service.

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

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

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