University of British Columbia. Dept. of University Extension

In the years before the establishment of the Dept. of University Extension (1936), the University of British Columbia was engaged in three main extension activities. These included the provision of vocational courses for returning soldiers (1917-1921), the dissemination of agricultural information to the farmers of the province through short courses, and the Extension Lectures Committee (1918-1935) which co-ordinated lectures by university faculty throughout the province. A Carnegie Corporation grant of $50,000 helped to establish the Dept. of University Extension in 1936. Robert English became its first director. Between 1936 and 1970, the department, first under English, then Gordon Shrum and later John Friesen, expanded the scope of its activities. The department continued until 1970 when, after a period of re-evaluation, the university changed the name to Continuing Education. This transition reflected changing public demands and a shift in emphasis toward professional and continuing academic education.