Commission of Professors of Adult Education [CPAE] Records 82 (with text)

Box 1, Folder 4, Set 1/6

The Adult Education History Project

Based on Information in the Syracuse University Library Archives

Translated for the WWW by Roger Hiemstra

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82

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Set

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NXSV88-A18.

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Commission of Professors of Adult Education [CPAE].

Title-

Records, 1953-1984, 1960-1983 (bulk).

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Phys_descrip-

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Bio/hist_note-

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Includes report, "University adult education in Canada," and directory of adult education professors in Canada.

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Organizational Records.

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Correspondence, January-December, 1970.

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January-March, 1970.

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19700101

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19700330

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Correspondence.

Directories.

Education-

Work_history-

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Adult education.

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Draper, James A.

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Assoc_evnt/prj-

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Canada.

Publications-

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Box 1, Folder 4, Set 1/6.

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Restrictions-

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In addition to following normal manuscript citation conventions, include these elements when citing records found "electronically" through The Adult Education History Project: Main entry, Title, Item number, and, if a specific image is being cited, Component number. Mention, too, that the record was found in "/history.html, an Electronic Source for Syracuse University Library's database for archives and manuscripts".

OCRd text

{7:82:963:I:156,480:2067,2490}January 14, 1970 Mr. Roger DeCrow, Director ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult Education 107 Roney Lane Syracuse, New York 13210 Dear Roger: I have just reread the August 31, 1969 issue of "Continuing Education for Adults" which presented some of your ideas on New Directions in Adult Education Research. It seems to me quite clear that Gale Jensen is not prepared to move aggressively toward the promotion of an issue of the Review of Educational Research on adult education. Neither does it appear that Ann Litchfield is making any progress in persuading the National Society for the Study of Education to devote a yearbook to the field of adult education. Accordingly it seems to me unlikely that present approaches will produce an overview of adult education research in the next three to five years. Consequently, as chairman of the Commission of the Professors of Adult Education I am greatly concerned and am determined that action is called for. Roger, what is the likelihood that Harlan Copeland could be persuaded to serve as editor of a 1972 issue of an overview of adult education research? Such a publication cosponsored by the Commission of the Professors, Syracuse University and the ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult Education would meet a need that is not likely to be met in any other way. The members of the Commission could serve as chapter editors; Syracuse University could provide the publication capital, and the Clearinghouse could provide the bibliographic support. The net result would be good for all concerned and would serve to help establish Harlan as the professor of adult education at Syracuse. What do you think of the idea? How might I and the Commission best cooperate?

{7:82:964:I:177,219:2007,849}Mr. Roger DeCrow 2. January 14, 1970 I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely yours, William S. Griffith, Chairman Commission of the Professors of Adult Education WSG/df cc: Harlan G. Copeland A. A, Charters

{7:82:965:I:225,447:2022,1191} Dear Colleague: I am pleased to forward to you the enclosed materials prepared by Professor James A. Draper of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Jim had originally hoped to distribute these to the Commission of Professors of Adult Education at our annual meeting in Virginia, however the materials arrived after our departure for the AEA meeting. Professor Draper would like to apologize for this tardy distribution, however I believe the real blame should rest with the postal authorities. Professor Draper would like for you to pay particular attention to his progress report and the questions that he raises. He also has included an up-to-date list of the Canadian Professors of Adult Education and strongly urges us to add these professors to our institutional and professional mailings. Sincerely, Eugene E. DuBois Assistant Professor of Education

{7:82:966:I:123,201:2235,2298}MEM0RANDUM To: Commission of Professors of Adult Education From: James A. Draper Department of Adult Education The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education 102 Bloor Street West, Toronto 5, ONTARIO. TEL: (area code 416) 923-6641 DECEMBER, 1969 It is now unlikely that I will be able to attend the Commission in Virginia. I hope you have a good session and I look forward to receiving the report of your two-day deliberation. I thought that you might be interested in the contents of two memorandums which I am addressing to you. The first of these has to do with the enquiries which I have been making since the last Commission meeting, regarding finding a publisher who would back the up-dating of the Overview of Adult Education Research. You will note that in this memorandum I have pointed out an alternative to publishing the Overview in book form. The alternative is to concentrate on publishing a series of ERIC/AE research monographs. I have raised some questions in my memorandum which you may wish to discuss. Promotion of Graduate Study. The second memorandum is the minutes of a meeting which a number of Canadian Professors had in Winnipeg, Manitoba recently. The topic was University Adult Education In Canada. You will note that many of the topics recently discussed by the Canadian group are not unlike those topics which the Commission has been addressing itself to for many years. The concerns are still pressing. The issues are still important. You will note in the above memorandum that I make mention to the fact that upwards of thirty persons are involved in teaching one or more courses at the university level in adult education. Within the near future I will send each of you a master list of these Professors, in case you wish to correspond with them. My best wishes for a successful meeting.

{7:82:967:I:0,0:2544,3300} November, 1969 (for limited distribution) UNIVERSITY ADULT EDUCATION IN CANADA Introduction During recent years the number of persons teaching one or more graduate level courses in adult education in Canada has greatly increased. This has been primarily due to the normal expansion of existing departments of adult education as well as to the formation of new courses and new programs at a number of institutions. It would seem that interaction between Canadian Institutions, departments and personnel committed to adult education teaching, counselling and administration is highly desirable. As a way of testing out this hypothesis, upwards of 30 teaching staff in adult education in Canada were contacted in July. In this correspondence, personnel were asked if they felt that it would be desirable to have an increased interchange between such persons with interests in adult education. The response to this enquiry was highly favourable and so plans were made for as many persons as possible to meet in Winnipeg in early October, 1969. Winnipeg Meeting Numerous persons indicated by letter their strong desire to attend a meeting in Winnipeg, but for various reasons many of them were unable to attend. Those that actually met in Winnipeg on October 5, 1969 were: Mrs. Jane Abramson - University of Saskatchewan Dick Cawley - University of Manitoba James Draper - University of Toronto (OISE) Gordon Leckie - University of Manitoba Roby Kidd - University of Toronto (OISE) Claude Touchette - University of Montreal Stewart Tweedie - University of Manitoba Each member briefly shared with the other members of the group some of the highlights of their own particular programs in which they were involved (a summary of programs in adult education across Canada will be included in a forthcoming issue of Continuous Learning). Some of the areas of concern which were expressed and, to varying degrees, discussed at the meeting, were: 1. Ways need to be explored for exchanging experience between those persons primarily concerned with university level instruction in adult education in Canada. 2. It seems that there is a need for those already engaged in adult education at the University level to also be concerned about faculties of education in Canada who are not apparently paying considerable attention to adult education.

{7:82:968:I:0,0:2544,3300} - 2 - 3. There seems to be a need to systematically identify the priorities of things to be done within the field and at the same time to examine carefully the resources available so that the resources can be more fully utilized. 4. The pressure of demands is great and comes from an exceedingly wide range of individuals and organisations in Canada. The continuing and increasing problem is that of being able to find some kind of a balance between the teaching, research and development involvements of teaching staff, matched with an appropriate balance of service and consultation to those in the field. Demands are increasingly coming from professional schools as well as institutions such as Colleges of Applied Arts & Technology, School Boards, voluntary as well as governmental agencies. Coming back to the point previously mentioned, there is a great need to identify and set priorities on these demands and also to utilise more fully resources which are available to the field in Canada. 5. There seems to be further combined effort needed to produce evidence to convince the administration in various educational institutions of the need for an expanded program in adult education. Generally speaking the availability of university level programs in adult education in Canada lag far behind the demands for such programs. 6. A question was raised as to the extent to which part-time persons undergoing study had support from their organisations. In some cases, it seems evident that some individuals are supported for part-time study by their organisation but that the apparent approval of these commitments to further education was not always explicit when these students completed their programs of study. Sometimes this was evident through various organisational impingements upon the student to implement change. 7. The roles of various persons engaged in aspects of adult education and field work has changed considerably over the past few years. The agricultural representative, for instance, is no longer seen as merely a technician. Now he is involved in changing and advising and working with people. The same can be said for various other occupational groups such as nurses, engineers, medical doctors, etc. These changing trends need to be understood by those who are planning expansion programs in adult education. 8. A concern felt by some adult educators is that of acquainting others in ones university about adult education and in appropriately involving other colleagues and various other university departments. 9. In spite of the apparent great demand for trained leadership in adult education, it is also appropriate to raise the question whether we are training too many people for the field of adult education. In one sense one might say that the formal training of adult education personnel must be accompanied by an external and continuous educational process in which potential employers more fully understand the needs and the benefits of trained personnel in this field of study and practice.

{7:82:969:I:0,0:2544,3300} - 3 - 10. Relating to this is the role which the adult educator himself may play in helping the university to see itself as a community in which various aspects of the university interact with one another. Paralleling this is the concern for making courses interdisciplinary when they are already "multi-disciplinary". 11. The group meeting in Winnipeg felt that it needed to seek and find informal ways of carrying out common concerns. It was generally agreed that there should be some kind of permanence and continuity to this kind of group communication. 12. Although the major commitments of those present were considered to be to university level instruction, it seemed appropriate to also raise the question of what our responsibility is to students who complete their formal studies and then seek employment. What about the desirability of a continuing interaction between graduates and departments of adult education? Many of these persons are seen as rich teaching, research and development resources to university departments of adult education. 13. The group felt that it would be desirable to examine what happens within the next year as a result of encouraging others to exchange at a correspondence level. Various means need to be found to increase the regularity of interaction between the persons who are engaged in university level instruction in adult education in Canada. In order to assist this interaction, it was thought that an informal executive group might take some responsibility for encouraging interaction and in seeking out opinions from colleagues. 14. Jane Abramson, Claude Touchette, and James Draper agreed to take on the task of encouraging colleagues in Canada to increase their informal communication with one another. One way of doing this would be to distribute to all persons in Canada the name and address list of others concerned with university adult education. The group of three also agreed to act as a steering committee and to explore the possibilities of having a national meeting next year. Needless to say, explorations would be done in close contact with all the identifiable persons in Canada who shared an interest in adult education. 15. During the next year it was also felt that possibly the AUCC, the Learned Societies, and perhaps other organisations might be approached to explore the advantages of a Canadian group of adult educators relating to such organisations, either on a formal or informal basis. James Draper agreed to explore with Gordon Selman and others the experience which they have had with these organisations. It was felt that the first and foremost concern for associating with a national organisation would be related to functions and priorities as seen by a committee of adult educators. Given these objectives, the particular national organisation was of secondary importance.

{7:82:970:I:0,0:2544,3300} - 4 - 16. There was agreement that more interaction at the national or regional level could take place even as a result of our normal travel programs. Such programs could include pre-arranged meetings between colleagues. It is not out of the question to also consider at appropriate times electronic hook-ups and other methods for facilitating conversations. Audio as well as video tapes might also be used as means of exchanging ideas and resources. 17. A matter for consideration was that of asking "what is the vocabulary which we use in discussing matters with one another?" Are we clear about the meaning which various terminologies have for one another. 18. It is presumed that each university is already in contact with ERIC/Adult Education. Within the universities in Canada how can we make it more possible for each of us to obtain copies of books and thesis such that each of us can increase our holdings of adult education materials (xeroxing, microfilm and microfiche are ways of doing this). How can we share our publications and our documents, thus making them available to others in education. Relating to this is the possibility of encouraging various government publications to more widely distribute adult education research findings. 19. Various other means of exchanging ideas and materials were also discussed. Included were the exchange of course outlines and other course materials. The point was clearly made by members of this group that at all times there should be the freedom on the part of all colleagues not to receive materials. Each colleague will obviously have to sort out for himself and communicate this to other members in adult education. As a way of lessening the burden of materials flowing back and forth it was decided that it might be a good idea for one key person in each institution to be a contact person. This particular person might then receive materials and in turn would share these internally. All of these are details of methodology which are likely to remain on an informal basis, depending on individual desires. 20. The answer to an increase in communication was not seen for the present to be through any kind of newsletter. Since the total number of persons involved in adult education in Canada is still relatively small it was felt that for the moment a one-to-one relationship through correspondence would be more appropriate and more direct than trying to produce some kind of newsletter. 21. In discussing the interaction between those in adult education, it was highly agreed that we must caution ourselves not to build an organisation that would exclude the interdisciplinary contacts which are so vital to the field. It would be folly to fend towards isolationism. For this reason it was felt that if a name were going to be used for the informal group of adult educators in Canada that the term "commission of......." would be more appropriate than "professors of............"

{7:82:971:II:180,141:2151,1125}

{7:82:972:I:0,0:2544,3300} December, 1969 MEM0RANDUM TO: Commission of Professors of Adult Education FROM: James A. Draper Department of Adult Education, The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 1O2 Bloor Street West, Toronto 5, ONTARIO. Tel: (area code:416) Iowa, 1968 923-6641 RE: Some of the tasks outlined by the Commission of Professors of Adult Education Let me begin by quoting sections of the minutes which arose from the group that discussed: How to encourage contributions to the body of knowledge in the field of adult education, i.e. theory-building, research and dissemination. I "Relating to the State of the Art Research Conferences (adult education) as well as to the discussion centering around the possible revision or up-dating of the Overview of Adult Education Research, committee members felt that each member of the Commission should be strongly encouraged to identify an area of research interest and competence and to write a review of research in this area. It was understood that already certain departments of adult education, as well as individuals within them, had already identified themselves with some special area of inquiry. One group member suggested that such 'pairing' of a professor's name with an area of interest should be made known to members of the Commission. Also, that annual progress reports be made by such professors to the Commission and further, that if no progress was apparent within a twelve month period, it would likely be appropriate for another member of the Commission to indicate taking on the task. The above-mentioned suggestions imply that a close contact with ERIC/AE would be essential. Believing that reviews of research was essential to the development of the field of adult education, the committee discussed the desirability of various members of the Commission spending from six to eight weeks at the ERIC Centre at Syracuse. The committee felt that it would be desirable if more than one professor could be at Syracuse during the same period of time. Each professor could be working within his/her own area of specialization, but at the same time, have the benefit of interacting with colleagues. The committee shared this idea with Roger DeCrow who, in return, responded very favourably to the idea. TASK: To seek funds that would permit members of the Commission to spend time at Syracuse, utilizing the resources of ERIC in reviewing research in a given area of adult education. II The Committee members felt strongly that some effort should be made to up-date the Overview of Adult Education Research. The suggestion of the committee to encourage Commission members to work on specific reviews of research is one way of up-dating the material, but it was felt also that more and further attempts should be made to see that the Overview was in fact up-dated. Specific attempts should be made to see that this was done. cont'd.......

{7:82:973:I:0,0:2544,3300}- 2 -.TASK: To explore with a publishing company, such as MacMillan Co., the possibilities of receiving an advance of money in return for the Commission's taking responsibility for up-dating and revising the Overview. Progress Report With reference to the two above mentioned tasks, I was asked to make some preliminary enquiries. If at all possible I thought that it might be possible to combine these tasks into a single one. The objectives for both tasks seemed to be similar although I do realise the dissimilarities as well between them. I spoke in person and wrote to others of our colleagues to ask about their opinions regarding seeking funds that would permit members of the Commission to work at up-dating the research literature in a particular area of adult education. It was obvious that there are some sources of funds available to individuals. These are outlined in various post-graduate study and other directories. I also wrote to Mr. Milton R. Stern to enquiry whether the AEA has plans for up-dating the Overview. His reply was that the AEA Publications Committee had not discussed up-dating the Overview.. He expressed the view that with the present funding support existing within AEA, it was unlikely that the task of up-dating the Overview could be supported by the Association. However, Mr. Stern agreed to make enquiries with the MacMillan Publishing Company. It was learned from this enquiry that MacMillan Company showed little interest in the proposed publication since it did not appear to have a large enough market for a commercial publisher. It is possible that an alternative to the Overview is to think in terms of publishing monographs covering various research topics in adult education. Such monographs might parallel chapter headings that would normally occur in the Overview. I have discussed this as a possibility with Roger DeCrow of ERIC/AE. It seems that I have made little progress. Perhaps I am at a slight disadvantage at not being closer to sources of funds within the U.S.A. Discussion Numerous areas of discussion arise which the Commission may wish to take up at its December meeting. There seems to be a need for clear cut objectives about what the up-dating of research literature is meant to achieve. Perhaps an expanded rationale is needed, indicating as well the clientele for whom the research literature would be written. Does the Commission want to take on the task of up-dating the Overview? If the answer is Yes, then considerations would obviously need to be taken to identify an editorial committee whose task would be to seek sources of funds for publishing the book. Also, for soliciting contributions to the publication. A second alternative to concentrating on publishing the Overview in the form in which it presently appears, is to consider publishing a series of ERIC/AE research monographs. If this alternative is agreeable then who will "volunteer" to write sections? cont'd.......

{7:82:974:I:69,150:2124,354}- 3 - I have no doubt that there are alternatives to the two which I have mentioned and I do not wish to over simplify the situation. What steps should now be taken in pursuing this task?

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