Department of Adult Education
Adult education had long been a part of the University's teaching curriculum. It began with the introduction of Extension lectures in 1886 by Senate, later organised by the University Extension Board, established in 1892. Following amendments to the University and Colleges Act in 1912, the University introduced Tutorial classes in 1914. The classes were run by the Department of Tutorial Classes under the direction of the Joint Committee for Tutorial Classes.
During the war the Department of Tutorial Classes cooperated closely with the Australian Army Education Service which had been established in January 1941 to maintain morale amongst the men and also help to prepare them for peacetime employment. Director of the newly created Army Education Service was Dr RB Madgwick, lecturer in Economic History and secretary of the Sydney University Extension Board. The Department of Tutorial Classes provided lecturers and specially designed courses and lectures to the Army Education Service. In 1942, WGK Duncan, Director of Tutorial Classes, first prepared the Current Affairs Bulletin which dealt with the economic, political and strategic background of the war and was distributed to all Army men.
The Department continued to publish the Current Affairs Bulletin with the Director of Adult Education as editor.
In 1977 Senate established a Board of Adult Education and abolished the Joint Committee of Tutorial Classes and the Extension Board. The Board, appointed by Senate, became responsible for reviewing the work of the Department of Adult Education.
In 1984 by additional resolution of Senate a Centre of Continuing Education was established and the Department of Adult Education abolished by repealing its establishing resolution.
The Department of Adult Education succeeded the Department of Tutorial Classes. In 1963 Senate had appointed a Committee to consider the future relations of the Department of Tutorial Classes and the Extension Board. The Committee suggested that it would be advantageous to integrate the work of the Extension Board and the Joint Committee of Tutorial Classes; it recommended that a Department of Adult Education be established and a Director be appointed; it also recommended that there should be no substantial reduction in the scale of the education programme then undertaken in either department. Draft By-Laws for the new Department of Adult Education were tabled. Senate adopted the recommendations of the report. [Senate Minutes 8 October 1963, p.107]. The new By Laws XXX were first published in the 1965 University Calendar:
1. There shall be a Department of Adult Education, whose work shall be supervised by two committees appointed by the Senate, namely, the Joint Committee for Tutorial Classes and the Extension Board whose functions shall be determined from time to time by the Senate.
The By Law also defined the roles of the Joint Committee for Tutorial Classes and the University Extension Board in relation to the Department.
4. The Joint Committee for Tutorial Classes shall (a) supervise the courses and review the policies and operations of the Department of Adult Education in relation to the functions of the Joint Committee, (b) make recommendations to the Senate on the appointment of part-time teaching staff, and (c) make such
other recommendations and conduct such other business as it thinks fit and consider and report on all matters referred to it by the Senate, the Professorial Board or the Vice-Chancellor.
5. The Extension Board shall (a) supervise the courses and review the policies and operations of the Department of Adult Education in relation to the functions of the Extension Board, (b) make recommendations to the Senate on
the appointment of part-time teaching staff, and (c) make such other recommendations and conduct such other business as it thinks fit and consider and report on all matters referred to it by the Senate, the Professorial Board or the Vice-Chancellor.
6. The Department of Adult Education shall, in the month of July, in each year, lay before the Senate a report, which shall contain the reports of the Joint Committee for Tutorial Classes and of the Extension Board for the preceding calendar year.