University Extension Board

The University had been providing Extension courses since late 1886. The lectures were under the direction of Senate until the University Extension Board was established by resolution of Senate, 18 July 1892. The Board was abolished by resolution of Senate, 15 August 1977, when the Board of Adult Education was created.

The University  Extension Board was established with the aim of stimulating wider interest in the University's scheme of extension lectures. ​
The Board consisted of not less than ten, nor more than twelve, persons, of whom four at least shall be members of the Senate, and four at least shall be members of the Teaching staff and not less than two shall be persons not being members of the Senate or of the Teaching staff. Its function was to recommend to the Senate the persons to be employed as University Extension Lecturers, and to appoint the persons Senate had authorised for employment. It determined the tenure of office of the lecturers, their duties, the fees and charges to be paid for the lectures, classes, and examinations, and the mode and time of payment of the fees and charges. It also made all other arrangements requisite for the delivery of lectures and the holding of classes and examinations, and it awarded certificates for courses for which participants had fulfilled the requirements. In December each year it was to present a report to Senate. [University Calendar 1893 By Laws Chapter XXV p. 134]

In 1963 Senate 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.
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.

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. 

The aim of the new Board was to arrange educational activities for particular groups of adults who might have been members of a profession or who shared some similar common interest. In addition the Board arranged special public lectures and offered to arrange single lectures or series of lectures on request for organisations or schools in the metropolitan or country areas. [University Calendar 1977 p. 459]

The chronology for adult education at the University of Sydney is as follows:

• Extension Lectures, 1886

• Extension Board, 1892-1977

• Department of Tutorial Classes, 1914-1963

• Joint Committee on Tutorial Classes, 1917-1977

• Department of Adult Education, 1963-1984

• Board of Adult Education, 1977-1984

• Centre for Continuing Education, 1984-