University Continuing Education in Canada

Universities are core institutions in the Canadian public sphere. As bases for developing independent and critical perspectives on current social concerns, their research and scholarship contribute to awareness and understanding of a broad range of economic, technical, and cultural issues. Their main educational function is to provide a variety of degrees and certificates for academically qualified young Canadians; of late, they have also extended their student bodies to include international students and those from previously under-represented groups. In addition, they also offer a range of courses and programs to members of the public not formally registered as students. Indeed, such provision – usually called ‘university continuing education’ (UCE) – has long been recognised as a field of professional endeavour and an incubator of educational innovation. Canadian UCE provides a dynamic and complex environment in which adults – many from under-privileged groups – can learn. So, it is not surprising that in Canada, a comparatively young country largely settled by immigrants, universities have played a significant part in the country’s growth and development. Over the past 150 years, the number and range of Canadian UCE programs has steadily increased so that adult learners can become more knowledgeable and active citizens and better prepared to face the demands of socio-economic and technological change.