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In 1964, based on the advice of the Advisory Council of the University of Liberia, the Continuing Education, or Extra Mural Division was established. The philosophy for the establishment took into account that functional adult education program is a productive channel for the development of the nation’s human resource. Therefore, the resources and the facilities of the University of Liberia would be extended to an out of school adult population so that opportunities could be created for working people and people of varying academic levels to participate in workshops, seminars, conferences and short time courses, etc such that, willing adults with desire can enhance their professional growth.
Between 1967 and 1974, the then division conducted on-campus part time evening credit and non-credit courses for adult education. It went on until in 1975, when the division’s primary function was increased to the coordination of the Institution’s vacation school and the remedial programs. Realizing the significant role the division had played, the Faculty Senate on March 4, 1982, approved the policies and procedures of the division, activated, and expanded its credit and non-credit programs. Two days later, the Faculty Senate met in an emergency meeting and authorized the division to offer “The General Requirement Courses towards the Bachelor and Associate degrees in Library Science.”
In 2005, under the gavel of the then President of the University of Liberia and Chairman of the Faculty Senate, Prof. Dr. Al-Hassan Conteh, re-named the division, “College of General Studies” with additional mandates. The additional mandate is that students enrolling in the college would remain there until they complete their undergraduate requirements without transferring to another college to graduate.
That functional adult education program is a productive channel for the development of the nation’s human resource. The resources and facilities of the UL would be extended to an out of school adult population so that opportunities could be created for working people and people of varying academic levels to participate in workshops, seminars, conferences and short courses, etc, such that willing adults who have the desire can enhance their professional growth.
The goals/objectives of the college are:
(a) To provide adults with university level learning opportunities designed to develop individual capacities;
(b) To organize and expand regular basic part-time evening learning programs;
(c ) To give support to undergraduate programs of the university, including remedial programs,
(d) To assist Teachers’ College in its in-service teacher training program;
(e) To organize adult education and literacy programs for the training of adult education teachers,
(f ) To investigate community needs and explore new channels for contributing to the training of manpower for development and make finding of research available to the community;
(g) To conduct workshops, seminars and conferences to improve individual performance and develop, as circumstances may permit, several of-campus rural learning centers in Liberia, amongst others.
(i)To organize and provide meaningful university level study programs for interested adults in order to improve their job efficiency and effectiveness wherever they find themselves;
(ii) To offer support to the undergraduate and in-service training program of the university of Liberia;
(iii)To investigate community needs and conduct seminars, workshops and conferences on all level of individuals and national development, and to coordinate the vacation school and all continuing education program of the University of Liberia.
(A) Must be 28 years and above;
(b) Must have three consecutive years of experience, preferably in his/her area of interest;
(c) Must take a high school equivalent examination; and, satisfactorily pass an interview by a special university committee.