Open College was a
radio
Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
-based
university
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
-credit
distance education
Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance; today, it usually involves online ...
provider based in Toronto, Canada; it primarily served listeners in
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
.
Founded in 1971, the courses were accredited by
Toronto Metropolitan University
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU, or Toronto Met), formerly Ryerson University, is a Public university, public research university located in Toronto, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Gar ...
(then known as Ryerson Polytechnic Institute) and
York University
York University (), also known as YorkU or simply YU), is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, and it has approximately 53,500 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, ...
's Atkinson College and broadcast throughout Toronto and much of southern Ontario on what was then Toronto Metropolitan owned radio station
CJRT which produced and administered the courses.
The service was conceived of by the Dean of Arts of Ryerson Polytechnic Institute who was inspired by the creation of
Open University
The Open University (OU) is a Public university, public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by List of universities in the United Kingdom by enrolment, number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate ...
in the United Kingdom, which used radio and television to broadcast some of its credit courses. In 1969,
CJRT began broadcasting a non-credit education series which led to the development of credit courses two years later. Ryerson sociology professor Margaret Norquay volunteered for the project and produced its first course, Introduction to Sociology, which commenced in January 1971. Norquay went on to become Open College's first director in 1972.
In 1974, the Ryerson Polytechnical Institute divested itself of
CJRT and the radio station became an independent government funded corporation with Open College as one of its departments.
The service used the name "Open College" due to its
open admissions
Open admissions, or open enrollment, is a type of unselective and noncompetitive college admissions process in the United States in which the only criterion for entrance is a high school diploma or a certificate of attendance or General Educati ...
policy.
At its peak, Open College offered 28 credit courses, produced at the radio station and accredited by Ryerson and Atkinson College. An estimated 15,000 students took courses using the service during its existence with student enrollment peaking in 1995.
By the 1980s, Open College broadcasts were heard throughout Ontario as CJRT was added to the FM services offered by cable systems throughout the province. Alberta's public radio broadcaster,
CKUA
CKUA Radio is a Canadian donor-funded community radio station based in Edmonton, Alberta. Originally located on the campus of the University of Alberta in Edmonton (hence the UA of the call letters), it was the first public broadcaster in Canada ...
, purchased and broadcast several Open College courses which were broadcast in conjunction with credit courses at
Athabasca University
Athabasca University (AU) is a Canadian public university that primarily operates through online distance education. Founded in 1970, it is one of four comprehensive academic and research universities in Alberta, and was the first Canadian ...
; CKUA has continued to develop educational broadcasts in conjunction with Athabasca.
In 1999, the administration of Open College was transferred to Ryerson. In 2003, as a result in the development of the internet as a mode of transmission for distance education and the resulting decline of interest in taking radio courses, as well as
CJRT's transformation into an all-jazz radio station, radio broadcasts ended and the service was transferred to Ryerson's
G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education which now offers
distance education
Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance; today, it usually involves online ...
through the internet instead of by radio. In its last years, Open College broadcasts were aired Sunday mornings from 6am to 8am.
See also
*
CKUA
CKUA Radio is a Canadian donor-funded community radio station based in Edmonton, Alberta. Originally located on the campus of the University of Alberta in Edmonton (hence the UA of the call letters), it was the first public broadcaster in Canada ...
, Alberta's public radio station and Canada's first educational radio broadcaster, originally affiliated with the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta (also known as U of A or UAlberta, ) is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, t ...
, now collaborating with
Athabasca University
Athabasca University (AU) is a Canadian public university that primarily operates through online distance education. Founded in 1970, it is one of four comprehensive academic and research universities in Alberta, and was the first Canadian ...
.
*
TV Ontario
TVO (stylized in all lowercase as tvo), formerly known as TVOntario, is a Canadian publicly funded English-language educational television network and media organization serving the Canadian province of Ontario. It operates flagship station ...
, Ontario's educational television broadcaster, which has aired high school credit courses in conjunction with the
Independent Learning Centre
Independent Learning Centre, branded as TVO ILC, is a public online high school in the Canadian province of Ontario. TVO ILC has a mandate from the Ontario Ministry of Education as the designated provider of province-wide distance education to off ...
and post-secondary courses in conjunction with various colleges and universities.
*
CKMO in Victoria, aired credit courses in conjunction with
Camosun College
Camosun College is a public college located in Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The college has two campuses, Lansdowne and Interurban, with a total full-time equivalent enrollment of 4,946 students in 2022/23. Camosun College also provides co ...
.
*
University of the Air (TV series)
''University of the Air'' was a daily distance education television program seen early mornings on the CTV Television Network in Canada between October 11, 1965 and 1983; prior to the establishment of 24-hour broadcasting, in most regions it was t ...
(1966–1983), a Canadian educational television series featuring lectures delivered by university professors.
*
University of the Air (CBC radio series) (1960s), a
CBC Radio
CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
educational programme in the 1960s.
References
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Toronto Metropolitan University
Distance education institutions based in Canada
Public radio in Canada
Educational broadcasting in Canada
1971 establishments in Ontario
2003 disestablishments in Ontario
York University
Universities and colleges in Toronto
Colleges in Ontario
Universities and colleges established in 1971
Educational institutions disestablished in 2003
Universities and colleges disestablished in the 21st century
Defunct universities and colleges in Ontario