True North Strong and Free: Three Wise Men and The Founding of CASAE/ACÉÉA

Authors

  • Roger Boshier University of British Columbia

Abstract

Education/l’Association canadienne pour l’Étude de l’Éducation des Adultes (CASAE/ACÉÉA) on May 6, 1980, occurred against a backdrop of unease about the influence of U.S. academics in Canadian university departments of adult education. In particular, CASAE advocates in Vancouver had to navigate around Coolie Verner, who felt adult education (as a discipline and field) was stalled by lack of consensus concerning fundamental concepts. He would be reluctant to endorse anything lacking rigour. Verner was not opposed to Canadians having their own organization, but, even so, his 1979 death created space for the founding of CASAE in 1980. This paper analyzes events leading to the less-than-dramatic CASAE birthing process involving three wise men. Despite early years on life support, by 1982 CASAE was where it should be—in a Vancouver Chinese restaurant toying with noodles. Thirty-one years after the founding, university adult education is in big trouble. But CASAE is still here and members are grateful to those who sustained it. Résumé Le congrès fondateur de l’Association canadienne pour l’Étude de l’Éducation des Adultes (ACÉÉA) eut lieu le 6 mai 1980, dans un contexte de malaise latent concernant l’influence et la proximité des universitaires américains dans les départements d’éducation des adultes au sein des universités canadiennes. En particulier, les partisans de l’ACÉÉA à Vancouver, ont dû composer avec Coolie Verner qui considérait que l’éducation des adultes (comme discipline et comme domaine) était bloqué par un manque de consensus concernant les concepts fondamentaux. Or il était réticent à approuver quoique ce soit manquant de rigueur. Verner n’était pas opposé à ce que les Canadiens aient leur propre organisation, mais quand même, sa mort en 1979, créa l’espace qui permit la fondation de l’ACÉÉA en1980. Cet article analyse les événements conduisant au congrès fondateur et au moins que dramatique processus de création de l’ACÉÉA qui fut dominé par trois sages. Malgré ses premières années de survie, dès 1982, l’ACÉÉA était où elle devait être - dans un restaurant chinois de Vancouver, jouant avec des nouilles et essayant d’identifier le mot français pour sauce soja. Trente-un ans après sa fondation, l’ACÉÉA continue d’exister et les membres sont reconnaissants envers ceux qui l’ont toujours soutenu.

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How to Cite

Boshier, R. (2011). True North Strong and Free: Three Wise Men and The Founding of CASAE/ACÉÉA. Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, 23(2), 11–26. Retrieved from https://cjsae.library.dal.ca/index.php/cjsae/article/view/951

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 2 (2011): Keeping the Flame Alive

Section

Articles

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