Collections

This is an incomplete historical collection of audiovisual, digital, and paper-based materials documenting the history of distance learning at Central Michigan University (CMU).

This is an incomplete historical collection of audiovisual, digital, and paper-based materials documenting the history of distance learning at Central Michigan University (CMU). Papers include CMU publications such as fliers, brochures, reports, and class schedules, correspondence and memos, Memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and contracts for non-Michigan centers and military bases, budgets and financial reports, newsletters, faculty handbooks, and meeting minutes. Audiovisuals include photographs, photograph albums, CDs of images, VHS videotapes, and scrapbooks. Images document faculty, staff, librarians, and students and their families, at various centers working, learning, teaching, being trained, graduating, receiving awards, and attending social events such as Lem Tucker Award ceremonies, commencements, retirement parties, baby showers, and Halloween and Christmas gatherings, Military nurses are uniquely identifiable and documented in the CMU.IPCD Photograph Album, 1982-1988. Photographs also document buildings renovated for CMU purposes, the types of rooms created, how these rooms were equipped, and open houses. Most of the VHS videotapes are CMU-generated promotional and recruitment videos. There are three VHS videotapes of unedited and edited versions of testimonials of CMU students and faculty at the Atlanta, Georgia center, including military members, which were created by Barnes, Chase, and Davis. One video aimed at Detroit Metro recruitment and promotion includes President Mike Rao documents CMU Homecoming for online students and includes two Detroit Spots (short sections or advertisements) which feature John Arnold talking about Terry Faster and Ricardo Solomon, both Detroit CMU alums. Faster and Solomon each make very brief statements about CMU at the end of each spot. All boxes are letter-size and .5 cubic foot boxes unless otherwise specified. The collection is organized alphabetically and by format. The collection is in good physical condition

The strength of this collection is in the documentation of multiple CMU national centers and organizations CMU collaborated with including: Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland; Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.; Army National Guard, Washington, D.C.; ASIS (American Society for Industrial Security Foundation) in Dallas/Fort Worth Cohort, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Central Texas College, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Joint Education Center; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Fort Detrick, Maryland; Fort Meade, Maryland; Fort Myers, Virginia; Hawaii; Merrifield, Virginia; the Pentagon; Portugal; Richmond, Virginia; Virginia National Guard (VaNG); Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; and Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Columbus, Ohio. Having functioning air conditioners and photocopiers and getting the garbage picked up regularly in southern locations was sometimes a challenge for CMU, as documented in the Center folders.

For CMU to teach out-of-state and on military bases or locations, CMU signed and gathered approved Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and agree to follow certain base and building rules approved by the boards of education in various states. CMU faculty, students, librarians, and staff worked with base ESOs or Education Service Officers, as documented in multiple communications. Off Campus Services librarians and staff were crucial to the success of distance faculty, students, and programs documented in the collection.

Michigan centers documented in the collection include Auburn Hills, metro Detroit, Flint, Mott College, Lansing, Livonia, Mount Pleasant, Southfield, and Troy.

Researchers may be interested in related collections documenting the evolution of CMU distance learning at the Clarke Historical Library and Off-Campus Library Services, part of CMU Libraries’ history. Researchers should search under the various names the unit had over time.

Processing Note: Approximately 6 cubic feet of duplicate, unidentified, and poor-quality audiovisuals and papers, including miscellaneous notes and financials, duplicates, reading materials, and materials with social security numbers, were withdrawn during processing. Scattered issues of two newsletters, CMU Communicator and CEL’s On Target, were added to those with the same title already separately cataloged in the Clarke Historical Library.

The collection includes VHS videotapes and DVD recordings of Central Michigan University Commencement speakers and honorees, May 1998-December 2009 and 2011.

The collection includes VHS videotapes and DVD recordings of Central Michigan University Commencement speakers and honorees, May 1998-December 2009 and 2011. Some of the information written on the DVDs was incorrect. Correct dates and complete and accurately spelled names are included in the Box and Folder Listing. If a date was incorrectly written on a DVD, a slip of acid free paper with the correct date was added inside the DVD case. A number of names written on DVDs were misspelled or abbreviated. Names and dates were verified for accuracy with commencement programs. Materials lacking labels when they arrived in the Clarke Historical Library were watched to verify the contents. Seven videos are labeled as Station Archive Tape. The collection, except for some labels, are in very good condition. Recordings are organized in chronological order. For multiple commencement recording on one day, the recordings are organized thusly: All Three Speakers, 9:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 5 PM. The DVDs are accessible via ClipChamp software.

Researchers may also be interested in other Clarke collections documenting commencements including: CMU. Commencement Collection of paper programs; digitized CMLife and other CMU publications; the papers of CMU presidents; CMU. University Communications (UComm) and its predecessor units, which were and are responsible for taking commencement photographs and videos; CMU Photographs; and many collections of CMU alums, students, faculty, and units.

Processing Note: One duplicate DVD was withdrawn during processing.

The collection includes the following series, biographical information, a photograph, correspondence, meeting minutes, photographs, reports, speeches, subject files, documenting Arthur Ellis' tenure as Central Michigan University's president, 1970, 1989.

The collection includes President Ellis’ biographical materials, correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, and subject files on a wide variety of CMU topics. A number of the minutes and subject files document budgetary issues, 1985-1989. Other well documented topics include commencements 1985-1988 and MMI (Michigan Molecular Institute), 1984-1988, including apartheid issues.

The collection includes the following series, biographical information, including a photograph, correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, speeches, subject files, and congratulatory notices (letters) documenting Edward B. Jakubauskas' tenure as Central Michigan University's president, 1970, 1989.

The collection consists mainly of his Subject Files (approximately 2 cubic ft.), with various Meeting Minutes, Correspondence, and Reports. Congratulatory Notices (Letters) from many universities on the subject of his inauguration at CMU (1 cubic ft.) are the second major series in the collection. His Speeches, 1988-1991 (.25 cubic ft.), mostly relating to CMU events, the third major series, complete the collection.