International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame - Oklahoma Center of Continuing Education at the University of Oklahoma

Calvin L. Stockman

Calvin L. Stockman has held the position of continuing education dean or director at five institutions of higher learning: Grand Valley State University (Allendale, Michigan), his current assignment; Illinois State University; Kent State University; University of Northern Illinois; and William Rainey Harper College. He has served as both President and Secretary of the National University Continuing Education Association (NUCEA, now UCEA), President of the Illinois Council on Continuing Higher Education, Chair of the Coordinating Council of Continuing Higher Education (Michigan's assembly of chief continuing education officers), and many other roles. Moreover, he sits on the boards of directors of many organizations and has consulted with entities ranging from the U.S. Air Force to Pennsylvania State University to Wasea University in Japan.

His awards and honors include Honorary Charter Member of the Mexican Continuing Education Association; Outstanding Alumni Award from the Department of Leadership and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Northern Illinois; the Mayor's Award from the City of Crystal Lake, IL; and the President's Award from the Illinois Audiovisual Association.

He is the author of a number of publications, including Issues in Post-Secondary Telecourses: A Regional Perspective, Who Is the Adult Student?, and Implications of Attrition Among Adults for Academic Service.

With his wealth of experience and service, Dr. Stockman has identified three critical issues facing present continuing educators and their successors. The first is the integration of continuing education into the higher education agenda. Second is the need for greater connection between important federal and state policy positions on workforce training and development and university continuing education. Writes Dr. Stockman, "The issues related to workforce training are so large that it is critical that continuing education at the university level be included as a key component of the solution to the problems." Finally, he has acknowledged "the importance of building an international base for university continuing education and, more specifically, systems for linkage among universities throughout the world. The need to be able to interact with institutions from other countries is a critical challenge for the next century and important to building our culture and those of other lands."