Sub-series consists of interviews with various individuals relating their experiences with Gordon Shrum. Interviews were conduted by D. Zarn and C. Duppereault. Interviewees were Harry Evans (SFU Registrar), Rob Watt (Vancouver Centennial Museum and later first Chief Herald of Canada), Lorne Davies (Director, Recreational Services and Athletics), and Professor James Wilson (Department of Geography).

Subseries consists of correspondence of the Director of Development. Subseries includes copies of outgoing correspondence and memoranda. Correspondents include university officials, donors, charitable foundations, and other organizations.

Subseries consists of photographs arising from activities of the British Columbia Social Credit Party. Subseries includes photographs, negatives, and contact sheets. Materials relate to Social Credit elections, conventions, rallies, meetings, election night gatherings; and the retirement of W.A.C. Bennett. Election photographs include photos of an election parade and rally for the 1968 Social Credit candidate for North Vancouver. Subseries also includes a scrapbook compiled by the Primrose League to honour W.A.C. Bennett in his retirement. Scrapbook contains photographs of various Social Credit figures, as well as letters thanking Bennett for his years of service to British Columbia.

The Distance Education Program at SFU began in 1975 and has since grown to be one of the largest distance education programs in Canada. Working in partnership with academic departments, the Centre for Distance Education administers the program. Through directed independent study (correspondence) or online study students can complete courses leading to majors, minors, certificates, diplomas, and in the case of the Bachelor of General Studies, a full degree. As of 2005, more than one hundred university credit courses are offered per year.

Sub-series consists of records relating to the administration and delivery of the Distance Education Program. Activities, events and topics documented include the operation of the Centre for Distance Education, liaison with departments regarding the Directed Independent Study program and correspondence courses, Knowledge Network telecourses, and administration of the South Pacific Nutrition Project. Records include correspondence, minutes, policies and procedures, student handbooks, budget and financial working papers, reports, and Knowledge Network telecourse guides and curriculum posters.

SFU's Downtown Campus Program had a modest beginning on February 22, 1980 with a small storefront location and a couple of rented classrooms at 822 Howe Street. Developed as an extension of the Burnaby campus evening programs, the downtown program was established to help SFU strengthen its community identity and recruit new students. A selection of extension credit courses and non-credit community education programs were offered to adult students who sought to complete or upgrade their existing university education. By 1981 growing enrollment numbers forced the program to move to a larger site at 849 Howe Street. Known as the Downtown Education Centre (DEC), the space was shared with BCIT who managed and coordinated the Centre through their Division of Continuing Education and Industry Services.

Faculty from the Burnaby campus traveled downtown to teach at the Centre and brought in community professionals to assist them. In 1983 the Downtown Campus Planning Committee was struck by Senate to survey the downtown community and assist in the planning of proposed sites for a downtown campus. Downtown enrollment continued to grow and each year new programs were tested as administrators worked towards developing a curriculum that would be unique to a downtown campus. During this time a number of programs were created including the School for Liberal and Professional Studies, the City Program, the Fine Arts Program, the Writing Program and the Professional Management Studies Program.

In 1989 the new downtown campus was opened in the remodeled historic Spencer Building on West Hastings Street. Since then, SFU at Harbour Centre has continued to expand its curriculum to the needs of the downtown community, offering courses in sciences, liberal arts, and applied, professional and interdisciplinary fields of study leading to certificates, diplomas, and undergraduate and graduate degrees. In addition, SFU at Harbour Centre hosts professional development seminars, short courses, conferences and lectures.

Sub-series consists of records relating to the planning, development, and administration of the Downtown Campus Program and its successor, SFU at Harbour Centre. Activities, events and topics documented include downtown program proposals, budget development, student information packages, an invitation to the opening of the Downtown Program in 1980, student questionnaires, course schedules, Downtown Planning Committee meetings, and an engraved paperweight from SFU Harbour Center. Records include correspondence and working papers, minutes, statistics, reports, news releases, and financial working papers.

The Extension Credit Program began in 1973 as a result of a Senate motion delegating all responsibility for off-campus programs to Continuing Studies. The program provided educational opportunities for persons who could not attend day classes, but through evening, Intersession, or Summer Session courses could complete a degree, upgrade existing education or enhance personal academic interests. Professional programs were also offered to teachers through evening and summer classes. The opening of the downtown campus at Harbour Centre in 1989 enhanced the visibility of the Extension Credit Program as it offered courses aimed towards the advanced recurring educational needs of the business, professional and cultural communities in Vancouver's urban core. The Extension Credit Program remains active as of 2005 and allows students to obtain graduate degrees, post baccalaureate diplomas, and selected undergraduate certificates on a part time basis by day or evening study.

Sub-series consists of records relating to the administration and development of the Extension Credit Program. Activities, events and topics documented include guidelines for developing an off-campus program, planning for courses offered at Britannia Community Centre, annual program reports, student questionnaires, policies and procedures development, and reports by the Senate Committee on Continuing Studies. Records include agendas and minutes, correspondence, working papers, statistics, reports, and course proposals.

The Gerontology Program was developed in 1982 with the establishment of the SSHRC funded Gerontolgy Research Centre (GRC). That same year the post-baccalaureate diploma in Gerontology was introduced and in 1983 the Department of Gerontology was formed to serve as the focal point for research, education and information on individual and population aging. Courses offered through the program address aging and the built environment, health promotion, and population health and aging. Students are trained in the critical analysis of the health care system and in the planning, design, research, and evaluation of working, living, and recreational environments for older persons. As of 2005, the program also offers a minor, masters and Ph.D. degree in Gerontology.

Sub-series consists of records relating to the development, funding and administration of the Gerontology program. Activities, events and topics documented include history of the program, proposal for a post-baccalaureate Diploma in Gerontology, liaison with the Universities Council of British Columbia, workshop planning and conference proposals, SSHRC funding, and the opening of the Gerontology Centre in 1982. Records include correspondence, minutes, reports, contracts, course proposals, draft budgets and working papers.

SFU launched the Prison Education Program (PEP) on April 1, 1984 after negotiating a three-year contract with the Federal Government to deliver a university program for male inmates at four penitentiaries - Kent, Mountain Head, Matsqui, and William Head/Metchosin. Assuming responsibility from the University of Victoria who had run the program for twelve years, PEP staff worked quickly to ensure a smooth administrative transition of the program and re-registration of the inmates as SFU students. The new program was assigned a dual home at SFU where all academic affairs of the program were administered through the Office of the Dean of Arts and a Steering Committee, and all administrative affairs of the program - including appointment of its Director, Stephen Duguid and its Program Coordinator, Henry Hoekema - were run under the guise of the Office of Continuing Studies.

Teaching staff for Kent, Mountain Head and Matsqui institutions were recruited from SFU while faculty at William Head were drawn extensively from UVic. In the course of its duration, the Prison Education Program established a library program at each institution, administered GED (grade 12 equivalency) courses, and offered courses in the Liberal Arts leading to certificate, diploma and degree completion. The program also sponsored courses and workshops in Writing and the Fine and Performing Arts and had a transition program for paroled inmates who chose to complete their education at SFU's Burnaby campus. After a few short years, the program grew to be very successful, garnering support from other SFU departments, developing a network of contacts in the field of prison education, initiating a series of seminars and Occasional Papers, and regularly publishing the Prison Journal. Despite the program being cancelled in the early 1990's due to government cutbacks, SFU continues today to be recognized as a leader in the field of prison education.

Sub-series consists of records relating to the administration and development of the Prison Education Program. Activities, events and topics documented include liaison with the federal government and SFU departments, library proposals, course scheduling, Library Technician meetings, recognition and awards ceremonies, the SFU Prison Education Newsletter, and copies of the serial Prison Journal. Records include agendas and minutes, annual reports, correspondence, working papers, contracts, course proposals and outlines, reports, statistics, budgets and financial reports, reference materials, and publications.

In August 1988 the British Columbia Telephone Company entered into agreement with SFU for the delivery of a Certificate Program in Telecommunications Engineering. The specialized program, developed to upgrade the technical knowledge of BC Tel professional engineers in telecommunications technologies, was jointly run by SFU and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and managed by the Applied Sciences Program in Continuing Studies. Working in collaboration with the BC Tel Engineering Training Committee, Continuing Studies developed a series of eight, one-week extensive courses that covered topics such as communication systems, digital concepts, voice networks, communication standards and ISDN. Courses were made up of a combination of lectures, technical presentations, laboratories, and group activities. Each course had a coordinator rather than a single instructor and industry experts were brought in to give presentations. At the end of each session, courses were evaluated by participants and individuals outside of the BC Tel/SFU-UCLA group to ensure that participants acquired an in-depth understanding of changing technology and communication systems.

Sub-series consists of records relating to the development and administration of the BC Tel Convergence course program. Activities, events and topics documented include BC Tel's initial request for proposal, course development, progress reports, instructors contracts and promotional materials sent out to BC Tel staff. Records include correspondence, working papers, reports, course outlines and evaluations, contracts, budgets and financial working papers, and pamphlets.