University of Pittsburgh College of General Studies - History

History

The College of General Studies evolved from the 1908 Downtown Division of the Pittsburgh Academy. It became the Department of Afternoon, Saturday and Evening Studies in 1911 when it moved from Downtown to Oakland and began offering a limited number of off-campus courses. By 1920, Pitt had expanded its off-campus offerings to 19 locations in western Pennsylvania and Ohio, including Erie and Youngstown. In 1932, Pitt established the University Extension Division, which became known informally as the evening program, with its director reporting directly to the chancellor. On March 11, 1958, the Pitt Board of Trustees, following a recommendation by then Chancellor Edward Litchfield, approved the establishment of the School of General Studies primarily as an alternative for adults wishing to continuing education. Enrollment in the School of General Studies peaked at 18,930 during the 1974-75 academic year, the vast majority of which were part-time students. In 1981, the School of General Studies was renamed the College of General Studies to reflect that its degree was comparable to an Arts and Sciences degree. In the early 1990s, the College of General Studies offered as many as 30 degree majors, which was downgraded to ten in 1998-99 in order to eliminate duplication with majors offered in other Pitt units. In 2002 the McCarl Center for Nontraditional Student Success open followed by a major restructuring of the College of General Studies in 2003. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, for those 50 years old and older, and CGSOnline was established in 2005.