Author: Prepared by Youngchu Kim and Kim P. Sebaly, January 1986
Revisions: April 1995, Revised by Kim P. Sebaly and Nancy Birk; September 2008, Revised by Cara Gilgenbach
Descriptive Rules: DACS
Origination: Comparative and International Education Society
Inclusive Dates: 1956-2008
Bulk Dates: 1980-1994
Extent: 36 cubic feet (36 record storage boxes)
Physical Location: 10th floor
Language of Materials: English
Abstract: The collections contains the official records and publications of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), an organization founded in 1956 as the Comparative Education Society. The Society promotes the study and teaching of comparative education and international studies in education.
History of the Comparative and International Education Society: The Comparative Education Society (CIES) was established on April 27, 1956, following the Third Annual Meeting at New York University of American educators interested in comparative education. William W. Brickman, Convener of the Annual Meetings at New York University, was elected the first President of the Society; Robert B. Sutton (Ohio State University) was elected the first Vice President; Gerald H. Read (Kent State University) was elected the first Secretary-Treasurer. "International" became part of the Society's name in September 1969, to reflect the broadened scope of interest held by its expanding membership. The Society's business office was located at Kent State University until 1973. Today, the Society's has grown to over 2,100 members. It publishes a newsletter and a journal (Comparative Education Review), holds an annual conference, and organizes standing and ad hoc committees to address specific objectives and professional interests.
Extended History: The aims of the Society at its founding were to
For more information on the history and mission of CIES, please see the Society's Website at http://www.cies.us/aboutus.htm.
Scope and Content: The collection consists of publications, correspondence, official business files, presidential files, conference materials, and other papers of the Society.
The bulk of the current collection consists of editor's files of the Comparative Education Review. These include the editorial correspondence of Professors Bereday (1957-66); Noah (1966-71) [business files only]; Kazamias (1972-78) [business files only]; Altbach (1979-88); and Epstein (1988-present). Most of the Altbach and Epstein manuscript files contain complete editorial correspondence and copies of different drafts of manuscripts submitted for publication in the CER. A bound set of the Review is available as is a complete run of the Society's Newsletter (1965- ), which replaced earlier "Newsnotes."
Records of the Secretariats at Pennsylvania State University (1976-79) and the University of Southern California (1979-83) are comprehensive and detailed. They include reports, correspondence and financial statements for all aspects of the Society's work. Secretariat records from UCLA (1973-76) and the University of Akron (1983-89) are also processed, but are not as detailed. No records from the Secretariat at the University of Buffalo (1989-92) nor Florida State University (1992- ) have as yet been processed. Few records from the Business Office at Kent State University (1956-73) have survived, but extensive correspondence and reports from Gerald H. Read, Secretary-Treasurer and then Treasurer of the Society until 1973, are to be found in the files of Professors Bereday and Noah.
Files of the Presidents of the Society contain reports, annual conference planning documents, misceellaneous correspondence, and records of membership campaigns. Renewed efforts are underway to strengthen this section of the Society's official record.
Records of the regional meetings of the Society are incomplete. The Society's representation in the World Council of Comparative Education Societies is recorded in different Secretariat files and some presidential papers, but the record is incomplete and there is no set of WCCES newsletters. Some materials related to pre-Society conferences (1954-56) are in the collection. comparative education.
Statement of Arrangement: The collection is currently organized into four series as follow.
(click on the headings below to link to a more detailed inventory of the contents of each series)
Preferred Citation: Comparative and International Society records. Department of Special Collections and Archives. Kent State University Libraries and Media Services.
Separated Material: The Comparative Education Review is cataloged separately in KentLINK and shelved on the 10th floor.
Related Material: Researchers may also wish to consult the records of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES) records. These materials are not yet processed. There is also some WCCES material located in the CIES collection itself.
Restrictions on Access: Rejected manuscripts in the CER Editors' Files series are restricted for ten years after the date on which they were created.
Restrictions on Use: Kent State University does not own the copyright to materials in this collection. Copyright resides with CIES or individual authors of manuscripts, when applicable.
Acquisition Information: The Kent State University Archives became of the official depository of the records of the Comparative and International Education Society by action of the Society's Board of Directors in October, 1980. Professor George Z. F. Bereday, Editor of the Comparative Education Review (1957-1966), made the first donation to the collection in January, 1981. Since then, records from the Secretariat, various Presidents of the Society, and the Review have been placed in the collection.
Accruals: Materials are added to the collection on a regular basis.