The collection consists of materials acquired by Special Collections and the University Archives and maintained for purposes of historical research. It includes reports, correspondence, committee minutes, course materials, architectural and other drawings, newspaper and magazine clippings, press releases, posters, brochures, and other published materials. The materials are arranged alphabetically by subject or name (e.g. organisations, University departments, events, buildings/places, and individuals).

The fonds consists of six series which contain the following: student publications, curriculum offerings and course descriptions, handbooks, examinations, faculty information, committee meetings, interdepartmental memoranda and correspondence, meeting reports and annual reports, elections, curriculum revisions, reading lists, a “departmental bible,” departmental newsletters and bulletins, departmental meeting minutes, council policy and membership, reorganization proposals, and task force information, notable alumni ephemera, and the UBC Medal for Canadian Biography All records are the results of activities that took place within the Department of English from 1940 to the early 2000s.

Fonds consists of personal and professional materials of Ward’s related to his career. The fonds is divided into four series: Project series (1980-2020); Publications and Conferences (1966-2009); Teaching and Research Materials (1992-2003), and Correspondence series (1978-2001).