SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
?
S.79-13
MEMORANDUM
To. ?
Mr. ?
H. Evans,
?
Secreta.... .................... .From..... G. Wilson,....,
?
.............................
Senate ?
Vice-President, Academic
Subject......
K elowna...S,choo.1 of.. Resource
...........Date..,.
January 24,_.19.78
?
1
..........
?
Management
I recommend that the following motion be approved
at the next meeting of the Senate:
Motion
"That Senate approve in principle the program as set
out in the attached report regarding the School of
Resource Management at Kelowna."
B. G. Wilson
eh
....................................
Background Information: At its meeting of October 3, 1977 Senate considered Paper S.77-101 -
Interior Programming, and approved the following motion:
"That Senate endorse the concepts contained within the main report of the Planning
Committee on Interior Programming."
It was noted that approval would be reaffirmation, subject to availability of funds, to move
in some way to develop a major comprehensive distance education program, and an indication of
acceptance of the school concept. Motion approved by Senate in Nov. 1976 included:
".... Any program implementation by SFU would require prior approval by the University's
Senate and Board of Governors, together with assurance of an appropriate level of funding."
General information on the Regional University School and potential administrative structure
appears particulary on pages 31-36 and 43-44 of the earlier report, 8.77-101.
.
Report on the Present Status of Interior Programming
The Interior University Programming Board has been
considering budget requests for credit and non-credit programming
outside the metropolitan areas of Greater Vancouver and Victoria
for 1978/79. The planning horizon is clouded by two uncertainties.
First, the operating budget available for the coming fiscal year
is not known although it is presumed that it will be not less
than the $3 million line item appearing in the 1977/78 budget.
Secondly, the future of distance learning programming and delivery
within the province is unclear.
In the Simon Fraser University proposal, the development
of Schools was recommended together with a comprehensive distance
learning program plan. The estimated operating budget for each
School was approximately $1 million with a similar annual operating
cost for the distance learning program. For 1978/79 a request has
been made for $935,000 for this distance learning program, including
the development of courses and their delivery. It seems likely
that the provincial commitment to this form of delivery system will
be of the same order, with the likelihood that a significant
. component will be learning materials purchased from the Open
University in the United Kingdom with a delivery system based on
an institute to be created under the new Colleges Act. The precise
role of the universities in connection with this institute is
presently unclear.
The Board has approved, for recommendation to the Universities
Council and the Ministry of Education, the initiation of a School
of Resource Management at Kelowna under SFU auspices. The
operating budget requested to initiate this program during 1978/79
amounted to $635,000, exclusive of rental of accommodations.
Taking into account the likely pace of program development, this
was scaled down to $585,000, with a projected 1979/80 cost, when
the program will be fully developed, of approximately $1 million.
Although there were approximately 40 other requests for program
initiation or delivery from the three universities, only a few o
these were supported at the January 1978 meeting and these
included only feasibility studies and extensions into second year
of programs initiated last year. All other requests were deferred
for one month in the hope that the distance learning developments
would be better understood and the general budget picture known.
In general, however, credit programming appears to be the mode of
instruction which will be supported this year whereas last year,
in attempting to get some programming going, extensive non-credit
professional development courses and programs were offered.
For 1978/79, SFU had proposed the Kelowna development
. referred to above, an extension of face to face degree completion
programming in the Fraser Valley, continuation of professional
development programming at Cranbrook, Dawson Creek and Nelson,
in-service professional training for teachers in association with
......2....
the professional development program, an extension
Currie professional development program for Indian
Enderby, in the Okanagan, and a new offering of an
at Kamloops. With the exception of the in-service
program, all the programs put forward were for cre
of the Mount
?
40
students to
M.Ed. program
training
lit instruction.
An ad hoc committee of 9, including 3 faculty members from
each of the 3 public universities is being formed to advise the
presidents of the three universities regarding the viability of
participating in a potential organization including the 3
universities and the to-be-formed institute and to review the
potential of Open University and other available materials for
degree completion largely through correspondence.
.
0
KELOWNA SCHOOL OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
qENERAL PHILOSOPHY AND RATIONALE
There is no programme of post-secondary education more
relevant to British Columbia than one centered about the orderly
development and management of its natural resources. British
Columbia is heavily dependent for its prosperity upon exploitation
of these resources; hence, there is a clear and urgent need to
ensure that the resources of the Province are developed, husbanded,
and conserved in a wise and informed way and in a manner that
services long-term as well as short-term goals. The appearance,
quality and productivity of the environment and the prosperity
of British Columbia's citizens will increasingly depend on resource
management decisions that are being made now and that will be
made in the next decade. A body of trained resource management
personnel and a citizenry informed regarding the characteristics
of its lands, the principles of its ecology, and the potentialities
and limitations of its productivity are essential if wise
proposals are to be made and supported. It is unfortunate,
however, that there is no aspect of public policy in B. C. that
is less understood at the present time.
The proposal for a university "School" situated in Kelowna
has been accepted in principle for a five-year trial period.
This will lead to the development of a strong educational
programme and a specialized research programme centered on natural
resources and their management.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
1. To provide a curriculum of courses leading to a
first degree in the principles of resource manage-
ment with the opportunity of developing an
emphasis in the fields of Agriculture, Forestry,
• ?
Fish and Wildlife management, and Mineral Resource
management.
.
-2-
2.
To provide citizens of the province with a means
of achieving a better understanding of their
natural environment and resource development policies
of the province. This may be achieved through
several kinds of extension programs, ranging
from general interest courses for the public to
specialized continuing education and certificate
programs. Extension courses and specialized
seminar series could, over time, be available at
different locations in the province.
3.
To provide the nucleus of a research programme to
enhance the knowledge of resources of importance
to British Columbia. This research would be an
integral part of the responsibilities of faculty
at this School. Eventually a graduate programme
should be developed.
PROGRAMME
The management of a single resource requires the integration
of many disciplines. A resource manager, therefore, is a
person capable of appreciating the imperatives and limitations
of several relevant disciplines. University programmes typically
are not structured to produce graduates with this appreciation
of several disciplines; indeed, since the mastery of a single
discipline is usually a full time occupation for an undergraduate,
many believe that several years of graduate study are necessary
for such an appreciation. In recent years, however, attempts
have been made to develop a comprehensive multi-disciplinary
undergraduate programme in environmental studies which appear
to offer to the graduate a more appropriate background in this field
than is available through a conventional major programme. The
University of California at Santa Cruz, Green Bay, the University
of the Atlantic and Huxley College of Western Washington State
University ha-4.e developed such programmes.
In developing the basic structure of the programme for
-3-
Kelowna we have tried to build a curriculum which does not
subject a student to major specialization within a single discipline
nor attempt to develop a generalist who is exposed to general
concepts of many disciplines but without the rigorous development
of any of them. Inevitably the first two years of the programme,
to be taken at a University or a Regional College, will require
emphasis on science, economics and geography. The following two
years will embody a series of courses in disciplinary and inter-
disciplinary areas as well as more applied courses in specific
resource areas, so that the graduate will have developed emphasis
in one of four resource options.
The program graduate will be a person who understands
resource management problems and potentials and related public
policies and regulations; who can apply decision-making tools to
resource management questions; who will have a general understanding
• ?
of the development of
B. C.'S
principal resources and particular
knowledge of and experience with one resource industry; who will
have supervised field experience in a resource management
enterprise and completed a project relating practical and course
experience and who understands how the basic disciplines can
contribute to more effective management of resources.
The four-year prgràmme will lead to a Bachelor's degree.
However, it is likely that a significant number of individuals in
the local community will welcome the opportunity of expanding
their horizons by taking some of the third and fourth year resource
management courses. consequently, some courses will be offered
in the evening. Students will be able to register for these
courses on a non-credit basis, but may take a specified number of
courses for credit which could eventually lead to the completion
of a programme for a university credential.
0
-4-
BASIC CURRICULUM
We recognize that,initially 1
individuals interested in the
programme are likely to have a diverse level of educational
achievement ranging from those who have not completed high school
to those with post graduate degrees. However, acceptance into
the degree programme should be restricted to those who have
satisfactorily completed the first two years of university or
college, although this requirement may be modified somewhat for
an applicant with extensive related work experience. Many students
may be re-entering university after a period away from formal
study. Students entering the Resource Management School would,
ideally, have received training in an array of university level
courses that provide a solid background in the experimental
sciences, mathematics, english and the social sciences. These
would have been supplemented by elective courses emphasizing
special areas of biology, economics and geography in order to
facilitate the student subsequently handling the specialized
interdisciplinary third and fourth year courses. In developing
the programme, however, we recognize that many students will have
had a broader academic background so that some supplemental work
to strengthen their basic scientific knowledge will be necessary
during the third and fourth years.
Third and Fourth Years
Third year courses will provide students a greater disciplinary
background in those subjects which form an integral part of
resource-use decision-making. Hence, a series of courses that
0
rJ
4
. ?
-5-
includesthe following areas is essential: geomorphology, resource
economics, environmental law, population biology, business manage-
ment and systems analysis. Such courses would lead into a core
fourth year programme including topics such as regional planning,
environmental impact assessment, rural and community planning, and
public policy formulation. This fourth year core programme will
be complemented by several specialized courses in close co-opera-
tion with the resource-based industries and/or government depart-
ments, in order to provide students with opportunities for a
degree of specialization in the resource discipline in which they
are particularly interested. (e.g. forestry and agricultural
sciences, mining, fish and wildlife).
40
?
?
As presently envisaged, the programme would run during the
fall and spring semesters of each year, with a summer internship
between the third and fourth years during which students would be
employed by one of the companies or government agencies who use
or regulate the use of natural resources. Such a co-operative
programme offers exciting prospects and would be one significant
way of directly involving resource-based industries and the local
community in the programme.
PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT
Programme planning with associated faculty hiring must begin
I
immediately in consultation with various interested groups. Dis-
cussions on planning have been initiated with Okanagan College
and a more formal advisory committee is being established as
a means of providing regular guidance on all aspects of the
resource management programme. The committee includes represen-
tatives from Okanagan College, the three B.C. universities,
B.C. government agencies, and interested individuals from the
business community and the general public. Ongoing planning of
the curriculum will be developed by the Director of the School
with the aid of the advisory committee and the future faculty of
the School.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Huxley College of Western Washington State University in
Bellingham has a program in environmental studies somewhat
similar to the one being proposed for Kelowna. Huxley College
has fifteen faculty in addition to the Dean of the College.
Course offerings were commenced in 1972 when enrollments included
60 Majors; 220 Majors are currently enrolled together with
students from other university departments. Graduates of the
programme have apparently enjoyed good success in obtaining
employment in related areas. The student body includes many
from different parts of the United States.
S
[IJ
SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
?
S78-13 ADDENDA
MEMORANDUM
FOR INFORMATION
Senate
............................................................................
From..
?
B.
?
G. ?
Wilson
Vice-President, Academic
Sub
ject.... .. ....... ... ... ..... ..................... ............ ....... ... ............. .... ...... ...... ...
.J
?
Date.... ?
January
?
.
31,
?
.1.978
At the meeting of the Interior University Planning
Board on January 23, the Board considered funding requests for
1978/79.
A total
of 55 requests had been made including 24
from UBC and 24 from the University of Victoria.
The 7 SFU requests included funding for the School
of Resource Management at Kelowna, continued funding of the
Distance Education project, the Professional Development programs
at Nelson, Cranbrook and Dawson Creek and the Fraser Valley
program. A proposal for an Education M.A. program at Kamloops
and a new North Okanagan Native Teacher proposal were included.
The final proposal related to equipment and
building
needs for
the School of Resource Management.
.Because of uncertainties in the 1978/79 budget for
Interior Programming and the status of government interest in
the British Open.University materials for a distance learning
S ?
program, the Board deferred most decisions until its February
meeting. Approvals were given for a feasibility study related
to the Faculty of
Agriculture
and a proposal related to Forestry
at UBC from the 1977/78 budget. A small subsidy was also
provided for UBC Nursing and Pharmacy programs in the current
fiscal year. The only major approval was for the School of
Resource Management at Kelowna which was funded in the amount
of $585,230 for fiscal 1978/79 with the expectation that the
funding level would approximate $1
million in
subsequent
years. Approval was given for a five year experimental period
with a mandatory review of the.program after three years.
These approvals are subject to approval by the Universities
Council and the Ministry of Education but these are regarded as
likely. No provision was made for capital developments in
association with this program since we feel that, for the first
year, rented accommodation would be more appropriate until the
program is totally defined. Some of the exiting resources
owned, by SFU on the Okanagan College campus will be available
initially.
The program was discussed at the Senate Committee on
Academic Planning and particular questions were raised which
related to the administration of the program. I would like to
address some of' these in this memorandum.
In the report of the
Planning
Committee on Interior
Programming some consideration was given to the appropriate
administrative structure of the
"School system. It was stated
.2...
(
Senate
?
- 2 -
?
January 31, 1978
that the structure should be such that the programs developed
are,and are seen to be,of the same high quality as those offered
at SFU. The programs must also be,and be seen to be, responsive
to the needs of the Interior. The structure must therefore
ensure as much local autonomy as possible,
consistent
with the
application of appropriate quality control for curriculum
development. The report recommended that the day to day
operation of each School should be the responsibility of a
Director. This senior faculty appointment would be analogous
to a department chairmanship and would normally involve a half-
time commitment to administration and a half-time commitment
to teaching and scholarship. There would be. an administrative
assistant who would supervise office staff and facilitate
functions
handled at. SFU by the Registrar's and Bursar's offices.
The faculty were seen to
function
.
iri
a manner analogous to the
faculty of. departments for the purposes of course development,
faculty selection and promotion and tenure considerations.
Initially senior faculty from relevant departments on the Burnaby
campus would supplement curriculum,
appointments
and tenure
committees of the School. The School Directors will report to a
Dean of University Regional Schools who would function in the
•
?
same way as a Faculty Dean and be responsible to the Vice-President,
Academic. At this time the development of one School has been
approved as an experimental project. for five years. The development
of other Schools will presumably depend on the success of the first.
Consequently, although the report called for School Directors to
report to a Dean of University Regional Schools, in the initial
phase of this development,
it is
proposed that the Director of the
Kelowna School of Resource Management report to the Dean of
Interdisciplinary
Studies. A search for a Director will commence
immediately; an interim appointment of Dr. Glen Geen as Acting
Director has been made. As indicated in the submission to the
IUPB, an advisory committee related to program development has
been set up with representatives from the three universities,
government agencies .and the Okanagan College area. SFU representatives
will include faculty from the Departments of Biology, Geography
and Economics and Commerce. Program proposals will be presented
to Senate in due course and it is hoped that some implementation
of course work will be provided in September 1978 with the School
gOing into full operation .the following year. Advertisements
for faculty positions will be initiated immediately and faculty
members drawn from Biology, Geography and Economics & Commerce
will assist the Acting Director in formulating short lists of
candidates. These departments will also be invited to comment
on details of the curriculum.
Since the program has only been approved for an initial
period of five years, the question of faculty contracts must be
studied separately. Faculty could be appointed under normal
University operating policies, ( i.e..tenure track; for specific
.....
.....3...
.
Senate ?
- 3-
?
January 31, 1978
contract terms not to exceed five years or on contracts leading
to "grant tenure". Research Associates under our present policy
are eligible for tenure, but a
condition
of
appointment
is the
continued receipt of specific financial support from the appropriate
agency, e.g. TRIUMF. The University must face up to the question
as to whether this form of faculty appointment is appropriate in
these particular conditions and this will undoubtedly be discussed
with the Faculty Association Executive and with the Faculty and
Organization
Committee of the Board of Governors.
Renewal, tenure and promotion considerations will
involve the Director of the School, representation from the
School faculty and representatives of SF0 departments relating
to the specific discipline involved. Recommendations from
such committees will be forwarded through the office of the Dean
of Interdisciplinary Studies, in the first
instance.
Undoubtedly, many administrative details have yet to
be considered and a detailed proposal relating to issues under
the jurisdiction of Senate will accompany the formal program
submission later this spring.
B. G. Wilson
jeh
c.c. - President
.
a
AD
7O4DASd dO 1d30
4 80
