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Minutes of a Meeting of the Senate of Simon Fraser University
held on Monday, October 4, 2004 at
5:30
pm in Room 3210 WMC
Open Session
Present: ?
Percival, Paul
Vice-Chair of Senate
Absent:
Apaak, Clement
Breden, Felix
Beynon, Peter
Brennand, Tracy
Blackman, Roger
Copeland, Lynn
Budd, James
da Silva, Gisele
Dean, Charmaine
Deigrande, James
Dickinson, John
Dunsterville, Valerie
Driver, Jon
Grimmett, Peter
Easton, Stephen
Hayes, Michael
Fizzell, Maureen
Higgins, Anne
Fung, Edward
Love, Ernie
Giacomantonio, Chris
Mauser, Gary
Gordon, Irene
McArthur, James
Gordon, Robert
McFetridge, Paul
Gupta, Kamal
Scott, Jamie
Harder, Derrick
Smith, Don
Haunerland, Norbert
Stevenson, Michael
Honda, Barry
Weeks, Daniel
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Horvath, Adam
Wong, Milton
Hunsdale, Shawn
Yerbury, Cohn
Johansen, Elinor
Zandvliet, David
Jones, John (representing B. Lewis)
Krane, Bill
Li, Ze-Nian
MacKenzie, Christine
MacLean, David
McKinnon, Stephanie
McInnes, Marcia
Pierce, John
Pinto, Mario
Plischke, Michael
Rozell, Sara
Sears, Camilla
Schehlenberg, Betty
Shaker, Paul
Tombe, Trevor
Waterhouse, John
Wessel, Sylvia
Wong, Josephine
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Woodbury, Robert
Heath, Ron, Dean of Student Services/Registrar
Watt, Alison, Director, University Secretariat
Grant, Bobbie, Recording Secretary
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S.M. 4 October 2004
Page 2
P. Percival advised Senate that the President was at a conference in New York and as
Vice-Chair of Senate he would chair the meeting.
On behalf of Senate, the Chair welcomed the following newly elected Senators: C. Dean
and M. Hayes (faculty senators elected to the positions created after the establishment of
the Faculty of Health Sciences), and D. Harder (student senator elected to retain the
required balance between student and faculty positions on Senate).
Approval of the Agenda
Senate was advised that the Chair would add two items under 'Report of the Chair', and
that Paper S.04-67 - Annual financial Statements was withdrawn from the agenda and
would be brought forward to the next meeting of Senate. Following these amendments,
the Agenda was approved.
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2. ?
Approval of the Minutes of the O
p
en Session of September 13, 2004
The Minutes were approved as distributed.
?
3. ?
Business Arising from the Minutes
There was no business arising from the Minutes.
?
4. ?
Report of the Chair
i)
Congratulations were extended to Dr. Larry Dill, Department of Biological
Sciences who has been chosen as a co-recipient of the 2004 Ig Nobel Prize in
Biology.
ii)
Paper S.04-76 - Review of the President
The above-noted paper was distributed at the meeting. Senate was advised that
the Board of Governors has started the process of considering the reappointment
of the President whose current term expires in 2006. Senate will elect two faculty
senators and one at-large graduate student to this committee at the next Senate
meeting. Prospective committee members were requested to take note of the
tentative meeting schedule outlined in the memo and candidates wishing to put
their name forward should note the detailed information about the nomination
process and deadline dates.
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5.
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Question Period
There were no questions submitted.
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6.
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Reports of Committees
A) ?
Senate Nominating Committee
i) ?
Paper S.04-68 - Elections
Senate was advised that no further nominations were received to those shown on the
above-noted paper. Therefore, Charmaine Dean was declared elected by acclamation to
the Senate Committee on University Priorities (SCUP) and the Senate Committee on
University Teaching (SCUTL) for terms of office to May 31, 2005; and Christine
S.M. 4 October 2004
•
Page
MacKenzie was elected by acclamation to the Senate Committee on
3
University Honours
(SCUH) for term of office to May 31, 2005. The student senator positions on the Senate
Committee on Continuing Studies and the Senate Committee on International Activities
remain vacant and will be carried forward.
B) ?
Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies
i)
Paper S.04-69 - Change to General Admission Requirements
Moved by R. Blackman, seconded by C. Apaak
"that Senate approve the addition of Instrumental Music 12 and Choral
Music 12 in the Fine and Performing Arts group (List 3) of courses
accepted for admission, effective Fall 2005"
Question was called, and a vote taken.
?
MOTION CARRIED
ii)
Paper S.04-70 - School for the Contem
p orar y
Arts - Changes to Admission
Requirements and Curriculum Changes
Moved by R. Blackman, seconded by I. Gordon
"that Senate approve changes to the admission requirements in the visual
art studio courses, and the visual art extended minor program, as set forth
in S.04-70"
A question was raised about the deletion of courses concerning the history of art. It was
pointed out that although reference was being deleted from the course title, the material
would be rearranged and presented in a different format within the program.
Reference was made to the collapse of the 2-course-per-skill model which changed the
emphasis to a broad ranging introduction to all aspects of.the given skill. Opinion was
expressed that this was a very large pedagogical change to the program and concern was
raised about the lack of rationale to justify such a major revision. It was pointed out that
this program has been extremely stretched with regard to its teaching resources and the
Dean's office had worked closely with the School on this particular revision to make the
program more effective.
In response to an inquiry as to why a representative from the School was not in
attendance to respond to questions, Senate was advised that the level of interest in this
curriculum matter was under estimated and no one had been requested to attend.
Question was called, and a vote taken.
?
MOTION CARRIED
Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting
under delegated authority, approved minor curriculum revisions to existing courses and
program requirements in the Visual Art program.
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S.M. 4 October 2004
Page 4
iii) ?
Paper S.04-71 - Change to Admission Polic y
- Associate Degree
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Moved by R. Blackman, seconded by M. Fizzell
"that Senate approve the proposed changes to the Associate Degrees
Admission Policy wording from "graduates... from a public BC or Yukon
community college or university college" to "graduates... from a BC or
Yukon community college or university college recognized by the B.C.
Ministry of Advanced Education", as
/
forth in S.04-71, in effect as of
Spring Semester 2005"
In response to an inquiry with respect to the degree completion statistics for Columbia
College, it was pointed out that the completion rates were significantly higher than the
average.
Discussion turned to the approval process of the Degree Quality Assessment Board. R.
Blackman, a member of the Board, provided Senate with detailed information concerning
the evaluation process for proposed degree programs. He noted that Columbia College
went through a full evaluation by the DQAB which resulted in the Board
recommendation to the Minister that approval be granted for Columbia College to grant
Associate Degrees.
In response to concerns raised about quality control, Senate was advised that the DQAB
carries out follow-up assessment to ensure that programs continue to be of sufficient
quality to merit Ministry approval. It was pointed out that since Senate has the authority
to establish admission standards if it were discovered that students admitted in a
particular category or from a particular institution were performing below standard,
Senate could recommend a change in policy.
Senate was advised that as of next year all students who apply for admission with an
Associate Degree will be expected to have a grade point average that is no less than
.25
lower than the floating average that applies to students without an Associate Degree.
This change in admission policy was approved after a careful evaluation of the
performance of the two groups of students and it was felt that the GPA differential levels
the playing field for the two groups. It was noted that Columbia College was the first
private institution to offer Associate Degrees, and opinion was expressed that should this
motion fail, it would be discriminatory towards students just because they went to a
private institution. It was noted that private institutions could be for-profit or not-for-
profit.
Concern was expressed that the motion was based on the decision of the Ministry rather
than the Review Board decision. It was emphasized that the Ministry, through the
Minister, makes the decision on the basis of a recommendation from the DQAB. Degrees
from any degree granting institution must receive approval from the Ministry before they
can be offered so wording reflecting this process was appropriate.
Question was called, and a vote taken. ?
MOTION CARRIED
Ift
S.M. 4 October 2004
• ?
C)
?
Senate Graduate Studies Committee
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Page
5
i)
Paper S.04-72 - Change to Graduate General Regulation 1.12
Moved by J. Driver, seconded by C. Apaak
"that Senate approve the changes to Graduate General Regulation 1.12, as
set out in S. 04-72"
Brief discussion ensued with respect to degree completion times and clarification was
received that these deadlines had not changed.
It was noted that the proposed change did not lay out a process and a time limit for which
students with disabilities should apply. Senate was advised that this was purposely left
flexible because it was very difficult to legislate exactly what a student should do because
each case dealt with individual circumstances and had to be handled through a process of
negotiation between student, department, and the Centre for Students with Disabilities.
A question was raised as to why plans were to be approved by the Dean of Graduate
Studies rather than the Director of the Centre for Students with Disabilities. It was
pointed out that the Centre was a resource for providing expertise in the way that students
can be assisted but there were other issues that also needed to be assessed. The outcome
of discussions with the student, the department, and the Centre would result in a written
plan and it was felt that someone from outside the negotiation process should approve it.
Question was called, and a vote taken.
?
MOTION CARRIED
ii)
Paper S.04-73 - Curriculum Revisions - Master of Publishin
g
Program (For
Information)
Senate received information that the Senate Graduate Studies Committee, acting under
delegated authority, approved one new course, minor revisions to existing courses and
admission requirements, and a change in calendar description of the internship and
project report.
iii)
Pa p
er S.04-74 - Curriculum Revisions - Resource and Environmental
Management Program (For Information)
Senate received information that the Senate Graduate Studies Committee, acting under
delegated authority, approved one new course and minor revisions to an existing course.
iv)
Paper S.04-75 - Curriculum Revisions - Facult
y
of Science —(For Information) -
Biological Sciences and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Senate received information that the Senate Graduate Studies Committee, acting under
delegated authority, approved a change to the examination procedures for the project in
the Masters of Environmental Toxicology, and a minor revision to one MBB course.
S.M. 4 October 2004
Page 6
7.
Other Business
There was no other business.
8.
Information
The date of the next regularly scheduled meeting of Senate is Monday, November 1,
2004.
Open Session adjourned at
6:25
pm and moved directly into Closed Session.
Alison Watt
Director, University Secretariat
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