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To ....................... ............... 

Members ... of ... Senate........... 

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..... ..... .... ..I 

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3.G. ? 

Wilson................................................. 

Vice-President, ..Ac.ad.miC 

Date ? 

November ? 

..25. ? 

1970.......................................... 

The attached paper represents a recommendation from 

the Academic Planning Committee for the establishment of a 

non-specialist degree program in Arts, Science and Education. 

This paper has been circulated to departmental chairmen and 

through them to their respective faculty members for 

information and comment. 

B.G. Wilson 

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End. 

To ................. 

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...... ..... ... ...Member.s of Senate 

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B.C. Wilson 

Chairman, Academic. .Planring 

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Committee 

Date,.. ? 

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November25, .. 1.9 7.0......... ........ 

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RECOMMENDATION: That Senate approve the introduction of a 

non-specialist degree program in Arts, Science and Education. 

The program would be designated General Studies and, after 

successful completion, a degree of Bachelor of General Studies 

would be awarded by Senate on the recommendation of the Dean of 

the Division of General Studies. In such a program students 

would not be required to specialize in any subject and the 

program would be relatively unstructured. Specific recommendations 

are as follows: 

a)

120 semester hour credits with a minimum grade point 

average of 2.0, including, 

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b)

at least 45 upper level semester hour credits, and 

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c) a minimum of 15 semester hour credits in the general 

areas of humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. 

Designation of courses falling in these areas would be the 

responsibility of Departments. 

REASONS FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION 

In the light of the best information available for the 1971/72 

budget year, the amount of money available to mount new programs 

is likely to be quite limited. The Academic Planning Committee has 

felt therefore that it was worth investigating the possibility of 

devising programs which may either produce sufficient revenue to be 

self-supporting or, by reorganization of existing offerings, provide 

new program opportunities at little or no cost. At the last Senate 

meeting Senate approved the concept of continuing education programs 

which should fall under the former category, reaching a clientele not 

presently served by Simon Fraser University. This proposal suggests 

program alternatives which can be mounted for little or no cost since 

students will take courses presently authorized by Senate and offered 

by Departments in the regular program. In addition the Academic 

Planning Committee is presenting for the approval of Senate other 

programs at this and subsequent meetings which represent inter- 

departmental approaches to learning. 

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There have been many expressions of student disinterest 

in highly structured or "traditional" education. Students express 

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themselves as interested in "relevant courses and programs" although 

the definition of relevance is often hard to formulate. Some would 

argue, on the other hand, that the function of universities should be 

to provide in each student a basis for his future development so that 

he can better meet the problems of tomorrow rather than relating 

education specifically to the problems of today. 

The Academic Planning Committee takes no position on the 

issue of relevance; it does however take the position that additional 

educational opportunities can and should be provided for students who 

are interested in obtaining a broad general education without the 

currently required specialization in one subject area. Many students 

who might wish to take such a non-structured program may subsequently 

find areas of interest in which they would wish to specialize and such 

students would in fact complete degree requirements under current 

regulations. On the other hand students who feel that their best 

preparation lies in a broad educational experience together with those 

whose initial interestin a subject becomes dissipated with time, could 

complete degrees in the General Studies Program. Since courses available 

to such students are those courses presently offered by Departments 

in the Faculties of Arts, Science and Education, together with any 

courses subsequently developed by the Division of General Studies, the 

quality of the degree should be comparable to the B.A. and B.Sc. degrees. 

ORGANIZATION 

.It has been stated above that students taking a general 

studies program would be recommended for their degreesby the Dean 

of General Studies to Senate. Almost all the courses taken by 

students would be taken from Departments in Faculties but, since no 

major would be declared, it is necessary to have the basic book- 

keeping provided outside Departments. The Dean of General Studies 

seems an appropriate agent. The degree of administration that the Dean 

would have would be limited. He would be responsible for establishing 

that the minimum requirements for graduation had been met and would 

provide an academic counselling service. The Dean, in recommending 

candidates for degrees based on courses offered by Departments within 

the other Faculties, would have a role somewhat analagous to the Dean 

of Graduate Studies who recommends candidates for graduate degrees. 

SUMMARY 

This proposal is not particularly innovative since General 

Studies degrees and similar programs are available at many universities. 

The specific title of the degree is currently unique in Canada but it 

exists at universities in the United States. Since all or almst all 

of the courses offered in such a program will be by Departments in the 

present Faculties, the standards of the degree are in the safe-keeping 

of Departments and the requirements are the same as for existing degree 

programs apart from the absence of a minimum specialization requirement 

in one subject area. Rather than being some kind of degraded B.A. or 

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B.Sc., the Bachelor of General Studies should be regarded as a different 

kind of intellectual attainment. 

B.C. Wilson 

dk