SENATE OF SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
AGENDA – OPEN SESSION
Monday, October 1, 2012 –
5:30 pm
Room 3210 West Mall Complex
1. Approval of the Agenda
2. Minutes of the Open Session on September 10, 2012
3. Business Arising from the Minutes
4. Report of the Chair
5. Question Period *
6. Reports of Committees
A) Senate Committee on University Priorities (SCUP)
i)
Terms of Reference for the Beedie Professorship Endowment Fund
S.12-139
ii)
Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
S.12-140
iii)
Joint Major in Philosophy and Health Sciences
S.12-141
iv)
External Review of the School of Communication
S.12-142
v)
External Review of the Department of English
S.12-143
vi)
Name Change for the Institute for Research on Early Education and Child Health S.12-144
B) Senate Graduate Studies Committee (SGSC)
i)
Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (For Information)
S.12-145
ii)
Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Education (For Information)
S.12-146
iii)
Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Health Sciences (For Information)
S.12-147
iv)
Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Science (For Information)
S.12-148
C) Senate Nominating Committee (SNC)
i)
Senate Committee Elections
S.12-149
7. Other Business
8. Information
i)
Date of the next regular meeting – Monday, November 5, 2012.
Agenda items and papers for the November meeting will be required by the Secretary at noon on Thursday,
October 18, 2012. Submissions may be emailed to
shelley_gair@sfu.ca
but must be followed up by a signed paper
submission. These items will be considered by the Senate Committee on Agenda and Rules on Tuesday, October
23, 2012 with Senate distribution on Friday, October 26, 2012.
The Senate agenda and papers for this meeting are available on the Senate website at
http://www.sfu.ca/senate/agenda.html
.
Detailed curriculum papers can be found on Docushare at
https://docushare.sfu.ca/dsweb/View/Collection-12682
Kate Ross
Registrar and Secretary of Senate
*
Questions should be submitted in writing to Kate Ross (email
kuross@sfu.ca
) with Senate Question in the
subject line by Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at 9:00 am.
DRAFT UNTIL
APPROVED BY SENATE
Minutes of a Meeting of the Senate of Simon Fraser University held on
Monday, September 10, 2012 at 7:00 pm at the West Mall Complex (Room 3210)
Open Session
Present:
Andrew Petter, President and Chair
Black, Sam
Brandhorst, Bruce
Brennand, Tracy
Burley, David
Corbett, Kitty
Craig, John
Cupples, Claire
Cyr, Dianne
Delgrande, Jim
Driver, Jon
Easton, Stephen
Eckman, Charles
Elle, Elizabeth
Flodr, Sarah-Sophia
Francis, June
Hall, Angie
Hedley, Nick
Kessler, Anke
Kopahi, Moe
Laitsch, Dan
Leacock, Tracey
Leivdal, Joseph
Magnusson, Kris
McRae, Jennifer
Myers, Gordon
O’Neil, John
Palis, Heather
Parekh, Nimisha
Parkhouse, Wade
Percival, Colin
Percival, Paul
Perry, Tom
Pilarinos, Andreas
Pinto, Mario
Quarmby, Lynne
Rajapakse, Nimal
Jo Hinchliffe, Associate Registrar
Shelley Gair, Recording Secretary
Robinsmith, Stacey
Ruben, Peter
Sakhrani, Rohan
Schellenberg, Betty
Shapiro, Daniel
Shaw, Chris
Somers, Julian
Szeto, Hendson
Tingling, Peter
Warner, D’Arcy
Wilson, Meaghan
Wussow, Helen
Zhang, Kevin
Absent:
Chapman, Glenn
Chen, Alexander
Geisler, Cheryl
Golnaraghi, Farid
Gordon, Robert
Hejazi, Michael
Kropinski, Mary Catherine
Leznoff, Daniel
Li, Paul
Lundgreen-Nielsen, Jens
Nilson Levisohn, Michelle
Pavsek, Christopher
Pierce, John
Ross, Kate
Taylor, Carole
Woodbury, Rob
In Attendance:
Daminato, Cathy
Lee, Jacy
Nicholls, Glynn
S.M. September 10, 2012
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1.
Approval of the Agenda
The agenda was approved as distributed.
2.
Minutes of the Open Session on June 11, 2012
The minutes of the open session on June 11, 2012 were approved as distributed.
3.
Minutes of the Open Session on July 9, 2012
The minutes of the open session on July 9, 2012 were approved as distributed with a minor
revision.
4.
Business Arising from the Minutes
There was no business arising from the minutes.
5.
Report of the Chair
The Chair welcomed Anke Kessler as a new Faculty Senator and Gord Myers in his new position
as Associate Vice-President Academic.
It was reported that the Higher Education Strategy Associates ranked different research
universities by performance in two categories (i.e. Social Science and Humanities, Science and
Engineering) and SFU was rated in the top ten in both categories.
SFU was admitted this summer into full membership in the NCAA which means that SFU
athletes can now compete right across the NCAA, rather than just regionally. This will provide
greater opportunity for competition and should build more awareness and support for the Clan
within the university. As well, home games are now available to watch on the SFU website.
The SFU vision continues to be utilized in various ways and will be reflected in a community
engagement plan that will be going out for consultation in the next few months. The opening of
the SFU Public Square will be happening at the Orpheum on Tuesday, September 18, 2012 and
all were encouraged to attend. The first annual summit will be around the theme of isolation and
disconnection in the urban environment. The Vancouver Sun will be running a series of ten
articles associated with the SFU Public Square. The Public Square has also gained support from
organizations like the City of Vancouver which has requested that SFU host and facilitate
dialogues on their behalf.
6.
Question Period
There were no questions submitted for question period.
7.
Reports of Committees
A)
Senate Committee on University Priorities (SCUP)
i)
Terms of Reference for the Ryan Beedie Chair in Finance (S.12-124)
S.M. September 10, 2012
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Motion
Moved by J. Driver, seconded by C. Shaw
“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the Terms of Reference
for the Ryan Beedie Chair in Finance.”
A question was raised regarding whether income from the fund will be sufficient in covering the
salary, benefits and related research expenses for the Chair. Senate was informed that when a
finance position becomes available, this will become a part of that position. It was clarified for
Senate that a new position will not be created.
Question was called and a vote taken.
MOTION CARRIED
ii)
Terms of Reference for the Keith Beedie Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
(S.12-125)
Motion
Moved by J. Driver, seconded by S. Easton
“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the Terms of Reference
for the Keith Beedie Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.”
Question was called and a vote taken.
MOTION CARRIED
iii)
Dissolution of the Certificate in Family Studies (S.12-126)
Motion
Moved by J. Driver, seconded by J. Craig
“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the dissolution of the
Certificate in Family Studies in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology within the
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, effective Summer 2013.”
Question was called and a vote taken.
MOTION CARRIED
iv)
External Review Update for the Faculty of Education (S.12-127)
Senate received the External Review update report for the Faculty of Education. A request was
made for the results of the FAL (Foundations of Academic Literacy) review to be made available
once the review is complete. It was confirmed by the Dean of Education that this information will
be accessible.
v)
External Review Update for the Department of Psychology (S.12-128)
Senate received the External Review update report for the Department of Psychology within the
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences for information.
S.M. September 10, 2012
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B)
Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (SCUS)
i)
Missed Class Guidelines (S.12-129)
Motion
Moved by G. Myers, seconded by S. Easton
“That Senate approve the Missed Class guideline, to be placed in the Enrolment Policies
and Procedures section of the SFU Calendar.”
Concern was expressed that some of the key terms were not clearly defined, that student and
faculty obligations were not clear, and that the guideline did not directly include accommodation
for students missing classes due to religious observance. Senate was reminded that this was a
general guideline rather than a policy, and that individual departments also have their own
policies governing this area. A discussion followed and enough concern was expressed regarding
inconsistencies in the guideline that a motion to refer this item back to the committee was moved.
Moved by C. Percival, seconded by S. Black
“That this item be referred back to the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies for
consideration of the issues raised during the Senate discussion.”
Question was called and a vote taken.
MOTION TO REFER CARRIED
ii)
Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Applied Sciences & Faculty of Environment
(S.12-130)
Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under
delegated authority, approved new cross-listed courses in the Faculty of Applied Sciences and
Faculty of Environment.
iii)
Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (S.12-131)
Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under
delegated authority, approved new courses and revisions to existing courses and programs in the
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (French, Gerontology, Explorations, International Studies,
Latin American Studies).
Clarification was requested with several of the curriculum items in S.12-131. Those items are as
follows: the proposed new language for the French and Humanities Joint Major program; the
prerequisites for GERO 450; similarity between two new courses (EXPL 135 and 235); the
reason for the deletion of LAS courses. The chair confirmed that these items will be looked into.
iv)
Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Communication, Art & Technology (S.12-132)
Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under
delegated authority, approved a new course and revisions to existing courses in the Faculty of
Communication, Art and Technology (Interactive Arts and Technology).
S.M. September 10, 2012
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v)
Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Health Sciences (S.12-133)
Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under
delegated authority, approved a new course and a revision to an existing course in the Faculty of
Health Sciences. An opinion was expressed that the evaluation structure for HSCI 345 was
ambiguous and a request was made to present this information in a more clear way.
C)
Senate Graduate Studies Committee (SGSC)
i)
Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (S.12-134)
Senate received information that the Senate Graduate Studies Committee, acting under delegated
authority, approved a revision to an existing course in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
(Labour Studies).
ii)
Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Science (S.12-135)
Senate received information that the Senate Graduate Studies Committee, acting under delegated
authority, approved revisions to existing courses in the Faculty of Science (Chemistry, Molecular
Biology and Biochemistry).
D) Senate Nominating Committee (SNC)
i) Senate Committee Elections (S.12-136)
Senate received a summary from the Senate Nominating Committee regarding the election results
from the July Senate meeting, nominations received since the last meeting, and outstanding
vacancies.
7.
Other Business
i)
Institutional Research and Planning (IRP) Reports (S.12-137)
Senate received the 2011/12 Grades Report, and the 2011 Undergraduate Student Survey (UGSS)
Report for information. Concern was expressed regarding the finding in the Student Survey that
62% of graduating students expressed that they would have liked to have participated in co-op
and 55 – 67% would have liked to have participated in field schools, international exchange/study
abroad and work-study, and what the reasons are for this finding. Senate was informed that this
was the first year that this question was asked and a commitment was made to ask the question
again this year with some follow-up questions.
Another concern expressed was with the finding that improved course availability continues to be
identified as a factor that would help improve the student experience. The Vice-President
Academic informed Senate that this has been an ongoing problem which is complex to
understand. Efforts to understand the problem and attempts to try various solutions (e.g. course
scheduling policy, extra funding, pilot projects), have had some impact but the problem persists.
There are issues such as the trimester system, the pattern in which students take courses, a
flexible curriculum, and being significantly over-enrolled, that all contribute to the challenges in
S.M. September 10, 2012
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resolving this problem. Senate was informed that this issue will be given a higher priority this
year by having the former Associate Vice-President Academic move into a Special Advisor
position that will focus on getting to the root of this problem.
Another concern raised was the tendency of students to enroll in courses and then drop them just
before the deadline at the end of week one. Several explanations were provided for this pattern
such as availability of courses, filling up the course schedule for student loans while on wait lists,
amount of information provided on courses before registering.
The Chair of the Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries committee asked Senate for advice on what
extent the aggregate measures from the Grades Report should be considered with scholarships of
various kinds considering the disparity of grades within the university. It was noted that this is a
complicated issue involving both internal and external factors.
ii)
NWCCU Accreditation – Year One Self Evaluation Report (S.12-138)
Senate received the NWCCU Accreditation – Year One Self Evaluation Report for information.
A question was asked regarding the graduation rate of 63.9% and how this compares to other
universities. Senate was informed that this is a composite rate which includes graduate and
undergraduate students and that it is similar to other universities. It was noted that the actual
completion rate within the B.C. system as a whole is significantly greater because students often
move from institution to institution before completing their degree.
A request was made to include extra columns in the “Indicators and Data” table showing the
specific targets and comparisons with other universities. An additional request was made to break
down the composite graduation rate into PhD, Master and undergraduate students. Senate was
informed that these indicators are imperfect and only provide a very general impression of how
the university is doing. They are not a comprehensive analysis of the performance of the
university and therefore shouldn’t be used in that way. As well, one of the challenges in
comparing SFU’s data with other institutions is that different universities tend to use different
definitions in reporting their data.
8.
Information
i)
Date of the next regular meeting – Monday, October 1, 2012.
Open Session adjourned at 8:08 pm
Jo Hinchliffe
Associate Registrar
S.12-139
SFU
offickoi-Tiii- vick-prksidknt, acadkmic and provost
8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC
Canada V5A 1S6
TEL: 778.782.3925
FAX: 778.7825876
www.sfu.ca/vpacadcmic
MEMORANDUM
attention
Senate
date
September 12,2012
from
Jon Driver, Vice-President,Academicand
pages
1/1
Provost, and Chair, SCUP
Beedie School of Business: Terms of Reference for the Beedie Professorship Endowment
Eund (SCUP 12-28)
RE:
At its September 5, 2012 meeting SCUP reviewed and approved the Term/of Reference for the Beedie
Professorship Endowment Fund.
Motion:
That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the Terms of Reference for the Beedie
Professorship Endowment Fund.
end.
c: O. Volkoff
C. Daminato
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
MEMO
Office of ihe Dean
Bccdic School of Business
MAILING ADDRESS
WMC5310
8888University Drive
Bumabv C Canada
VSA 1S6
778.782.-U83
778.782.5155
dshapiroiisfu.ca
SCUP 12-28
Beedie School of Business
ATTENTION
Dr. Jon Driver. Vice-President. Academic
Date July 17, 2012
FROM
Dr. Daniel Shapiro. Dean, Beedie School of Business
RE Beedie Professorships Endowment Fund
I would like to recommend the approval of the naming of the Beedie
Professorships, to be supported by the Beedie Professorships Endowment Fund.
The Beedie Professorships Endowment Fund will be created with $5 million of
the $22 million Ryan Beedie donation. The purpose of the Endowment Fund
will be to:
1) encourage new donor philanthropy by providing a source of matching funds
for donations to new endowed professorships, as yet unnamed; and
2) support interim professorships at the Beedie School of Business (the "Beedie
Professorships").
These new Professorships will fit well within SFU's strategic vision of engaging
research by supporting excellence in research and teaching. The Matching
Program intends to engage communities, an SFU strategic goal, by encouraging
new donations.
Terms of Reference for the Beedie Professorship Endowment Fund are attached.
I request that you bring this recommendation forward for discussion with the
appropriate individuals as well as SCUP and Senate for approval, in accordance
with policies A10.03 and
G?
35.
c.
Ms. Caihy Daminato, Vice-President. Advancement and Alumni Engagement
si.•.!<: •: i••- ask
V
: l VERS1 . i
ENGAGING THE WORLD
SFU
Beedie Professorships Endowment Fund
Supporting the
Beedie Professorships and Matching Program
Terms of
Reference
The Beedie Professorships Endowment Fund was established in 2012 with $5 million of the $22
million donation to SFU Business from the Beedie Family, led by Ryan and Keith Beedie. The
endowment fund will be used to:
• attract significant donations for faculty-support endowments in the Beedie School of
Business; and
•
support, on an interim basis, Beedie Professorships in the Beedie School of Business.
The Donors
Ryan and Keith Beedie donated $22 million to Ryan's
alma mater,
SFU Business, now the
Beedie School of Business. The Beedie Family donation is the largest gift that Simon Fraser
University has ever received. Born and raised in Burnaby, BC, Ryan Beedie earned his BBA in
1991 at SFU and his MBA in 1993 at UBC. In 1992, he joined his family's industrial real estate
development firm. Under Ryan'sdirection, the firm has grownto be the largestlandlord of
industrial space in British Columbia. Recently the Beedie Group expanded its commercial
presence into Southern Alberta, residential homes and Beedie Capital Partners.
Purpose ofthe Endowment
The purpose of the Beedie Professorships Endowment Fund is to:
1.
encourage new donor philanthropy by providing matching funds for new endowed
professorships, as yet unnamed (the "Matching
Program"); and
2.
support interim professorships at the Beedie School of Business (the "Beedie
Professorships").
Beedie Professorships
Initially, the interest on this endowment will be used to support the Beedie Professorships.
Beedie Professors will be selected in accordance with faculty appointment policies A10.01 and
A10.06. Beedie Professorship disbursement amounts will be determined by the Dean, Beedie
School
of Business and subject to the approval of the VP, Academic.
Matching Program
Eventually, as many as five new permanently endowed professorships may be created when new
gifts of $1 million or more are matched with $1 million from the Beedie Professorship
Endowment Fund. The Beedie Family has generously waived their naming rights for these five
$1 million endowed professorships, to help attract new donors. The purpose of each of these
new named endowed professorships is to support excellence in research and teaching at the
Bccdic School of Business.
1 | P age
SFU
Beedie Professorships Endowment Fund
Supporting the
Beedie Professorships and Matching Program
Terms ofReference
Use
ofFunds
Funds will be held in the endowment until such time as donations eligible for matching ($1
million to create a named professorship) are received. Only five new named endowed
professorships in the Beedie School
of Business will be eligible for a $1 million match.
Matching transfers will require the approval
of the Vice-President, Advancement and Alumni
Engagement, Vice-President, Academic, and Dean, Beedie School of Business. Transfers to new
endowments will be made dollar for dollar as pledge payments are received.
In the interim, the interest on the Beedie Professorships Endowment Fund may be used to
support the Beedie Professorships. Interim Beedie Professorships will be assigned according to
A 10.01 and A10.06 and will not be renewable once the capital in the endowment has been
transferred to the named professorship endowments created with new gifts and matching funds.
If at any time the creation
of new named professorship endowments and the transfer of matching
amounts results in insufficient interest to support the interim Beedie Professorships, then the
Beedie School of Business will be solely responsible for any and all payments owed to
individuals holding such interim Beedie Professorships for the duration
of the term of such
interim Beedie Professorships.
Fund
A
dministration
The administrator of the fund will be the office of the Vice President, Academic. The
endowment fund will be managed in accordance with Endowment Management Policy GP 20.
In the event that circumstances make the specified use of the endowment fund no longer
practicable or desirable, the Board
of Governors of Simon Fraser University is hereby authorized
to make any changes it may deem necessary in the terms or use of the endowment fund. Such
changes, however, are to be in keeping as far as possible with the original spirit and general
intent
of these terms of reference governing the endowment fund.
Pa
aQ
SFU
Beedie Professorships Endowment Fund
Supporting the
Beedie Professorships and Matching Program
Terms ofReference
Accepted by:
Ryan Beedie
Date
President
Beedie Group
Jon Driver
Date
Vice-President, Academic
Simon Fraser University
Cathy Daminato
Date
Vice-President, Advancement
and Alumni Engagement
Simon Fraser University
Daniel Shapiro
Date
Dean, Beedie School of Business
Simon Fraser University
3 | Pagc
S.12-140
SFU
OFFICE OFTHE VICE-PRESIDENT. ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
University Drive, Burnaby, BC
Canada V5A 1S6
TEL: 778.782.3925
FAX: 778.782.5876
www.sni.ca/vpacademiG
MEMORANDUM
ATTENTION
Senate
DATE
September 12,2012
from
Jon Driver, Vice-President, Academic and
PAGES
1/1
RE:
Provost, and Chair, SCUP
Beedie School of Business: Full Program Proposal for a Graduate Certificate in^Business in the
Americas (SCUP 12-29)
y\
At its September 5, 2012 meeting SCUP reviewed and approved the Full Program Proposal for a Graduate
Certificate in Business in the Americas within the Beedie School of Business, effective Summer 2013.
Motion:
That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the Full Program Proposal for a Graduate
Certificate in Business in the Americas within the Beedie School of Business, effective Summer 2013.
end.
c:
C. Collins
SIMON FKASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
MEMO
Dean of
Graduate Studies
s i h:.i:i adpr i:ss
Maggie Benston
Student Services Centre
1100
Burnaby BC V5A iSr>
Canada
maii inc. Aiinur.ss
8888 University Drive
Burnaby BC V5A tSd
Canada
SFU
SCUP 12-29
TO:SCUP
TEL
FROM Peter Liljedahl, Acting Dean, Graduate Studies
RE Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
[GS2012.29]
CC
Colleen Collins
DATE
July 4,
2012
At its meeting of3 July, 2012, the SGSC approved the following proposal for a
Business in the Americas Certificate and is forwarding it to SCUP for consideration:
Effective Date is Summer 2013
Beedie School of Business
Executive MBA Program
Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
[GS2012.29]
Senators wishing to consult a more detailed report of curriculum revisions
may do so by going to Docushare:
https://docushai-e.sfu.ca/dsweb/View/Collection-12682
If you are unable to access the information, please call 778-782-3168 or email
shelley gair@sfu.ca.
Proposal: Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
Beedie School of Business
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas recognizes the increasingly global nature of
business and in particular, the growing importanceof the countries of the Americas to the British
Columbia, Canadian and global economies. The Certificate enables students to address key business
issues relevant to the Americas, through the opportunity to visit, study and interact with students and
faculty from across the region. The Beedie School of Business has entered a partnership with three other
schools to provide a truly international experience for students:
•
FIA Business School, Fundacao Instituto De Administracao, Sao Paulo, Brazil;
o
1TAM, Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico; and
•
Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management, Nashville, Tenn., USA.
The certificate is not only interdisciplinary across business disciplines it is also thematicaround strategies
and issues in international business. It builds upon the strengths of each partner institution to provide a
diverse student experience. The Beedie School'sstrength inglobal business andcross-cultural
management attracts students to the Executive MBA program. The Certificate enhances and complements
Beedie's capacity to offer courses in the Americas context.
A graduate certificate will recognize the unique experiences and additional courses provided to EMBA
students participating in theoptional Americas MBA stream. Students inthe Americas Executive MBA
streamtake 4 additional courses compared to the normal EMBA program as well as the country specific
sessions. Furthermore, the certificate provides recognition on studenttranscripts whereasstreams do not.
2. PREAMBLE
The Americasare a priorityfor Canadian and BC business and society as evident from the recent visits to
Brazil by the Canadian Prime Minister and University Presidents. Alongwith Canada, the USA, Brazil
and Mexico represent the four largest economies in the Americas with growth opportunities. However, as
with any international opportunities, there are clear challenges of language, culture, and business
practices. Decision makers in increasingly global organizations need to understand the particular nuances
of these differences and how to address them. They need to adapt their personal communication style to
cultural differences that influence relationships. They need to adapt their strategies in human resources,
market entry, business models, marketing, and innovation. They need to understand the differences in
doing business with very large established family businesses that are very common in South America,
compared to Canada. Ethical dilemmas that are addressed by the
legal and institutional frameworks in
Canada are not dealt with in the same way in South America.
Simon Fraser University and the Beedie School of Business have a strategic focus on globalization,
including emerging markets like Brazil. Beedie has engaged the local business community in dialogue
around responsible mining in the Americas. We recently hosted the Chilean Minister of Mining. Faculty
C. Collins/ July 2012
Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
1
members Jeremy Halland Carolyn Egrihave extensive research ontopics suchas innovation, sustainable
development and values relatedwork practices in the Brazilian and Mexican context.
The GraduateCertificatein Businessin the
Americas provides an opportunity for studentsto experience
first-hand the different business and cultural environments ofthe region and to buildnetworks of trusted
classmates in each country.
The international nature ofthe experience includes:
•
Courses designed for the Americas Certificate cohort at all four institutions;
•
Site visits to companies,as well as sessionson cultureand businesspractices in each country;
•
Interacting with executive MBA students from all four schools in cross-national teams on
exercises, assignments and projects.
The Americas Certificate in Business in the Americas is open to students in the Americas MBA stream
of
the Beedie Executive MBA program.
For these students, the Certificate is distinct from the Executive MBA in that students join the Americas
MBA stream after they have completed the first three terms
ofthe EMBA that comprise most ofthe core
business knowledge in the program. Uponjoining the Americas MBA stream, students take four required
Executive MBA courses that have been modified for the Americas stream. For the Certificate, students
take four additional Special Topics Americas courses as well as the non-credit business and culture
workshops.
3. PURPOSE OF GRADUATE CERTIFICATE
The GraduateCertificate in Businessin the Americas will provide studentswith a unique opportunity to
learn about international businessand culture in the three other leadingeconomiesofthe Americas:
•
the USA - the largest economy in the world and Canada'slargesttrading partner;
•
Mexico - NAFTA partner and priority market for Canada.
•
Brazil - the sixth largest economy (recently overtaking Britain) and reciprocal direct investment ranks
among the top ten in Canada, also a priority market for Canada.
Recognition of their participationin the AmericasMBAexperiencewith a Graduate Certificateprovides
students with a formal record oftheir participation in a component of the EMBA that goes beyondthe
regular experience - one that enhances student's abilityto thrive in a global business environment.
3.1. Institutional Benefits
Although the certificatedoes not directlygenerate research, it will providegreateropportunities
for faculty members to interactwith each other acrossthe institutionsas well as with experienced
students who can provide insights that may informresearch. At an administrative level, the
opportunity to work with three other outstanding institutions provides insights into practices that
can enhance our own processes.
32. Enhanced opportunities for graduates
Recognition through the certificateof the additional and modified courseworkas well as the
broader overall experience will help students to:
C. Collins/ July 2012
Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
•
Enhance their abilities to take on expatriate roles in the region for their current or potential
employers
•
Enhance their ability to perform in roles here in BC that require the knowledge and networks
acquired through the Certificate
•
Seek funding from their employers for EMBA tuition and the travel costs associated with the
Americas stream.
3.3.
Enhanced value to the community
The benefits to British Columbian organizations from students having the experience associated
with the certificate include:
•
employees who are familiar with business practices in the Americas;
•
employees who can identify opportunities and implement strategies to achieve success;
•
employees who have consideredthe challenges and risks posed by operations in the
Americas;
•
employeeswho have a networkoftrusted contacts in the three other partner nations.
4.
CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS
4.1.
Participation in the Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
Students admitted to the Executive MBA program may opt to participate in the Americas MBA
stream and the graduatecertificate. Studentsmust completeboththe stream requirements and the
additional courses for the Certificate. Students must meet the normal EMBA admission requirements
and be in goodacademicstandingpriorto undertaking the graduate certificate. Qualified students
should notifythe EMBAprogram of their
intention to participate in the springterm priorto the
beginning of the Americas courses.
4.2. Home University and Program Governance
Studentsparticipating in Graduate Certificate courses at the partnerinstitutions remain studentsof
SFU and the Beedie ExecutiveMBA program. Students are registeredin EMBA specialtopics
courses and receive SFU grades. All academicand administrative support is provided by Beedie.
Two bodies are responsible for the certificatecourses.The Beedie EMBA program committee is
responsiblefor the integrationofthe certificatewithinthe EMBA, including: selectionofstudents,
general course content, and grading. The Americas EMBA consortium school representatives
provide governance for the general design ofthe Americasofferings including student qualifications
(i.e courses are only open to Americas EMBA students in each institution), approval
offaculty,
specific detailed course content, and delivery logistics for the certificate.
The Americas EMBA stream is currently limited by the consortium agreement to 15 students per
school. Beedie provides space and teaching resources for 2 courses for the Americas cohort. These
two courses are required courses for the EMBA.
43. Certificate Structure
The graduate certificate courses are offered during the final two semesters ofthe Executive MBA
program
as
part ofthe Americas Executive MBA stream. See Appendix 2 for a course comparison ofthe
C. Collins/ July 2012
Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
EMBA and Americas EMBA stream and Certificate courses. The EMBA is a program fee program and as
such we are not charging additional tuition. Students must pay the costs oftheir travel and
accommodation at the international locations. The details ofthe certificate courses are as follows:
Americas EMBA stream courses
Required EMBA courses:
Bus 607-4 Strategy (Global Perspective) (SFU)
Bus 602-4 Global Business (SFU)
Bus 650-3 Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility (FIA- University of Sao Paulo)
Bus 664-4 New Ventures (Vanderbilt)
Graduate Certificate courses (in addition to EMBA requirements):
Bus 652-3 Special Topics: Strategic Managementfor EmergingMarkets (FIA- University of Sao Paulo)
Bus 652-3 Special Topics: International Competitiveness and Strategy (ITAM)
Bus 652-3 Special Topics: Family Business in Latin America (ITAM)
Bus 652-3 Special Topics: Leading a Global Innovation Strategy (Vanderbilt)
The SpecialTopics courseswill be delivered by the partnerschools in consultation with the Beedie
School ofBusiness. The topics may change over time as topics of interest and partner resources change.
Students complete classes at the four partner institutions Beedie, FIA Business School, Fundacao Instituto
De Administracao, Sao Paulo, Brazil; ITAM, Instituto Tecnologico Autonomode Mexico, Mexico City,
Mexico; and Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management, Nashville, Tenn., USA. In
the Americas EMBA stream, Beedie students receive credit for 8 courses, 4 ofwhich are in addition to the
regular EMBA requirementsand representthe certificatecourses. These four courses will be designated
"Special Topics" courses. While the unifying theme is the "Americas", the courses represent a variety of
business disciplines. In the first offering the special topics include: StrategicManagementfor Emerging
Markets; Family Business in Latin America; Competitiveness and Strategy; Leading a Global Innovation
Strategy.
4.4. Certificate Requirements
The Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas includes 4 Special Topics courses (Bus 652-3)
over and above the required EMBA courses in the Americasstream, as well as the business and
culture workshops offered by partner schools.
C. Collins/ July 2012
Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
5. PROCESS AND TIMELINES
Assuming approvals:
Discussions with partner schools—fall/spring 2010
Review by faculty committees - spring 2010
Approval by SCIA - spring 2010
Approval of Americas EMBA stream -- spring 2011
Submission of Certificate proposal to SGSC - summer 2012
Review and approval by Senate - fall 2012
Students enrolled in courses - fall 2012 and spring 2013
Students complete EMBA - spring 2013
Certificate awarded June 2013
Calendar Entry
From:
To:
Americas Executive MBA
stream
Students have two optional paths for the final
two terms of their program. They may choose
the SFU EMBA stream or opt to apply to be
considered for one of the limited spaces in the
Americas EMBA stream. In the second year
of
the program, classes in the EMBA stream are
taught at SFU in the same format as the first
year.
Classes in the Americas EMBA stream are
taught in four eight-and-a-half day intensive
sessions in partnership with three other
institutions at their campuses: Owen Graduate
School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville,
USA; ITAM, Mexico City; and FIA,
University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Courses in the
Americas EMBA stream are similar to those in
the EMBA stream, but with a greater emphasis
on international management.
Several additional courses on selected topics
are also included as well as country/region
specific sessions.
Further details on the EMBA and the Americas
Americas Executive MBA
stream
Students have two optional paths for the final
two terms of their program. They may choose
the SFU EMBA stream or opt to apply to be
considered for
one ofthe limited spaces in the
Americas
EMBA stream. In the second year of
the program, classes in the EMBA stream are
taught at SFU in the same format as the first
year.
Classes in the Americas EMBA stream are
taught in four eight-and-a-half day intensive
sessions in partnership with three other
institutions at their campuses: Owen Graduate
School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville,
USA; ITAM, Mexico City; and FIA,
University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Courses in the
Americas EMBA stream are similar to those in
the EMBA stream, but with a greater emphasis
on international management.
Graduate Certificate in Business in the
Americas
The Americas EMBA stream includes four
selected topics courses in addition to those
C.Collins/July 2012
Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
EMBA stream are provided on the program
website: www.beedie.sfu.ca/emba
required for the EMBA. These four additional
courses are required for the Graduate
Certificate. Courses are relevant to business in
the Americas covering a variety of business
disciplines. Students will also participate in
company visits
and workshops on local
cultural and business practices in each of the 4
participating countries.
The Certificate is open to students enrolled in
the Americas option
of the EMBA. Students
must complete all stream requirements
including those included in the Graduate
Certificate.
Further details on the EMBA and the Americas
EMBA stream are provided on the program
website: www.beedie.sfu.ca/emba
C.Collins/July 2012
Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
APPENDIX 1: GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN BUSINESS IN THE AMERICAS
DESCRIPTION OF 2012/2013 SPECIAL TOPICS COURSES
Owen Graduate School of Business, Vanderbilt University (Nashville)
Leading a Global Innovation Strategy: Overcoming The Six Innovation Barriers in Organizations
David Owens
Everybody wants innovation—or do they? This course presents a framework for understanding how
individualsand organizations sabotage their own best intentions to encourage creativity and "outside the
box" thinking. Professor Owens demonstrates that the antidote to this self-defeating behavior is to
identify which
of the six major types of constraints are hindering innovation: individual, group,
organizational, industry-wide, societal, or technological. Once innovators and other leaders of
organizational change understand exactly which constraints are working against them and how to
overcome them, they can create conditions that foster innovation instead of stopping it in its tracks. Upon
completion students will able to: understand the most common causes of innovation failure, assess
innovation capabilities in themselves and their organizations, diagnose the constraints that stand in the
way of a successful innovation, become better at idea-generation and assessment, and develop a
successful innovation strategy for their organizations.
FIA (Sao Paulo)
Strategic Management for Emerging Markets
On completion of this course the student will have an understanding of the challenges and practices in
developing products, services and business models to cater to the needs of dynamic emerging markets,
which combine wide extremes of purchasing power, as well social and cultural differences, so as to
achieve and maintain competitive advantages over the evolving life cycle of products and consumers.
The rapid growth of population in emergingeconomies makes this understanding an essential knowledge
component for the international manager.
ITAM (Mexico City)
Family Business
At the end of this course, the student will know the particular characteristics of family enterprises and will
recognize its great potential for development as well as the risks involved. The student will assimilate
basic ideas for the management
of these enterprises, basically focused on the prevention of conflicts, and
will have important elements to plan the continuity of the company.
Competitiveness and Strategy
In order to thrive, firms, regions and countries need to constantly find ways to remain competitive. This
course will present the driving factors behind different level
of competitiveness, and clarify the
interaction between these different levels. The course will provide alternative frameworks for analyzing
the competitive environment, as well as tools to create and implement strategic alternatives to prosper
within a changing environment.
C. Collins/ July 2012
Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
Appendix 2: Regular EMBA / America's EMBA stream + Certificate program
comparison
FirstYear (core common to both streams)
Bus 681-4 Leadership
Bus 651-4 Managerial Economics
Bus 662-3 Negotiations
Bus 670-4 Accounting
Bus 603-4 Structure and Change in Organizations
Bus 615-4 Marketing
Bus 621-4 Information Technology and Organizational Transformation
Second Year (2 streams)
EMBA
Americas EMBA stream all required
Bus 607-4 Strategy
Bus 607-4 Strategy (Global Perspective) (SFU)
Bus 602-4 Global Business
Bus 602-4 Global Business (SFU)
Bus 650-3 Ethics
Bus 650-3 Ethics and Corporate Social
Responsibility (FIA)
Bus 664-4 New Ventures
Bus 664-4 New Ventures (Vanderbilt)
Bus 696-6 Applied Project
Bus 696-6 Applied Project (Global team)
Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
Bus 652-3 Special Topics: International
Competitiveness (ITAM)
Bus 652-3 Special Topics: Family Business (ITAM)
Bus 652-3 Special Topics: Innovation (Vanderbilt)
Bus 652-3SpecialTopics: Emerging Markets (FIA)
C.Collins/July 2012
Graduate Certificate in Business in the Americas
S.12-141
SFU
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC
Canada \'5.\ 1S6
TEL: 778.782.3925
FAX: 778.782.5876
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic
MEMORANDUM
attention Senate
date
September 12,2012
FROM
Jon Driver, Vice-President, Academic and
pages
1/1
Provost, and Chair, SCUP
Faculties of Art and Social Sciences and Health Sciences: Full Program Proposal for aJ[pii
Major in Philosophy and Health Sciences (SCUP 12-30)
RE:
At its September 5, 2012 meeting SCUP reviewed and approved the Full Program Proposal for a Joint
Major in Philosophy and Health Sciences in the Department of Philosophy \yithjn the Faculty ofArts and
Social Sciences and in the Faculty of Health Sciences, effective Fall 2013.
Motion:
That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the Full Program Proposal for a Joint
Major in Philosophy and Health Sciences in the Department of Philosophy within the Faculty of Arts and
Social Sciences and in the Faculty of Health Sciences, effective Fall 2013.
end.
c: E. Tiffany
M. Lechner
SIMON FRASER
UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
SFU
MEMORANDUM
ATTENTION
FROM
RE:
SCUP 12-30
OFFICE OF THE ASSOCIATE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND
ASSOCIATE PROVOST
8888 University Drive,
TEL: 778.782.4636
avpcioldsfu.ca
Burnaby, BC
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic
Canada V5A1S6
Senate Committee on University
Priorities
Bill Krane, Chair
Senate Committee on Undergraduate
Studies
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (SCUS 12-29e)
DATE
PAGES
Action undertaken by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies at its meeting of
August 2, 2012, gives rise to
the following recommendation:
Motion:
That SCUP approve and recommend to Senate the Full Program Proposal for the
Joint Major in Philosophy and Health Sciences in the Department of Philosophy
within
the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Health Sciences.
The relevant documentation for review by SCUP is attached.
S I M 0 N F;HA S E
n
U N I V I HSU Y
ENGAGING THE WORLD
Full Program Proposal
Joint Major in Philosophy and Health Sciences
FHS Undergraduate Studies Committee
Philosophy Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
Simon
Fraser University
May 17, 2012
Executive Summary
*
A BAJoint Major in Philosophy and Health Sciences is proposed by the Department of
Philosophy and Faculty of Health Sciences to be jointly administered by the Philosophy
Department and Faculty of Health Sciences.
* The B.A. in Philosophy and Health Sciences is designed for students who are interested in
focusing on and expanding their expertise in areas where these two fields of study intersect.
Students who complete the joint major gain broad training in both Philosophy and Health
Sciences.
Students develop solid foundations in ethical theory, epistemology, metaphysics and
the history of philosophy and a grounding in health-related knowledge with an emphasis on
applied ethics in health and
the philosophy and history of health science.
*
The proposed program addresses the following university goal as stated in the President's
Agenda 2005-2009 (Michael Stevenson, June 2005)
" we must continue to increase the diversification of our programmes, increasing the
number of professional and quasi-professional programmes, as well as creating new
interdisciplinary specializations."
Based upon existing courses, this program can be mounted immediately with minimum
requirement for new resources.
The program will be directed by an undergraduate Coordinating Committee, comprised of two
representatives from each of the Department of Philosophy and the Facultyof Health Sciences.
Students will be enrolled from existing students in the Philosophy and Health Sciences
programs. We are confident the program has a potential to attract new students to SFU.
The Joint Major will be re-evaluated in the future and, depending on its success in attracting
existing students to this stream, we will consider including other departments such as the
Faculties of Business and the Environment to expand course offerings in applied ethics.
Graduates of this degree will be well-prepared to move on to:
•
Professional schools
•
Graduate degrees in a number of areas including bioethics, philosophy, and public health.
•
Employment in careers that intersect with health ethics and the philosophy of science.
•
Employment in the burgeoning field of genomics and applications of DNA sequencing.
Background
Simon Fraser University has teaching strengths in applied ethics and the history and philosophy of
science, but course offerings in these areas are divided between the Department of Philosophy and
Faculty of Health Sciences. This joint major will offer students interested in these areas the
opportunity to pursue an integrated major that combines a strong background in philosophy with
applications in the health sciences. This interdisciplinarymajor will prepare students for continued
study and careers in bioethics, genomics/genetic testing, the philosophy of science, three highly
desirable and growing fields of study.
Credential to be awarded:
Joint Major, Philosophy and Health Sciences, B.A.
Location:
SFU, Burnaby Campus
Faculty/Department/School offering the new program:
Department of Philosophy
Faculty of Health
Sciences
Anticipated program start date:
Fall 2013
Description of proposed program:
A) Aims, goals, and/or objectives
The B.A. in Philosophy and Health Sciences aims to give students broad training in both Philosophy
and Health Sciences. Students will gain expertise in philosophical theories in areas including ethics,
metaphysics, and epistemology. These theories will be applied in the health sciences, including the
areas of epidemiology and applied ethics. Students will gain critical thinking skills relevant to a large
range of career options.
B) Anticipated contribution to mandate and strategic plan of the institution
The proposed joint major enhances the offerings of one of the University's newest faculties, while
strengthening linkages
between that unit and previously existing programs. The proposed program
meshes well with one of the important dimensions in which our academic programmes should be
improved as stated in the President'sAgenda 2005-2009 (Michael Stevenson, June 2005)
o
" we must continue to increase the diversification of our programmes, increasing the
number of professional and quasi-professional programmes, as well as creating new
interdisciplinary specializations."
C) Target audience
The Joint Major in Philosophy and Health Sciences is intended for students who are interested in
applied ethics and the philosophy and history of health sciences.
D) Content
Requirements for the Proposed Joint Major:
Courses used towardthe upper division Philosophy requirements may not be used as partof Health
Sciences credit requirements, and vice versa. Any lower division course that counts toward the
separate requirements for Philosophy and Health Sciences may be counted toward both.
Students are required to satisfy the prerequisites of all courses (upper and lower division) that are
taken within this joint major and should consult regularlywith the program advisors regarding course
selection.
Philosophy
Lower Division Requirements:
Students must complete:
PHIL 120W-3 Introduction to Moral Philosophy
And at least one of:
PHIL 100W-3 Knowledge and Reality
PHIL 144-3 Introduction to the Philosophy of Natural and Social Science
PHIL 150-3 History of Philosophy I
PHIL
151-3 History of Philosophy II
And one of:
PHIL 110-3 Introduction to Logic and Reasoning
PHIL 210-3 Natural Deductive Logic
And both of:
PHIL 201-3 Epistemology
PHIL 203-3 Metaphysics
Upper Division Requirements
Students must complete a total of 19 upper division philosophy units, including:
At least one of:
PHIL 320-3 Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL 321-3 Topics in Moral Philosophy
PHIL 322-3 History of Ethics
At least one of:
PHIL 302-3 Topics in Epistemology and Metaphysics
PHIL 341-3 Philosophy
of Science
PHIL 343-3 Philosophy of Mind
PHIL 344-3 Philosophy of Language
At least one of:
PHIL 322-3 History of Ethics1
PHIL 350-3 Ancient Philosophy
PHIL 352-3 17th Century Philosophy
PHIL 356-3 18* Century Philosophy
PHIL 357-3 Topics in the History of Philosophy
And at least one 400-level course in Philosophy.
1If not taken in satisfaction of breadth requirement in value stream (i.e. PHIL320, PHIL
321, or PHIL 322).
Health Sciences
Lower Division Requirements
All of:
HSC1100-3 Human Biology OR BISC 101-4 General Biology
HSC1130-3 Foundations of Health Sciences
And one of:
STAT 201 -3 Statistics for the Life Sciences
STAT 203-3 Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences
And at least two of:
HSCI211-3 Perspectives on Cancer, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases
HSCI212-3 Perspectives on Infectious and immunological Diseases
HSCI 214-3 Perspectives on Mental Health and Illness
HSCI 215-3 Perspectives on Disabilityand Injury
HSCI 216-3 Ecological Determinants of Human Growth, Development and Health
Upper Division Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 18 upper division units in the Faculty of Health Sciences
courses including:
All of:
HSCI 305-3 The Canadian Health System
HSCI 319W-3 Applied Health Ethics
HSCI
327-3 (PHIL 327-3) Global Health Ethics
HSCI 330-3 Exploratory Strategies in Epidemiology
HSCI 340-3 Social Determinants of Health
One 300-level or 400-level HSCI elective - 3 units
E) Delivery Methods
The program will be taught through existing courses at the SFU Burnabyand SFU Vancouver
campus. Lower divisioncourses typically will be offered as lectures while upper division courses will
be offered as seminars.
F) Linkages between learning outcomes and curriculum design
Students pursuing the joint major will develop a capacity for analyzing philosophical and health-
related problems in an interdisciplinary framework.
G) Distinctive characteristics
The program is distinguished by its thematic foci, and by its cross-disciplinary approach within
philosophy
and health sciences. The proposed new joint major will benefit students who have
otherwise been unable to explore interests in applied ethics and the history and philosophy of science
in a dedicated major. These interests are better accommodated by an interdisciplinary program.
H) Anticipated completion time
Four years.
I) Enrolment plan for the length of the program
Students will be admitted to the Joint major program from other programs at SFU or via transfer from
other post-secondary institutions. Students will be primarily those who were enrolled into the
philosophy and health sciences programs and wish to broaden their area of study through the
programming in this joint major. No maximum number of admissions per year has been set. Initially,
we expect only about 10 new students per year.
In the event of large student demand, a certain percentage of the required FHS and PHIL courses will
be reserved for students who have declared into the joint major.
J) Policies on student evaluation (degree requirements)
Evaluation will be achieved following the general regulations for the University and the Faculty of Arts
and Social Sciences and Health Sciences. Students will be evaluated on their performance in a range
of activities including but not limited to research papers, participation in seminars, and in teamwork
exercises.
K) Policies on faculty appointment (minimum qualifications)
Continuing faculty will hold a PhD or equivalent.
L) Policies on program assessment
In common with all other academic units at SFU, the Joint Major in PHI-HS is subject to external
review every six years.
M) Level of support and recognition from other post-secondary institutions (including plans
for admission and transfer within BC) and relevant regulatory or professional bodies
As per SFU's transfercreditprocedures, students may transferfrom BC collegesor universities to
enrol intothis program. There is no applicable regulatory or professional body in this field in BC.
N) Evidence of student interest and labour market demand
We are monitoring an increase of interest in the Joint Major within the current student body.Student
enrolment in applied ethics offeringswith FHS has been robust, drawing students from other
disciplines including philosophy. Students have regularly expressed an interest in increased course
offerings inapplied ethics and the philosophy of science. There is significant student interest among
non-philosophy students in philosophy courses. Enrolment in upper division philosophy courses in
philosophy is near capacity, and approximately 45-60% of students are not philosophy majors. Many
philosophy majorsenter Law School or take up managerial positions. Many of these practically-
minded students will find a joint degree with FHS very attractive.
Excerpted results from the Fall2011 Undergraduate Student Survey in response to questions about
interest in potential new programs. Results are shown for percentage
replying Very/Somewhat
interested in Joint Major in Health Ethics.
APSC ARTS BUS
CAT
EDUC ENV
HSCI SCI
ALL
15%
22%
14%
18%
20%
14%
66%
32%
23.4%
O) Related programs at SFU and other British Columbia post-secondary institutions
The combination ofthe two programs is unique in the contextof SFU and British
Columbia.
Additional Information Required by SFU:
* Contact information for the faculty member responsible for program development
Mark Lechner, Faculty of Health Sciences, 778-782-8733
Jeremy Snyder, Faculty of Health Sciences, 778-782-3258
Lisa Shapiro, Department of Philosophy, 778.782.3343
Evan Tiffany, Department of Philosophy, 778.782.4482
Sam Black, Department of Philosophy, 778-782-3343
*
Summary of requirements for graduation (courses, project/thesis, etc.)
A minimum of 120 units, including: at the 100-200 level, 27 units including 12 units of Philosophy
and 15 units of Health Sciences; at the 300-400 level, 34 units including at least 19 units of upper
division Philosophy and 18 credits of upper division Health Sciences. Elective and breadth
courses make up the balance of the University's degree requirements.
Summary of resources (faculty members, space, and equipment) required to implement
the program
Minimal additional resources are required. The program can be accommodated with present
courses and faculty. No new courses are required.
9
Brief description of any program and associated resources that will be reduced or
eliminated when the new program is introduced
None.
SFU
i\rn.iYoi\ins.\\i)s<>«:i.\i.si:ii:\< r.s
IXparnnvni of Philosophy
Dcpt. of Philosophy. WMX 4604
THI. 778.7823343
8888University Drive.Bumaby, BC
FAX 778.782.4443
Canada V5A1S6
FASSCC 12-2
SCUS12-Uf
12 December 20II
To: Paul Budra
At itsmeeting of March 4,2011 the Department of Philosophy approved the attached NOI forajoint
major in Philosophy and Health Sciences. At itsmeetingof December 2,2011 the Department of
Philosophy approved the attached prerequisite changes to: PHIL201,203,320,321,328,421W, and
451W;at its meetingof December 8,2011, the Department ofPhilosophy approved the attached
prerequisite change to PHIL 357. Please place these items ontheagenda for the next FASSCC meeting.
Sincerely,
Evan
Tiffany
SI \|«)N lltAMI' I M\ I.KSI I >
NOTICE OF INTENT
Joint Major In Philosophy and Health
Sciences
FHS Undergraduate Studies Committee
PhilosophyUndergraduate
Curriculum Committee
Simon Fraser University
December 9,2010
Executive Summary
•
A 6AJoint MajorIn Bioethlcs and HealthSciences Is proposed bythe Department of Philosophy
and Facultyof Health Sciences to be jointlyadministered by the PhilosophyDepartment and
Facultyof Health Sciences.
•
The BA in Philosophyand HealthSciencesIsdesigned for students who are interested in
focusingon and expandingtheir expertise Inareas where these two fieldsofstudy intersect
Students who complete the joint major gain broad training in both Philosophyand Health
Sciences.Students develop solidfoundations inethical theory, epistemology, metaphysics and
the history of philosophyand a groundingin health-related knowledgewith an emphasis on
applied ethics in health and the philosophy and history of health science.
• . The proposed program addresses the following universitygoal as stated in the President's
Agenda 2005-2009
{Michael Stevenson, June 2005)
" wemustcontinue to increase the diversification ofourprogrammes, increasing the
number of professional and quasi-professional programmes,as wellas creating new
Interdisciplinaryspecializations."
•
Basedupon existingcourses,this programcan be mounted Immediately with minimum
requirement for new resources.
•
Theprogramwill be directedbyan undergraduate Coordinating Committee, comprisedof two
representatives from each of the Departmentof Philosophy and the Faculty of HealthSciences.
•
Students will be enrolled from existingstudents Inthe Philosophyand Health Sciences
programs. We are confident the program has a potential
to attract new students to SFU.
•
TheJointMajor will be re-evaluated inthe futureand,depending on itssuccess Inattracting
existingstudents to this stream, we will considerincluding other departments such as the
Faculties of Business and the Environment to expandcourseofferings tn appliedethics.
•
Graduates ofthis degree willbe well-prepared to move on to:
•
Professional schools
•
Graduate degrees Ina number of areas indudingbioethlcs,philosophy, and publichealth.
•
Employment tn careers that Intersectwithhealthethicsand the philosophy of sdence.
Approval History:
PhBosophy Department March4,2011
FHS Undergraduate Studies Committee:25 November2010
FHS FacultyCouncil: January 27,2011
Background
Simon Fraser University has teachingstrengths (napplied ethicsand the historyand philosophy of
science,but course offerings in these areas are cMJed
between
me Deportment of Prt8^^
Faculty
of Health Sciences. This joint major will offer stuc^ts Irterested In mese areas the
opportunity to pursue an integrated majorthat cernbines a strong
backgrouiKl
to
applications inthe health sciences.This totercSsclplinajy major
will
preparestudentsforcontinued
stucV ajKi careere In biosmfcs 8iid
the philosophy
of 8C^
of study.
Credential to be awarded:
Joint Major, Bioethlcs and Health Sciences, B A
Location:
SFU, Burnaby Campus
fecurty/Depajtment/Sc4to^
Department of Philosophy
Faculty of Health Sciences
Anticipated program start date:
Description of proposed program:
A) Amis, goals, aratfor objectives
The BA in Philosophyand HealthSciences is alms to givestudents broad training in both
Philosophy and Health Sciences. Students
wifl
gainexpertise Inp^tosciihicaltheories Inareas
Inducingethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. These theories wffl be applied Inthe health
sciences, inducing the areas of epidemiology and appliedethics. Students will gain critical thinking
skflJs relevant to a large range of career options.
B) Anticipated
c^trfbution
to mandate and e
The proposed joint major enhances the offerings of one of the University'snewest faculties, white
strengthening linkages between that unitand previously exlstmgprograms. The proposed
meshes
well with one of the Important dnwrslc^ Inwhlc^ our acactomlc programmes should be
improved as stated tn the President'sAgenda 2005-2009 (Michael Stevenson, June 2005)
o "we must cwtinue
to Increase
trie c^reiflc^^
number of professional and quasi-professional rjrogrammes,es well ae creating new
IntertSscfy&najyspeclaBzailons.1'
C) Target audience
The Joint Major in Philosophy and
Heatth
Sciences Is intended for studentewho are interestedin
applied ethics and the philosophyend historyof health sciences.
D)
Content
Requirements forthe Proposed Joint Major:
Courses used towardthe upper
division Philosophy
lequirententsinayiwtbeusedaspajtofHeaJm
Sciences credit requirements, and vice versa. Ar^ lowerdivisioncoureettiaicounte toward the
separate requirements for Philosophy and Health Sciences may be counted toward both.
Students are requiredto satisfy the prerequisites of allcourses (upper and lower
cSvlston)
thai are
taken withinthis Joint major and should consult rsgularty withthe program advisors regardingcourse
selection.
Philosophy
Lower DivisionRequirements
At
least one of :
PHIL 100W-3 Knowledge and Reality
PHIL
120W-3 frrtrociuotkm to Moral Philosophy
PHIL144-3 Introduction to the Philosophyof Natural and Social Science
PHIL 150-3 Historyof Philosophy I
PHIL151-3 History of Philosophy
II
And one of:
PHIL 110-3 Introduction to Logicand Reasoning
PHIL210-3 NaturalDeductive Logic
And
both
of:
PHIL 201-3 Epistemology
PHIL203-3 Metaphysics
Upper DMstcn Requirements
Students must complete a total of 19 upperdivision philosophy units, Including:
At least one of:
PHIL
320-3 Social and Political Philosophy
PHIL321-3 Topics In Moral Philosophy
PHIL322-3 History
of
Ethics
PHIL327-3 Global Health Ethics2
At
least one of:
PHIL302-3 Topics In Epistemologyand Metaphysics
PHIL341-3 Philosophy of Science
PHIL343-3 Philosophy of Mind '
PHIL344-3 Philosophyof Language
At least one of:
1
In selecting lower-level courses, students are advised to consider die pre-requisite
structure for upper-level courses in Philosophy.
2 PHIL 327 is identical for HSCI 327 and students
cannot
receive credit for both. In order
forthe course to count toward the distribution requirements for Philosophy or
Health
Sciences, the course must be taken as PHIL or
HSCI
respectively.
PHIL 322-3 History of Ethics3
PHIL350-3 Ancient Philosophy
PHIL 352-317* Century PhHosophy
PHIL
356-318th Century Philosophy
PHIL 357-3 Topics Inthe Historyof Philosophy
And
at least
one
4004evel course tn Philosophy.
Health Sciences
Lower DivisionRequirements
All of:
HSC1100-3 Human Biology
HSC1130-3
Ptiundattons of Health Sciences
And one of:
STAT 201 -3 Statistics for the Life Sciences
STAT 203-3 Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences
And at leasttwo ot
HSCI
211-3Perspectives on Cancer, CarcTovascuter and Metabolic Diseases
HSCI 212-3 Perspectives on Infectious and Immunological Diseases
HSCI 214-3 Perspectives on MentalHealth and Illness
HSCI 215-3 Perspectives on
D&abifity
and Injury
HSCI 216-3 Ecological
Determinants
of HuinanGrai^,DevelopmemaiidHeajth
Upper Division Requirements
Students must completea minimum of 15 upper division unitsinthe Faculty of Health Sciences
courses Including:
Ail of:
HSCI 305-3 The Canadian Health System
HSCI 31SW-3 Applied Health Ethics
HSCI 327-3
Global
Health
Ethics8
HSCI330-3 ExploratoryStrategies inEpidemiology
HSCI 340-3 Social Determinants of
Health
One
300-ieve! or 400-leve!
elective
- 3
units
Capstone Project 3 units either PHIL or HSCI
One 400-level Directed Studies to producea Capstone
Project
(as a Directed Studies
In
either HSCI
or PHIL): Should be taken Inthe last or next-to-Iast semester and integrates ethlcaJ concerns In
healthsciences orthe philosophyof healthsclertceswfththe production of a 6001)--80O0 word
(^
pages) paper. Students
wHI
work with a Health SdencesorPhltosophyfo^memlOTwrwIscIc^
to the student'sresearch Interests, The course cfeslgn will be ctoe In mutuaJsgreejnem between
student and
the
facultysupervisor and the a^reemem will be previa^ to the Philosophy or Health
SciefK»sac^rt8ortotopIa^lntr^8tuc^t,8record.
E)
Delivery Methods
3 If nottaken in satisfaction of
breadth
requirement in value stream.
The program will be taught through existing
courses
at the
SFU
Burnaby and SFU Vancouver
campus. Lower
division
courses typically will be
offered
as lectures while upper division courses wffl
be offered as seminars.
F) Linkages between learning outcomes and curriculumdesign
Students pursuingthe Joint major
wtB
develop a capacity for analyzing philosophical and health-
related problems Inan IntercBsclplinaryframework.
G) Distinctive characteristics
The program la distinguished by
its
themaik}f<xji,andtjylt8cross-<SscipHiTajyapprc^u*w^
pWtosophyajKlrwalthscriera»3.Thepfop^
otherwisebeen unableto explore intereststn appBed ethicsand the historyand philosophyofscience
In a dedicated major. These Intereste am batter accommodated by an Interdlsclpfinary program.
H) Anticipated completion time
Four years.
1) Enrolment plan for the length of the program
Students wffl be admitted to the Joint major program fromother prograjris
at
SFU or via trar^er from
other post-secondary institutions. Students will be primarily those who were enrolled Into the
philosophy and healthsciences programs and wish to broadentheiraiea of studythroughthe
programming tothis Joint major. No maximum numberof admissions
per
year has been
set
Initially,
we expect only about 10 new students per year.
J) Policies on student evaluation (degree requirements)
Evaluation will be achieved following the generalregulations forthe
Universfty
and the Faculty ofArts
and Social Sciences and Health Sciences. Students will be evaluated on their performance ina range
of activities
Including
but not
limited
to research p^pefs.paitfc^atkm Insemlimrs, ami ^teamwork
exercises.
K) Policies on faculty appointment(mmlmumqualhlcatl^
Continuing faculty wit! hold a PhD or equivalent.
L) Policies ot program
assessment
Incommon with all other academic unitsat SFU,the Joint
Major
In PHI-HS Is subject to external
review every sot years.
M) Level of support and recewHtonftan other poat-aeconda^
for admission and transfer within BC)and televam regulatoryor professional bodies
Asper SFtPstransfer credit procedures, studente may transfer from BCcolleger
enrol Wo this program. There is no applicable regula^ or professfor^
body
In this field In
BC.
N)
Evidence of student interest
and labour
market
demand
We are
monitoring an Increaseof
Interest
Inthe Joint Major
within
the current student body. Student
enrolmenttn appliedethics offerings with FHShas been robust,drawing students from other
disciplines
Including
philosophy. Students have rsgularty expressed an InterestIn increased course
offerings to
applied
ethics andthe philosophy of sdsnce. There Is
significant
student interest among
non-philosophy students In
philosophy
courses. Enrolment in upperdivision philosophy courses In
phBosophy
Is near capacity, and approximately 45-60% of students are not philosophy majors.
Many philosophymajors enter LawSchoolortake up managerial positions. Many
of
these
practically-minded students will find a joint degreewith
FHS
very attractive.
O) Related programs
at
SFU and other Brttteh Ck>lumbta post-^ecowJary bwtmjtlofts
The combination of the two programs is uniquein the context of SFU and British
Columbia.
Additional Information Required by SFU:
•
(^iitactinfofrnation
for
the faculty me^
KittyCorbett, Faculty of Health Sciences, 778-782-7190
Jeremy Snyder, Faculty of Health Sciences, 778-782-3258
Lisa Shapiro, Department of Philosophy, 778.782.3343
Evan Tfffany, Department of Philosophy, 778.782.4482
Sam Black, Department of Philosophy, 778-782-3343
• Summary of requirements for graduatlw (cc^irses, projectrmesis, etc.)
A minimum of 120 units, Including: at the 100-200level, 27 units Including 12 units of Phltosophy
and 15 units of Health Sciences; at the 300-400 level, 34 unite Including at least 19 units of upper
division Philosophy
and
15 credits of upper division Hea^ Sciences.
Bsctfve
and breadth
courses
make up the balance of the University'sdegree requirements.
Summary of resources (faculty members, space, and equipment) required to implement
the program
Minimal additional resources are required The program can be accommodated with present
courses
and
faculty. No
new
courses are required.
Brief description of any program and associated
resources
that will be reduced or
eliminated when the new program Is Introduced
None.
S.12-142
SFU
OFFICE OF Till- VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
University Drive, Burnaby, BC
Canada \'5A 1S6
TH1.: 778.782.3925
FAX: 778.782.5876
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic
MEMORANDUM
attention
Senate
DATE
September 12,2012
FROM
Jon Driver, Vice-President, Academic and
PAGES
1/1
Provost, and Chair, SCUP
RE:
Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology: External Review of the
Communication (SCUP 12-31)
At its September 5, 2012 meeting SCUP reviewed and approved the ^ctioq Plan for the School for the
Communication that resulted from its External Review.
Motion:
That Senate approve the Action Plan for the School for the Communication that resulted from its External
Review.
end.
c:
A. Beale
C. Geisler
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
SFU
SCUP 12-31
OI-TICl- OPTTIE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
8888 University Drive, Bumaby, BC
TEL 778.782.6702
gokho11@sfu.ai
Canada VSA 1S6
www.sfb.ca/vpftcademic
MEMORANDUM
attention
Jon Driver, Chair, SCUP
date
August 23, 2012
FROM
Bill Kranc, Associate Vice-President,
pages
1/1
Academic and Associate Provost
RE:
External Review of the School ofCommunication
/)
I /Js
Attached are the External Review Report on the School of Communication and the Action Plan endorsed
by the School and the Dean.
Motion:
That SCUP approve and recommend to Senate the Action Plan for the School of
Communication that resulted from its External Review.
Following the site visit, the Report of the External Review Team* for the School of Communication was
submitted in April 2012.
After the Report was received, a meeting was held with the Dean, Faculty of Communication, Art and
Technology, the Director of the School of Communication, and the Director of Academic Planning and
Budgeting (VPA) to consider the recommendations. The School then preparedan Action Plan based on the
Report and these discussions. The Action plan was then submitted to the Dean who endorsed it.
The Reviewers commented that "The School of Communication at Simon Fraser University is a well-
established, intellectually innovative center for communication research and teaching. The School boasts
internationally renowned scholars in the areas
of political economy/policy and in technology and society".
The Reviewers made a number
of recommendations covering the agreed Terms of Reference.
SCUP recommends to Senate that
the School of Communication be advised to pursue the Action Plan.
Attachments:
1. External Rev iewReport-Apri12012
2. School of Communication - Action Plan
* External Review Team:
Dr. Vincent Mosco (Chair), Queen's University
Dr. Lisa Henderson, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Dr. Leah Lievrouw, University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Marjorie Cohen (Internal), Simon Fraser University
CC
Cheryl Geisler, Dean, Faculty
of Communication, Art and Technology
Alison Beale, Director, School of Communication
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
Report of the External Review Committee for the School of Communication at
Simon Fraser University
Submitted to:
Dr. Glynn Nicholls, Director, Academic Planning & Budgeting, Simon Fraser University
Submitted by:
Dr. Vincent Mosco (Chair), Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Queen's University
Dr. Lisa Henderson, Professor of Communication, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Dr. Leah Lievrouw, Professor of Information Studies, UCLA
April 12,2012
Executive Summary
The School of Communication at Simon Fraser University is a well-established,
intellectually innovative center for communication research and teaching. The School has
internationally recognized strengths in the areas ofpolitical economy/policy and in
technology and society, as well as burgeoningrecognition in cultural studies and
particularly in feminist scholarship. In additionto a number of renowned scholars, the
School has a committed group ofjunior faculty, including new hires, and an equally
dedicated staff ofadministrators, advisers, and technicians for its academic and co-op
programs. The appointment ofa new Director, alongwith the organizational move into a
new Facultyof Communication, Art and Technology and the physicalrelocation into
much-improved facilities havebrought a renewed sense of optimism. In addition, the
School can be proud of its community engagement in Vancouver and across the province,
as well as a strong commitmentto international researchand teaching, most recently in
Asia. Alongside its large undergraduate and co-op program,the School includes a
substantial graduate program with a strongcohort
ofdoctoral students.
These strengths provide the School witha good foundation to takeup a number of
difficultchallenges. Foremostamongthese is the need to address unsustainable
enrolment growth and, relatedly, to make a number of curriculum reforms. Enrolment
expansion at all levels,but especially at the undergraduate level,threatensto undermine
the quality of all of the School'sprograms. We recommend an immediate commitment to
add two full-time positions to the facultycomplement. Even with this, much more needs
to be done to address enrolment and curriculum issues. We recommend curriculum
revisions that would better balance the academic and the professional dimensions of
communication. In addition, the School needs to create measures that track qualitative as
well as quantitative performance and better measure long-term program performance.
Moreover, the School needs to strengthen the undergraduate Honours program, establish
a higher GPA "gate" for admission to the major, and implement enrolment targets at both
the undergraduate and graduate levels commensurate with the School's commitment to
educational excellence. The School also requires a better balance between research and
teaching. Like research, teaching needs to be recognized as the responsibility of all
faculty at all levels
ofthe program. Furthermore, the Schoolneeds to improve its use of
technology throughout the program, including how it manages the program and presents
itselfto students and to its wider community. The School would also benefit by
addressing problems in its climate or culture. These includemalaiseamong senior
faculty, the perception of gender exclusion, and fears about the abilityto sustain the
School'srecent
progress. Finally, the School needs to do a betterjob of planning for the
future.
These are substantialchallengesbut we are confident that the School has the ability to
address them with intelligence and creativity.
Introduction
This is the report of the External Review Committee for the School of Communication at
Simon FraserUniversity. The Committee was comprised of Dr. Vincent Mosco, Chair,
Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Queen's University; Dr. Lisa Henderson, Professor of
Communication, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and Dr. Leah Lievrouw,
Professor of Information Studies, UCLA. Dr. Marjorie Cohen, Professor of Political
Science at SFU served as an internal member of the Committee for the duration of its site
visit and the Committee is very grateful for her generous assistance throughout the
process.
The Committee was constituted in the fall 2011 and was provided with documents to
review about the School
of Communication, the Faculty of Communication, Art and
Technology, and Simon Fraser University about one month before members visited the
University. The site visit took place from February 21-25, 2012. The Committee met for
the first time on the evening of February 21 to get acquainted and discuss its itinerary and
terms of reference. From February 22-24 it met with faculty, undergraduate and graduate
students, and administrators in the School and in various administrative units at SFU. The
Committee provided preliminary impressions from the site visit to the Director of the
School and then to a group
of senior administrators on February 24. On February 25 the
Committee met to discuss it findings and plan this written report.
Strengths
The School of Communication at Simon Fraser University is a well-established,
intellectually innovative center for communication research and teaching. The School
boasts internationally renowned scholars in the areas of political economy/policy and in
technology and society. The former include particular expertise in the study of media
corporations, government policy-making (including cultural policy formation), media and
social movements, media democracy, and international communication. Moreover, the
School has considerable strength in both the conceptual understanding of the relationship
between technology and society and in the empirical study
of technology, especially in
the areas
of health and science. The School has burgeoning strengths in cultural studies
and particularly in feminist scholarship. The combination
of seasoned scholars and new
hires has the potential to turn this area into a field of international recognition.
One of the particularly positive signs for the School has been the ability to make a
number of important and successful hires at the junior level. It is clear that it has not had
the resources to hire sufficiently to replenish its complement, particularly in light
of the
significant growth in undergraduate enrolment. However, new
and more seasoned junior
faculty have been a source of considerable strength and continuity in each of the School's
primary areas of specialization. The School also appears to have a strong tutorial system
that brings together teaching assistants and undergraduates.
The School has a tradition of research relationships beyond Canada, particularly with
scholars and policy makers in the United States. It has recently established a strong base
ofinternational commitments, notably in Asia. Foremost among them is the
establishment of a joint graduate program with the Communication University ofChina
(CUC) in Beijing. More than an exchange of graduate students, the programwill enable
participants to pursue a rigorous joint degree mat is sureto enrich SFU's already strong
MA in Communication Studies. The CUC is one ofthe foremost communication studies
programs in China and sufficient preparation is underway to build on the joint teaching
program with research collaborations. Since the programhas only just been approved, it
is important to closely monitor its development. In addition to this program, the School
has taken advantage
ofanother faculty appointment to expand its research profile into
Korea, a major centre for communication research in Asia.
From our observations, the School has a dedicated staff of administrators, advisers, and
technicians for its academic and co-op programs. Consideringthe sheer number of
undergraduate majors (roughly 1300) co-op participants (about 350) and graduate
students (over 80), it is remarkable that the program manageswith its limited number
of
staff. It is evidence of everyone's hard work and commitment but one wonders for how
long the staff can manage without additional personnel.
Although precise data are not available, interviews and knowledge ofuniversityprograms
in Canada provide evidence thatPhD program graduates find positions in distinguished
academic programs and in academic leadership roles across Canada.
We observed a strong
espritde corps
among junior andrecently-tenured faculty who
have taken on the
challenge of leading key committees, initiating reforms in the School's
decision-making processes, and managing undergraduate courses whose enrolments have
increased substantially in recent years. This is especially the case among core
undergraduate courses, but it canbe observed throughout the curriculum. It is particularly
positive to note the commitmentofjunior and recently tenured faculty to the
responsibilities of collaborative governance. Thisis especially evident in the
undergraduate program committeebut canalso be observed in the graduate program
committee.
The appointment ofa new Director has introduced a climate of possibility in the School.
Specifically, although concerns remain about the process of succession, mere is a general
feeling in the School, especially among newly appointed and recently tenured faculty,
that there is a renewedandmuch-neededcommitment to transparent processes, collegial
governance, and gender equity.
Althoughthe Committee did not have opportunities to talk to many undergraduates,
interviews with undergraduate leaders, faculty, and staff associated with the program
suggest that undergraduates have a solid affinity withone another and withthe program.
While they would like to see amore applied communication focus intheundergraduate
curriculum, there is an appreciation ofthequality of teaching, particularly in the areas of
program concentration: media culture, technology and society, and political
economy/policy.
A key reason cited for general undergraduate satisfaction is a well-managedco-op
program. Withparticipation from aboutthirtypercent of majors, the co-opprogram
placesstudents in paid positions in jobs that are generally relatedto the field of
communication. Although systematic data on career outcomes is not available (see
recommendations), anecdotal evidence leads to the conclusion that the program has
helped graduates find employment after completingthe degree.
Faculty and students in the School are engagedin a wide range of community outreach
activities including, but certainly not limited to, leading the annual Media Democracy
Day event, contributing to community knowledge production, and participating in the
wider community'seffort to expand communication and better manage environmental
risk and disaster. The School'sinvolvement in a variety of British Columbia commumties
is certainly noteworthy for the depth and breadth of its reach. However, information
about community engagement is rarely communicated to the university'svarious
constituencies.
Over the years, the School has built an impressive set ofarchives. These include the
papers of Dallas Smythe, a central figure in the development of communication studies,
particularly the political economy approach to the media. Smythe was a vital force in the
early development ofthe School of Communication. In addition, under the direction of
Professor Barry Truax, the School holds the SoundScape collection, which is a type of
electroacoustic music characterized by the presence of recognizable environmental
sounds and contexts whose purpose it is to invoke the listener's imagination and
recollections associated with the soundscape. There is also a notable archive on
alternative media, particularly on media developed in British Columbia. Much more
could be done to preserve and make readily accessible these rich resources. The library
liaison for the School of Communication, whose interview impressed our committee, is
keen to work on this important task.
Two relatively recent relocations, one physical and one organizational, are also sources of
renewed strength for the School. First, the relocation of the School to the Shrum Science
Centre is a major improvement in the size and quality of the office space and available
facilities. With this location and the Harbour Center campus, where 40%
of courses are
now taught, the School is well situated to carry out its teaching and research.
Nevertheless, given the size of the graduate cohort and anticipated expansion, attention
needs to be paid to office space for doctoral students. Second, organizational
restructuring has placed the School in a new Faculty of Communication, Art and
Technology (FCAT). The reorganization provides a considerably more appropriate
location for the School than its previous position within a Faculty
ofApplied Sciences.
Although it is too soon to determine whether genuine collaborations will emerge between
units in the faculty, there is considerable potential for these to develop.
Challenges and Opportunities
Enrolment and Curriculum
The Committee's view - consistently reinforced by faculty, students, and administrators
as well as by the recommendations from the previous review - is that the single most
serious challenge facing the School ofCommunication is the size ofits academic
programs relative to available resources. Recent enrolment growth, especially at the
undergraduate and Ph.D. levels, has generated a web
of significant, interrelated, and
negative consequences for virtually every aspect ofthe School's operations. The situation
is frankly unsustainable.
Background
and scope.
Exact figures for enrolment trends were a bit difficult to
determine, given data comparability issues in the materials provided
by the University
and the School (e.g., some reports employed annualized student FTE in their analyses,
some used registered students, some total headcounts, etc.). However, a rough estimate
provided by faculty during our visit is that there is currently a total ofabout 1300
registered undergraduate FTEs in Communication, up from 1200 reported
by the
University in Spring 2010 (roughly an 8% increase in less than two years). According to
the School's Self-Study, the number ofundergraduate majors increased by approximately
30% during the period
ofthe present review (AY 2004-05 through 2010-11), including a
particularly steep rise ofmore than 36% in the six years from Spring 2005 to Spring
2011. After the last external review, the minimum GPA for admission to the major was
raised from 2.25 to 2.50,
but this seems to have done little to stem the steadily rising tide
of enrolments.
The proportion ofundergraduate Honours majors is surprisingly low; in 2010, just 9 of
1128 majors (.0079%) were Honours students. Despite the undergraduateprogram's
focus on theory and research, faculty report that only about 2-3%
ofCommunication
B.A.s continue to graduate academic study or professional programs. Some claimed that
this rate reflects the School's vision that students should be prepared to "navigate
citizenship in a media-dense, global, multiculturalworld" (as quoted in the
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Report from 2010). One interviewee put it more
bluntly: "we teach for citizenship, not
graduate school." There were some anecdotal
reports of problems with academic integrity(plagiarism) arising from degree completion
and employment pressures. According to data included in the Self-Study Report,
persistent demand for courses amongboth majors andnon-majors has led to a shortage of
seats in required courses; as of2010 undergraduate time to degree was nearly five years.
An increase in the number ofregistered undergraduates with international visas appears
to be animportant factor contributing to enrolment growth. According to University
figures, international students accounted for about 10%ofcommunication
undergraduates between2004and 2009, but thenrose sharply to 13% in Spring 2010 and
nearly 17%in Spring 2011. Accordingto the Self-Report, that figure is now about22%,
andhas
already raised significant issues for instruction and advising, includinglanguage,
culture, and student life issues.
In addition to the undergraduate population, the School enrolls over 80 graduate students
atallstages of progress, with a fairly high ratio of Ph.D. students to M.A. students (54 of
83.5, or over two-thirds, in University figures from 2010). To some extent the large
population of doctoral students may be the product of increasing time to degree rates,
which, according to the Self-Study Report, averaged nearly 18"active" (registered)
semesters, or six years, during the present review period, a figure which does not include
terms when students are on leave or working independently. In interviews, doctoral
students attributed time to degree problemsto their large teaching loads; most financial
support for doctoral students takes the form oftemporary employment asteaching
assistants, sessional or limited-term instructors, who staffthe School's own
undergraduate courses.
Currently the School has a faculty complement of24.5 FTE, up from 21.5 in 2010. In
2009-10,the faculty-student ratio in the School was 1:48.2, among the highest in the
University, comparedto an average of 1:29.8 for SFU as a whole and 1:36.1 for FCAT.
Figures from the School's Self-Study indicate that the ratio improved modestly, to 1:43.8
in 2010-11 (about a 10% decrease), which may be attributable in partto two new tenure-
track faculty hires. It remains the highest in FCAT. Moreover, the decline was still less
than a University-wide drop
ofnearly 15%, to 1:26, during the same period.
In an attempt to address the growing enrolment problems, the School establisheda new
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) during the currentreview period. It was
charged with finding ways to rethink and restructure the curriculum to bring it into line
with the School's resources. In June 2010 the UCC conducted a faculty curriculum retreat
and issued a report with preliminary recommendations for taking constructive steps
toward goals identified in the retreat. These included the streamlining and re-focusing of
the number and content of courses; reducing enrolments by raising standards for
admission to the major; and updating course information online to make it conform to
actual syllabi and course content.
During our visit, this report was consistently hailed as a turning point by faculty, staff and
graduate students. Unfortunately, however, more recent progress reports from the UCC
and our conversations during the visit indicate that action on the 2010 recommendations
has been slow in coming.
As of January 2012, titles and/or descriptions of 13 courses (out
of a total catalog ofroughly 75 undergraduate-numbered courses, not including special
topics courses) have been revised and posted on the university Calendar. Proposed
changes to 14 other courses have either been rejected outright or returned to faculty
subcommittees for further discussion. Meanwhile, as noted in Appendix B ofthe UCC
report, the School offers more courses than any ofits comparison programs in North
America, and maintains a larger catalog ofcourses than its rivals. (Even the School's
Self-Study Report describes the undergraduate curriculum as "expansive.")
One existing course (CMNS 200) - which, perhaps ironically, was among the most
popular with students because of its focus on effective communication skills —has been
eliminated on the grounds that faculty are unavailable to teach it. A proposal for an
FCAT-wide introductory course on new media, informally dubbed "Tech One," which
would have integrated theory, design, and digital media competencies, was rejected
by
Communication faculty because ofits focus on technology rather than on social science
research. In December 2011 faculty participating in the three major areas
ofthe
undergraduate curriculum (political economy and policy, media and culture, and
technology and society) met to discuss curriculum content and structure for each area;
one group (technology and society) drafted a new areadescription. As noted above,
undergraduate enrolment has continued to increasesince the report was issued.
In sum, despite the sense
ofurgency about ballooning undergraduate enrolment expressed
by virtually everyone during our visit, there seems to have been little substantial progress
since the last review to put measures in place that might begin to remedy the situation.
Instead, faculty and staff seem to be nearly overwhelmed just dealing with the demands
ofthe existing program. The complexities of setting the course schedule and faculty
teaching assignments have been largely delegated to administrative staff, who
understandably tend to replicate the established schedule year after year, or as one
member put it, "pretty much hit the repeat button." A relatively large proportion of all
CMNS courses (one interviewee estimated 25%) are cross-listed between the
undergraduate and graduate programs, so that they do "double duty" with scarce
resources.
But cross-listing has also led to a lack ofa dedicated core curriculum for the
Ph.D. and an unfortunate situation for graduate students who sit in the same classrooms
with undergraduates
who are their pupils in other courses.
Faculty, staff and students offered various anecdotal explanations for this seemingly
intractable situation. Some cited large and unreasonable enrolment expectations from
university administrators,
who are thought to see the undergraduate Communication
program as a source ofrevenue generation. (In fact, administrators confirmed that the
School's budget is "revenue-driven," with student fees a key component.) As one faculty
member put it, "The University thinks ofus as a 'bums-in-seats' program." Another said
that the administration would often "open the floodgates," creatinglast-minute sections
for popular courses and unanticipated staffing shortages, while prohibiting the School
from setting its own enrolment levels. A few cited increasing pressures from the
University to enrol a greaterproportion of international students, who are more likely
than domestic students to meet the School's admission requirements, pay considerably
more than the rate ofdomestic undergraduate tuition, but also require more remedial
instruction and advising support. Some graduate studentsattributed the slow pace of
change to resistant faculty, sayingthat there was "little traction" among faculty on the
undergraduate proposals after the 2010 retreat.
In our own exploration ofthe issue,we found what appear to be common attitudes within
the School toward different modes ofknowledge creation and learning which may also
act as barriers to change. Although "hands-on" courses and production are described on
the School's website as majorfeatures of study at SFU, a number of faculty tended to
castresearch/scholarship and creative work/practice (e.g., media production, digital
technology design and use, community engagement and activism) as opposing or even
antithetical pursuits. The first was intellectually valorized and privileged, while the
second was often dismissed as secondaryor even anti-intellectual. Several faculty
specifically excluded any suggestion thatthe program should increase its focus on "media
practice" in the corecurriculum, contending that suchcourses dilutethe School'sprimary
focus on theory and research, and that skills courses are better handled by local colleges
or postgraduate certificate programs.
A second, and related, attitude among many of those we spoke with is that research and
teaching are competing activities in a zero-sum relationship: effort directed toward
teaching is seen as taking time and effort away from more prestigious and rewarding
research activities, and vice-versa. This view has had a clear influence on the curriculum.
Many senior faculty with active research projects or administrative responsibilities
receive substantial, and perennial, teaching releases. Some are either unwilling or
unprepared to teach introductory undergraduate classes and instead concentrate their
teaching efforts on small, specialized upper-division courses and graduate seminars.
Although the UCC Report notes that the School "can offer students exposure to the work
of advanced researchers and leading experts in many areas of Communication Studies," it
also concedes that with full time (tenure-stream) faculty teaching just 16% ofthe
School'scourses in 2009, "Students have limited contact with full time faculty, especially
at the lower levels."
Responsibility for the largest introductory and required courses has largely been shifted
to junior and recently tenured faculty, especially to sessional and limited-term instructors
drawn from the ranks of the School'sown doctoral graduates and graduate students.
Statistics compiled for the 2010 UCC report1 bear this out. They suggest that between
2004-05 and 2009-10 the number of lower-level undergraduate courses taught by
sessionals roughly doubled, while the number taught by full-time faculty fell, with the
steepest change occurring after 2007. Although the differences were not as pronounced
for upper-division courses, the trend was broadly similar; by 2009-10 (the most recent
data available), sessional instructors were teaching substantially more undergraduate
courses overall than full-time faculty. This redistribution trend seems to be strongly
supported by the tenure-stream faculty: the UCC Report even floated a suggestion that
the School consider creating a new, teaching-only tier of full-time faculty lecturers so that
senior researchers might continue to be sheltered from extensive undergraduate teaching
responsibilities. Indeed, one interviewee thought it unlikely that senior faculty who are
already unwilling to teach lower division courses could be "rehabilitated," i.e., persuaded
to teach such courses in the future.
We offer the following recommendations to address enrolment and curriculum issues.
1) Increase the number of full-time faculty in the School of Communication.
We recognize the attraction and energy of a Communication program and the reputation
that Communication has in sustaining student interest. It is widely understood as a
cutting-edge field, a liberal arts alternative, and a flexible major for students whose
interests are in formation and whose ambitions lead them to currently popular professions
1Three graphs using the same titles and data labels appear inboth Appendices Band D ofthe 2010 UCC
report
(200-leveI Course TeachingDistribution,Lower-level Course TeachingDistribution,
and
Upper-
level Course TeachingDistribution).
Although they show the same basic trends, there is some
inconsistency in the data between the versions presented in each Appendix. Therefore only the trends are
discussed here.
and pursuits. It is one of the few disciplines in the liberal arts and social sciences
experiencing growth in relevant academic and non-academic fields. One can easily
understand the demand for undergraduate and graduate programs in the field. However, if
the administration of the university chooses to continue to permit this growth then it must
increase the faculty complement in the School or suffer the erosion of program quality at
all levels. At the very least, it needs to add two new full-time positions to the School with
this net increase to the faculty complement in place by the start
of the 2015 academic
year. The failure to provide sufficient faculty will continue to exacerbate a series
of
problems. Undergraduate over-enrolment relative to faculty resources inflates class size;
dramatically reduces faculty/student contact; limits essential, labor-intensive forms of
instruction and evaluation that faculty, students, and University leaders value; and
entrenches a work environment
of overextension and precarity for students, faculty, staff,
and advisors. Recognizing the pressures on the University from reduced provincial and
institutional budgets, we do not make this recommendation lightly. The School faces a
clear threat to its well-earned reputation brought about by enrolments spiraling out
of
control. We also recognize that several steps in addition to enhanced resources must be
taken to address the curriculum and enrolment challenges it faces.
2) Prepare students for life after SFU, whether professional or academic.
Understandably, anxious students facing an uncertain postgraduate job market tend to
demand instruction that centers on simple skills training rather than critical engagement
with important ideas and debates, the latter
of which has been SFU's traditional_/brte. But
addressing such learning needs need not mean funneling scarce resources into expensive
"hands on" media production courses and tracks. The School's historical commitment to
progressive values - critical thinking, political and economic equity, social justice,
community engagement - provides an ideal scaffolding for the integration of theory,
research, and critical scholarship with pedagogies that require students to take action and
use their knowledge to advance these values in the communities they care about: in short,
teaching for
praxis.
In addition to rigorous critique and written communication skills, a short list of relevant
competencies in a
praxis-centered
curriculum might include media analysis (the mastery
and application of critical literacies, e.g., in effective alternative message design), public
presentation and advocacy across media platforms, negotiation and group communication
skills, risk and conflict intervention, critical technology assessment, advanced search and
information/content evaluation, policy scenario building, critical data visualization, and
so on.2 Few of these would necessarily entail major capital investment, but certainly
community organizations, government agencies, cultural institutions, trade unions, and
private-sector firms who value these competencies in SFU's Communication graduates
could be approached to underwrite scholarships, intensive workshops, specially-equipped
classrooms, and so on to support /?7"am-driven teaching.
2Theexpansion ofcritical media literacies and pedagogies is thefocus of several major communication-
based researchprograms. See, for example, the
Learning Through DigitalMedia
in New York City, headed by Trebor Scholz (http://www.learninizlhroiighdigitalmedia.net/) and the
New
MediaLiteracies Project
at the University of Southern California, headed by Henry Jenkins
(http://dmlcentral.net/resourccs/3756 ).
10
It is important to point out that the seedsof this approach alreadyexist withinthe School
and FCAT. The Minor in Dialogue, for example, could be a point of departure for
teaching and learning about negotiation, intervention, and group process. The co-op
program, which by all accounts is extraordinarily effective, has a strong record of
mentorshipand engaging students in the community during their studies and in
subsequentpostgraduateplacements. A closer integration
of co-op into the curriculum,
including more required student involvement and granting course credit for co-op
activities, would go a long way toward cultivatingthe spirit of
praxis
in teaching and
learning in the School. In addition, relevant integrated (theory-action) pedagogies
certainly already exist within FCAT, for example in art and design courses. The School
would benefit from closer collaboration with its sister units to develop innovative, cross-
cutting pedagogies.
3)
The criteria for evaluating program success should shift from an emphasis on
quantity and "throughput" and toward a primary focus on excellence in all aspects
and modes of teaching and learning, to achieve an enrolment level commensurate
with major requirements and available resources.
The popularity of an academic
program is not always a good indicator of its intellectual merit or predictors of student
achievement or success. This is especially true for fields like communication, whose
association with popular media culture may attract generalist students or those seeking
alternatives to more rigid disciplines like business or psychology. A reliance on
capitation as the principal measure ofprogram strength, and the concomitant idea that
any single academic program can offer "something for everyone," only encourages
inflated enrolments, the accretion of outdated courses and content, and a reluctance to
prune courses or concentrations as necessary to keep up with changes in the field and
(more critically) faculty expertise. Any faculty must decide what types
of graduates they
want to produce, in specific terms ofknowledge, values, attitudes and practical skills;
then they must design coherent, uncluttered, non-redundant curricula and pedagogies that
make those types
of learning possible. A shift from quantity to quality will necessarily
entail considerable effort and commitment from every active member of the faculty.
Once established, however, a focus on excellence will transform the academic and
research climate ofthe School and provide ample justification for maintaining enrolments
at a level more in keeping with full-time faculty workload.
4) Clear, consistent, long-term measures of program performance and student
outcomes should be instituted to help manage enrolment over time.
The School (or
university administration, as appropriate) should begin to capture more types of
information that enable them to understand and manage demand for its academic
programs. At a minimum, the School should collect its own data on student placements
(employment or postgraduate academic work), if such data are not provided by the
University. Presently only the co-op program has compiled consistent placement data for
its undergraduate participants. As another example, we received no separate data
documenting the figure of 2-3% ofundergraduates continuing to graduate study that was
cited by several members ofthe faculty.
11
Other useful measures might include annual exit surveys or focus groups of all graduates
to learn more about their experiences in the School and their expectations for the future;
regular, required reporting of graduate student conference presentations, publications,
special awards, orother achievements;3 and frequent reports from advisors (minimum
once per year, preferably each semester) on their students' degree progress, particularly at
the graduate level, to help maintain a consistent and supportive sense of "press" toward
completion.
Once obtained, it is also crucial that relevant data be used to justify and make appropriate
programmatic decisions. For example, the Self-Study Report says that approximately
50% of the School'sdoctoral graduates since 2004 have obtained positions as tenure-
stream faculty at other institutions, as post-doctoral scholars and researchers, as
temporary instructors (many within the School itself), or in other capacities in non-
academic research organizations. It seems reasonable to ask whether any social science-
based Ph.D. program able to place just half of its graduates in academic or related
positions should consider adjusting enrolment to reflect the real market for its graduates.
5)
The undergraduate Honours program should be renewed and expanded as the
exemplar of undergraduate education and achievement in communication studies at
SFU.
An Honours degree is an important distinction that gives recipients a clear
advantage in their future endeavors. Honours students should be prominently recognized
within the School and promoted as part of the School's public profile (see Outreach and
Visibility, below). For a program as research-centeredas Communication at SFU, there
seem to be relatively few opportunities in the current curriculum for bright, motivated
undergraduates to participate meaningfully in rigorous research projects or in-depth
scholarship under close tenure-track faculty mentorship. The Honours program is the
logical avenue for such mentorship and to involve the most highly qualified
undergraduates in research and scholarship. However, as noted previously less than 1%
of Communication undergraduates are Honoursmajors. Eligible students may be
discouragedby the fact that many
of the School's most distinguished faculty appear to be
reluctant to supervise Honours students,due to the workload involved. As a result, the
Honours program was recently converted from faculty supervision and directed study to a
course-based format supervised mainly by temporary instructors. In our view, these are
steps in the wrong direction. To put the Honours programat the center ofundergraduate
study in the School, it is also crucial that Honours advising and mentorship be recognized
and rewarded as an expected and valued part of faculty effort.
6)
The School should implement a consistently high and competitive GPA
requirement for admission to the major.
As the UCC Report rightly observed,the
establishment
ofhigher entrancestandards is one of the quickestand most effectiveways
to manage enrolmentat the undergraduate level,and is clearly suitedto the School's
expectation that students mastertheory andresearch. A higherGPArequirement and
enrolment capwere major
recommendations in the previous review, but as noted
3The listof student publications and presentations included inthe Self-Study Report was an excellent
example, althoughthe Reportnotedthat it was basedon a one-time surveywith a 25% studentresponse
rate.
12
previously raising the GPA to 2.5 has not significantly affected the continued rise in
enrolment. Thus a new GPA requirement (set at a high enough level to cap enrolment
effectively at a target number) is still needed.
Ifnecessary, it could be phased in over
several years in order to have time to shift student expectations and give aspiring
applicants time to meet the new requirements. But in our view new, more rigorous
standards are long overdue, and should be featured and promoted in the School'spublic
communications. Not only would such a move help regulate enrolments; it would also
make the major
more
attractive and increase its cachet among the most talented students,
draw them from a wider range of other fields, and create a larger pool of students eligible
for Honours. In short, the program should move toward new standards and expectations
that will pay off in the form of superb students and higher visibility for the School's
programs and graduates within and beyond SFU.
7)
Research and teaching (especially undergraduate teaching, given its sheer
presence in the School) must be resituated together as essential and expected aspects
of workload for all tenure-track faculty, from the most recent hires to the most
senior professors and CRCs.
The dual demands of research and teaching are the
perennial challenge and conundrum
of academic workload. But in a time ofever greater
resource cutbacks, the balance - indeed, the symbiotic relationship - between research
and teaching must be reassessed realistically so that teaching duties are distributed
equitably, without any derogation ofteaching as a secondary or low-reward activity.
Even if it did not contrast with the School'sprogressive, social equity values, and even if
budget were suddenly available to hire a new rank of full-time lecturers, the creation of a
two-class system would not seem to be the best solution to a situation in which students
already have little opportunity for engagement with the most prominent, senior members
of School faculty.
Top communication programs in North Americacommonlyrequire that all faculty
members teach courses at all curricular levels (lower and upper undergraduate, Master's,
Ph.D.) on a regular two- to three-yearcycle, for example, with releases being the case-by-
case exception rather than long-termrule for the most senior faculty. Moves in this
direction would do a great deal to ameliorate the chronic problems of equitable teaching
load, over-reliance on graduate students and recent graduates as sessional and limited-
term instructors, shortage
of seats in undergraduate courses, and undergraduate and
graduate time to degree problems.
8)
Improve the management of graduate enrolments.
The School enrols over 80 graduate students at all stages
ofprogress, with a fairly high
ratio
of PhD students to M.A. students (54 of 83.5, or over two-thirds, in University
figures from 2010). This is partly the product of increasing time to degree rates for PhD
students, which according to the Self-Study Report averaged nearly 18 "active"
(registered) semesters, or six years, during the present review period, not including terms
when students are on leave or working independently. The School currently admits
between 17 and 25 new graduate students each year, averaging about 20 per year. Absent
new resource commitments, the School should consider lowering its intake of graduate
13
students, particularly at the doctoral level. In addition, the School should also consider
taking more explicit steps to advance a course-only M.A. program.
Technology Infrastructure and Integration
Any leading communication program today must use media and information technologies
effectively across all aspects
of its operations - research, teaching, community outreach,
creative work, administrative duties, student services and recruitment, and so on. The
School is no exception. However, as with many programs dealing with reduced
resources, technology needs may become a low priority when basic teaching, research
and personnel demands seem much more urgent.
But up-to-date infrastructure is not merely a dispensable luxury or a set of "toys" to play
with. Information and communication technology is an inextricable element
ofthe
academic enterprise: it is a basic tool of scholarship and research, a platform for
instruction, a medium for representing the academy's interests and activities to wider
publics, for situating programs, faculty and students relative to their peers, and not least,
an important object of study in itself- especially within the communication discipline.
We found that new media and information technologies are central research and creative
interests for many of the School'sfaculty; some employ digital and web-based resources
in their teaching. Students use computers and myriad other digital devices and services as
a matter of course in their studies and everyday lives. The School'stechnical staff seem
to be doing their best to provide what services and support they can given the basic, and
sometimes dated, systems and software capabilities already in place. Nonetheless, our
sense is that technology is often considered to be a secondary concern or a sideline to the
"real" work of the School ~ a view which deserves a thorough reappraisal. We have a
few main suggestions along these lines.
1) Digital media and internet-based technology should be more thoroughly
integrated into the curriculum, both as an object of study/critical analysis, and as a
mode of instruction and learning.
This may seem particularly pertinent for the graduate
and undergraduate Technology and Society concentrations, but the use and analysis
of
technology is relevant in other areas as well. We were surprised to find how many
courses at SFU, including many core courses in the School, are still designed around
paper syllabi and photocopied course readers that students are required to purchase. This
familiar form of course delivery may inadvertently, and unnecessarily, be shifting costs to
students for materials that SFU already licenses and thus should be available to them
online at little or no charge. In addition, course management systems such as Moodle
(already available at SFU) or Blackboard can provide instructors with helpful tools for
evaluation and communicating with students mat can simplify course oversight and save
time, especially for very large classes and those that are taught frequently.
Of course, not all course content or instructional goals necessarily call for the same types
of technology (or any technology at all, e.g., a small advanced seminar). Not all
instructors (or students) are likely to be sophisticated users at the outset, and "learning
curves" can be strong disincentives to trying new methods. (Instructors at all levels may
14
want to take advantage ofthe professional advice and support regarding instructional
technology available from SFU'sTeaching & Learning Centre, which was praised during
our visit). But some
of the difficult teaching workload issues cited by faculty during our
visit might be ameliorated by the thoughtful application oftechnological support that is
already available.
We also want to be clear that we are
not
suggesting that the School embark on a major
distance-learning scheme. Properly designed and implemented, distance-learning
programs can produce strong student learning outcomes. But such programs are
extraordinarily capital- and time-intensive to develop, and require extensive, regular
updating on a fairly short cycle to stay current and ensure that learning is at least
comparable to "live" instruction. At present, the School does not have the resources to
devote to such a substantial project, but it might benefit by continuing to provide some
distance education course instruction. Distance education aside, more could be done to
enrich existing instruction with available technology infrastructure and budget.
2) The School's web presence needs an update.
A website is the primary entree for
anyone who wants to know about an academic program and its accomplishments, spirit
and sensibility (see also the section on Visibility, below). While the School'sweb pages
seem to be consistent with the overall look and feel of SFU'sother sites and graphic
standards, and generally are simple and easy to read, the architecture of the site is not
intuitive and can be difficult to navigate without resorting to the browser "back button."
The site also doesn'treveal where the School "resides" within SFU. (Curiously, there is
no link to FCAT on the School'shome page!) Many pages are no more than long text
blocks or bullet lists that must be scrolled or clicked through serially to find relevant
information, and the priority and interrelatedness of topics, or the path of links the visitor
has already followed, is not always indicated. Overall,the site feels somewhat static,
more like a catalog than the essential, first-choice resource for everything and anything to
do with the School, its people, and its activities.
For example,the caption below the headingphoto on the home page includes a two-line
list ofthe School'sspecialization areas, separated from one another by vertical lines (the
"pipe" character, or | ). Ordinarily, pipe separators indicate that the items are live links;
however, none of the specialization labels actually links to anything. Or: visitors to the
home page who click on the featured "Undergraduate" link is directed to a page headed
by a long list ofbullet-point links (and in alphabeticalorder, suggesting that they all have
the same level of importance) for topics that differ widely in scope: Undergraduate
Orientation, Course Outlines, Checklists & Forms, and Sick Notes are all given the same
emphasis. The bullet list on the "Graduate" page is a bit more consistent, but in either
case the visitor who clicks on a bulleted link and arrives at a third-level page must back
up to the prior page (through the browser) to go to any other topic on the original list.
Obviously, these are textbook web design problems. "Dead end" links tend to proliferate
as new information and pages are appended to an existing site. Individual web pages are
often treated as though they are simply print documents on a screen rather than a dynamic
15
set of interlinking, multimedia resources in themselves that should encourage visitors to
explore and browse. These and other problemscan be addressedby the School's web
master, possibly in consultation with a website designer or information architect from the
artists and designers inside FCAT or from Vancouver's thriving creative community who
can help reconfigure the site'sunderlying architecture and update the look and
navigability
of the site while remaining faithful to SFU'simage standards. It is also
important to remember that the School's usesof technology are key models for the ways
that students learn about and use technology themselves.
Outreach and Visibility
The School deserves much greater visibility in Vancouver and British Columbia, and
across Canada and internationally: perhaps more than any other unit at SFU, it has the
potential to embody the University'smission of"engaging the world." The School has a
remarkable and distinguished history, as well as exciting new directions for the future,
with new programs, new faculty, and a new organizational home within FCAT. All
members of the School of Communication and others who support its continued success
- students, faculty, staff, alumni, community partners, FCAT colleagues - should be
enlisted to identify and tell the story
of the School'saccomplishments and strengths to a
variety of audiences, in a variety of media. Clearly the School has many relevant
activities and efforts already underway, but these should be brought together and built
upon to raise the visibility of the School'smission and purpose. Telling the School's
story is not only essential for its own institutional well-being; the "story" in many ways
helps to define the academic and professional identities of the School'sstudents, alumni,
and faculty (perhaps especially new faculty drawn by its legacy of critical scholarship,
engagement, and activism).
1)
The School must engage more actively with the large and accomplished family of
SFU Communication graduates in Canada and throughout the world.
The School's
alumni are one of its most important, yet largely untapped, resources for student
mentorship, development advice and financial support. Alumni can also be a powerful
voice for the School in its engagement with University administration and external
audiences, and provide important external perspectives on School initiatives. The
Committee was mildly surprised not to have an opportunity to meet with local alumni,
whose views might have enriched our understanding
of the School and its strengths. We
would recommend that, at a minimum, the Director form and regularly meet with an
informal group of local alumni to hear their views, ideally with student representatives
present, to explore ways that active alumni might contribute to a range
of activities within
the School. In addition to such meetings, an even stronger approach would be to hire or
assign a half-time (or more ifpossible) staff member to cultivate alumni relations and
opportunities for alumni involvement in School activities (this individual might also
serve as an overall public communications officer for the School). An investment in
alumni relations could produce a large and important return, particularlyin a time of
increasingly scarce resources.
2) Unite existing outreach efforts and public events into a compelling, ongoing
calendar of activities and opportunities for interaction and engagement
within
16
FCAT, across SFU, and in the world beyond. During our site visit we were struck by the
range of public activities in which the School'smembers participate, and which couldbe
includedas part of a larger overallprogramof publicengagement. A short list would
include:
Media Democracy Day
FCAT'sannual research forum
Undergraduate research forum
Honours presentations
Lecture series and guest speakers
Community activism/outreach projects
International initiatives/academic programs
Faculty and student publications, presentations, recognitions
Graduate student defenses
Research center projects
3) The School's unique and invaluable collections of scholarly and media materials
should be organized, preserved, and made accessible (digitally where appropriate)
to researchers and the public throughout the world, and not least, prominently
associated with the School.
During our visit, we were introduced to several collections
that would seem particularly appropriate for such efforts; it is likely there are many more:
The Dallas Smythe archive
Barry Truax's collection of soundscape audio recordings
Research collections
of alternative/underground media
Publicity materials for Media Democracy Day events
We were impressed by the proactive, enthusiastic attitude of the SFU library staff
members we met, and their desire to help the School manage its collections. The library
already offers many types ofassistance and services to the School's students, faculty, and
staff. However, we would urge the School to enter into an even more active partnership
with the library to insure that the School'sunique resources and collections are not only
properly managed and preserved, but also represent the School'steaching and research to
global audiences.
School Climate
Some of the threats ofover-enrolment that befall departments and schools of
Communication—such as inattention to curriculum development in the face ofurgent
delivery demands—are beginning to be addressed at SFU. The work ofthe
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee marks an impressive step in the right direction,
particularly in initiating an accountability system evident in the timeline/checklist
document, which tracks initiatives undertaken, completed, and to be addressed. Both the
Undergraduate and Graduate committees, moreover, involve individuals across faculty
generations, and are possessed of an
esprit de corps
that is essential to focus, consensus-
building, and follow-through. Overall, we discovered a sense
of solidarity and ofrenewed
possibility in the school. We also discovered, however, certain collective dispositions that
17
could threaten future development, and we would like to comment especially on a refrain
ofmalaise, frustration, and complaint, especially from the precincts ofmore senior
faculty, a concern across rank about gender enfranchisement, and the overall sense
of
delicacy that prevails amid optimism about the future of the School.
Part ofthe optimism comes from general consensus that FCAT is a strong new home,
with better fit, better recognition, and stronger, more creative and suitable leadership than
had existed in Applied Sciences. The move to the new building, moreover, has been a
significant positive development. These are deep resources, but they can be squandered
by inattention to collective mood.
Seniorfaculty malaise:
We were surprised and concerned to learn ofa sense of
disconnection from several of the most senior colleagues in CMNS, people who are
working on their own projects in their own spaces with a sense
of disenfranchisement or
detachment from the core work
of the school. While we recognize changeable cycles and
contradictory pressures in the life of any institution, we also believe that it is critical for
senior faculty members to contribute to all areas
of CMNS operation. The successful
operationofthe schoolrequiresthe accountability of all facultymembers—especially the
most senior—to all ofthese activities, even if some take a leadership role and others do
not.
1) All senior faculty, including those with research-intensive appointments, should
be expected to teach at the lower division of the undergraduate curriculum.
Admittedly, generational distance from new technologies makes this difficult, but that
means it is time to re-skill, not withdraw, and it is clear that SFU has support from its
Teaching and Learning Center. Seniorfaculty with grant-seeking responsibilities should
be producing grantproposals. Senior faculty withareaexpertise to offer should be
offering it to undergraduate and graduate students; that expertise shouldnot be
underutilized. If using it requiresmore co-operative forms of facultyparticipationto
build trust, then faculty can be held accountable to that. Institutionallife is no less
complicated, in humanterms, than otherforms, but it is better regulated by basic
expectations of professionalism andaccountability. Weencourage involvement from the
appropriate human resources office to raise these questions andto steerthis discussion
with seniorcolleagues, perhaps in conjunction withthe Director of the School. A laissez-
faire or nothing-can-be-done disposition will meanthat precious (and scarce) resources
are underused and that malaise willreproduce itselfandundermine existing energyfor
change. Senior faculty must offer leadership, andarenotexempt from everyday lifeor
decision-making in School.
Gender enfranchisement:
Several women and some men expressed concerns aboutthe
difficultieswomen face in trying to bring about gender equality in the School.
Specifically, there were concerns that women face greater challenges intaking leadership
roles in the School and are calledon to shoulder a disproportionate share ofthe workload.
Most of these references wereto historical patterns in the School that were in the process
of changing. It was recognized thatwomen are now taking on greater leadership
responsibilities. Nevertheless, feelings ofexclusion persist and need to be addressed.
18
2) We recommend the intervention of the Dean and the appropriate human
resources office to assist with establishing standards of professional accountability
and respect. Attention to governance agreements in decision-making is also essential
for general enfranchisement and trust.
Thefragility ofprogress:
Several faculty expressed concern about the fragility of the new
positive culture in the School. Again, this is not surprising. Positive change usually seems
fragile, and old antagonisms usually seem entrenched.
3)
In order to preserve the benefits of positive changes in the School, the Committee
recommends the establishment of a clear set of guidelines for leadership review and
succession.
This applies primarily to the position ofDirector ofthe School but should
also be considered for the other key leadership positions in the School.
As communication scholars, we know that culture is real in its effects, and must be
attended to, in order to make the best use ofthe School'screative, scholarly, human,
economic, and reputational resources.
Planning
The Committee was struck by the lack of institutionalizedplanning in the School. The
consequences of no systematicnear- and long-term assessmentare evident throughoutthe
program- in curriculum, enrolment, resource allocation, workload distribution, alumni
engagement, relationship to the other units of FCAT, etc. Along with planningfor
leadership succession, these mattersneed careful consideration. To that end,
we
recommend a faculty retreat or similar planning exercise to establish a strategic
plan to address the short- and long-term needs of the School. At the very least this
would address leadership succession, curriculum, enrolment, workload distribution,
resource allocation, alumni engagement and relationship to FCAT.
Conclusion
The Committee is confident that the School of Communication can draw on its
considerable strengths to meet the challengesit faces. Along with several internationally
recognized scholars, the School has a creative collection
ofjunior faculty, including
promisingnew hires, and a committedstaff of administrators, advisers, and technicians.
The appointment
of a new Director, the relocation to the Shrum Science Centre, and the
move into a new Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology have given the School
additional grounds for optimism. Moreover, the School has an excellent record of
community engagement in Vancouver and across British Columbia. Building on an
established commitment to international research and teaching, the School has initiated
important new programs, including collaboration with the Communication University of
China in Beijing. Alongside its large undergraduate and co-op program, the School has
built a substantial graduate program with a strong cohort of doctoral students.
19
The School has a good foundation to take up a numberofdifficult challenges andturn
them into opportunities to improve. The primary challenge is to address excessive and
unsustainable enrolment growth. Expansionat all levels, but especially at the
undergraduate level, threatens to undermine the qualityofall ofits programs. We
recommend an immediate commitment to add two full-time positions to the faculty
complement. Even if it were to receive such a commitment, the School needs to do much
more to addressenrolment and relatedcurriculumissues. Specifically, the School would
benefit from curriculum revisions that would give some emphasis to the professional
dimension of communication. In addition, the School requires measures that track
qualitative aswell asquantitative performance andbetterassess long-term program
performance. Moreover, the School needs to paymoreattention to the undergraduate
Honours program, establish a higher GPA for admission to the major, andimplement
enrolmenttargets commensurate with the School's commitment to excellence in the
undergraduate andgraduate programs. The School also needs a betterbalance between
research andteaching. In particular, teaching, like research, needs to be recognized asthe
responsibility ofall faculty at all levels ofthe program. Furthermore, the School needs to
improve its use oftechnology, including in management ofthe program and in how it
presents the School to students and to its wider community. The School would also
benefit
by addressing the malaise among senior faculty, the perception of gender
exclusion, and
fears about its ability to sustain recent progress. Finally the School needs
to do a better job of planning for the future by institutionalizing a planning process.
Addressing these requirements is admittedly a major task. But it is important for the
School to recognize that no one is expecting it to make changes on its own. The School
has extensive resources to draw on within SFU and the wider Vancouver community. We
strongly urge the School to reach out to FCAT and its sister departments and the Dean, to
the administration, including Human Resources, to its many alumni, to the community
organizations faculty and students work with, to the library, to instructional services, and
soon.
Moreover, no one is expecting the School to bring about these recommended changes all
at once. To begin the process of designing its future, the School should organize a
planning retreatto set priorities and allocate tasks to faculty sub-groups. Recognizing the
need for change is a starting point, but planning for how to bring it about is equally
essential. However this is done, we are confident that the School ofCommunication has
the imagination and creativity to carry it out successfully.
20
EXTERNAL REVIEW - ACTION PLAN
Section 1 -To be completed by the Responsible Unit Person e.g. Chair or Director
Unit under review
.Communication.
Date of Review Site visit
Feb. 22-24 2012
Responsible Unit person,
Alison Beale
Faculty Dean
Cheryl Geisler
Note: Itis not expected that every recommendation made by the Review Team be covered by thisAction Plan. The
majorthrusts of the Report should be identifiedand some consolidation of the recommendationsmay be possible while
other recommendations of lesser importance may be excluded.
Should an additional responsefrom be warranted it shouldbe attached as a separate document.
1. PROGRAMMING
1.1 Action/s (description what is going to be done):
1.1.1 Undergraduate:
a) Enrollments: Recommendations 3 and 4 (page 11) of the Report concern enrollments in the undergraduate program. The
School agrees
that no further growth in undergraduate enrollment should be planned and is actively pursuing a strategy to
limit enrollments to present levels (semester 1121, Spring 2012), concurrent with efforts to maximize enrollments within
scheduled courses,
attract and retain excellent students, and improve the School'sfaculty/student ratio. Expansion of the
School's offerings in the NOW program to a full Major (as one of four SFU departments participating in this 2012 initiative) and
further course development in the CODE program, also underway, will also enhance course access while maximizing resources
and accessibility.
b) Curriculum review: The School will complete in 2012-13 the curriculum review begun in 2011. The review focuses on
reducing course overlaps, simplifying prerequisite chains, updating course content and adding or deleting courses to reflect
faculty interest and changes in the field. Through working meetings of faculty at all ranks teaching in the three focus areas of
the School progress has been made toward these goals, contributing to the focus and emphasis on "quality over quantity"
recommended by the reviewers' report (item 3, p.ll). Thiscurriculum review is complemented by a project initiated in Spring
2012 with the assistance of IRP to improve course scheduling in Communication to identify and reduce bottlenecks in course
access for majors, and facilitate more effective and predictable course scheduling year over year and semester to semester.
c)Teaching for for
praxis
(Recommendation 2 page 10). TheSchool will improvethe visibility of the many courses we offer
across the curriculum (a majority) in which experiential learning, applied learning, and community-based learning are featured. This
goal will be achieved a) bya review of teaching methods in our courses (per course outlines) followed bya revision of calendar, website
and recruitment literature and b) by participation of individual faculty and faculty teams in pedagogical innovation facilitated by
Teaching and Learning and by FCAT. We will collaborate with the Co-Op program and with other FCAT schoolsto provide a degree of
professional training, work to enhance the accessibility of internet-based technology training (p.14) incourses within the limits of our
lab infrastructure, and consider collaborating with external partners suchas BCIT to provide further options forourstudents, suchas
certificate programs.
1.1.2 Graduate Programs:
Through its admissions process in 2013 the Graduate Program inthe School of Communication will address inthe shortterm the
temporaryimbalance of MAto PhD students (Recommendation 8,p.l3). The program will alsoexpand mentoring and
professional development opportunities fordoctoral candidates. We willcontinue to work with our Director of Advancementto
improve student funding from non-TA sources (one majorscholarship- B.C. Egg Marketing Board hasbeen added since the
External Review report was received.) The double Master's degree inGlobal Communication with the Communication
University of China in developmentsince 2010 was approved by Senateand Board of Governors inJuly 2012 andthe admission
process begins in December 2012 forthe first cohortforSeptember2013. Following the initiation of this degreethe School will
also begin to consider offering a course-based MA degree. TheSchool'srecruitment, fundraising and general information will
feature more details about our successful MAand PhD graduates, and the Schoolwillalso increase efforts to track alumniand
take advantage
of its global community of graduates.Alumni profiles are scheduled to be developed by current students as part
of the preparations for our2013 40th anniversary yearandassociated promotion and events anda database of graduates will be
developed from 2013 building on this initiative.
1.2 Resource implications ((if any):
SFU/CUC double M.A. degree resource commitments are outlined in the degree proposal.
1.3 Expected completion date/s:
Undergrad: Enrollments: fall 2012 and ongoing
Curriculum review: fall/spring 2012-13
Experientialand professional training- initiate assessment of its presence in current curriculum 2012-13
Graduate: MA/PhD proportion through 2013 intake
PhD professional dev't 2012-13 academic year
Funding (scholarships) enhance through advancement and faculty RA positions- continuing
CUC Double Masters first admissions for fall 2013
Course-based MA- to be considered by Graduate Studies committee from 2013
C) RESEARCH
2.1 Action/s(what is coins to be done):
The External Review report provided a
very
positiveassessment of our strengths,reputationand innovation outlined on
page 3 of the Report. Regarding research, the reportwas chiefly concerned with how faculty can balance the demands of
research, teaching and service. The School agreeswith the reviewers that we could provide more opportunities for
undergraduates to participate in faculty-led research, for example by taking advantage of undergraduate RA funding
programs.
In orderto managethe resource demands of a research-intensive school we willcontinueto require faculty at ail ranks
balanceresearch with teaching and service. In addition we will seek an additional staff support position for the
management of research budgets and reporting, create an annual review process of the assignment of lab space and other
research infrastructure, encourage and reward mentoring of junior by senior faculty, and promote awarenessof research
activity through colloquia and School publicity. Permanent records of highlights of research and creation in the School, and
of unique research resources (publications, recorded interviews, etc.) will be achieved in collaboration with the Library
through the digitization of archived materials to begin summer 2012. We note that this work hasalready begun with respect
to the World SoundScape Project, an initiative of the School.
2.2 Resource implications ((if any):
Staff support for research budget management maybe shared within FCAT. Funding for digital archiving available through the SFU
library and archives will be sought in collaborationwith our Librarian Sylvia Roberts.
23 Expected completion date/s:
d) ADMINISTRATION
3.1 Action/sfwhat is going to be done):
The School will complete its review ofstaff job descriptions/needs and workload, with particular attention totechnical staff
andtheirrole inenhancing the School website for internal functions aswellasexternal publicity and recruitment.
We will completeand implement a 2-year courseteaching plan from Sept. 2012.
We will revise advisory committee structure inthe School to add permanent and/orad-hoc committees on such areas asspace
planning and technology review as part ofareview ofgovernance and theSchool governance document to be completed in the
2012-13 academic year.
3.2
Resource implicationsdf any):
3.3
Expected completion date/s:
As above.
e) Working Environment
4.1 Action/sfwhat is going to be done):
in fall 2012 we will:
hold a meetingof continuing Faculty to reviewthe balance of service,teaching and research andother issues of concern to
this group. Follow-up action will be determined at this meeting.
-
hold a retreat/meetingforStaffregarding professional development,jobdescriptions, andstaff renewal
Aspecial meeting ormeetings ofmembers ofthe School Meeting will address the directorship and faculty renewal (fall/spring
2012-13).
4.2
Resource implicationsdf any):
4.3
Expected completion date/s:
As above
f)
.Faculty complement
[other)
5.1 Action/s:
•
We will presentrequests for the two faculty appointmentsrecommended by our reviewers, aligned with the forthcoming
(fall 2012) strategic plan and university priorities.
5.2 Resource implicationsdf any):
5.3
Expected completion date/s:
The above action plan has been considered by the Unit under review and has been discussedand agreedto by the Dean.
Unit Leader (signed)
Name Alison Beale Title......Dlrector.
Date
Aug. 20,2012
Section 2 - Dean's comments and endorsement of the Action Plan :
Isupport the School's efforts to revise its undergraduate curriculum and keep enrolments flat over the next few years. The
recent course access study will provide good input to the school'sefforts to reduce bottleneck for majors. To address
students'interest
in more practical courses, the school is also exploring curricular collaborations across the faculty,
specifically with Publishing and Interactive Arts and Technology.
The school's development of a joint masters degree with the Communication University of China is an important initiative.
Efforts to improve degree completion at the PhD level have already been underway and should address the imbalance
between the PhD and MA.
I will work with the school to better understand its needs in research budget management. As funding levels increase, this
will become more important.
Efforts to revise the governance structure of the school are starting and Isupport this effort. A review of the technical staff
roles is also a good idea in light of the changes intechnical support needs in the school.
I am sympathetic to the school's needfor an increase in faculty and will try to support strategiesforfinancing this in light of
the new budget model, but this may take several years to accomplish.
Faculty Dean
Date
August 20, 2012
S.12-143
SFU
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
University Drive, Burnaby, BC
Canada Y5.\ IS6
TEL: 778.782.3925
FAX: 778.782.5876
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic
MEMORANDUM
attention
Senate
date
September 12,2012
from
Jon Driver, Vice-President, Academic and
pages
1/ 1
Provost, and Chair, SCUP
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences: External Review of the Department of English
(SCUP 12-32)
/
RE:
At its September 5, 2012 meeting SCUP reviewed and approved the Action Plan for the Department of
English that resulted from its External Review.
Motion:
That Senate approve the Action Plan for the Department of English that resulted from its External
Review.
end.
c: B. Schellenben
J. Craig
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
SFU
SCUP 12-32
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
University Drive, Burnaby, BC
THE 778.782.6702
giiicholl@sfu.ca
Canada V5A 1S6
www.sfu.ca/vpaoidemic
MEMORANDUM
ATTENTION
Jon Driver, Chair,SCUP
DATE
August23,2012
FROM
Bill Krane, Associate Vice-President, Academic
PAGES
1/1
andAssociate Provost
/^
1 //
RE:
External Review ofthe Department ofEnglish
''['/(-J?^
Attached are the External Review Report on the Department of English and the Action Plan endorsed by the
Department and the Dean.
Motion;
That SCUP approve and recommend to Senate the Action Plan for the Department of English that
resulted from its External Review.
Following thesitevisit, the Report of the External Review Team* for theDepartment of English was submitted
in March 2012.
After the Report was received, a meeting was held with the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, theChair of
the
Department of English, and the Director of Academic Planning and Budgeting (VPA) to consider the
recommendations. The Department then prepared an Action Plan based onthe Report and these discussions. The
Action plan was then submitted to the Dean who endorsed it.
The Reviewers commented that"The Department hasa well-constructed undergraduate program that allows
students exposure to the full range ofthe discipline with appropriate coverage of historical periods, contemporary
literature, and theoretical perspectives.
The graduate program is equally effective and caters to a talented cohort ofMA and PhD students. Research is
impressive, both in quantity and quality."
The Reviewers made 9 recommendations covering the agreed Terms
of Reference.
SCUP recommends to Senate thatthe Department of English be advised to pursue the Action Plan.
Attachments:
1.
External Review Report - March 2012
2. Department of English - Action Plan
* External Review Team:
Dr. Susan Bennett (Chair), University of Calgary
Dr. Roger Graves, University of Alberta
Dr. Thomas Schaub, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. Lisa Shapiro (Internal), Simon Fraser University
CC
John Craig, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
BettySchellenberg, Chair, Department of English
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
engaging the world
EXTERNAL APPRAISAL
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
By Susan Bennett, Department of English, University of Calgary;
Roger Graves, Department of English, University of Alberta; and
Thomas Schaub, Department of English, University of Wisconsin-Madison
(MARCH 2012)
Introduction
We respectfully submit the following report, based on our site visit to Simon
Fraser University (8-10 February, 2012) as well as the self-study and ancillary
materials provided by the Department of English.
We would like to thank the faculty, staff, and students, as well as the university
administrators with whom we met, for welcoming us at a busy time in the
semester. Lisa Shapiro from the Department of Philosophy provided excellent
support and useful institutional context as needed. We found everyone very
helpful in providing necessary information before, during, and after our visit. On-
site discussions were open, rich, and engaged—and we appreciated the
generosity that people brought to our meetings. Special thanks to Bal Basi in the
Provost'soffice and to Elaine Tkaczuk in the Department for ensuring all the
small details were taken care of: both of them went the extra mile to make sure
our visit ran smoothly.
Susan Bennett, Roger Graves and Thomas Schaub
March 12, 2012
Table of Contents:
Executive Summary
Page 3
Recommendations
Page 4
1.
Programs
Page 6
2.
Faculty
Page 11
3.
Administration
Page 13
4.
Connection of the Facultywithin and outside the University
Page 14
Appendix A: Writing and Rhetoric at Simon Fraser University
Page 18
Appendix B: Departmental Collaboration
Page 22
Appendix C: Alumni Relations
Page 34
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Department has a well-constructed undergraduate program that allows
students exposure to the full range of the discipline with appropriate coverage of
historical periods, contemporary literature, and theoretical perspectives. The
comprehensive breadth of courses is excellent preparation for students who go
on to teach or to continue their education in graduate school. While we consider
the Department's undergraduate program to be strong across the board, there
are a few areas that might be further strengthened and we have made specific
recommendations for the honors program and for the development of co-op.
The Department's role in the delivery and design of "W" is another area that
requires attention and planning in the context of a university-wide review.
The graduate program is equally effective and caters to a talented cohort of MA
and PhD students. The level of support for graduate students is generally very
good, with the Department able to offer competitive financial packages for their
top-ranked students at admission. The Department plans to expand its program
and improve the quality of the graduate applicants it accepts—two goals that we
wholeheartedly support. Increased attention to professionalization and
placement is likely important over the short to medium term, but we believe that
strategies are already in development. A recommendation below emphasizes
the need to provide full-time status for the one staff person attached to graduate
study.
Research is impressive, both in quantity and quality. This Department effectively
engages traditional and more contemporary areas of the discipline. Faculty
members are also excellent contributors to more interdisciplinary ventures and
model how to collaborate across and between disciplines for their students. The
Messenger and other funds available in the Department do much to foster a
strong research environment. Nonetheless, we see support for increased
research ambition as an important next step in how the institution recognizes and
encourages such an accomplished unit.
While we regard this Department as very good in every area, we recognize that
this level of accomplishment is not without risk. Any further loss in
the faculty
complement will seriously compromise their ability to deliver programs and
research intensity at current levels, far less bring about the enhancements that
we encourage here. The Dean needs to address with the Chair more explicit
strategies for position planning and for career development.
Overall, it was a pleasure to visit the Department and to meet the community at
Simon Fraser University.
RECOMMENDATIONS
We would like to make nine recommendations that follow from our assessment of
the self-study documents and from the variety of meetings held during the site
visit. These are not listed in any order of priority. We feel that they all need
attention promptly and success in responding to these various recommendations
will put this already accomplished Department at the forefront of the field in
Canada.
1. Attention to the honors program
More students should be in honors. It needs to be better advertised and more
effectively administered. The current need to take a fifth year in order to
participate (the
experience of all the students we interviewed) must be
avoided.
2. Promotion and support for co-operative education option in English
We would suggest a faculty-wide initiative, spearheaded by the Dean's Office,
to reinvigorate co-operative education in this Department. See also Appendix
A.
3. Capstone experience for MA students
With the move from a thesis-based program to a capstone research paper,
the MA has lost some of its presence in the Department and among the
graduate student cohort. The public presentations should become a
mandatory element of the program and an expectation of attendance
extended to faculty and graduate students at all levels.
4. Alumni development
The Department should prioritize the development of better alumni records
and a program that would re-establish contact with accomplished alumni
through regularly scheduled events.
5. "W'atSFU
There is an institution-wide commitment to writing at Simon Fraser and we
have taken seriously the examination of the Department's role in the delivery
of this commitment. We hope that the Provost's Office will bring together all
the relevant administrators and department representatives to review
Appendix A of this report where numerous directions are outlined.
6. Explore World Literature joining the Department
Contributions of English Departments to the literature and culture of a
globalized twenty-first century society have generally expanded to include—
and often focus on—what might be called "world literature." The current SFU
program in this area is small and would benefit from a larger intellectual and
administrative context. Many faculty in the Department would be very
appropriate as contributors to the strengths of this programs.
7. Career development/retention planning
Itis very important in the short to medium term that more attention is given to
effective career development and retention planning. We recommend that
senior administration in cooperation with
the Dean strike a task force to
examine how the university can best support a young faculty and encourage
their participation in the articulated strategic goals university wide.
8. Research ambition
Individually and collectively faculty in this Department demonstrate a very
high level of research accomplishment. Nonetheless we see a great deal of
opportunity for growth, especially in the area of team-based research
projects. The Chair should initiate meetings with SSHRC-funded researchers
to explore possibilities for future growth and increased ambition. The Chair
and the Dean may want to identify future leaders and proactively discuss
career planning with these targeted faculty members.
9. Graduate secretary to 100% position
The graduate secretary makes a remarkable contribution to the Department
and to the success and wellbeing of the graduate student cohort. This is
(more than) a full-time position and troubling that the incumbent is expected
to fulfill her responsibilities on a 85% time contract. We recommend that this
position is converted to 100% at the earliest opportunity.
1. PROGRAMS
Undergraduate program
The Department has a well-constructed undergraduate program that allows
students exposure to the full range of the discipline with appropriate coverage of
historical periods, contemporary literature,
and theoretical perspectives. The
comprehensive breadth of courses is excellent preparation for students who go
on to teach or to continue their education in graduate school. Coincident with
these offerings, the Department rightly takes pride in its focus on Print Culture,
contemporary poetry and poetics, West Coast and diasporic literatures, First
Nations writing, and interactions among literature, creative writing and rhetoric.
The Department's plan for its undergraduate programs includes four
initiatives: (1) develop core disciplinary knowledge among its students and
majors; (2) teach their students life-time and transferable skills in written and oral
communication, and critical thinking, and to increase opportunities for
"experiential learning" as a way of enhancing these skills; and (3) increase the
exposure of undergraduates to research, including the use of archives and other
scholarly resources (the Department is developing Research Assistant positions
for
use by its best students to work together with faculty mentors doing hands-on
research); (4) continue to involvefaculty and students in the cultural community
beyond the campus. [It already does so through faculty and student participation
in the Kootenay School of Writing, the Lacan Salon, the Flying University, and
the Department administered Writer-in-Residency program.]
The commitment to teaching writing in courses is discussed in an appendix to
this report, "Writing and Rhetoric at SFU."
While we consider the Department's undergraduate program to be strong across
the board (although we note, and discuss below, that the complement of faculty
positions cannot shrink beyond its current number ifthe range and quality is to be
preserved), there are a few areas that might be further strengthened.
(1)
English majorsdo not regularly take advantage of the co-op program and
indeed its existence does not seem to be much understood, either by faculty or
students. This may well be a missed opportunity, even ifonly a few students
were to sign up in any year. We suggest that the Dean's Office initiatea
campaign to promote the advantages of co-op study and that the English
Department play an active role in encouraging students to consider this
option. Information sessions and attractive, eye-catching posters can do a lot
here, but the secondment of a professor in the Facultyto spearhead this initiative
would be ideal.
(2) Of more concern was the under-subscription of the honors program. With
the size of the cohort of English majors (and with concern about attrition
generally in this program, a phenomenon that is common across Canada),
encouraging the best students to commit to honors is an important target. The
group of undergraduate students we metwith were largely drawn from the
honors program but they expressed some dissatisfaction with how they found out
about it—too late and with the effect of almost always leading to the need for a
fifth year of undergraduate study. Acouple of students at the meeting had not
heard of honors and were surprised that such a thing existed.
This suggests the need for the Undergraduate Chair to develop a system that
alerts the top-achieving undergraduates to the honors option and makes sure
that advising is in place so that students are taking the appropriate preparatory
courses at each level in the program. Only in an exceptional case should a
student need a fifth year in order to complete honors. Sending current honors
students out to speak to junior classes about its benefits is a simple strategy for
increasing
awareness. A more detailed promotion of why honors should also be
considered: giving undergraduate students a strong sense of how this will
prepare them better for graduate and professional school applications, what
value-added skills they will bring to the workplace, why working with a cohort of
top undergraduates is exciting and intellectually challenging, the delights of
pursuing independent research under the supervision of a faculty specialist, and
so on. The annual honors symposium, too, might be deployed as an awareness-
raising event in the larger community so that more people get to see the quality
of students that the Department is training.
Staffing of
the undergraduate program has challenges created from the need to
deliver curriculum in several different locations. Some instructors who teach
away from the main SFU campus expressed a sense of isolation. On the one
hand, they appreciated the trust put in them to do a good job with courses taught
at Surrey etc.; on the other, they wished for more collegia! engagement, an
opportunity to swap ideas, pedagogical strategies and so on. Perhaps the
Department might consider having mini teaching retreats from time to time that
would allow for this kind of interaction.
Our meetings with faculty in the instructor rank and with sessional employees
revealed stresses that are common in English Departments in this
country. Instructors find their workload very heavy and there
was a consensus
among them that it was nigh impossible to use their annual vacation
entitlement. This is surely something that can be explicitly planned for and the
Department Chair and Dean should convene a meeting to resolve this
concern. Sessional staff worry about the lack of security and, particularly, about
the lack of engagement with the Department. Many of them also teach at the
other post-secondary institutions in the city and juggle a complicated workload
across different locations. The Association for Canadian College and University
Teachers of English (ACCUTE) has created a forum for sessionals
(http://www.accute.ca/sessionals.html) to promote a sharing of resources, but the
issues raised at our meeting can be found in Canadian English departments
coast-to-coast. The sessional staff who met with us expressed enthusiasm for
orientation sessions that had been held before the start of each term and at the
end of the term and the Department Chair should ensure that these are
conducted on a regular rather than ad hoc basis.
We did not have the opportunity to review materials or meet with anyone who
was attached to the small World Literature program offered at the Surrey campus
(as outside our mandate to review the Department), but we do question the
viability of this free-standing unit and would recommend that the Dean and the
Department Chair discuss the viability and appropriateness of this area becoming
part of the English Department. There are certainly faculty and graduate
students who could play a key role in the development of this focus. World
literature is a key element of most contemporary English programs ("literatures in
English," for example)
and emphasizing this field for both undergraduate and
graduate students seems timely and sensible.
We should also note here that the undergraduate student group with whom we
met were uniformly enthusiastic about the education they were getting as English
majors. They stressed how much they appreciated the quality and range of
courses available as well as the ease of access to faculty members. The
students felt that the Department cared about them and were interested in their
success. Simply put, it is unusual to find this degree of satisfaction among an
undergraduate cohort—perhaps the best evidence that this is a Department that
meets its responsibilities very effectively indeed.
Graduate Program
This is a well-run graduate program that caters to a talented cohort of MA and
PhD students. The level of support for graduate students is generally very good,
with the Department able to offer competitive financial packages for their top-
ranked students at admission. Application to and success with SSHRC takes
place at a good rate and several students have had the opportunityto work as
research assistants on faculty projects (funded by monies held in the Department
and/or SSHRC).
The Department plans in the next three years to expand its program and improve
the quality of the graduate applicants it accepts.
In line with this goal, the
department also seeks to attract more students from outside British Columbia
and to enroll fewer of its own students (although itshould be noted that the
current percentage of SFU-trained students is only about 30%). Ithas revised its
MA and PhD curricula to enable students to move through their program more
quickly and to completetheirdegrees. By theiraccount, English has one of the
highest rates of completion
in the University and we had no concern about the
recent handful of withdrawals (all for reasons that do not raise red flags). The "3-
Year Plan" asserts "the Department believes strongly that [its] primary role is to
produce top quality graduate students whowill become leaders intheir
respective fields and contribute to the widercommunity as excellent teachers and
scholars." To accomplish this goal, the Department must maintain appropriate
faculty lines to offer the full range of English literary history, rhetoric and creative
writing. Since many MA and PhD graduates will go on to employment outside of
professorial positions, the Department needs to develop a more active career
development program. Within the city as well as in the alumni of the program,
there is surely a
rich source for talks and mentorship so that graduate students
are better prepared for the realities of the job market.
The students we met with expressed a high degree of satisfaction with their
program including the variety and accessibility of graduate seminars, the quality
of the teaching, and the availability of supervision. The one area of
dissatisfaction was with the canceling of a defense for the MA research
component. We had heard that there was an annual conference where work was
presented to other students and to faculty but the graduate students told us that
participation was optional and that it was in fact poorly attended by students and
faculty alike. This is a concern both in terms of a need for an intellectual
capstone to the MA experience and in terms of more general faculty-graduate
student interaction. A fixed date for the annual conference and an obligation to
participate for the MA students and their supervisors should be considered in
order to
energize this aspect of the program. If the Department were to host a
lunch or a reception
as part of the event, it might encourage others to see this as
a significant commitment to the wellbeing of students and to intellectual life
generally.
All the graduate students who came to our meeting expressed great admiration
(and gratitude) for the commitment and expertise of the graduate program
support staff member. She is obviously crucial to the smooth running of graduate
studies and a remarkable resource person for faculty and students alike. Itis
remarkable to realize that
she is not a full-time appointment and we urge that this
be regularized at the earliest opportunity. Itis more than apparent that the work
expected—and, indeed, delivered—is a full-time commitment and she should be
hired accordingly. This would allow her, too, to provide additional support to the
graduate chair for any initiatives beyond the day-to-day running that might be
pursued (see notes on career planning for graduate students that follow, for
example).
Graduate students are sensibly and effectively mentored—they are well aware of
the need to develop their professional CVs and regularly present at field
conferences with funding support from the Messenger Endowment and other
local funds.
The Graduate Chair realizes the need to coach graduate students to
think of employment opportunities beyond the academic job and this should be a
priority in the next year or two. Graduate study in English is an excellent
preparation for a variety of professional fields and SFU is well placed to draw on
resources in Vancouver for a lively speaker series and mentoring program. With
more attention to alumni relations, it should be possible to draw expertise from a
10
local community of former students.
Two MA programs provide a distinctive feature of graduate study in English at
SFU, the MA in Print Culture and the MATE targeted at secondary school
teachers.
The MAin Print Culture has a more than 10 year history and is recognized
nationally and beyond as a distinctive program that affords its students a strong
preparation in literary historical and technological studies. This is an important
"brand" for
the Department and we expect itto continue to thrive. Tracking the
successes of its alumni is important and this could be emphasized and used in
program marketing. The MATE program is much newer, offered since 2007 at
the Surrey campus. This program has been carefully designed with its objectives
for its secondary school teacher cohort clearly in view. The fall off in the number
of applications is a concern and the Department needs to develop a better
strategy for advertising this program and the professional/intellectual benefits that
accrue to teachers who pursue this MA. Many Departments of English have
linkages with high schools and this would be something to consider in general
terms: to advertise the advantages of studying English as an undergraduate to
high school classes and at the same time to meet the teachers and let them
know more about MATE.
Other items
Enrolment management is sensibly handled. Like all English departments, they
have significant demands from elsewhere on campus to deliver service teaching
and they have developed an interesting range of courses and various models for
delivery. The pattern of delivery has created good opportunities for graduate
students at all levels to be engaged in universityteaching, moving up in the
demands of the course according to stage of career. Size of classes has been
managed with care and we did not hear of particular concerns in this area.
11
2.
FACULTY
This is a young Departmentwith an enviable cohort of Assistant and newly
tenured Associate Professors who, along with their more senior colleagues,
demonstrate excellent research accomplishment, strong teaching, and a
commitment to institutional service. That said, there are retirements on the
horizon and a number of medical and other leaves that result in this complement
being no more than a bare minimum for the delivery of service teaching needs, a
suitably broad undergraduate curriculum, and a rich MA/PhD program. Even the
loss of one or two positions will seriously inhibitthe strength that the Department
currently demonstrates. Also of concern is the lack of an articulated retention
plan (either in the Department or the Faculty) as there are obviously scholars
here who will be ripe for poaching in the medium term.
We recommend that the Dean's Office work closely with the Department Chair to
construct a sensible and staged plan that will be nimble and responsive in the
face of the challenges for replacement and retention that lie ahead. Already the
Department must rely on sessional appointments to deliver a good slice of their
undergraduate teaching and it would be inappropriate to expand this reliance
instead of maintaining the real strengths that result from teaching delivered by
active and accomplished researchers in the field.
Research in the Department is impressive, both in quantity and quality. The
range of areas where faculty demonstrate research strength suggests this is a
Department that effectively engages traditional and more contemporary areas of
the discipline. Faculty members are also excellent contributors to more
interdisciplinary ventures and model how to collaborate across and between
disciplines for their students. The Messenger and other funds available in the
Department do much to foster a strong research environment: the expectation
that faculty will be active and engaged is supported by the availabilityof modest
funds to underwrite a variety of activities and to do
so by way of a peer-review
process in the Department. This is to their very real advantage as some of the
most important and significant research outputs by scholars in English can be
achieved with only a modest input of funding.
But we concluded that the knowledge of this access to funds within the
Department perhaps produced some less desirable outcomes. For faculty there
was less motivation, it seemed, to apply regularlyfor other funding, especially
with SSHRC. Itwould be helpful for the Vice President Research office to offer a
workshop on "howto use your SSHRC funds," to suggest how larger amounts of
money might be used to expand research goals and, importantly, to support
more of their graduate students in an apprentice-style research relationship with
supervisors and other faculty. More generally, faculty need to be encouraged to
be more ambitious with their research goals, especially in the identified areas of
research strength (e.g. print culture, creative and contemporary writing and
11
12
poetics, community-university engagement): whatcollaborative projects might be
developed with seed funding from the Department and the University and move
towards larger partnership grants from SSHRC? There is responsibility here,
too, for the Dean'sand Vice President Research offices to initiate incentives and
supports for the mid-careerresearchers who might be productively encouraged
to develop more large scale projects: an important aspect of any retention plan is
the active fostering of the brightest talent.
The Department should review its current use of discretionary funds. They are,
of course, fortunate to have monies available to underwrite a range of important
activities—events that build and sustain collegiality, funds that enable regular
conference travel, and ensure a variety of enrichment activities are enabled. We
applaud this commitment but also wonder if the ease of access to modest funds
might inhibit the willingness of faculty to seek external funds and, too, to develop
existing research clusters on a larger scale. Each of the research groups that we
met with had an impressive track record with local, national, and international
impacts and we felt that they could further develop both the scope and ambition
of their areas. Itwould be useful in this regard for each research cluster to
develop a 3-5 year plan that charted out research goals and included price tags
for particulargrowth. The Department Executive might prioritize among these
plans and use at least some percentage of the Messenger funds to incubate
developments that might lead to larger individual or team-based grant
opportunities. Research leadership should be actively encouraged within the
Department and within the Faculty. It was a surprise that this very successful
Department had not had the benefit of a Canada Research Chair at either Tier
One or Tier Two levels. Nor did there seem to be any plans in place to work
towards an endowed chair or chairs. Certainly with the distinctive presence of
the Print Culture cluster where many, if not quite all, department members saw
some interest, it could be an obvious location for a CRC or other leadership
appointment.
Like most large Departments, this one contributes generously to all kinds of
faculty, university, scholarly and community service. This is further discussed
under section 4 below.
13
3.
ADMINISTRATION
The Department is effectively managed by the Chair and two Associate Chairs,
one for each of the undergraduate and graduate programs. This appears to work
very well indeed with excellent lines of communication
and regular
interaction. Their work is supported by regular department meetings
and by a
range of committees that
address specific areas of responsibility.
There is, of course, a past history of conflict within the Department but this
seems to be thoroughly resolved now and we encourage the Department to
move forward from its current position of strength. The Department was kind
enough to host a reception while we were on campus and this was well attended
by faculty and staff across the ranks as well as graduate students—all evidence
of a collegial and pleasant work environment.
We met with the office staff including the office manager and again with the
manager alone. We were thoroughly impressed with the quality and dedication
of this staff complement. It is striking how committed they are to these positions
and how much they do to ensure the smooth running of day-to-day life in the
Department. The one anomaly is the reduced time position of the Graduate
Secretary (85%). The range and complexity of her responsibilities should be
tackled on a full-time basis and we urge the Faculty to address this as a top
priority.
We were asked to comment on library resources, computing, and office space.
There are no concerns in any of these areas. The library serves students and
faculty very well indeed and some collaborative ventures are both exciting and
meaningful. We hope that the interactions between special collections and
curriculum can be further developed. The Department has ample office space:
one area reserved for an undergraduate student club should be used more
regularly. The Department Chair should be proactive in meeting with student
leaders to devise a plan for next year and onward.
13
4.
CONNECTION OF THE FACULTY WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE
UNIVERSITY
14
Members of the Department are well-connected to other units within the
University and to the larger community beyond the campus in myriad and
imaginative ways. Since there seemed to be some sense among senior
administrators with whom we met that the Department ought to do more beyond
its immediate teaching and research foci that was in marked contrast to what we
had learned from faculty during the site visit, we asked the Department Chair to
prepare a listing of all their interactions over the past year across campus, in the
scholarly community, and in the Greater Vancouver region. This document
confirmed our assessment that this Department is vitally active in all of these
areas (indeed, it is a model of leadership here) and is attached as Appendix B.
The Department Self-Study does a good job of identifying many of these
partnerships and connections (see pp. 51-52, "Local, National and International
Connections.") In fact, the review committee was impressed by the number and
extent of activities through which English department faculty members engage
with citizenry in the local community, and with researchers throughout SFU as
well as with other academic institutions-that is to say, activities over and above
teaching their majors and graduate students, and meeting their central
obligations to them: developing expertise, expediting completion rates, and
helping to place graduates.
Relationships with Other Units within the University
Even though the Department has done an excellent job of identifying the
impressive array of collaboration and exchange that typifies the work of many of
its faculty, it is worth noting a few salient examples here:
1.
Joint major programs with French, Humanities, and Women's Studies
2.
The Centre for Scottish Studies-a joint venture with History, Humanities,
English and the Community. Its current Directoris a member of the
English Department. This centre is notable for the way it draws upon
public knowledges and establishes knowledge exchange with the
community. See below.
3.
First Nation Studies-which now or soon will offer a Major, based in
Humanities but has English department participation, along with
Humanities and MATE.
4.
The Department's role in SFU's SRPpriority in "Technology and the Arts"-
-through its annual lecture series that brings local and international
researchers together
5.
The Department's focus on print cultures has developed collaborations
with researchers in History, Communication, Contemporary
15
Arts, Interactive Arts and Technology, and Linguistics. These links, as the
"3-Year Plan" states, were "formalized in 2006 with the founding of the
Centre for Studies in Print and Media Cultures."
6.
Participation (though small) in SFU'sCo-Operative Education Program,
and in
7.
FASS's Integrated Studies Program,
8.
SFU NOW,
9.
FIC and
10.
the MATE program for high school teachers (for items 6-10, see "3-Year
Academic Plan, pp. 2-3)
11.
We note as well the considerable service provided to the University by
members of the English Department (see "Self-Study" 53-54)
Relationship between the Department and the community
Under this category, the Department'scontributions are truly exemplary. SFU's
English Department gives back to the public through conferences that involve the
community, through hundreds of lectures and readings, appearances on radio
and television, and service on arts boards and the like. (The Department
provides a
selective
list of community engagements on pp. 55-58 of the "Self-
Study.")
The conference on "Robert Burns in Transatlantic Culture" (2009) is a vivid
example of the ways English faculty members have combined research and
teaching with community involvement. This conference was part of the Scottish
Studies Centre's activities, and was supported by external grants. It included a
public lecture
and a "Community Research Forum." Papers from the conference
have been collected in a volume to appear soon from Ashgate Press.
Last year, a department member organized a symposium on "The Land We Are:
Arts, Culture, and the Politics of Reconciliation." This symposium brought artists,
community organizers, and scholars together from diverse Indigenous and
migrant communities in Canada. In August last year, five members of the
English Department held an interdisciplinary symposium.
These are just two examples of the many ways that English faculty are outside
the classroom, off-campus, not only sharing their scholarship and creativity, but
also directly engaging the public, from the Senior's Program and the workshop
for high school students to open community seminars, to involvement in the
Leaky Heaven Theatre, the Kootenay School of Writing, to the Writer in
Residence Program that is designed to include campus and community dialogue,
and numerous memberships on the boards of community organizations and
groups.
All of this and more testify to a culture within the English Department that
welcomes dialogue with the public and gives considerably of its energies and
15
16
time to the community that supports them. (Items 6-10 listed above are further
examples of the Department's relationships communities beyond its own ambit.]
Because the Department of English already does so much in this area, English
might consider maintaining a webpage that highlights their work in this area, both
for
themselves and for others (community, administration, alumni). This
webpage or blog might help support the knowledge mobilization already taking
place in these interactions between the university and the community. The
department is doing excellent work in this area, and they would do well to follow
the lead already taken with fundraising among former faculty and do more to
promote their good work.
Relationship with other Universities-Partnerships
The Department has strong and generative relationships with other
universities. For example, in August last year, five members of the English
Department held an interdisciplinary symposium on women and comedy that
brought scholars together from Canada, the United States, and Europe, and was
designed ahead of time to involve undergraduates and graduate students
through their coursework. Three Department members participate in the
TransCanada Institute at Guelph. One faculty member is taking part in a 3-year
program in Vigo, Spain, on "Cultureand Globalization. Other faculty have
research ties to the Universityof Alberta, Dalhousie, McGill University, and the
University of Ghent. This record indicatesthat the Departmentfaculty members
have the networking wherewithal, especially for a relatively young department.
The focus going forward should be on mentoring to increase their participation in
team-based funded-research so that this networking moxie is built into proposing
large partnership projects, the kind of thing that brings in millions of dollars at a
time, not tens of thousands. We commend the department on their current
efforts but urge them to a more ambitious use of SSHRC and other funding, for
the benefitoffaculty and graduate students, as well as the larger institution. To
facilitate this
growth, the Research VP should provide tangible support and
mentoring.
This is not to say more couldn'tbe donebeyond these funding goals. The
Department has identified a number ofopportunities in its "3-Year Academic
Plan" with which we agree. The interdisciplinary connections occasioned by the
Centre for Print and Media Cultures, the City Program, the Asia-Canada Program
and First Nations Studies are, we think, important to sustain and to develop
further with other partners on and off campus, and possibly with other
universities. In addition, these programs can be used to help the Department
rethink its curriculum to reflect the all too apparent internationalization of
English. Somewhat paradoxically, at the same time that English is increasingly a
world language, English literary history narrowly conceived is losing its footing,
what used to be its self-evident justification. The Departmentsees the value of
17
understanding literary studies to be increasingly international in scope (1.51, p.
5), and that recognition invites greatercollaboration between English and the
World Literature program, and to thinkof its current curriculum and requirements
inways that recognize the international character of literaturesonce bounded by
the nation-state. A recognition that internationalization-from the standpoint of
migration and trade, trans-Atlantic and Pacific relations, the development of
languages-is characteristic of literature and culture all the way back, not just in
our current state of globalization, is central to thinking going on in English
Departments everywhere. This modest change in perspective might well bring
into being the viability of greater collaboration with other units on campus,
as well
as the value of research cooperation with scholars at other universities.
For example, the Department'sfocus on print culture might make valuable links
with digital humanities and with the University of Victoria, U of Alberta, U of
Toronto and others. In addition, this kind of partnership is the kind of thing that
both the federal (through SSHRC) and provincial governments want to
encourage. Partnerships of this sort would have several obvious benefits to both
the Department and the University, supporting not only faculty but also graduate
students in a multi-university research network.
As
the Department already recognizes, these partnerships extend to non-
academic institutions (as we saw with the Robbie Burns day work) and are
important to explaining who in the public benefits from this study/research. The
mobilization of knowledge recognizes that other kinds of knowledge can be
brought into the institution-it is a two-way street. The community partnerships
help provide a
venue for the exchange of ideas. Here, too, opportunities for
SSHRC funding present themselves that would greatly assist the Department in
its efforts to grow its Graduate Program, and stabilize funding in such areas the
Scottish Studies Centre. As noted above, internal grant monies might be made
contingent upon simultaneous application to SSHRC.
Alumni Relations
With respect to endowment funds under its control, the department is already in
an enviable position, with 24 endowments including the Messenger Fellowship.
(Though not a result of ties with Alumni, the Department
has also made canny
use of its revenue from FIC). Despite these income streams, the Department
has yet to
fully
tap the generosity and interest of its former students. A program
of reconnecting with those students will over a period of five to ten years yield
remarkable results, with marked benefits to the graduate and undergraduate
programs, as well as faculty members. A brief sketch of how the Department
might do this is provided in Appendix C.
17
18
APPENDIX A
Writing and Rhetoric at Simon Fraser University
This document comments on the some of the larger issues surrounding the "W"
requirement and the interdisciplinary Writing and Rhetoric certificate program,
curriculum initiatives that are within the terms of reference for the external review
but which also, by their involvement in university-wide curriculum requirements
("W" courses) and other university departments (Linguistics, Communications),
extend beyond the specific terms of reference.
Certificate in Writing and Rhetoric
The Certificate in Writing and Rhetoric offers students an answer to the question
of "how can my studies in language help me understand the world outside the
university and function productively in that world?" The interdisciplinary nature of
the program reflects the fundamentally interdisciplinary nature of writing and
invites students from a variety of undergraduate programs to enroll in the
certificate. The certificate has a heavy emphasis on theory and the study of
various aspects of writing; it might benefit from balancing the theory focus by
adding courses such as those available through the Continuing Studies
certificate programs in Writing and Communications.1 Thesecourses, in areas
such as Communicating for Results and Grant Writing, would offer much to
English department undergraduates: currently, more than half of undergraduate
English graduates are employed in positions that do not use the skills from their
undergraduate degree programs in their current positions.2 It is not clear from the
Continuing Studies website ifthese courses (such as Communicating for Results
and Grant Writing), as presently constituted, could be taken by undergraduates
for
degree credit or ifthey are non-credit courses. Ifthey are degree-credit
courses, then they should be considered for inclusion in the Certificate in Writing
and Rhetoric. Ifthey are not degree-credit courses, then the University should
consider some mechanism for developing equivalent courses that could be
offered for degree credit.
Co-operative Education Option in English
The under-utilization of the co-operative education option for English
undergraduates may be one cause of the failure of more than half of English
alumni to find work that draws upon their university education. At the University
of Waterloo, roughly one-third of English majors are in the Rhetoric and
1http://www.sfu.ca/continuing-studies/programs-and-courses/area-of-study/writing-
communications.html
2B.C. Baccalaureate Outcomes: 2010 Survey of2008 Baccalaureate Graduates, item 25.
Included as part of self-study materials.
19
Professional Writing joint honours major, and most of those students are in the
co-operative education option. The self-study report for SFU'sEnglish
departmentlists only 8 co-op placements for 2010-2011, and the largest number
in the last five years being 22 placements in 2007-2008. For a program with
almost 600 majors in it, this is a very small uptake. If English majors enrolled in
the Certificate in Writing and Rhetoric and obtained positions through the co-op
program, their chances of finding employment upon graduation that draws on
their university education would be improved. SFU's location in a major urban
centre gives it an advantage because of the opportunities for co-operative
placements that abound in a large, urban, business and technology hub. Co
operative placements should be pursued more vigorously by the English
department.
EAL and the "W" requirement
The Department of English reports that "Our first-year courses provide the lower-
division —Wll (Writing Intensive)
requirement for 40% of SFU's undergraduate
student body" (p. 5) and 69% of FASS "W1"offerings (A. Burke, interview), a
number that seems to be over 3000 enrollments in 2011/2. As the report
remarks, "W" courses "are not simply a matter of courses involvpng] lots of
writing... The University defined a —Wll course by the core criterion of
revision"
http://www.sfu.ca/ugcr/for_faculty/Criteria_Explanation_Nov04.html). Revision is
a key element of learning to write well, but it also demands an attentive reader
who has time to devote to reading drafts of written work. The first-year English
courses use a two lecture (with 250+ students in a class) plus one small seminar
(with up to 17 students) format. Within these tutorials, there is a breakdown or
segmentation into two groups: high-functioning native speakers and EAL
students who are continuing to work at mastering standard edited English, the
dialect of the academy (A. Burke, interview).
This segmenting of students creates instructional problems for the tutorial
instructors who, in some tutorial sections, must attempt to work with students at
radically different levels of competency. The nature of the revisions that the EAL
students engage in and the extent of the feedback that they need imposes a
burden on tutorial instructors: how much time should they spend, both in class
and in commenting on drafts of assignments, on
EAL student writing? Should
they spend more time (proportionally) with these students and less time
developing
the writing abilities of native speakers? One answer to this that we
are currently experimenting with at the University of Alberta is to attach a trained,
graduate teaching assistant writing centre tutor to EAL sections of first-year
English courses. This GTA meets with the tutorial section to work on second
language writing skills; the pedagogy is specific to teaching second language
writing, which is the rationale for offering separate tutorial sections. These
tutorials can be offered every week or alternate weeks and could provide a
bridge from the pre-university writing students have done intotheir early careers
19
20
as student writers at SFU. Ifthe GTAs were associated with the Learning
Commons
writing centre, they could also build a pattern that would encourage
EAL students to continue to use the writing supports offered there after they
complete the first-year English course.
English courses and the "W" requirement
A related issue is the problem of having students throughout the university take a
"W" course that introduces them to discipline-specific writing in English. Since the
department has fewer than 600 majors it is likelythat only a very small proportion
of students who are introduced to writing in the discipline of English will be able
to transfer that knowledge to their major program of study. When
the external
review committee asked about resources/textbooks on writing used to support
the explicit teaching of writing (a requirement underlying the "W" approach to
teaching writing;
see W. Strachan, p. 49), we were told that there were no
textbooks on writing required for these courses (itturns out that one or two do
have textbooks and the majority do not). The question that the English
department should consider is what knowledge
about writing
do students transfer
out of their experience in first-year English courses to their other courses?
One of the ways to support the transfer of knowledge is to teach students to use
a resource, such as a handbook, to answer their own questions and to improve
theirwriting. It is a given that the specific knowledge of the discipline will not be
transferred (except for the small minority of English majors); the pedagogical
question/problem is howto support the transferof concepts and strategies for
writing from one disciplinary context to another. The response we were given
suggests that work remains to be done to answerthat question. Options that
other institutions in North America have tried include optional group writing
tutorials associated with courses in selected disciplines, a Certificate in Writing in
[discipline] (for example, a "Certificate in Writing in Arts," a Certificate in Writing
in Biology"); portfolios of student written work (a learning portfolio but with a
substantial component of written work) submitted as part of a graduation
requirement. These initiatives all extend beyond the first-year English course,
which is narrow in scope regarding the development of writing abilities.
Relationship of "W" courses in English to Learning Objectives (NWCCU
accreditation)
As partofthe review of university programs generally, SFU has proposed
adopting the 2006 Ontario Council of Academic Vice-Presidents guidelines
regarding University Undergraduate Degree Level Expectations.3 The fourth of
(http://www.sfu.ca/content/dam/sfu/vpacademic/files/vp_academic_docs/pdfs/TFTL-
RecommendationstoVPA-final-revised.pdf)
21
these expectations lists"communication skills" as something that every program
of study (major, minor, certificate) needs to include among the outcomes of study
for that program. The "W" courses go some way toward satisfying that
requirement, but only if students take the "W" course in that program-taking a
"W" course in English would not demonstrate how a student in, for example,
business demonstrated how the business degree helped develop their
communication skills.
SFU has the right approach: situate the learning of academic writing in the
degree programs themselves through the
"W" courses and specific writing
courses in the disciplines where necessary. However, when degree programs
cede ownership of learning to write to English by having their students take the
first "W" course in English (outside the degree program), students lose because
they do not develop knowledge of how to succeed as writers in their major
program of study. While students in the humanities might arguably benefit from
taking an English course because the nature of the writing they do is closely
linked by
genre (the academic essay) and research method (textual study),
students in other faculties and from other research traditions (technical and
business report genres; experimental science research methods) cannot be said
to benefit in the same way or to the same degree. Departments can expect
pressure from the NWCCU accreditation process to explain how their programs
of study build student writing skills, and their explanations will be more
persuasive if they can show that they at least offer "W" courses at both levels of
the curriculum. Doing so would relieve the English department of the perception
that they are a "service" department and the implication that English can
somehow supply all the instruction students need in learning to write with
increasing sophistication throughout their careers at SFU. It cannot, and the
movement by some departments and programs to outsource "W courses to
English and other humanities departments undercuts the key advantage of the
"W" course strategy.
21
22
APPENDIX B (prepared by Dr. Betty Schellenberg)
Summary of English Department Faculty collaborations, Jan. 2011 to the
present/ongoing
Please note:
- "f/m" = faculty member(s)
- this summary is based on responses from 28 of a possible 36 faculty. This
is our reading week, and I put out the request late last Friday, when a few
people had likely left town; there are also 2 faculty on unpaid leave or
longterm disability
- if I have understood correctly, you wanted this information in a digested
format, stripped of details re: individual names, titles of talks, dates, etc. I
would
be happy to provide the fuller version of this list, which is 19 pages
long
- I have set a short-term timeframe of 1+ year in order to supply you with a
manageable snapshot of recent activity- obviously, a longer span would
have produced more conferences, public lecture series, etc.
1. Collaborations outside the department, but primarily within the
university
(in alphabetical order; service on university committees has been excluded, but
membership on steering committees of other units as well as cross-appointments
of various sorts have been included because of their scholarly and
interdisciplinary nature)
Asia-Canada Program
- 1 f/m on advisory board
Bill Reid Centre for Northwest Coast Art Studies
- 1 f/m on steering committee
Centre for Scottish Studies
-
Director is in Dept. of English; the Centre includes faculty from History and
-
1
f/m collaborating with
History
faculty member and
SFU library
on Oral
History Project on Scots in BC
Centre for Studies in Print and Media Cultures
-
Founding Director is in Dept. of English; 5 f/m have been on steering
committee during the
period from Jan. 2011; the Centre includes faculty
and graduate students from Communication, Contemporary Arts, History,
Interactive Arts and Technology, Linguistics
23
Certificates in Creative Writing and in Writing and Rhetoric
- these programs include courses in Communication, Contemporary Arts,
and Linguistics,
as well as in English. At least 8 of our f/m regularly
teaching within these certificate programs
Communication
- 1 f/m was a speaker in Communications' "Counter Cultures" series
-
1 f/m co-organized visit of speaker from University of Wollongong
Contemporary Arts
-
1 f/m: collaborative 4A (Vice-President Research) grant for $9600 on
subject of "Where the World was: Cities After Mega-events."
(also with
Emily Carr University)
- 1 f/m: collaborative article and photo-text essay; republication in German
- 1 f/m serving as consulting dramaturge for the Contemporary Arts student
main stage production
(Escapement)
directed by Steven Hill (Assistant
Professor, Contemporary Arts)
- 1 f/m is working with
Contemporary Arts to bring the Toronto based
dancer and choreographer Andrea Nann to Vancouver for a residency and
series of talks/workshops
- 1 f/m has organized events with the Audain Gallery of the Goldcorp Centre
for the Arts
-
1 f/m's poem "Libya Neoliberal Libya" is being used as an activating text
for the 3rd year Exhibition ofthe Visual Arts program
Continuing Studies
- 1 f/m on board for English Language and Culture Program
Convocation
- 1 f/m wrote and presented the honorary doctorate citation for William
Deverell at the October 2011 convocation
David Lam Centre for International Communication
-
1 f/m collaborated with faculty from the David Lam Centre for International
Communication and Communication to organize
Arts of Conscience,
a
one-day symposium and film screening that looks at radical postwar
Japanese art and politics
First Nations Studies
- 1 joint appointment
Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies
- 3 f/m serve as Associate Members of GSWS
Graduate Liberal Studies
23
24
- 1 f/m is on the steering committee and is on the selection committee for
the new Simon Chair
Humanities Institute
- 1 f/m on steering committee, has organized and participated in
approximately 15 events sponsored by the Humanities Institute, from
public talks on
the global debt strike movement, to the changing nature of
citizenship
and "cosmopolitics" in the twenty-first century, the role of
Canadian mining companies in Guatemala and Honduras, the neoliberal
university, the media and global occupy movement, the possibility of a
"world humanities,"
and psychoanalysis and the politics of fear. All are
public events, but focused primarily on students and faculty
- 7 f/m have organized and/or participated as speakers in one or more
Humanities Institutes events since Jan. 2011
-
1 f/m is poetry editor of
Contours,
the Institute for the Humanities online
publication, and organized the
Contours
website launch event in Sept.
2011
Institute for the Study of Teaching and Learning in the Disciplines
- 1 f/m assists with workshops for faculty applying for teaching grants
-
1 f/m will be assisting with workshop in Re-Thinking Teaching Course
Design Workshop, conducted by a faculty member in Education
Library
-
1 f/m is collaborating with 3 SFU Library personnel (Head of Special
Collections, English Library Liaison, and Head of Systems) to relaunch the
Lake District Collection on-line annotated bibliography
Performance Studies
-
1 f/m collaborating with faculty from Contemporary Arts, World Literature/
Explorations, and Anthropology on a cross-disciplinary, cross-faculty
curriculum initiative
Print Culture Speaker series
- 2 f/m have successively organized the annual Print Culture speaker series
for talks whose internationally recognized speakers have drawn faculty
from UBC and SFU departments such as French, Communication,
History, and the Library
Royal Society Symposia
- 1 f/m gave a lecture in the series
SFU Christian Leadership Initiative group
-
1 f/m is scheduled to give a talk
West Coast Line
(an interdisciplinary journal based at SFU, supported by the
SFU Publications Fund, the
Canada Council for the Arts, and the British Columbia Council for the Arts)
- 3 f/m are on the editorial board
- 1 f/m is incoming editor
World Literature
- 1 f/m on steering committee
25
25
26
2. Engagements with communities primarily outside of the
academy
Poetry Readings
-
readings by various f/m at Colorado College, Whitman College, Stadler
Center for Poetry (Bucknell University), University of Alberta, and in
Philadelphia, New York City, Prince Rupert, Prince
George
- 1 f/m partnered in a conversation with poet Lisa Robertson at Poet's
House, New York University
- 1 f/m organized Robert Burns Day marathon (involving
50 community
members who came out to read, plus 250 students, staff and members of
the public who attended)
- 2 f/m gave readings and talks at the "Vancouver 125" Poetry Conference;
one f/m co-hosted the closing event
Vancouver-area readings of creative work are too many to count; one
f/m gave almost 20 in the time period; at least 4 f/m are involved in
these regularly
Art Curation, and Other Arts Events or Publications
- 1 f/m is a member of the 3-member, Vancouver-Vienna based research
group Urban Subjects, which held a residency at VIVO (Video Out Video
Inn Media Arts Centre) in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, for 5
weeks; events included production of a multi-channel video, an exhibition,
several panel discussions, a public lecture by Neil Smith (distinguished
professor of Anthropology and Geography); some of these events were
co-organized with Community Outreach Woodwards and the Downtown
Neighbourhood Council
-
Urban Subjects &VIVO are producing a poster for the Downtown
Neighbourhood Council fortheir 10 Sites program, which identifies 10
sites that are in danger of demolition or gentrification and works with City
Council to save the buildings and develop social housing
-
1 f/m's short play
Positive ID
will premiere in Toronto in June as part of the
7th annual InspiraTO 10-minute Play Festival
-
Tech Gallery, SFU. "A Manifesto of the Long Moment" shown in "The
Manifesto Show." February 2011.
-
'The Rightto the City", reading seminar for "No Reading After the
Internet", VIVO
-
"A Manifesto for the Poetry of the Future", Urban Subjects with Neil Smith.
Broadsheet Manifesto for "We Vancouver" exhibition, Vancouver Art
Gallery (broadsheets postered throughout city)
-
1 f/m co-curated
Digital Natives,
public art project (using Burrard Street
bridge billboard), with Vancouver artist Lorna Brown, involving 30 artists
and writers from Canada and the US, funding from the City of Vancouver
and the Canada Council; online component: digitalnatives.co
-
2 f/m participated in a panel discussion on this project at the UBC
Museum of Anthropology
27
- 1 f/m is dramaturge for The Leaky Heaven Circus, a Vancouver-based
theatre company; the 2011-12 productions have been
Peter Panties
(winnerof Jessie Richardson Theatre Award, Critics' Choice for
Innovation) and project x [faust]
-
1 f/m co-organized (with Contemporary Arts) "Entertaining Ideas 1,"
thinkers and artists from a range of academic and scholarly disciplines
(visual arts, philosophy, theatre, language studies, gastronomy) to discuss
intersecting practices
-
1 f/m wrote the exhibition publication for a Holly Ward exhibition at the
Artspeak Gallery
Public Lectures (organized or given)
-
1 f/m spoke in lecture series "Musqueam 101" (on the Musqueam reserve)
about her book on "Aboriginal Storytelling and the Ethics of Collaborative
Authorship"
- 1 f/m will speak at a community forum/audience talkback accompanying
the premiere of Theatre Terrific Artistic Director
Susanna Uchatius's
premiere of her new play,
Egni's Eye
- for the 2011 Vancouver Early Music Festival, on Dryden's
KingArthur
- 2
f/m gave talks at Teachers' Association conferences
- 2 f/m gave talks at Vancouver Art Gallery; 1 also at the Surrey Art Gallery;
1 also at the Presentation House Gallery
-
1 f/m co-organized (with Community Outreach SFU Woodward's, Green
Left Book Club and People'sCo-op Books) a lecture by Christian Parenti
on climate change and capitalism
- 1 f/m gives annual lecture series for Bard on the Beach (also works with
some of the directors and casts)
- 1 f/m will give the keynote address for the Good Will Shakespeare Festival
in Summerland (also works with high school
students at the festival)
- 2 f/m are giving Philosophers' Cafe talks (4 in Burnaby, 3 in North
Vancouver)
- 1 f/m organized for the Centre for Scottish Studies: 4 public talks, 1
sponsored public lecture and celebration of St. Andrews and Caledonian
Society's 125th Birthday
- 1 f/m
delivered speech at annual Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner
- 1 f/m gave an invited talk at a festival of Canadian poetry at the University
of Pennsylvania, and another talk in New York City
- 1 f/m
was participant in panel discussion on "Aboriginal Oral Histories in
the Courtroom: More than a Matter of Evidence" at Liu Institute, UBC, with
media coverage in
The Tyee
and on CBC radio.
-
2 f/m
co-organized a 2-day event,
The Land We Are: A Colloquium on
Arts, Culture, and the Politics of Reconciliation',
this was open to the public
and had a high number of non-academic attendees
-
1 f/m programmed
We Demand: History/Sex/Activism,
a series of rarely
seen narrative and documentary, feature-length and short films and videos
made in Canada between 1971 and 2011 as a parallel event to
27
28
accompany the first conference in Canada since 1993 on the history of
sexuality
- 1 f/m gave guest lecture on poetics for the 2011 Early Music Baroque
vocal course "The Complete Singer"
-
1 f/m organized public (alumni) lecture on "Faulkner in Film" by Jack
Matthews, Boston University
Arts Board Memberships
(see #3 below for scholarly board memberships)
- Vancouver:
o Vancouver Public Library System (3rd largest system in Canada,
annual budget $35-40 million)
o Kootenay School of Writing (1 F/M)
o PuSh International Performing Arts Festival Society
o Scottish Studies Community Committee
o Other Sights for Artists' Projects
o
Artspeak Gallery (1 F/M)
o
Fillip
magazine (1 f/m)
o W. A. Deacon Literary Foundation
-
London:
The Happy Hypocrite
- Los Angeles: Clockshop (non-profit public art organization)
Other Collaborations
- Member, City of Vancouver arts funding jury
- Member,
The Social Mark, Transnational Poetry Collective
- at least 3 f/m are Members, Kootenay School of Writing
- Member, Lacan Salon, community-based study group in psychoanalysis
- Ad Hoc Member/Collaborator, West Coast Mammals (BC offshoot of
Toronto-based Mammalian Diving Reflex, an art and social research
atelier)
- Editor for Anvil Press (Vancouver)
-
Contributing editor,
The Capilano Review
-
Contributing Editor,
Cross Cultural
Poetics
(XCP), Minneapolis, USA
2006-
-
Principal Investigator, Scottish Oral History project (a joint university-
community collaboration to collect and digitally disseminate stories of
Scottish immigrants to British Columbia; also listed above in university
collaborations)
-
Scottish Studies Director has also created a "Community Research
Forum" webpage (on Scottish Studies website; see below) to feature
research on aspects of Scottish Studies done by members of the
community
Media Interviews and Communications
• various news interviews with CBC radio, News1013; AM640; CKNW;
Aboriginal Radio, StreetzFM, City TV; CTV; Global TV; BCIT-TV;
Toronto
29
Star, VancouverObserver.com
website,
24hrs, Globe and Mail, Vancouver
Courier,
TheTyee.com
- 1 f/m alone did 10 radio interviews or guest appearances (CKNWx 2,
CBC Radio 1x3, CJIF x 2, CFRO x 3), 6 newspaper interviews
(The
Vancouver Sun, The Province, The Globe and Mail
x 2,
24hrs, The
Optimist),
and was cited in numerous other newspapers; some of this
arose out of his work as media and communications volunteer for Occupy
Vancouver
-
1 f/m produced Scottish Studies newsletter (electronic and paper
circulation 500); revision of Scottish studies website; through these
venues, annual contacts from 50+ members of the public worldwide who
are interested in finding out more about particular Scottish topics
- 1 f/m was interviewed for the "Sound Trail Project - Life and Death in
Hampstead," sponsored by London Borough of Camden, to talk about the
^-century writer Lucy Aikin
-
1 f/m has created database of
Canada's Early Women Writers',
the
database has a wordpress site and blog, drawing comments and
contributions from the general public; graduate student researchers are
also involving families of many of these women writers in their research
Visits of Artists to Classrooms or of Class Groups to Arts Events
- in general, these have not been noted, but some of these include public
elements - e.g. a First Nations'Studies class-based event marking the
Annual Memorial March for Murdered and Missing Women by means of a
poetry reading of writers featured in
the Talking Stick festival, a screening
of a film by Metis filmmaker Christine Welsh about Canada's history of
missing and murdered women, and a discussion moderated by Indigenous
filmmaker Dorothy Christian. The public was invited to attend, discuss,
take part in refreshments, etc.
29
30
3. Research collaborations beyond SFU
Research Groups
- Co-director (with faculty member at University of Wisconsin, Madison) of
Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts in Microfiche Facsimile,
an international, multi-
institutional research project;
funded by the NEH
since 1994; contributing
researchers are from University of Illinois, Florida State University,
University of Iowa, University of Cambridge, University of Leiden,
University of Groningen, etc.
- Co-investigator, "Practicing Reconciliation: A Collaborative Study of
Aboriginal Art, Resistance and Cultural Politics,"
funded by Indian
Residential Schools' Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Canada);
team includes faculty from Thompson Rivers University, UBC Okanagan,)
the Director of Research at the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, an elder
and artist of the aboriginal community, and PhD students from SFU,
Queen's University, and Carleton University
-
Co-applicant, "Situating Reconciliation: artistic and intercultural
relationships in Canada and Australia," group of researchers, artists, and
galleries in Canada and Australia applying for SSHRC partnership grant
-
Co-applicant, "Editing Modernism in Canada" (EMiC), based at Dalhousie
University
-
Member, "Canadian Writing Research Collaboratory" (CWRC), based at
the University of Alberta; includes membership on
search committees,
advisory board, research board, and editorial committee;
funded by CFI
- Member, "Globalized Cultural Markets: the Production, Circulation and
Reception of Difference," based at University of Vigo, Spain,
funded by
the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation
-
Member, "Literary Tradition, Cultural Identities, and Theoretical
Discourses in the Anglo-Canadian Fictions of the Late 20th Century," a
Spain, UK and TransCanada Institute collaboration
funded by the
Spanish Ministry of Education
-
Co-applicant, "Articulations and archives: Propositions from Under Mill
Creek Bridge," a collaborative, inter-disciplinarygrant proposal with a
faculty member from University of Alberta,
as well as a composer, a
musician, and a translator; to date
funded by SSHRC 4A grant money
from University of Alberta
-
Collaborator, "Interacting with Print: Cultural Practices of Intermediality,
1700-1900," an interdisciplinary research group at McGill University, with
collaborators also from Universite de Montreal and University of Toronto;
outcomes include a 2-volume co-edition of
Broadview Reader in Book
History
and
Broadview Introduction to Book History
with a member of
McGill University faculty (2 other PrintCulturef/m have either given a talk
[2010] or will give a talk [2012] in workshops held by this group)
-
Volume editor of
Cambridge Edition of the Correspondence of Samuel
Richardson,
an international project involving a 14-person editorial team
31
-
Member, "Global Scotland" research network, centred at University of
Glasgow
Series Editorships, Editorial Boards, Advisory Boards
- Series Editor, Indigenous Studies Series, Wilfrid Laurier University Press
- Series co-editor, New Southern Studies series of University of Georgia
Press
-
Members (2) of editorial collective "FirstVoices, First Texts" formed to
republish Aboriginal texts that have gone out of print, using collaborative
editing practices, and working with the University of Manitoba Press.
-
Member, editorial board of
Canada and Beyond
(on-line journal),
Universidade de Vigo, Spain
- Member, editorial board of
Canadian Journal for Studies in Discourse and
Writing
- Member, editorial board of
Connotations
(based in Germany)
-
Member, advisory board of new journal
Punk &Post-punk
(out of England)
-
Member, editorial board of
International Journal of Scottish Studies
-
Member, editorial board of
Studies in Scottish Literature
- Canadian advisor, Association of Scottish Literary Studies
- Member, advisory board of "Research on Authorship as Performance
Project" (RAP), University of Ghent, 2009-2014
-
Member, editorial board of
MoEml: The Map of Early Modern London
(University of Victoria)
-
Member, editorial advisory board,
Canadian Literature
- Member, editorial
board of
nouvelles 'vues'sur le cinema quebe'cois
-
Member, editorial board of
thirdspace: a journal of feminist theory and
culture
-
Member, editorial board of
Mississippi Quarterly
-
Member, editorial board of
Southern Spaces
- Member, advisory board of "Correspondence of Elizabeth Montagu, 1718-
1800" project,
an international database project based in the UK
- Membre du comite scientifique, « Memoires du livre » (Universite de
Sherbrooke)
- Member, advisory board,
Canadian Research Experience Database
- Member, international advisory board, L.M. Montgomery Institute
(University of Prince Edward Island)
Conferences Organized
(note that many of these conferences included public
events and participation by non-academics; at the end of the list a number are
included which are actively being planned, but have not yet taken place;
organization of conference panels has not been included)
- 5 f/m co-organized a SSHRC-funded workshop on "Women and Comedy:
History, Theory, Practice," with participants from Canada, US, England, and
Italy (also involvement of practising comedians in panels and performances);
an essay collection is being prepared as follow-up to the conference
31
32
1 f/m co-organized LaConference 2011, an international conference on
psychoanalysis, culture, and society
1 f/m co-organized a SSHRC-funded conference on "We Demand:
History/Sex/Activism," with faculty from SFU (History) and Carleton
University (see also accompanying film series above, in "2. Engagements
with Communities...")
1 f/m assisted with organization of conference on "Canadian Women
Writers Conference: Space/Place/Play," Ryerson University
3 f/m are co-organizing (with one faculty member from Contemporary Arts)
the Summer Institute on Culture and Society (ICS) of the Marxist Literary
Group (affiliated with
the Modern Language Association), on the topic
"Capital, Culture, Communism"
1 f/m is co-organizing "Scientiae," a conference on early-modern natural
philosophy with a faculty member from University of Minnesota
1 f/m in early stages of planning an American Antiquarian Society
"Summer Seminar in the History of the Book" with Melissa Homestead,
Univ. of Nebraska - Lincoln
1 f/m is in early stages of co-organizing a medieval studies workshop with
Leslie Arnovick, UBC
Invited Seminars, Keynote Addresses, etc.
- 1 f/m was invited to give a 3-day graduate seminar on "North American
Cities at the Global Crossroads: Policy/Public
Space/ Affect/Gentrification"
at Universidade de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
- 1 f/m gave plenary session talk as part of a University of Alberta
conference on "Cross-Pollination: Seeding New Ground for Environmental
Thought &Activism across the Arts & Humanities"
- 1 f/m gave keynote address on "Media Cultures and the Invention of the
Bluestockings" at inaugural colloquium of the "Correspondence of
Elizabeth Montagu, 1718-1800" project, Swansea, UK
- Faculty Respondent, Asian Australian Studies Research Network Pre-
conference, Melbourne, Australia; panel composed of Canadian and
Australian academics that gave feedback to graduate students and early
career researchers on their current research projects.
Co-edited Books
(co-authored articles have not been included)
-
2 f/m co-edited
From Textto Txting: New Media in the Classroom
(Indiana
UP, 2012)
-
2 f/m (with a 3rd, non-SFU academic) co-edited
Cultural Grammars of
Nation, Diaspora, and Indigeneity in Canada
(Wilfrid Laurier UP, 2011)
-
2 f/m co-edited
Media, Technology, and Literature in the Nineteenth
Century: Image, Sound, Touch
(Palgrave Macmillan, 2011)
-
1 f/m co-edited,
as member of Urban Subjects, with 4 others,
Momentarily:
Learning from Mega-events
(Western Front, 2011)
33
- 1 f/m has co-edited, with 2 non-SFU academics,
Robert Burns and
Transatlantic Culture
1 f/m has co-edited, with 3 non-SFU academics or artists,
Tracing the
Lines: Essays in Honour of Roy Miki
(Talonbooks, 2011).
-
1 f/m has co-edited, with 1 non-SFU academic, a Fall 2011 special issue
of
West Coast Line
titled
New Directions in Asian Canadian Studies
consisting of selected and revised papers from a graduate student
conference.
Other
- Associate Dean of FASS has set up working relations and exchange
agreements with the University of Nottingham and the University of Tartu
(Estonia), and is presently working on the University of Bangor (Wales)
- Co-organizer (with colleagues from UBC and Thompson Rivers
University), Asian Canadian Graduate Student workshop, to meet a need
due to lack of regular conferences or workshops for Asian Canadian
Studies
33
APPENDIX C
Alumni Relations
34
We recommend the Department work with Advancement to identify highly
successful English Department alumni and visit with them individually. Typically
this would be done by the Department Chair and a person knowledgeable about
development. The goal of each visit is to discuss the Department'sdesire to
create a Board of Visitors (the term used at UW-Madison) to advise and support
the department's programs and goals. Advice and support could include helping
the Department design its website, reconnect with a broader range of alumni,
create an online Newsletter useful and interesting to former students, among
other insights these alumni can provide. By the way, each initial visit needn't
result in an invitation to join the Board. Though the alumni being visited have
already indicated their interest by their willingness to meet, the visit is a chance
to assess the suitability of each person-degree of interest, memories of time
spent as an English major, favorite teachers, connection between experience in
English and their success/quality of life. The Advancement liaison to the
Department and the Chair can consult later.
The Board should be large enough that 8-10 people are able to make each
meeting. Early meetings will necessarily involve educating board members
about the Department: what it does now, what its goals are, its finances and
constraints. A typical schedule for the Board for UW-Madison's English
Department
has members fly in (at their expense) for a dinner (paid by
Department or College) on a Sunday. Board members also pay their own hotel
costs, though the Department should try to swing group deals. We try to have a
Dean or some other "higher-up" at the Sunday dinner, to show administrative
support and increase interest. The Chair, a member from Advancement (the
development liaison for the Department), and board
members meet for business
the next morning, from 8-2 or so. Rolls and coffee should be available, with a
folder for each member, with writing pad, pens, handouts. Board members enjoy
meeting current students-pick articulate stars-and new faculty, who can present
briefly on their work. Several may be able to stay for a book discussion in the
early afternoon, which can be led by another faculty member.
The whole process creates a good deal of work, especially for the Chair, but it
works well if Board members are chosen who are genuinely interested in
reconnecting with the Department, and ifthe lead person in the Department
(usuallythe chair) takes a genuine interest in the members, respecting what they
have done since leaving SFU.
EXTERNAL REVIEW - ACTION PLAN
Section lnIo.be cpmpletedbyjhe Responsible Unit_Person^.g.Chajr or_Pjrector
Unit under review
Department of English
Date of Review Site visit
Feb. 8-10, 2012
Responsible Unit person,
Betty A. Schellenberg, Chair
Faculty Dean
John Craig
Note:
It is
not
expected that every recommendation made by the Review Team be covered bythis Action Plan. The
major thrusts of the Report should be identified and some consolidation of the recommendations may bepossible while
other recommendations of lesser importance may be excluded.
Should an additional response from be warranted it should be attached as a separate document.
1. PROGRAMMING
1.1 Action/s (description what
is going
to be done):
1.1.1 Undergraduate:
• Honours program -
a. Dept. willwork towards a cohort of 20 students/year
b. Dept. will consult with Honours students about impediments to application and timely completion
c. Dept. will improve advertising of the program via courses, advising, etc.
d. Dept. will address structural and administrative issues, including entrance GPA, sequencing, etc.
e. Dept. suggests that the university reconsider the requirement of 132 credit hours for Honours, since length of time to
completion appears to be a major disincentive
• Co-operative education option -
a. Dept. will work with new primary co-op coordinator for English to publicize co-op, beginning with invitation to speakto
a department meeting
b. Dept. will feature co-op student stories on its website
c. Dept. will clarify responsibilities among staff and faculty for co-op program publicity and oversight
d. Dept. will develop course links between its newWriting and Rhetoric Certificate and co-op opportunities, for example by
offering ENGL 371 (Writing: Theory & Practice) regularly, designed around practical themes such as "Writing for Non
profit Organizations"
• "W" courses -
a. Dept. feels the reviewers did not understand distinction between introductory-level "W" (WAC, not necessarily in
discipline) and discipline-specific "W" (WIC), which we offer to our majors in the 4th year. Dept. recognizes its current
role in offering WAC courses to a large number of students, and would like to participate in university-level discussions
about the future of the "W" initiative
b. Dept. notes that it has a first-year course that does teach "transferable" writingsuccessfully (ENGL 199W, "University
Writing"). This is a resource-intensive course the Dept. would be happyto offer more sections of,should other unitsor
the University choose to expand offerings.
c. Dept has alreadysubmitted a statement regarding EAL issues to the VP Academic, and does not considerthe
suggestions made here to be its concern
1.1.2 Graduate:
• Co-operative education option -
a. Dept. willconsider how co-op might be incorporated into its MAprogram
• Capstone symposium for MAprogram -
a. Dept. reaffirmsthe value of the MA symposium as the capstone event of the program, and notes the success of its
similar event for the MATE cohort program
b. Dept. will develop strategies for maximizing student and faculty attendance despite the difficulties of a trimester system
- e.g. advertising date(s) from start of academic year
1.2
Resource
implications (if
any):
• Honours program - none
•
Co-operative educationoption - none for a, b, c. Item d, offering ENGL 371 and/or equivalent theory-and-practice courses
regularly, is currently impossible because a recent retirement (with another likely in a couple of years) has depleted our Writing
and Rhetoricfaculty to a bare minimum.The Dept. asks the university to prioritizethe hiringof a Lecturer with expertise in
professional writing, seeing this as an opportunityto enhance our ability to respond to the university priorities of offering
experiential and community-integrated
learning. (This position would also servethe needs of ENGL 199W, mentioned above.)
•
Website additions will be supported by Chair'sSecretary/Webmaster; other modes of publicityby Advisor and Undergraduate
Secretary
1.3
Expected completion date/s:
•
Honours program - consultation with students has alreadytaken place; structuraland administrative changes can be made inthe
next year; we aim to grow the program to 20 students/year in 4 years
•
Co-operative education option - can be completed in 1 year, with the exception of additional ENGL 371(or equivalent) offerings;
these will be dependent on the provision of instructional monies, preferably in the form of a continuing Lecturer position
2. RESEARCH
2.1 Action/s (what is going to be done):
•
Researchdevelopment - Dept. will maintain and increase its already high level of research accomplishment by:
a. maintaining a strong culture of equal expectations and opportunity, and fosteringorganic growth of researchteams (a
relatively new paradigm in our discipline) through already existing area groups (eg. First Nations Studies, Contemporary
Literature and Poetics, Post-Colonial/Diaspora Studies, Print Culture Studies)
b. Dept. requests consideration for a
CRC position
c. Dept. has obtained 5 VPR undergraduate research grants in the past year and will continueto encouragefaculty to
pursue these; Dept. also encourages the VP Research to offer more of these grants
d. Dept. will actively encourage facultyto seek funding sources that support graduate research training
e. Dept. Chair will actively encouragefaculty who are approaching or have recentlyobtained tenure to apply for external
grants and
will provide reasonablesupport for this (eg. mentoringbysenior researchers, use of seed moneyto develop
grant proposals)
f.
Dept. Chair will invite BeverleyNeufeld, FASS Research Liaison Officer, to speak to a dept. meeting on the new SSHRC
granting structure
g. Dept. Chair will encourage faculty members to take advantage of opportunities such as the FASS Shadboit fellowships,
which offer opportunities for course release to work on a research project
h. Dept. requests that the university offer enhanced internal support for research development - e.g. teaching release
opportunities for recipients of major fellowships and grants
2.2
Resource
implications ((if any):
•
University: funding of a CRC search and position
•
Some use of internal Dept. funds to facilitate development of individual and team-based research initiatives
• VP Research to continue/enhance funding of undergraduate student research
2.3 Expected completion date/s:
• b and f- in the next year; other items - ongoing
3. ADMINISTRATION
Action/sfwhat is going to be done):
• Graduate Program Secretary -
a.
Dept. will work with the Dean's office towards increase ofthe 85% secretary position to 100% to address a problem of
constant, significant, unpaid overtime work
• Relations with World Literature -
a.
While Dept. is open to continuing and developing its collaborations with World Literature, it feels the recommendation
an amalgamation ofthe 2 depts. (made without consultation with World Literature or perusal of any documentation related
to World Literature) is inappropriate, and arises out of a misunderstanding of the very different disciplinary cultures of
depts.
Resource implicationsuf any):
•
Grad. Program Secretary- costs of this 15% increase should be considerably lower than the cost ofthe CUPE 4.0 position that
Department eliminated in 2009 by combining the previous General Office Receptionist (CUPE 4.0) and Undergraduate Program
Secretary (CUPE 6.0) positions into one CUPE 6.0 position of Undergraduate Secretary/Receptionist
Expected completion date/s:
•
Grad. Program Secretary - we will work with the Dean's office to enable a transition to full-time as soon as possible
4. WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Action/s(what is going to be done):
• Career development/retention planning
a. Recommendation is directed to Dean and senior administration
b.
In addition, Dept. Chair will continue to make career development of faculty members a high priority, particularly those
entering mid-career, in recognition of our outstanding faculty cohort
Resource implicationstif any):
•
Resources to be made available by the administration as needed
Expected completion date/s:
• Ongoing
5. ALUMNI DEVELOPMENT
5.1 Action/s:
• Alumni development -
a. Dept. will plan to offer two alumni-centred events per academic year
b. Dept. will designate a member of its Action Committee to serve as Alumni Coordinator for these events (in consultation with
the Chair and our Dept. Endowment Advisor)
c. Dept. will establish a
committee of English Dept. alumni to advise and assist with alumni relations
d. Dept. will use the resources and advice available through Alumni Relations and FASS Advancement staff to develop best
practices for alumni relations
e. Dept. requests that the university enhance support for record-keeping, advising, and assisting with alumni communications
and event planning
5.2 Resource implications(if any):
•
Approx. $5000/year for event plans; Dept. will use internal activity funds supplemented by grants available from Alumni Relations
and/or FASS for pilot projects
•
University support for record-keeping, website work, and a possible e-newsletter by Chair's Secretary/Webmaster of Dept.
5.3
Expected completion date/s:
• Already in progress; expected full implementation in 2 years
The above action plan has been considered by the Unit under review and has been discussed and agreed to by the Dean.
Unit Leader-Deigned)
Name
L^^4-^^^^
Title.
.Q^...,2^t.±i%^
Date
,,
Section 2 - Dean'scomments and endorsement of the Action Plan :
I met with Betty Schellenberg, Chair of the Department of English, on 17 April to discuss the external review prepared by
Professors Bennett
(University of Calgary), Graves (University of Alberta) and Schaub (University of Wisconsin-Madison).
I have given close consideration to the external review and to the detailed response from the Department of English. The
external reviewers have produced a thoughtful document capturing many of the strengths found in the Department and some of
the challenges it faces. Ifully concur with their pithy statement that the Department is 'verygood'in every area and Iwelcome
the substantive, thoughtful and persuasive response to the review found above.
I am in full agreement with the actions proposed by the Department. Specifically, we will work closely with the Department to
find the necessary funding for converting the graduate secretary's position from 85% to 100%
John Craig
Dean
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Faculty Dean
Date
Uils
^€>/Z_
Uk
SFU
MEMORANDUM
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND I'ROVOS'l
University Drive, Burnaby, B(]
Canada V5A 1S6
TEL: 778.782.3925
FAX 778.782.5876
S.12-144
www.sni.ca/vpacademic
attention
Senate
date
September 12,2012
Jon Driver, Vice-President, Academic and
pages
1/1
Provost, and Chair, SCUP
Faculty of Education: Name Change of the Institute for Research on Early Education and
Child Health to Centre for Research on Early Child Health and Education (SCUP 12-2^
FROM
RE:
At its September 5, 2012 meeting SCUP reviewed and approved the proposil foil the request of name
change from Institute for Research on Early Education and Child Health to t^ennre for Research on Early
Child Health and Education.
Motion:
That Senate approve the name of the Institute for Research on Early Education and Child Health be
changed to
Centre for Research on Early Child Health and Education.
end.
c: M. Hoskyn
M. Pinto
SIMON PHASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
Norbcrt H. Haunerland, HU>
AssociateVice-President, Rest-arch
Professor
of Biological Sciences
MAILING ADDRESS
8S88 University Drive
Burnaby BC Canada
V5A lS6
xu: 778-782.4152
pax: 778.7Si.4860
www.sfu.ca/vptcseaich
SFU
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, RESEARCH
ATTENTION
Sarah Dench, Secretary
Senate Committee on University Planning (SCUP)
SCUP 12-27
FROM Norbert Haunerland, Associate Vice President, Research
RE Renaming of the Institute for Research on Early Education and Child
Health (REACH)
DATE August 23, 2012
Attached is a letter from Dr. Maureen Hoskyn, requesting that the name of the
Institute for Research on Early Education and Child Health (REACH)
be changed to the
Centre for Research on Early Child Health and Education
(CRECHE). There is a research centre operating at the University of Victoria that is
named REACH, causing confusion to donors and to many of the members of the
community where they conduct research and programs. Also, the name change more
accurately reflects it's status as a research centre
I recommend approval. Once approved by SCUP the request should be sent to Senate
and the Board of Governors for information.
Motion:
That SCUP approve the name of the Institute fo/HR.esearch op^arryHkiucation and
Child Health (REACH) be changed to the
Centre] fo^J^search on Ea% Child
Health and Education (CRECHE).
,
Attachment
C:
Dr. M. Hoskyn. Faculty of Education
a
£^w
Dr. rJorbert Haunerland
Associate Vice-President, Research
SIMON PRASES UNIVERSITY
THINKING OF THE WORLD
August 20, 2012
Dr. Mario Pinto,
Vice-President Research,
SFU, Burnaby, B.C.
Dear Dr. Pinto,
Iam writingthis memo to request that the Institute for Researchon Early Child Health and Education
(REACH) be renamed to the Centre for Research on Early Child Health and Education (CRECHE). There is
a research centre operating at the University of Victoria that is named REACH, and we find that this is
causingconfusion to donors and to many of the members of the community where we conduct research
and programs.
Our proposed name accurately reflects the past and current activities of our research centre. This name
change has been discussed with, and approved by Dr. Kris Magnussen, the Dean of the Faculty of
Education.
Kind regards,
Maureen Hoskyn,
Executive Director.
MEMO
Dean of
Graduate Studies
STREET M'DKhSS
Maggie Benston Student
Services Centre 1100
Burnaby BC V>A iSr,
Canada
MAIL INC ADDRESS
8888 University Drive
Burnaby
BC
V5A 1S6
Canada
SFU
S.12-145
| TO Senate
| TEL
| FROM
Wade Parkhouse, Dean, Graduate
Studies
C^jK.
Cl^SJy^£^^^-^
| RE Faculty of Arts and Soci
al Sciences
[GS2012.341
CC Paul Budra
, DATE 11 September 2012
For information:
Acting under delegated authority at its meeting of 10 September 2012, SGSC
approved the following curriculum revision:
Effective Date is Spring 2013
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Courses to be reinstated; were temporarily WD S.12-71
LS 811-5 Tradition and Modernity
[GS2012.34]
Senators wishing to consult a more detailed report of curriculum revisions may do so by going
to Docushare: https://docushare.sfu.ca/dsweb/View/Collection-12682
If you are unable to access the information, please call 778-782-3168 or email
shellev «air(S)sfu.ca.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
MEMO
Office of the Dean
STREET ADDRESS
Academic Quadrangle
Room 6168
MAILING ADDRESS
8888 University Drive
Burnaby BC Canada
V>A 1S6
604-291-4414 (Tel
www.sfu.ca/arts (Web)
SFU
FACULTY OF
ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
GS2012.34
ATTENTION Wade Parkhouse, Dean of Graduate Studies
FROM Paul Budra, assoc. dean FAS5
RE LS81 1 reinstatement
DATE Sept. 10/2012
Graduate Liberal Studies would like to offer LS811 this spring. Unfortunately, the
course has been temporarily withdrawn. Would you please have the course
reinstated?
Many thanks.
SIMON H<ASi:i< UNIVIMISITY
THINKING OF THE WORLD
MEMO
Dean of
Graduate Studies
STREET AUDI*. ESS
Maggie Benston Student
Services Centre 1100
Burnaby BC VsA 1S6
Canada
MAI 1.1 NC ADDR ESS
8888 University Drive
Burnaby BC VsA iSr.
Canada
SFU
S.12-146
TO Senate
TEL
FROM Wade Parkhousc, Dean, Graduate Studies
UCjKc\
RE Faculty of Education
JGS2012.31
CC John Nesbit
DATE 11 September 2012
For information:
Acting under delegated authority at its meeting of 10 September 2012, SGSC
approved the following curriculum revision:
Effective
Date
is
Spring 2013
Faculty of Education
Counselling Psychology (Master of Arts) Program
Minor Course Change -Addition
of criminal record check requirement for:
EDUC 862-4 Individual Assessment in Counselling
EDUC 870-4 Theories ofCounselling
IGS2012.31
Senators wishing to consult a more detailed report of curriculum revisions may do so by going
to Docushare: https://docushare.sfu.ca/ds\veb/Vie\v/Collection-12682
If you are unable to access the information, please call 778-782-3168 or email
shellev aairtfz)sfu.ca.
SIMON FKASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
SFU
GS2012.31
Office of the Dean of Graduate Studies
MEMO
To: Senate
From: Peter Liljedahl, Dean of Graduate Studies (Acti
Subject: Minor Course Changes
DATE: August 1,2012
For information
Acting under delegated authority on August 1, 2012, the Acting Dean of Graduate
Studies approved the following minor courses changes:
Addition of the prerequisite of a Criminal Records check to:
EDUC 862-4 Individual Assessment in Counselling
EDUC 870-4 Theories
of Counselling
The effective date for these pre-requisites is September 2012
Any Senator wishing to consult the complete reports
of Faculty recommendations
should Contact Shelley Gair, Senate Assistant at (778) 782-3168 or email
shelley_gair@sfu.ca.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES
Graduate Course minor Change Form
This form is for an SFU department or program to request aminor change to an existing graduate course. After approval and
signature
approval by
by the
Senate
faculty
Graduate
graduate
Studies
studies
Committee
committee,
(SGSC).
this
SGSC
form
will
should
forward
be forwarded
the approval
to
to
the
Senate
Dean
for
of
information.
Graduate Studies for
> Department
Contact name
DR. ROBIN BRAYNE
Contact email
rbraynefSsfu.ca
Department /School / Program
EDUCATION
Please revise the following elementsofthe indicated graduate course:
at/fcc/i^q
o Catalogue number
o Units
o Title
o Description
g/Othen Joadd criminal record check requirement
L
i. . •
Cu
f:'ew
t Course
Please complete only the fields to be changed.
Program (eg.LBST)
EDUC
Number(eg.810|
862
Course title (max 80 characters!
Unitsleg. 4)
Short title (appears on transcripts, max 25 characters)
Course
description for SFU Calendar
o see attached
Available course components o Lecture
o Seminar
o Laboratory
o Practicum
o Online
o
Practicum work done in this class will involve children or
vulnerable adults (If the "Yes" box is checked, all students and
instructors will require criminal record checks)
oYes oNo
Grading basis
o Graded
o Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory
o In Progress/Complete o_
Prerequisites (ifany)
This is combined with an undergrad course.
o Yes
o No
Course number and units:
Additional course requirements for graduate students
approvals
5Uaa
Kj<&{>\f
Faculty graduate studies committee name
Senate graduate studies committee name
Signatu
Signature
'
y
r e v is e D
Course
Please complete onlythe fieldsto be changed.
Program (eg. LBST)
EDUC
Number(eg.810)
862
Course title (max80 characters)
Units (eg. 4)
L
Short title (appears on transcripts, max25characters)
Course description for SFU Calendar
o see attached
Available course components
o Lecture
o Seminar
o Laboratory
o Practicum
o Online
o
Practicum work done in this class will involve children or
vulnerable adults (If the "Yes" box is checked, all studentsand
instructors will require criminal record checks)
yY
Yes o No
Grading basis
o Graded o Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
o In Progress/Complete o
Prerequisites (ifany)
Thisis combined with an undergrad course.
o
Yes
o No
Course number and units:
Additional course requirements for graduate students
o\v 3/
Date
J
7
Date
SIMON FRASBR UNIVERSITY
DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES
Graduate Course minor Change Form
This form is for an SFU department or program to request aminor change to an existing graduate course. After appr^l and
signature by the faculty graduate studies committee, this form should be forwarded to the Dean of Graduate Stud.es for
approval by the Senate Graduate Studies Committee [SGSC). SGSC will forward the approval to Senate for information.
Department
Department/School/Program
EDUCATION
Contact name
DR. ROBIN BRAYNE
Contact email
rbrayneOsfu.ca
Please revise the following elements of the indicated graduate course:
^tttiatS}**/
o Catalogue number
o Units
o Title
o Description
o/other: Joadd_cnminal record check regu.rement _jggv
V"T.
]> Cu rrent Course
Please complete only the fields to be changed.
Program (eg. LBST)
EDUC
Number(eg.810)
870
Course title (max 80 characters)
Units (eg.
A]
Short title (appears on transcripts, max25 characters)
Course description for SFU Calendar
o see attached
Available course components o Lecture
o Seminar
o Laboratory
o Practicum
o Online
o
Practicum work done in this class will involve children or
vulnerable adultsllf the "Yes" box is checked, all studentsand
instructorswill require criminal record checks)
oYes oNo
Grading basis
o Graded
o Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory
o In Progress/Complete o
Prerequisites (ifany)
This is combined with an undergrad course.
o Yes
o No
Course number and units:
Additional course requirements for graduate students
approvals
Faculty
icutty graduate studies
stuaies committee nai
name
Signature
Senate graduate studies committee name
Signature
L
-
reviseD Course
Please complete onlythe fields to be changed.
Program (eg. LBST)
EDUC
Number(eg.810)
870
Course title (max 80 characters)
Units[eg. 4)
Short title (appears on transcripts, max 25 characters)
Course description for SFU Calendar
o see attached
Available course components
o Lecture
o Seminar
o Laboratory
o Practicum
o Online
o
Practicum work done in this class will involve children or
vulnerable adultsllf the "Yes" box is checked, all studentsand
instructorswill require criminal record checks)
J
Yes o No
Grading basis
o Graded
o Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
o In Progress/Complete o
.
Prerequisites (ifany)
Thisis combined with an undergrad course.
o
Yes
o No
Course number and units:
Additional course requirements for graduate students
•±
(v
?{ Zcj[
Date
Date
&!£.
!
i
2&l3=z
Wording for the pre-requisite:
"Students must successfully complete a Criminal Record Check"
MEMO
Dean of
Graduate Studies
SIR EET A DDR ESS
Maggie Benston Student
Services Centre 1100
Burnaby BC V>A 1S6
Canada
MAUI NO ADDRESS
8888 University Drive
Burnaby BC VsA iSfi
Canada
SFU
S.12-147
| TO Senate
| TEL
FROM
Wade Parkhouse, Dean, Graduate Studies
L^__J\ G_^y^x/^e-*^-
1RE Faculty of Health Sciences
[GS2012.32]
| CC Craig Janes
! DATE 11 September
2012
For information:
Acting under delegated authority at its meeting of 10 September 2012, SGSC
approved the following curriculum revision:
Effective Date is Summer 2013
Faculty of Health Sciences
[GS2012.32J
Master of Public Health
Environmental and Occupational Health Stream
1. General Description: editorial change
2. Program Requirements - changes:
i) Removal of: HSCl 848-3 Toxicology, Susceptibility and Environmental Health
ii) Replace with: HSCl 776-3 Seminar in Molecular Basis
of Drug Action and
Environmental Exposure
iii) Increase to list of electives from SFU
iv) Increase to list of electives to include other institutions
Senators wishing to consult a more detailed report
of curriculum revisions may do so by going
to Docushare: https://docushare.sfu.ca/dsweb/View/Collection-12682
If you are unable to access the information, please call 778-782-3168 or email
shelley aair(rt)sfu.ca.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
SFU
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
engaging the world
Faculty of Health Sciences
Phone:778-782-4821
MEMORANDUM
GS2012.32
DATE:
August 29, 2012
TO:
Wade Parkhouse, Dean of Graduate Studies
CC:
FROM:
RE:
Margo Moore, Associate Dean Education-""^
MPH Environmental Health Stream Changes
At its meeting of August 20th, 2012, the Faculty of Health Sciences approved the
following changes to the Environmental and Occupational Health Requirements
and is recommending them to SGSC.
FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES
BLUSSON HALL, ROOM 11300,
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY,
8888 UNIVERSITY DRIVE,
BURNABY BC,
CANADA, V5A 1S6
KI©ID¥1P
AUG 3 0 2012
DEAN OF GRADUATE
STUDIES OFFICE
Proposed changes to calendar entry for EOH stream, June 2012
From:
To:
-
Environmental and Occupational Health
Environmental and Occupational Health
Concentration
Concentration
The objective of this concentration is to train
This concentration trains The obiective ofthis
practitioners for practice, research, and leadership
concentration is to train practitioners for practice.
positions in environmental health. Environmental health
research, and leadership positions in environmental
sciences is a complex, multifaceted field dedicated both
health. Environmental health sciences is a complex,
to protecting communities and workers from
multifaceted field that is dedicated both to protecting
environmental factors that adversely impact human
communities and workers from environmental factors
health and to maintaining the ecological balances
that adversely impact human health, and to maintaining
essential to long-term human health and environmental
the ecological balances essential to long-term human
quality. Environmental health is one ofthe largest areas
health and environmental quality. Environmental health
of public health, comprising a large percentage ofpublic
is one ofthe largest areas of public health comprising a
health practitioners.
large percentage of public health practitioners.
A number of our faculty have interests in Environmental
A number of our facultv have interests in Environmental
and Occupational Health
and Occupational Health.
In addition to the core courses listed above requirements.
In addition to the core requirements, students must
students who choose this concentration will must
complete the following courses:
complete all of the following courses:
All
of:
All of:
•
HSCl 815-3 Concepts of Population and Public
•
HSCl 815-3 Concepts of Population and Public
Health Practice
Health Practice
•
HSCl 847-3 Risk Assessment and
•
HSCl 847-3 Risk Assessment and
Communication for Human Health
Communication for Human Health
•
HSCl 849-3 Environmental and Occupational
•
HSCl 849-3 Environmental and Occupational
Epidemiology
Epidemiology
and one of
and one of
•
HSCl 824-3 Comparative Health Care Systems
•
HSCl 824-3 Comparative Health Care Systems
•
HSCl 827-3 Analysis of the Canadian Health
•
HSCl 827-3 Analysis
of the Canadian Health
Care System
Care System
and one of
and one of
•
HSCl 830-3 Health Promotion
•
HSCl 830-3 Health Promotion
•
HSCl 835-3 Social and Behavioral contexts of
•
HSCl 835-3 Social and Behavioral contexts of
Health and Disease
Health and Disease
and one of
•
HSCl 846-3 Environmental Health Exposure
Assessment and Analysis
•—HSCl 848 3 Toxicology, Susceptibility and
Environmental Health
•
HSCl 776-3 Seminar in Molecular Basis of
Drue Action and Environmental Exposure
and two ef electives.
The following three courses are highly recommended
electives: however, see link on the FHS website with a
longer list of electives that mav be chosen in
consultation with vour senior supervisor.
•
HSCl 804-3 Biostatistics for Population Health
Practice II
•
HSCl 850-3 Air Pollution and Human Health
•
HSCl 855-3 Disease Prevention and Control
With the approval ofthe senior supervisor and consent
of the Graduate Program Director, a student may
substitute one course from this list with an HSCl
olcctivo. or from another departmont or facultv electives
from this list and one elective drawn from other
institutions. See FHS website.
and one of
•
HSCl 846-3 Environmental Health Exposure
Assessment and Analysis
•
HSCl 776-3 Seminar in Molecular Basis of
Drug Action and Environmental Exposure
and two electives.
The following three courses are highly recommended
electives; however, see link on the FHS website with a
longer list of electives that may be chosen in
consultation with your senior supervisor.
•
HSCl 804-3 Biostatistics for Population Health
Practice II
•
HSCl 850-3 Air Pollution and Human Health
•
HSCl 855-3 Disease Prevention and Control
With the approval of the senior supervisor and consent
ofthe Graduate Program Director, a student may
substitute electives from this list and one elective drawn
from other institutions. See FHS website.
MEMO
Dean of
Graduate Studies
STREET ADDRESS
Maggie Benston Student
Services Centre 1100
Burnaby BC V>A iSr.
Canada
MAI I.I NC A DPI*. ESS
8888 University Drive
Burnaby
BC
V>A
1S6
Canada
SFU
S.12-148
| TO Senate
| TEL
FROM Wade Parkhouse, Dean,
Graduate Studies
uS3
Lk—
| RE Faculty of Science
|GS2012.33]
CC Peter R
ih e n
DATE 11 So
ptember
2012
For information:
Acting under delegated authority at its meeting of 10 September 2012, SGSC
approved the following curriculum revision:
Effective Date is Spring 2013
Faculty of Science
Courses to be re-instated; were temporarily WD S. 12-71
EASC 619-3 Environmental Geoscience
MATH 767-3 Dynamical Systems
[GS2012.33]
Senators wishing to consult a more detailed report of curriculum revisions may do so by going
to Docushare: https://docushare.sfu.ca/dsweb/Vie\v/Collection-12682
If you are unable to access the information, please call 778-782-3168 or email
shelley gair@sfu.ca.
SIMON PHASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
SFU
MEMORANDUM
FACULTY OF SCIENCF.
Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies
TASC2 9808
TEL 778.782.9351
8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC
FAX 778.782.3424
Canada V5A 1S6
ATTENTION
Senate Committee on Graduate Studies
DATE
August 28,2012
FROM
Peter Ruben, Associate Dean
\^\J
/***
PAGES
1/1
PI-FYS 801 Changes
RE:
V\LuCu
GS2012.33
pruben@sfb.ca
The Department ofEarth Sciences wishes to reactivate EASC 619, "Environmental Geosciences", to be
offered in Spring term, 2013. On behalf ofthe Faculty Graduate Studies Committee, this has my
approval, and I request that the Senate Committee on Graduate Studies approves this request.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
engaging the world
SFU
SIMON
FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
To:
Senate
From:
Jo Hinchliffe, Secretary
Senate Nominating Committee
Date:
September 14, 2012
Subject: Senate Committee Elections
^AvcVd^
S.12-149
This is a summary of the Senate committee election results from the September Senate meeting and
outstanding vacancies. Senators who wish to submit a nomination must send an email to the
secretary of the Senate Nominating Committee (joah@sfu.ca). These nominations must be received
by the secretary no later than Friday,
September 28, 2012.
Nominations received after that time will
not be accepted. Senators making nominations must ensure in advance that the nominee is willing to
stand for election.
If only one nomination is received for a position, the position will be elected by acclamation. If more
than one nomination is received for a position, online voting will be held following the Senate
meeting on Monday, October 1, 2012. An email will be sent to all senators with information about
the candidates and a link to the online voting system. Voting will be permitted for 48 hours and
election results will be released within three days of the end of voting.
COMMITTEE POSITION
TERM
(starting
June
1/12)
NOMINATIONS
RECEIVED
(after the Sept Senate
meeting)
ELECTION
RESULTS
(from the Sept Senate
meeting)
DQAC
Undergraduate Student
1 year
ESC
Student Senator
2 years
REB**
2 Members from the
University Community
1 year
Student member (regular -
to replace Heather Palis)
1 year
SAB
Graduate Student (alternate) 2 years
SCAR
Senator
2 years
Anke Kessler
Student Senator (alternate)
2 years
sees
Faculty Senator
2 years
Student Senator (alternate)
2 years
SCEMP
Undergraduate Student
Senator
1 year
Graduate Student (at large)
1 year
SCIA
Faculty (EDUC)
2 years
Kumari Beck
Faculty (Lifelong Learning)
2 years
SCODA
Student member (regular; to
replace Jennifer Brooks)
1 year
Cody Coombes (reg)
SCUH
Senator (ARTS)
1 year
Senator (EDUC)
3 years
Senator (SCI)
2 years
SCUP
Faculty Senator (HSCI)
1 year
Kitty Corbett
Faculty Senator (EDUC - to
replace Michelle Nilson
Levisohn)
1 year
Convocation Senator (to
replace Jennifer
McRae)
2 years
Tracey Leacock
Graduate Student Senator
(alternate)
1 year
SCUTL
Faculty (EDUC)
3 years
Faculty (ARTS)
2 years
Adrienne Burk
Faculty (HSCI - to replace
Kitty Corbett)
3 years
Nienke Van Houten
SGSC
Graduate Student (alternate) 1 year
SLC/LPAC
Dual Position
2 Graduate Students
(regular and alternate)
1 year
(reg)
2 years
(alt)
SNC
Faculty Senator (ARTS)
2 years
Anke Kessler
Faculty Senator (ENV)
1 year
Faculty Senator (HSCI)
2 years
Faculty Senator (SCI)
1 year
Student Senator
1 year
Graduate Student
1 year
SPCSAB
Faculty member
1 year
Graduate Student (alternate) 1 year
Fatemeh Rostamzadeh
Renani (alt)
SGAAC
Faculty member
1 year
2 Graduate Students
(regular and alternate)
1 year
Fatemeh Rostamzadeh
Renani (reg)
SUAAC
Faculty member
1 year
Undergraduate Student
(alternate)
1
year
Emily MacLean (alt)
* The regular positions are filled by the candidates who receive the most votes, unless a candidate
has requested the alternate position.
** Memberships on the Research Ethics Board are for one year terms while a review is under way.
Page 2 of 3
CC
Calendar Committee
CRUA
Committee to Review University Admissions
DQAC
Diverse Qualifications Adjudication Committee
ESC
Electoral Standing Committee
LPAC
Library Penalties Appeal Committee
REB
Research Ethics Board
SAB
Senate Appeals Board
SCAR
Senate Committee on Agenda and Rules
SCCS
Senate Committee on Continuing Studies
SCEMP
Senate Committee on Enrolment Management and Planning
SCIA
Senate Committee on International Activities
SCODA
Senate Committee on Disciplinary Appeals
SCUH
Senate Committee on University Honours
SCUP
Senate Committee on University Priorities
SCUS
Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies
SCUTL
Senate Committee on University Teaching and Learning
SGAAC
Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee
SGSC
Senate Graduate Studies Committee
SLC
Senate Library Committee
SNC
Senate Nominating Committee
SPCSAB
Senate Policy Committee on Scholarships, Awards & Bursaries
SUAAC
Senate Undergraduate Awards Adjudication Committee
Page 3 of3
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