S.13-99

SFU

MEMORANDUM

OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT. ACADEMIC AND PROVOST

University Drive, Burnaby, BC

Canada V5A 1S6

TEL: 778.782.3925

FAX: 778.782.5876

vpacad@sfu.ca

www.sfu.ca/vpacademic

attention Senate

date

June 19,2013

from

|on Driver, Vice-President, Academic and

pages

1/1

Provost, and Chair, SCUP

Senate Guidelines for External Reviews of Academic Units (SCUP 13-34)

RE:

At itsJune 19, 2013 meeting, SCUP reviewed and approved the revised Senate Guidelines for

External Reviews of Academic Units.

Motion:

That Senate approve the revised Senate Guidelines for External Reviews of Academic Units.

c: G. Nicholls

SIMON PHASES UNIVERSITY

engaging the world

S.13-99

SFU

MEMORANDUM

OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST

University Drive, Burnaby, BC

TEL: 778.782.3925

Canada V5A 1S6

FAX: 778.782.5876

attention

SCUP

date

June 12,2013

from

Jon Driver, Vice-President, Academic and

pages

1/1

Provost, and Chair, SCUP

Senate Guidelines for External Reviews of Academic Units

RE:

SCUP 13-34

vpacad@sfu.ca

www.sru.ca/vpacademic

Attached are the revised Senate Guidelines for External Reviews of Academic Units. The last revision of

the guidelines was in May 2000. In addition to minor edits, points have been added to Section 3.2 Unit

Self-Study regarding the Senate-approved requirement for the inclusion of educational goals and

evaluation

of goals as part of the external review process. These revised guidelines will take effect upon

approval by Senate.

Motion:

That SCUP approve and recommend to Senate the revised Senate Guidelines for External Reviews of

Academic Units.

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

ENGAGING THE WORLD

SFU

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

ENGAGING THE WORLD

Senate Guidelines for

External Reviews of Academic Units

1. Review Cycle:

All academic units1 are reviewed on a periodic basis, normally once every seven years. The

purpose of such reviews is to enable units to conduct their own assessments of their

strengths and weaknesses, to obtain the views of external experts in the field, and to

support academic planning.

2. Review Purpose:

The review process is intended to ensure that:

(a)

The quality of the unit's programs is high and there are measures in

place to ensure the evaluation and revision of the teaching programs.

(b)

The quality of faculty research is high and faculty collaboration and

interaction provides a stimulating academic environment.

active role in the dissemination of knowledge.

(d) The unit's environment is conducive to the attainment of the objectives

of the unit.

Review committees should make their assessments taking into account the resources

currently available to the unit and the University.

3. Review Process:

3.1 Initiation:

The review will be initiated by the Vice-President, Academic, after consultation with the

Dean of the Faculty and the unit involved. The Dean of Graduate Studies shall be

involved in external reviews in relation to graduate programs and graduate student issues.

External reviews are normally conducted for Departments, Schools and non-departmentalized Faculties. However, some programs

without department-equivalent status (e.g., Cognitive Science) are also reviewed on a regular basis.

Units will be informed of impending reviews at least one year before the site visit by

external reviewers. SCUP and Senate will be informed of the units scheduled for review

prior to the start of the academic year in which reviews occur. The dates of the external

review committee visit and a detailed schedule for the visit will be arranged by the Vice-

President, Academic in consultation with the Dean and the unit.

The Vice-President, Academic will prepare the terms of reference for the review

committee in consultation with the Vice-President, Research, the Dean

of the Faculty,

the Dean of Graduate Studies and the unit.

3.2 Unit Self-Study:

The unit will engage in a period ofself-study ofone to two semesters, possibly including a

retreat, during which its members shall consider all aspects ofthe activities included in its

academic plan and will prepare a report covering the following areas:

a. Institutional role, unit role and activities, goals and aspirations;

b. A statement

of educational goals for each academic program2

(commencing with reviews in the spring term of2014);

c. An evaluation of the success of the unit in meeting the educational

goals ofits program(s), using methods and evidence selected by the

academic unit (commencing with reviews scheduled for spring term

of 2015). The evaluation should include evidence for student

demand, access to courses, quality of teaching, educational

experiences (including co-op and exchange opportunities), student

academic achievement, scholarships and awards, student opinions of

courses and programs, degrees and other credentials completed,

student experience and satisfaction following graduation;

d. Quality

ofscholarship demonstrated through grants, graduate student

achievements, knowledge mobilization (including publication,

patents, applications and impact on communities), awards, citations,

honours, and appointments;

e. Service to the community demonstrated by public service activity,

involvement in related community groups, membership on boards or

similar bodies;

f. Collegial environment for all members (faculty, staffand students) of

the unit;

g. Appropriate orientation and training, support for all employee

development;

h. Resources for unit activities: faculty, staff, operating budget, space,

equipment and library holdings (including the process for

determining collection strategies);

i. Planning for the renewal ofthe unit's faculty members.

Definition of Program; Minor, Major, Master and Doctorate

The self-study shall include, at minimum, a standard set of data provided by the Office

ofthe Vice-President, Academic (Academic Information Report and the Five-Year

Historical Research Funding Report). The unit may supplement this if it so wishes.

The unit's most recent Academic Plan must also be forwarded to the external review

committee. The self-study report prepared by the unit shallbe made available to all

members of the unit (faculty, staffand students) prior to being forwarded to the

external review committee.

3.3 Student Involvement:

Undergraduate and graduate students shall be encouraged to participate in the

preparation

of material for the unit self-study and student input will be sought

throughout the process. Student contributions will be included or reflected in the self-

study. The Chair/Director/Dean should contact the student unions (undergraduate

and graduate) and student representatives on unit committees, as well as publicizing

the review in classesand within the unit. The students will have meetings with the

external review committee.

3.4 Review Committee:

The external review committee normally will consist of three persons external to the

university who are senior members

of the discipline, some of whom have had

administrative experience. The unit will be asked to provide the Vice-President,

Academic with a list of reviewers who represent a broad cross-section of the discipline

and

who are considered to be outstanding faculty members and objective reviewers.

The Vice-President, Academic shall appoint the members of the external review

committee. The external review committee will primarily be composed offaculty

members from Canadian universities outside British Columbia and from universities in

the USA where necessary. Both genders will be represented on the committee.

The Vice-President, Academic will also appoint an internal member from the

University community who will be a member of the committee and who will provide

the review committee with contextual advice about the environment and operations

of Simon Fraser University but not be involved in the authoring of the report.

The site visit, which could be two or three daysin length, will be co-ordinated by the

Vice President, Academic. The Vice President, Academic and the Dean will meet

with the review committee at the start of the visit to discuss guidelines for the review

and the preparation of the report. The committee will also meet with the unit'sfaculty

and staff members, graduate and undergraduate students, as well as with others with

responsibilities affecting the unit. Members of the external review committee should

avoid informal social events with members of the unit during the site visit.

Where the unit under review has strong connections to other units at SFU, the

Dean/Chair or Director of that cognate unit may request an interview with the

review committee.

A written and signed confidential submission to the review committee may be made

by any individual or group ofindividuals who are unable to meet with the reviewers

during the site visit.

Information or allegations regarding specific individuals received by the review

committee will be transmitted to the Vice-President, Academic and handled in

accordance with established University procedures. If the review committee receives

general comments or complaints that the environment in the unit is not conducive to

a high quality of teaching, learning, research and working, the committee may

comment and make recommendations on this in its report or may take the issue up

privately with the Vice-President, Academic.

At the conclusion ofits visit and within 6 weeks, the review committee will submit a

detailed report, including a full and frank assessment of the unit's mission, its various

activities, the quality of the unit and its programs, and the resource allocations to and

within the unit as well as any issues identified in the Terms of Reference.

The report of the review committee will be a public document. Any supplementary

reports concerning confidential matters will not form part of the public record but will

be made available to the appropriate University officers. Any individuals named will be

apprised

of the information and provided with an opportunity to comment.

4. Developing an Action Plan:

The External Review Report will be submitted to the Vice President, Academic and

circulated to the:

(a) unit involved (including faculty, staffand students)

(b) Vice-President, Research

(d) Dean ofGraduate Studies

The unit will review the External Review Report and prepare a response in conjunction

with the Dean of the Faculty and a representative of the Office of the Vice-President,

Academic. This response will take the form ofan Action Plan to be implemented

according to an agreed time Hne. The Action Plan will be endorsed by the Dean of the

Faculty. For a non-departmentalized Faculty, the Action Plan will be endorsed by the

Vice-President, Academic. The Action Plan and the External Review Report together

with the comments

of the Dean will be presented to SCUP for review and to Senate for

discussion and advice.

The Dean shall consider the advice of Senate and amend the Action Plan if necessary. The

unit will be responsible for implementing the agreed Action Plan.

5. Follow Up

Reviewed units will prepare a report on progress being made in the implementation of

the Action Plan in the fourth year following the review. This report will be presented to

SCUP and Senate for information.

June 2013