S.09-53

As amended by Senate

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April 6, 2009

MEMO

Dean of

Graduate Studies

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TO Senate

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T

STREET AI)DRESS

Maggie Benston

Student Services

Centre 1100

Burnaby BC VsA iA6

Canada

MAILING ADDRESS

8888 University Drive

Burnaby BC VA iAo

Canada

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DATE 11 March 2009

At its meeting of February 9, 2009 SGSC approved the following change to

G.G.R.

1.6.3, 1.6.4. 1.9.1

and is recommending the following motions to Senate.

Motion Number 1:

G.G.R. 1.6.3 Senior Supervisor

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[SGSC 2009.04]

Motion:

That all SFU faculty members be eligible to supervise

candidates

.gcaduato-students._degrees

forMaster s

whose degree culminates in a project, extended essay, field or

comprehensive examination.

Rationale:

Currently,

all

graduate students must be supervised by a faculty member holding the

rank of assistant professor or higher. This restriction made sense when most students

completing a master's degree were writing a thesis but over the last few years the

capstone requirement for a master's degree has been expanded to include projects,

extended essays, field or comprehensive examinations. Presently, many students are

choosing capstones other than a thesis and SGSC felt that many of these capstones

could be supervised by suitably qualified faculty outside the professorial ranks. As is

the current practice, the academic unit's graduate program committee must approve

and recommend to SGSC for approval the senior supervisor and supervisory

committee composition (if needed) allowing for quality control.

FROM Wade Parkhouse, Dean, Graduate Studies

RE Graduate General Re

g ulationl.6.3, 1.6.4.

1.9.11GS2009.04

Motion Number 2:

G.G.R. 1.6.4 Supervisory Committee

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[SGSC 2009.04]

Motion:

That a supervisory committee not be required for students whose degree

programs culminate in an extended essay, field or comprehensive

examination.

Rationale:

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Presently, a supervisory committee is required for

all

students in degree programs but

not for students in diploma programs. One rationale for this distinction was that

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

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THINKING OF THE WORLD

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diploma programs were essentially course-based. Similar to diploma programs, students

whose degree programs culminate in an extended essay, field or comprehensive

examination are also mostly course-based. In these situations, SGSC felt that the senior

supervisor and the graduate program committee could provide the academic guidance

needed by the student.

Motion Number 3:

G.G.R. 1.9.1 Examining Committee for a Master's Degree Candidate

[SGSC 2009.04]

Motion:

That the nature of the examination and the composition of the examining

committee of a student's extended essay, field or comprehensives shall be as

designated by the appropriate faculty graduate studies committee and the

Senate Craduate Studies Committee.

Rationale:

Extended essays, field and comprehensive examinations used as the capstone

requirement for masters degrees are substantially different from projects and

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40

theses and do not require the same type of examination. In many instances,

these capstones are embedded in courses and have already been examined or

evaluated through the course evaluation process. It therefore makes sense for

individual academic units to determine the best way to examine these masters

capstones and to have the process approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies

whose role is to ensure some consistency across the University in the way they

are evaluated.

This approval also necessitates revisions to the following

G.G.Rs:

1.6.1 General

(revision, no change to meaning.)

1.6.7 Human Subjects Ethics Review

(text bolded)

1.10.5 Examination of Extended Essays Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of

Degree Requirements

(deletion of regulation in its entirety with essential elements

being incorporated into G.G.R. 1.9.1)

1.10.6 Examination of Projects Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of Degree

Requirements

(deletion of regulation in its entirety with essential elements being

incorporated into G.G.R. 1.9.1.)

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SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

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THINKING OF THE WORLD

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Proposed

changes

for 2009-10 calendar

1.6 Supervision

1.6.1 General

When a graduate student has been admitted, the graduate program committee will

exercise general supervision and counselling for the student through the chair of the

graduate program committee or a faculty member designated by the chair, until a senior

supervisor has been appointed

when appropriate.

1.6.3

Senior Supervisor

For degrees that culminate in a thesis, the senior supervisor must be a "tenure-

track" SFU faculty member at the rank

of

Assistant Professor or above. Associate

members may serve as the senior supervisor in their affiliated academic units at

the discretion

of

the academic unit Graduate Program Committee. Adjunct faculty

members may not serve as the senior supervisor but can be co-supervisors.

For degrees that culminate in a project, extended essay, field or comprehensive

examination, the senior supervisor must be an SFU faculty member deemed to be

qualified by the academic unit's Graduate Studies Committee and approved by

the dean

of

graduate studies.

In consultation with the student, the graduate program committee will appoint a senior

supervisor as soon as possible after admission to the graduate program. Normally, this

appointment shall be made no later than the beginning of the second term of full time

equivalent enrolment after the student's admission, although with the permission of the

senate graduate studies semmittee, departments may define a later date. The senior

supervisor is the person principally responsible for supervising the student throughout

the degree program. A senior supervisor must hold the rank of assistant professor or

above at Simon Fraser University.

A senior supervisor who is planning to be off campus for more than three months shall

arrange for proper supervision of the student during this absence. The graduate

program committee and the dean of graduate studies shall be informed in writing of the

arrangement.

A senior supervisor is not required for students in a graduate diploma program. The

director of a diploma program is responsible for roles normally assigned to the senior

supervisor (e.g. advising students, signing forms).

[]

3.

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1.6.4 Supervisory Committee

A supervisory committee is not required for students in graduate diploma programs

or

in degree programs that culminate in an extended essay, field or comprehensive

examination.

In degree programs in which there is a requirement for a thesis, or project

er

extended essays, a supervisory committee, Gonstituted as desoribed below, must be

established.

essay,

field or

For

comprehensive

students in master's

examination,

degree

the

programs

senior supervisor

that culminate

alone

in

may

an

comprise

extended

the supervisory committee.

Where a supervisory committee requires members in addition to the senior supervisor,

the senior supervisor, in consultation with the student, shall recommend the composition

of the supervisory committee. The supervisory committee consists of the senior

supervisor and at least one other person. Normally, this recommendation shall be made

during the same term in which the senior supervisor is appointed.

F-er-ether graduate degrees designated by senate as professional degrees the other

R;

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,

ember(s) of the Gommittee may be other suitably qualified person(s). For other

associate

graduate

supervisor)

degreeAt

at

must

Simon

normally

Fraser

least one

University.

be

member

a faculty

When

of

member

the

deemed

committee

or an adjunct

appropriate

(in addition

professor

by

to

the

or

the

a

Faculty

research

senior

the

Graduate

supervisory

Studies

committee

Committee

may be

and

other

the

suitably

dean of

qualified

graduate

person(s).

studies

A

other

recommendation

member(s) of

for a supervisory committee that includes a person who is not a faculty member at

Simon Fraser University should be accompanied by a curriculum vitae of that person.

The composition of the supervisory committee, for which the senior supervisor is chair,

shall be approved by the graduate program committee and sent to the dean of graduate

information

studies for final approval. It shall be sent to the faculty graduate studies committee for

The supervisory committee is responsible for helping the student develop a program of

study leading to a degree and for reporting to the graduate program committee at least

once a year on the student's progress towards completing the degree requirements.

basis.

The supervisory committee shall be available to the student for consultation on a regular

1.6.7

Human Subjects Ethics

obtained

All research

from

the

plans

policy

the

Office

involving

(R20.01),

of Research

human

procedures

subjects

Services

and

must

forms

or from

receive

for

the

this

University

ethics

review

approval.

may

web

be

(www.sfu.caJpolicies/research/ifldexh)

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1.9 Preparation for Examinations

Master's Students

1.9.1 Examining Committee for a Master's Degree Candidate

Each candidate for a master's degree shall be examined on the thesis, extended essays

Field or, comprehensive examination,or

project.

The nature of the examination and

the composition of the examining committee of a student's extended essay, field

or comprehensives shall be as designated by the appropriate faculty graduate

studies committee and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Examination of projects for all graduate programs shall be as for the examination

of theses with the same requirements for committee composition unless a

different examination process has been designated by the appropriate faculty

graduate studies committee and the dean of graduate studies.

Examination of projects for all other graduate programs shall be as for the

examination of theses with the following exceptions: when the project is live,

taped or filmed, only one presentation is required for examination, and only one

recording is required for deposition in the library. The one copy deposited in the

library shall be the property of the University. The student shall have the right to

copy the original, and the right to borrow it for external showing at the discretion

of the librarian.

Where such an examination is required for a thesis

With the exception of

designated 'professional' master's programs (see 1.10.6), each

the

examining

committee shall have the following minimum composition.

a)

the chair of the student's graduate program committee, or his/her designate, who

shall be a non-voting chair of the examining committee. If the chair of the graduate

program committee is also on the student's supervisory committee, he/she shall

designate a member of faculty at this University, who is not a member of the student's

supervisory committee, as chair.

b)

all members of the student's supervisory committee.

c)

a member of faculty at the university, or a person otherwise suitably qualified, who is

not a member of the student's supervisory committee. For those seeking a degree

under special arrangements, this person shall be from outside the University. For a

thesis defence in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, a master's examiner may not

be a member of the same department as the one granting the degree, unless a waiver

is granted by the Dean of Arts and Social Sciences or his/her designate.

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6.

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1.10 Examinations

Master's Students

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