S.05-110
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

S.05-110

Senate Committee on University Priorities ?

Memorandum

TO: Senate ?

FROM: ?

John Waterho e

Chair, SCUP

Vice Preside •. 'Academic

RE: Proposal for name and program

DATE: ?

October

2005

changes to the Forest Renewal BC

1/'

Endowed Chair in Terrain Analysis

and Forest Geoscience (SCUP 05-055)

At its October 5, 2005 meeting SCUP reviewed and approved the proposal from the

Vice-President, Research recommending changes to the FRBC Endowed Chair in

Terrain Analysis and Forest Geoscience. The changes are to the title of the Endowed

Chair and the program's focus, specifically on resource geoscience.

There are no changes to the management or disbursement of the endowment income,

nor any changes to the Terms of Reference.

Motion

That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the change of the title

of the "FRBC Endowed Chair in Terrain Analysis and Forest Geoscience" to the "FRBC

Chair in Resource Geoscience and Geotechnics" and the changes to the proposed

research program, reflecting a new emphasis on resource geoscience.

end.

c: M. Pinto

M. Plishcke

D. Stead

S. Dench

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

March 7th 2005

Proposal for a change in name

the "FRBC Endowed Chair in Terrain Analysis and Forest Geoscience"

the "FRBC Chair in Resource Geoscience and Geotechnics"

The current SFU Forest Renewal BC Endowed Chair, Dr. Doug Stead, took up this

position in September 2000. The last four years have seen significant growth in both

teaching and graduate research in forestry geoscience in the Department of Earth Science.

The focus of the Chair has reflected the expertise of Dr Stead and others in the

Department and has emphasized both forestry geotechnics and geoscience.

A prime mandate of the FRBC Chair was to set up both undergraduate and graduate

programs in Forest Geoscience. Within two years of appointment these mandates were

achieved. A Certificate of Forest Geoscience is now offered at SFU. As part of this

certificate, four new undergraduate courses were developed and have been offered by the

Chair (with the assistance of Dr. Brent Ward). Dr. Stead has developed and taught two

new classes in soil and rock engineering, and Forestry Geotechnics, a specific

requirement of the conditions of appointment. Two further industry-oriented field/visiting

courses in Forest Harvesting Technology and Terrain Stability Assessment were also

developed and offered.

A vibrant graduate research program has been established involving up to 7 graduate

students

M.Sc. and 1 Ph.D.), 1 post doctoral fellow and several undergraduate research

assistants (1 NSERC funded). Three M.Sc. students will have completed their studies by

Spring 2005. Research has been undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Forests

and the private forest sector. The Chair has been involved in national Earth Science

advisory policy as President of the Canadian Geoscience Council and also as a member

of the Geological Survey of Canada Advisory Board and the Ministers' National

Advisory Board for Earth Sciences. Dr. Stead has served as the Department of Earth

Sciences Graduate Program Chair and as Department Chair (each for one year).

In 2002, dissolution of Forest Renewal of British Columbia led to the negotiation of a

• ?

new Endowment Replacement Agreement contract between Simon Fraser University and

the Ministry of Advanced Education. . Since the time of the demise of Forest Renewal BC

however, there has been a marked downturn in employment prospects for graduating

geoscience students within the forest geoscience sector. Undergraduate students still

enthusiastically enroll in the soil and rock engineering class, but are less inclined to study

forestry-specific classes. In recognition of this, and with the agreement of the FRBC

Advisory Panel, Dr. Stead renamed the "Forestry Geotechnics" course to "Resource

Geotechnics". Earth science students who have taken the new classes in soil and rock

engineering and geotechnics have become highly sought after by industry with several

students obtaining employment in international consultancies and geotecimical

instrumentation companies.

In addition to a declining interest in the Certificate of Forest Geoscience since the demise

of FRBC, there has been a marked reduction in funding suitable for the support of

graduate-based forestry geoscience research. Dr. Stead continues to undertake forestry-

related research in collaboration with the Ministry of Forests and industry but in light of

budgetary constraints (both internal and external) it is becoming increasingly necessary to

diversify the activities of the SFU FRBC Endowed Chair.

An argument has already been made to both the Earth Sciences Department (during a

recent external review) and to the Endowed Chair Advisory Panel to diversify the chair to

encompass the broader mandate of Resource Geoscience. Such a move would maximize

the benefits of the endowed chair to the province and to the university. This move would

align with new initiatives in the Earth Sciences within Canada and BC. It would also

align more closely not only with the expertise and experience of the incumbent Chair but

also with recently hired new professors in the Earth Science department.. -

It is proposed that the SFU FRBC Chair be relabeled from the Chair in "Terrain Analysis

and Forest Geoscience" to Chair in "Resource Geoscience and Geotechnics." A new

emphasis on resource geoscience within the SFU Department of Earth Sciences would be

strengthened by this development. The Chair's Professional Engineering status and

expertise would also be recognized by the inclusion of "Geotechnics" in the chair title.

This change would emphasize activities related to sustainable resource development and

offer resource geoscience/geotechnics expertise within the following sectors:

Forestry

> Mining

Hydrocarbons

Hydro-electric power

Agriculture

> Groundwater/Surface Water

> Urban development

Tourism.

Given the developing importance of several of these sectors within both BC and Canada

this development is seen as a crucial and forward looking strategy - if the endowed chair

is to function to the maximum benefit of the university and province. Such a move would

provide:

> Increased resource-related geoscience education opportunities at the undergraduate

and graduate level. (Serious consideration would be given to reorienting the

Certificate in Forestry Geoscience toward a Certificate in Resource Geoscience. This

could provide streams relevant to the various resource sectors).

> Increased external research funding opportunities for the incumbent endowed chair

and other faculty.

> Increased flexibility to allow the incumbent chair to direct research toward critical

resource sectors of the day.

As the current chair reaches the end of the final year of the original five year contract the

successes during this period have been marked, particularly in light of external

developments which have seen reductions in both employment, educational and research

opportunities in forestry geoscience. The FRBC Chair has developed a unique earth

science-physical geography-geotechnical student approach to natural hazards. This

originally was solely forestry-related but has diversified to relate to more wide reaching

geohazard environments. International and national research collaboration in this area has

been widespread. Advanced numerical modelling courses have been offered to industry

and SFU has been recognized as an international leader in the application of state-of-the-

art geomechanical modelling of landslides. Strong research ties are being developed with

• several departments at UBC including mining engineering and earth sciences. Industry

participation in teaching has increased significantly in the geo-engineering sphere. The

Certificate of Forestry Geoscience has been received with interest. When presented at the

GSA in Seattle in 2003 it was seen as an excellent initiative. This initiative should be

extended to take of advantage of a wider group of resource oriented students. SFU has

become a provincial centre of excellence in terrain geoscience and forestry geotechnics

through the expertise of Drs Stead, Clague, Ward and Allen in addition to physical

geography colleagues. A multi-disciplinary approach to resource and environmental

teaching and research extending across the earth science, geography and resource and

environmental management departments has led to both national and international

recognition. The Department of Earth Sciences has recruited three new faculty with direct

relevance to these areas since the appointment of the FRBC Chair. An increased supply

of much-needed highly trained personnel in the fields of environmental geoscience,

forestry geoscience and resource geotechnics has been accomplished. As the demand

varies in theses disciplines faculty at SFU remain able to provide high level education to

the varied aspects of the environmental and resource geoscience. Research results from

the Forestry Geotechnics and Engineering Geology research group have been presented

at a wide variety of fora; from APEBG BC DEGIFS sessions to national and international

conferences. Publication venues have ranged from international journals and conferences

to ASPECT. The awareness of the FRBC Chair activities have been publicized in several

venues including a major one page national Globe and Mail article on careers in

geoscience and through senior administrative duties in national (Ottawa-based) bodies.

The FRBC chair has been an invited attendee at landslide workshops both nationally and

internationally (through NATO). He has participated in advanced landslide modelling

courses offered to industry in collaboration with UBC and has also been on the

organizing committee of several national and international conferences.

The FRBC Chair has todate received support from both the FRBC Advisory Panel and

the Department of Earth Science to reposition the chair in the general area of resource

geoscience/geotechnics. It is suggested that the prime mandate of the Chair would be to

ensure sustainable development of land and resources in BC and Canada. This would be

achieved through combined roles in education and research relevant to the economic and

environmentally safe exploitation of Canada's resources. The Chair would continue to

strive to maintain Canada's reputation as a nation which uses innovative technologies in

the responsible exploitation of its resources. It is argued that the reorientation of the SFU

FRBC Endowed Chair to recognize all natural resource sectors would not only maximize

the provinces investment in the Chair but would also be clear evidence of a genuine

desire for sustainable resource development. These goals would be accomplished

through:

> The offering of high level courses in resource geoscience and geotechincs at the

undergraduate and graduate levels.

The establishment of a Certificate in Resource Geoscience

Masters and Doctoral Research in Resource Geoscience and Geotechnics.

The initiation of a Provincial Centre of Excellence for Resource Geoscience and

Geotechnics. This would include relevant departments at SFU, UBC and other BC

universities. This centre would not only provide academic leadership in resource

issues but could liaise with government to address the resource/environmental issues

of tomorrow. Issues such as sustainability are common to all resource sectors and

would benefit from interchange of ideas.

Conference and workshops related to resource geoscience/geotechnics research.

It should be strongly emphasized that the Chair will continue to strongly support the

forestry geoscience/geotechnics sector. The Chair would however also endeavor to

diversify activities to provide expertise in research and training to other BC resource

sectors.