MEMORANDUM

To:

?

Senate

From:

?

Roger Blackman

Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies

Subject: ?

Curriculum Revisions

Faculty of Arts

(SCUS Reference 04-1, 04-2)

Date:

?

February 12, 2004

Action undertaken by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies at the February

10, 2004 meeting gives rise to the following motions:

MOTION 1

Department of French

"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of Governors

as set forth in S.04 -21 , the new Joint Program with the Department of

Political Science - French Language Cohort Program in Public

Administration and Community Services, effective Fall Semester 2004."

MOTION 2

* ?

Department of Geography (with the School of Computing Science)

"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of Governors

as set forth in S.04 -21 , the new BSc in Geographic Information Science

Program in the Faculty of Applied Sciences, effective Fall Semester

2004."

* contingent upon approval by SCUP at its meeting on February

25, 2004

*1

W'd

---

., ?

•1

FOR INFORMATION

?

C

Acting under delegated authority, at the February 10, 2004 meeting, SCUS approved

curriculum revisions in the following departments:

a) School of Criminology

Change to the application procedure for students admitted to the School of

Criminology Major, Minor, and Honours Programs

b)

Department of French

i.

New Course: FREN

452-3 -

Topics in French Cultures

ii.

Calendar revisions to reflect the new course

Any Senator wishing to consult the full report of curriculum revisions should

contact Bobbie Grant, Senate Assistant at 291-3168 or email bgrant@sfu.ca

C

---

S

.

SCUS 04 - 2 b)

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts ?

-

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

Roger Blackman ?

From:

Mary Ann Gillies

Chair, S.C.U.S.

?

F.A.C.C.

Studies Committee

Subject:

New Program Initiative

Departments of Political

?

Date: ?

3 February, 2004

Science and French

The Faculty of Arts Curriculum Committee approved the attached

proposal for a French Language Cohort Program in Public Administration and

Community Services in French which will enable students the opportunity to

complete a Bacholor of Arts Degree with a Major in Political Science and an

Extended Minor in French; or a Major in French with an Extended Minor in

Political Science.

The Committee also approved the new course proposal: FREN 452-3

Topics in French Cultures, submitted by the Department of French, and

corresponding change to its Extended Minor Program in French.

SCUS? Would you please place these items on the agenda of the next meeting of

Thank you.

A-

tL

Mary Ann Gillies, Chair

Faculty of Arts Graduate

Studies Committee

:dgg

cc: ?

Sarah Dench

.

FJ

---

New Program Pro p osal ?

-

FRENCH LANGUAGE COHORT PROGRAM

IN

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

This proposal for a French Language Cohort Program in Public

Administration and Community Services is one part of a larger

federally funded initiative that will make SFU the leader in French

language education in British Columbia.

BACKGROUND

The proposal is one outcome of a report on the expansion of French

language offerings at SFU, authored two years ago by Jean Watters

and sponsored by the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-

Britannique [FFCB]. That report recommended that SFU establish an

Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs, expand its offering in

French education, and develop an undergraduate program in which

French is the primary language of instruction. Implementation of

the plan has always been contingent on securing substantial

federal resources, matching Provincial monies already committed

to French language education. In May 2003, a preliminary academic

plan was incorporated within an overall request to both

governments to fund these developments for an initial five year

period. The University has now received the funding requested for

the initial planning year, and is awaiting final ministerial sign-off on

the full amount requested. These funds are available to the

university for French language programming only. With full funding

for all direct costs of the program now in place, it is timely to bring

forward for approval the undergraduate program proposed by the

Faculty of Arts. It is anticipated that if the program is approved, it

can begin as early as September, 2004.

ACADEMIC RATIONALE

Even as the population of school-age children in British

Columbia is declining, enrolments in French Immersion and

conseil scolaire programs are climbing. BC now has almost

35,000 K-12 students whose primary language of instruction is

French. The provincial post-secondary system is being

challenged to meet the academic aspirations of this

important minority. The Fédération des francophones de la

1

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• ?

Colombie-Britannique recently surveyed immersion and

Francophone students in Grades 10-12, and showed that fully

84% intend to pursue post-secondary education (Corbeil,

2000). Yet B.C. currently offers no bachelor degree programs

Action)

The challenge has been to develop an effective and sustainable

response to this need. Although French Immersion students have

shown a clear interest in continuing to develop their linguistic skills

in French as they proceed through university, they have also

indicated that a program exclusively in French is not their

preference. Moreover, their numbers are not large enough that

offering them a wide range of course in French across a number of

departments would be efficient. SFU has some francophone faculty,

but not so many that a coherent course of study outside the French

Department could be built on their efforts.

The solution proposed here is a cohort program, analogous to the

•

?

existing Integrated Studies Programs, in which a group of students

will move together through a sequence of courses designed and

scheduled especially for them. The majority of course offerings in

the program would be concentrated in two departments, French

and Political Science. This approach enables the application of new

resources in a focused way to create a structured and coherent

program. It has the advantage of providing a rich learning

environment for a group of students with particular learning

objectives in common. It is reasonable to expect that on the whole

the program will attract excellent students. A distinctive program

responding to their needs will advance SFU's commitment to high

quality undergraduate education. Serving them well will also

advance SFU's reputation with important constituencies.

The FFCB survey discovered that the most widely shared career

interest among prospective students is public administration, with

a significant correlative interest in community involvement. The

proposed program responds directly to that interest, while

recognizing that there is also a strong secondary interest in

preparing for a teaching career. The program is designed in such a

way that the interests of students wishing to pursue graduate work

can be served through completing a regular major in either Political

Science or French. Provision is also made for students preparing for

2

---

SFU's Professional Development Program in Education. The cohort

design will enable highly supportive language instruction as these

level.

The program design

attempts

to achieve an appropriate balance

among various objectives. There are enough courses in French that

students can gain full proficiency in its academic use, but the

expressed interest in mixed language education is respected.

There are numerous cohort-specific courses through which

students can strongly identify with the program, but cohort

students will also have a significant number of classes with the

wider student population. The program necessarily controls a

significant proportion of the credit hours required for a degree, but

elements of flexibility have been built in throughout. Perhaps most

importantly, the common language interest has been taken as an

opportunity to develop a special and enriched learning

environment, which will include a semester at a francophone

university, special academic support and advice, and a common

room within the francophone environment of the French

Department.

The course requirements in the proposed program consist almost

entirely of already existing SFLJ courses; only one new course

proposal is included with the program. Clearly, there is much work

to be done in adapting course materials for delivery in French and

designing special versions of selected topics courses. Fortunately,

there is adequate provision in the program specific funding to cover

the necessary new teaching resources, course preparation and

library materials. The program can be expected to evolve

considerably over the first few years. The funding will permit the

program to go ahead for a relatively small group initially as it finds

its feet and becomes more widely known.

DETAILED PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This program is designed primarily for French immersion and

Francophone students entering SFU who wish to develop their

facility in French during their university studies. A substantial

proportion of the instruction within this program will be in the

French language, both in the Departments of French and Political

Science, and in specially offered courses in other departments. The

program is designed as a cohort program, in which students move

3

.1/,

---

• ?

together through courses that are scheduled especially for them.

Students who complete the full cohort program in Public

Administration and Community Service will earn a major in Political

Science and an extended minor in French.

Students in the program will improve their French language skills

while preparing for roles in public administration and community

services for which proficiency in French is an advantage. They will

be well prepared for graduate study in political science or public

administration. A significant feature of the program is that it

provides the opportunity to undertake a substantial proportion of

degree studies within a cohort setting - working together with a

small group of students in the same program in courses specifically

designed and offered for the program. In addition, the cohort

program will include one semester at a Francophone university.

Students can expect to enter a Francophone and Francophile

community designed to support their French language proficiency

and educational advancement and offering numerous academic

enrichment opportunities.

As an alternative to completing the full program, students

participating in the cohort for the first three years may choose

instead to complete a major in French and an extended minor in

Political Science. Through elective study these students may also

complete the social studies requirements for the Professional

Development Program in the Faculty of Education. This option is

recommended for students who intend to teach at the primary or

secondary level.

PROGRAM ADMISSION

The program is available to all students who have been admitted to

SFU under regular admission procedures and who have adequate

competency in French, as determined through the French language

placement tests. Because the program is a cohort program in

which students will move together through a significant proportion

of their undergraduate studies, students entering SFU with

substantial amounts of university transfer credit may need to take

more than the normal 120 hours of degree credit in order to

complete this program. The cohort program will begin in the Fall

semester only. It is most suitable for those entering directly from

secondary school who plan to undertake fulitime study over a four

year period.

---

Prospective students who are interested in enrolling in this

program should contact xxx in the xxx at the time they seek

admission to SFU.

THE PROGRAM

Students who complete the program will have fulfilled all the

requirements for a major in Political Science and an extended minor

in French. The Political Science requirements will be met in large

part through special sections of regular courses, offered in French

exclusively for cohort students. Some portion of the required credit

in Political Science will be obtained through regular courses taught

in English and some through transfer from a French language

university.

The Department of French will also offer some special sections for

the cohort in order to support students' facility in the academic use

of French. The remainder of the required credit will be obtained

through courses regularly offered in the department or through

transfer.

In addition to courses in these two departments, a small number of

courses in other departments will be designated as required for the

program. These courses will generally be taught in French and will

directly support the program goals. Designated courses from other

departments may vary over time. The total number of required

program-specific credits will not exceed 100, of which at least 80

will be available through courses taught in French.

The alternative program, through which students will complete a

major in French and an extended minor in Political Science, permits

students to participate in the cohort program though the first three

years. In the fourth year, students will complete the remaining

course required for the French major instead of advanced, cohort

specific Political Science courses.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The following outline of program requirements lists courses that

students can expect to be scheduled for the cohort program. Some

variation in this list and in the language of instruction of some

courses may occur. Courses below are designated either as

"cohort specific"

(Cs)

or "regular" (r). All cohort specific courses or

5

---

•

?

sections will be taught in French and will normally be open only to

cohort students. Regular courses will be taught in Etg!ish, except

for those in the Department of French, which will be taught in

Deoartment of Political Science:

Lower division - 6 specified courses, earning 18 credit hours.

P01 100-3 Introduction to Politics and Government (CO

P01 201-3 Research Methods in Political Science (r)

P01 210-3 Introduction to Political Philosophy (cs)

P01 221-3 Introduction to Canadian Government (cs)

POL 251-3 Introduction to Canadian Public Administration (cs)

Upper division - 8 courses, earning 32 credit hours, to include:

Four regular courses:

Four upper division P01 courses, which must include one course in

the field of Canadian Government and Politics, and one in the filed of

Public Policy/Administration and Local Government (P01 351-4, The

• ?

Public Policy Process, is recommended). Normally, two of these

courses (equivalent to at least 8 credit hours) will be selected from

transferable political science courses offered at the institution

hosting the Francophone semester.

Plus four cohort specific courses:

P01 329-4 Selected Topics in Canadian Government and Politics: The

French fact

This course will examine the political and social

consequences of bilingualism in Canada. How does the

linguistic duality of Canada influence political decision-

making and policy development? What rights and

opportunities exist for linguistic minorities, both for

Anglophones inside Quebec and for Francophones outside

Quebec? How can the constitutional order of Canada regarding

P01 359-4 Selected Topics in Governance: Methods in Community

Consultation

This course will introduce processes and approaches

required to engage communities in policy development. It

will review quantitative and qualitative methods for needs

assessment; introduce fundamentals of stakeholder analysis

6

---

and the examination of community/government/business

relations; and provide practical instruction in facilitation

skills, dispute resolution and developing community

P01 459-4 Selected Topics in Governance: Planning Community-

based Projects

This course will introduce applied skills required for effective

planning and implementation of projects that are based in

specific communities or that would benefit from community

input. It will introduce fundamentals of project management

and apply these to practical situations involving community

participation. This course may be taught in conjunction with

P01 497-4 Directed Practice in Political Science

In this course students will apply their knowledge of public

administration and community development in a practical

De p

artment of French:

Lower division:

FREN 212-3 French for Immersion Program Students (cs)M

FREN 221-3 French Writing I (cs)

FREN 222-3 French Writing II (Cs)

FREN 225-3 Topics in French Language (cs)

FREN 230-3 Introduction to French-Canadian Literature (r)

FREN 270-3 Introduction to French Linguistics (r)

Students receiving advanced placement above the level of this

Plus one of

FREN 425-3 Topics in the Varieties of French

FREN 452-3 Topics in French Cultures [NEW COURSE]

.

7

8.

---

•

?

Plus 9 hours of upper division French courses. Normally, 6 of these

credits will be obtained through courses at the Francophone host

university.

Students desiring to acquire further linguistic competence and

familiarity with Francophone culture should consider participating

in one of the regular French Department field schools during a

summer semester (FREN 320-3, 321-3, 322-3).

Other departments

The courses listed below are those that typically will be designated

as required to complete the full cohort program in Public

Administration and Community Services. Other appropriate courses

may occasionally be substituted for these.

De p

artment of History

HIST 101-3 Canada to Confederation (r)

HIST 102-3 Canada Since Confederation

(Cs)

• ?

luST 204-3 The Social History of Canada

(Cs)

Centre for Canadian Studies

CNS 210-3 Foundations of Canadian Culture

(Cs)

Department of Humanities

HUM 321-4 The Humanities and Critical Thinking

(Cs)

Electives: The courses listed above constitute 99 hours of credit, 81

of which will be obtained through courses taught in French. The

remaining 21 hours required for the degree may be elected from

regularly taught courses. Students intending to enter further study

or a career in public administration are advised to include ECON 103,

ECON 105 and STAT 203 among their electives. Students should also

be aware of general university requirements in planning their

electives. Assistance in planning electives to meet additional

program requirements is available from the program advisor.

Samole Schedule

8

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The scheduling of core courses may vary over time, depending on

the availability of instructors and other scheduling constraints. The

principles that will guide course scheduling are as follows:

2. courses in French offered each semester will be planned

and scheduled in tandem to support each other - for the

first 3 semesters no more than 3 courses in French will be

offered in any semester.

3.

courses in French will be consistent and progressive -

aiming toward full proficiency in academic, work and

Semester 1 (Fall)

HIST 101-3 Canada to Confederation (in English)

P01 100-3 Introduction to Politics and Government (in French)

FREN 221-3 French Writing I (in French, customized to support P01

100)

FREN 212-3 French for Immersion Program Students (in French,

Elective

Semester 2 (Spring)

HIST 102-3 Canada Since Confederation (in French)

FREN 222-3 French Writing II (in French, customized to support HIST

102)

P01 210-3 Introduction to Political Philosophy (in French)

P01 223-3 Canadian Political Economy (in English)

Elective

Semester 3 (Fall)

P01 201-3 Research Methods in Political Science (in English)

P01 251-3 Introduction to Canadian Public Administration (in French)

FREN 225-3 Topics in French Language (in French, customized to

FREN 230-3 Introduction to French-Canadian Literature (in French)

Elective

Semester 4 (Spring)

P01 221-3 Introduction to Canadian Government (in French)

FREN 301-3 Advanced French Composition (in French)

HIST 204-3 The Social History of Canada (in French)

/?,

---

•

?

CNS 210-3 Foundations of Canadian Culture (in French)

Elective

Semester 5 (Fall)

This semester of the program will be held at a Francophone host

university. Students will be expected to complete two political

science courses acceptable for upper division credit, and two

courses acceptable for upper division French Department credit.

(All in French).

Semester 6 (Spring)

P01 351-4 The Public Policy Process (in English)

FREN 270-3 Introduction to French Linguistics (in French)

FREN 304-3 Advanced French Grammar (in French

HUM 321-4 The Humanities and Critical Thinking (in French)

Semester 7 (Fall)

POL 329-4 Selected Topics in Canadian Government and Politics: The

French Fact (in French)

POL 359-4 Selected Topics in Governance: Methods in Community

• ?

Consultation (in French)

FREN 452-3 Topics in French Cultures: Espaces Culturels de la

Francophonie en Colombie-Britannique (in French)

POL 300/400 level course (in English)

Semester 8 (Spring)

POL 459-4 Selected Topics in Governance: Planning Community-

based Projects (in French)

POL 497-4 Directed Practice in Political Science (in French)

electives, as necessary

Alternative Pro

g

ram: Students who prefer to focus on studies in

French and those who are interested in teaching careers may wish

to undertake an alternative program leading to a major in French

and an extended minor in Political Science. Students could make

this choice at any time, but normally would not complete the fourth

year of the cohort program. Instead, students would complete the

following courses in their final year:

FREN 360-4 Intermediate French Literature

FREN 370-4 Introduction to French Linguistics II

Four 400-level French courses (which could include the cohort

offering of FREN 425 or 452)

electives, as necessary

10

1/.

---

NOTE: Specific French course requirements may vary, depending on

courses taken at the Francophone university or as previous

electives

Students who are taking this alternative program and who in

addition wish to complete the social studies requirements to teach

social studies at the secondary level will need to complete an

additional 18 credit hours of history and geography courses (see

Faculty of Education requirements). Students with this objective are

advised to choose electives judiciously from the beginning of their

program.

PROPOSED CALENDAR ENTRY

This program is designed primarily for French immersion and

Francophone students entering SFU who wish to develop their

facility in French during their university studies. A substantial

proportion of the instruction within this program will be in the

Science,

French language,

and in specially

both in

offered

the Departments

courses in

of

other

French

departments.

and PoliticalThe

?

is

program is designed as a cohort program, in which students move

together through courses that are scheduled especially for them.

Students who complete the full cohort program in Public

Administration and Community Service will earn a major in Political

Science and an extended minor in French.

Students in the program will improve their French language skills

while preparing for roles in public administration and community

services for which proficiency in French is an advantage. They will

be well prepared for graduate study in political science or public

administration. A significant feature of the program is that it

provides the opportunity to undertake a substantial proportion of

degree studies within a cohort setting - working together with a

small group of students in the same program in courses specifically

designed and offered for the program. In addition, the cohort

program will include one semester at a Francophone university.

Students can expect to enter a Francophone and Francophile

community designed to support their French language proficiency

and educational advancement and offering numerous academic

enrichment opportunities.

11

/c2,

---

As an alternative to completing the full program, students

participating in the cohort for the first three years may choose

instead to complete a major in French and an extended minor in

Political Science. Through elective study these students may also

complete the social studies requirements for the Professional

Development Program in the Faculty of Education. This option is

recommended for students who intend to teach at the primary or

secondary level.

PROGRAM ADMISSION

The program is available to all students who have been admitted to

SFU under regular admission procedures and who have adequate

competency in French, as determined through the French language

placement tests. Because the program is a cohort program in

which students will move together through a significant proportion

of their undergraduate studies, students entering SFU with

substantial amounts of university transfer credit may need to take

morethan the normal 120 hours of degree credit in order to

. ?

complete this program. The cohort program will begin in the Fall

semester only. It is most suitable for those entering directly from

secondary school who plan to undertake fulltime study over a four

year period.

Prospective students should contact xxx in the xxx at the time they

seek admission to SFU.

THE COHORT PROGRAM

In a cohort program students enroll in a specified set of courses

each semester, courses that are planned and scheduled specifically

for the group. In this program the cohort-specific courses and

course sections will be offered in French. Students in the cohort will

also take some required courses in English in regular course

sections and some elective courses. Within the general program

requirements (below), the Program Steering Committee will each

year publish a list of designated courses for the program, including

• ?

the language of instruction and the planned schedule of offerings.

REQUIREMENTS

12

/ ,

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Requirements for the full cohort program, earning a major in

?

S

Political Science and an extended minor in French:

Lower Division:

18 credit hours of political science in designated courses, to include

four course sections taught in French;

18 credit hours of French in designated courses, including four

cohort-specific course sections;

Up p

er Division:

32 credit hours of political science courses, including four cohort-

specific course sections taught in French;

15 credit hours of French courses.

In addition

to the requirements within these two departments, up

to 17 credit hours in other departments may be required in either

lower or upper division courses. Such additionally designated

courses will usually be taught in French, and will be in subjects

directly related to the program. The additional courses required

will be designated at the beginning of each entering cohort.

Overall, cohort students may expect at least 80 credit hours of

instruction in French.

Requirements for the alternate program, earning a major in French

and an extended minor in Political Science:

Lower Division:

Same as above

Up p er Division:

16 credit hours in political science courses

32 credit hours in French courses, including all requirements for the

French major

Students choosing the alternate program may complete the first

three years of the full cohort program, including all designated

courses in other departments.

DESIGNATED COURSES

The following courses will typically be designated as part of the

cohort program. The specific courses designated, and the language

13

---

. ?

of instruction, may vary from this list from time to time. Courses

below are designated either as "cohort specific" (Cs) or "regular"

(r). All cohort specific courses or sections will be taught in French

and will normally be open only to cohort students. Regular courses

will be taught in English, except for those in the Department of

Lower division

P01 100-3 Introduction to Politics and Government (Cs)

POL 201-3 Research Methods in Political Science (r)

P01 210-3 Introduction to Political Philosophy (Cs)

P01 221-3 Introduction to Canadian Government (Cs)

Upper division

Four upper division P01 courses, which must include one course in

the field of Canadian Government and Politics, and one in the filed of

. ?

Public Policy/Administration and Local Government (P01 351-4, The

Public Policy Process, is recommended). Normally, two of these

courses (equivalent to at least 8 credit hours) will be selected from

transferable political science courses offered at the institution

hosting the Francophone semester.

Four cohort specific courses:

P01 329-4 Selected Topics in Canadian Government and Politics: The

French Fact

This course will examine the political and social

P01 359-4 Selected Topics in Governance: Methods in Community

Consultation

This course will introduce processes and approaches

P01 459-4 Selected Topics in Governance: Planning Community-

based Projects

This course will introduce applied skills required for effective

planning and implementation of community-based projects.

This course may be taught in conjunction with P01 497.

14

---

POL 497-4 Directed Practice in Political Science

In this course students will apply their knowledge of public

administration and community development in a practical

De p

artment of French:

Lower division:

FREN 212-3 French for Immersion Program Students (cs)M

FREN 221-3 French Writing I (cs)

FREN 222-3 French Writing II (Cs)

FREN 225-3 Topics in French Language (Cs)

FREN 230-3 Introduction to French-Canadian Literature (r)

FREN 270-3 Introduction to French Linguistics (r)

Students receiving advanced placement above the level of this

Plus one of

FREN 425-3 Topics in the Varieties of French (r)

FREN 452-3 Topics in French Culture [NEW COURSE] (r)

Plus 9 hours of upper division French courses. Normally, 6 of these

credits will be obtained through courses at the Francophone host

university.

Students desiring to acquire further linguistic competence and

familiarity with Francophone culture should consider participating

in one of the regular French Department field schools during a

De p artment of History

HIST 101-3 Canada to Confederation (r)

HIST 102-3 Canada Since Confederation (cs)

HIST 204-3 The Social History of Canada (cs)

15

lb,

---

S

Centre for Canadian Studies

?

HUM 321-4 The Humanities and Critical Thinking (Cs)

S

S

16

---

Calendar Revision

FROM:

Upper Division Requirements

(p. 163 in 2003/2004 Calendar)

Extended Minor

Students must complete

FREN 301-3 Advanced Composition I

and one of

FREN 360-4 Intermediate French Literature

FREN 370-4 Introduction to French Linguistics II

A further nine credit hours of French, to be chosen from among the remaining courses at

the 300 and 400 division, must be completed.

Extended Minor

Students must complete

FREN 301-3 Advanced French Composition

and one of

FREN 360-4 Intermediate French Literature

FREN 370-4 Introduction to French Linguistics II

A further nine credit hours of French, to be chosen from among the remaining courses at

the 300 and 400 division, must be completed.

For the French Language Cohort Program in Public Administration and

Community Services ONLY:

Students must complete

FREN 301-3 Advanced French Composition

and one of

Fren

425-3

Topics in the Varieties of French

Fren 452-3 Topics in French Cultures

A further nine credit hours of French, to be chosen from among the remaining courses at

the 300 and 400 division, must be completed. (Fren 360-4 and/or Fren 370-4 may be

taken in partial fulfillment of this requirement.)

0

---

.

SCUS 04-2

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

MEMORANDUM

To:

?

Sarah Dench

?

From: ?

Mary Ann Gillies

Secretary, S.C.US.

?

Chair, F.A.C.C.

Subject:

New Joint Program

School of Computing Science

?

Date:

?

21 January, 2004

and Department of Geography

The Faculty of Arts Curriculum Committee, at its meeting of January 15,

2004, approved the attached new Geographic Information Science Program

proposal submitted by the School of Computing Science and the Department of

Geography.

The Department of Geography has approved this proposal based upon the

assurance, from the senior administration, that DTO funding will be received to

implement this new initiative.

Mary Ann Gillies, Chair

Faculty of Arts

Curriculum Committee

:dgg

end.

iq

---

Rob Cameron, 2/17/04 4:03 PM -0800, Re: GIS program memo

From: Rob Cameron <cameron@cs.sfu.ca >

To: Sarah Dench <sjdench@sfu.ca >

Subject: Re: GIS program memo

Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 16:03:39 -0800

Hi, Sarah.

FAS UCC did consider the GIS program at its meeting

of Friday, November 14 and gave approval in principle

subject to adequate resources being made available.

Robert D. Cameron, Ph.D.

Professor of Computing Science

Associate Dean of Applied Sciences

Simon Fraser University

S

S

ao

Printed

for Sarah

Dench <sjdench@sfu.ca

>

---

S

L

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Department of Geography

MEMORANDUM

/

To: 'Dr. Mary Ann Gillies, Chair

?

From:

M. Schmidt, Chair

Faculty of Arts Curriculum

?

UGSC, Geography

Committee

Dr. Rob Cameron, Chair

Faculty of Applied Sciences

Curriculum Committee

Subject:

New Program Proposal

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Date: 8 December 2003

2004/2005 Calendar

The attached GlScience major/honors BSc in Applied Sciences was

approved in principle by the Department of Geography at its meeting of 27

November 2003. The intent of the "in principle" approval is to indicate the

Department's approval of the academic content and curriculum of the new

program. However, Geography's participation in the program is contingent

on satisfactory budget assurances from the university administration on the

flow of DTO funding to the Department. Please bring this new program

proposal to the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Applied Sciences Curriculum

Committees for approval.

28

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M. G. Schm.

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Undergraduate Studies Committee

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Proposed Calendar Entry - Faculty of Arts, Department of Geography

Geographic Information Science Program

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- -:

The program is offered jointly by the School of Computing Science and the

Department of Geography. Students may pursue major or honors options

leading to the BSc or BSc (Honors) degrees under the Faculty of Applied

Sciences. See p. xxx for requirements.

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New Progian, Proosa1 - Geographic Information Science ?

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CA.SFU.FAS.UCC/Papers :2003-1 5D

0

Information Science

B. Bhattacharya, R. Cameron, A. Clapp, Q. Gu, J. Regan, M. Schmidt, N. Schuurman

I. Introduction

A B.Sc. degree program in

Geographic Information Science

(major or honors) is proposed as ajoint

program of the Department of Geography and the School of Computing Science, to be administered under the

Faculty of Applied Sciences. This program is proposed to be funded under the provincial 'Double the

Opportunity" (DTO) initiative.

1.1. What is GlScience?

While Geographic Information Systems are a collection of practices, hardware and software used to analyze

spatial data, GlScience deals with the theoretical and intellectual issues that surround the use of GlSystem

W .

echnologies.

?

for this

GlScience

alternate

is,

GIS

in the

identity

simplest

to emerge.

sense, the

By

theory

the beginning

that underlies

of the

GlSystems.

1990s, a sense

It took

prevailed

several

among

decades,

many academic researchers that GIS had forged new intellectual territory. There are unique characteristics of

geographical data, and problems associated with its analysis, that differentiate GIS from other information

systems. These properties include: the need to develop conceptual models of space; the sphericity of spatial

data; problems with spatial data capture; spatial data uncertainty and error propagation; as well as algorithms

and spatial data visualization and display. Questions about the underlying assumptions written into the code that

comprises GlSystems are the basis of GlScience. The emergence of

Geographic Information Science

as the

preferred term for the scientific discipline underlying GlSystem technologies and applications is now widely

recognized and promoted by major university and institutional consoritia in both North America (UCGIS) and

Europe (AGILE).

(3lScience is a field that requires solid foundations in both computing science and geography. While GlScience

graduates will be exceptionally well qualified to contribute to a rapidly growing industry, the aim of the

GlScience major is not to provide a vocational degree, but a liberal education in the computational analysis of

geographical phenomena. Students will explore the merits of different methods for digital representation of

spatial entities on the earth's surface. They will learn how to model data effectively; how to visualize those

models using computer graphics; and how to program in object environments. They will also investigate

philosophical issues pertinent to GlScience, including the ontology, epistemology and ethical implications of

spatial data representations.

The information science component of this degree is complemented by studies in geography. Majors are

&equired to take courses in one or more subject areas in human or physical geography. Several doniains

of

modem human and physical geography have been transformed by GlSystems: resource management, for

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New Program Proposal - Geographic Information Science

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8/12/0 4:16 PM'

example, depends on GlSystems to analyze and map resource inventories and environmental values, while

modelling atmospheric processes like global warming requires strong foundations in climatology and

computational theory. Other fields in Geography that are of particular interest to the GlScientist include

hydrology and sub-surface modelling, location analysis, immigrant settlement patterns, epidemiology, urban

growth, and the economic geography of telecommunications.

1.2. Contributions to Canada

The development of a GlScience major at SFU will benefit the province and the nation through the training of

future employees with the skills needed to compete in the $20 billion international Geomatics market. Ensuring

that Canada can share information with other nations is a key component of our ability to participate in the

industry. This is essential not only to Canada's competitiveness on the world market, but also to providing

equality of access to geospatial information within Canada.

The Government of Canada has shown its commitment to the field by establishing a Canadian Geospatial Data

Infrastructure and a funding agency (GEOIDE: Geomatics for Informed Decisions) to fund its ongoing

development. The data infrastructure is expected to benefit Canada in at least six areas: jobs and economic

growth international competitiveness; rural and remote community access; public and private sector

partnerships; new models of governance and collaborations on a national project. Canadians will benefit in

many ways through the increased capacity to use geospatial data. These benefits include the routing of

emergency services by the quickest routes, tracking criminal activity, locating businesses in the best areas and

integrating information to improve public transportation and facilities management.

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According

M. Employment

to Industry

Prospects

Canada, Geomatics

?

(which includes GlSystems) is one of the five components of the

0

rapidly growing information technology sector. The GlSyestems industry is growing at double-digit rates and is

expected to continue to grow in the future. The industry has proven resistant to boom-bust cycles in technology

because both private firms and public sector agencies need to manage geographic information, and that need

has continued to grow even as the dot-corn bubble has deflated.

The employment prospects are bright for students with training in GiScience. Both private companies and

public sector employers have growing needs for workers who can help them take advantage of their

investments in spatial data infrastructure and management. Firms and agencies dealing with natural resources,

energy production and distribution, transportation and waste management now require GIS training for many

career paths. Other fields in which GlScience plays a large and growing role include public health, police

services, and planning at

all

levels of government. More generally, any organization with spatially extensive

resources and operations needs GlScience expertise to manage the proliferating spatial data that document and

model the environments in which they work.

II. Proposed Calendar Description

The following calendar entry is proposed for inclusion under the

Faculty

of

Applied Sciences

section of the

calendar.

Geographic Information Science Program

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New Progrrn Proposal - Geographic Information Science

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The School of Computing Science and the Department of Geography cooperate in offering the

program in Geographic Information Science. Students may pursue major or honours options

4V

ading to the BSc-or BSc (Honours) degrees under the Faculty-of Applied Sciences.

The program is administered by a coordinating committee consisting of two members each from

computing science and geography. The committee chair serves as program director and

alternates between computing science and geography every two years. Curriculum changes

proposed by the committee require the support of both computing science and geography.

Admission and Continuation

Entry into geographic information science programs is possible via

• direct admission from high school

• direct transfer from a recognized post-secondary institution, or

• internal transfer from within Simon Fraser University.

Admission is competitive. A separate admission average for each entry route is established

each semester, depending on the number of spaces available and subject to the approval of the

Dean of Applied Sciences.

Requirements for direct admission (either high school or post-secondary) follow the

corresponding requirements for admission into computing science using the same admission

averages and calculations.

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students applying for internal transfer into the geographic information science program are

assessed based on grade point average over the courses listed under lower division

requirements below. Only courses taken at SFU are used in the average. If one or more courses

have been duplicated (repeated), the grades from all course attempts will be used equally in

calculating the average. Application may be made at any time after at least 18 SFU credits of this

coursework have been completed and all 100-level requirements have been satisfied.

Students must maintain a CGPA of 2.5 to remain in the program.

Co-operative Education

Co-op is strongly encouraged. Students taking the major in Geographic Information Science will

be in great demand while they are still in the program. The current number of co-op postings for

students exceeds the supply by a large margin. Co-op employers are actively seeking students

with a broad range of GIS skills, especially those with a solid foundation in programming,

database management, and statistics, in addition to substantive knowledge in geography and

resource management.

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New Program Proposal - Geographic Information Science

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Students must complete all of

CMPT 120-3 Introduction to Computing Science and Programming

CMPT 125-3 Introduction to Computing Science and Programming

CMPT 225-3 Data Structures and Programming

GEOG 100-3 Human Geography I

GEOG 111-3 Physical Geography

GEOG 250-3 Cartography I

GEOG 253-3 Aerial Photographic Interpretation

GEOG 255-3 Geographical Information Science I

MACM 101-3 Discrete Mathematics I

MACM 201-3 Discrete Mathematics II

MATH 151-3 Calculus I

MATH 152-3 Calculus II

MATH 232-3 Linear Algebra

and one of

GEOG 213-3 Geomorphology I

GEOG 214-3 Climatology I

GEOG 215-3 Biogeography

GEOG 221-3 Economic Geography

GEOG 241-3 Social Geography

GEOG 261-3 Introduction to Urban Geography

and one of

GEOG 251-3 Quantitative Geography

STAT 270-3 Introduction to Probability and Statistics

(Total: 45 credits)

Upper Division Requirements

Students must complete all of

CMPT 307-3 Data Structures and Algorithms

CMPT 354-3 Database Systems I

CMPT 361-3 Introduction to Computer Graphics

and one of

CMPT 300-3 Operating Systems I

CMPT 363-3 User Interface Design

CMPT 371-3 Data Communications and Networking

CMPT 384-3 Symbolic Computing

and two of

CMPT 406-3 Computational Geometry

CMPT 412-3 Computational Vision

CMPT 454-3 Database Systems II

CMPT 461-3 Advanced Computer Graphics

CMPT 470-3 Web-based Information Systems

O

.

.

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New Program Propo sal - Geographic Information Science

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and three of

GEOG 351-4 Cartography and Visualization

k

EOG 352-4 Spatial Analysis

EOG 353-4 Remote Sensing

GEOG 355-4 Geographical Information Science II

and two of

GEOG 451-4 Spatial Modelling

GEOG 453-4 Remote Sensing of Environment

GEOG 455-4 Theoretical and Applied GIS

and four additional upper division credits in physical or human geography (students should consult

with the program advisor in choosing these credits);

and three additional upper division credits of CMPT or MACM coursework.

(Total: 45 credits)

Lower Division Requirements

Students must complete all of

•

MPT 120-3 Introduction to Computing Science and Programming I

MPT 125-3 Introduction to Computing Science and Programming II

CMPT 150-3 Introduction to Computer Design

CMPT 225-3 Data Structures and Programming

CMPT 275-4 Software Engineering I

GEOG 100-3 Human Geography I

GEOG 111-3 Physical Geography

GEOG 250-3 Cartography I

GEOG 253-3 Aerial Photographic Interpretation

GEOG 255-3 Geographical Information Science I

MACM 101-3 Discrete Mathematics I

MACM 201-3 Discrete Mathematics II

MATH 151-3 Calculus I

MATH 152-3 Calculus II

MATH 232-3 Linear Algebra

and one of

GEOG 213-3 Geomorphology I

GEOG 214-3 Climatology I

GEOG 215-3 Biogeography

and one of

GEOG 221-3 Economic Geography

46

EOG 241-3 Social Geography

EOG 261-3 Introduction to Urban Geography

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New Program Proposal - Geographic Information Science

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and one of

GEOG 251-3 Quantitative Geography

STAT

(Total:

270-3

55 credits)

Introduction to Probability and Statistics

?

.

Upper Division Requirements

Students must complete all of

CMPT 300-3 Operating Systems I

CMPT 307-3 Data Structures and Algorithms

CMPT 354-3 Database Systems I

CMPT 361-3 Introduction to Computer Graphics

CMPT 406-3 Computational Geometry

CMPT 454-3 Database Systems II

MACM 316-3 Numerical Analysis I

and three of

CMPT 363-3 User Interface Design

CMPT 371-3 Data Communications and Networking

CMPT 384-3 Symbolic Computing

CMPT 412-3 Computational Vision

CMPT 461-3 Advanced Computer Graphics

CMPT 470-3 Web-based Information Systems

and three of

GEOG 351-4 Cartography and Visualization

GEOG 352-4 Spatial Analysis

GEOG 353-4 Remote Sensing

GEOG 355-4 Geographical Information Science II

and four additional upper division credits in physical or human geography (students should consult

with the program advisor in choosing these credits);

and two of

GEOG 451-4 Spatial Modelling

GEOG 453-4 Remote Sensing of Environment

GEOG 455-4 Theoretical and Applied GIS

and

GEOG 491-4 Honours Essay

(Total: 58 credits)

Admission, continuation and graduation are contingent upon maintaining 3.00 or better on all

relevant grade point averages (CGPA, UDGPA, CMPT GPA, CMPT UDGPA, GEOG GPA,

- GEOG UDGPA). ?

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New Progran Proposal - Geographic Information Science ?

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III. Sample Student Schedule

he following sample schedule provides one possible example of an 8-semester program of courses satisfying

the requirements of the GIS program. Electives are assumed to carry 3 credits.

Term 1. 12 credits

CMPT 120-3 Introduction to Computing Science and Programming I

GEOG 111-3 Physical Geography

MATH 151-3 Calculus I

elective

Term 2. 12 credits

CMPT 125-3 Introduction to Computing Science and Programming H

MATH

152-3

Calculus II

GEOG

255-3

Geographical Information Science I

elective

Term 3. 15 credits

CMPT 225-3 Data Structures and Programming

GEOG 250-3 Cartography I

EOG 100-3 Human Geography

CM 101-3 Discrete Mathematics I

elective

Term 4. 15 credits

CMPT 307-3 Data Structures and Algoiithms

GEOG

25

3-3 Aerial Photographic Interpretation

GEOG 251-3/ STAT 270-3

MACM 201-3 Discrete Mathematics

II

elective

Term 5.16 credits

CWT 354-3 Database Systems I

one of GEOG 21x/2x1-3

one of GEOG 351/2/3/5-4

MATH 232-3 Linear Algebra

elective

Term 6. 17 credits

*MPT 361-3 Introduction to Computer Graphics

one of CMPT 300/363/371/384-3

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New Program Proposal - Geographic Information Science

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PN

one of GEOG 351/2/3/5-4

one of GEOG 351/2/3/5-4

Term

elective

7.

?

17 credits

-

?

.

one of CMPT 406/412/454/461/470-3

one of GEOG 451/3/5-4

one upper-division course in human or physical geography

elective

elective

Term 8.16 credits

one of CMPT 406/412/454/461/470-3

one of GEOG 45

1/3/5-4

one additional upper division CMPT or MACM course

elective

elective

IV. Enrolment Projections and Budget Model

An enrolment of 15 FTh students per year is planned for this program, building to a steady state enrolment of

60

Under

FTh

the

students

DTO funding

after four

model

years.

(60%

?

of DTO funding plus tuition made available to academic units),

.

approximately $9500 per FTh student is expected to be made available to academic units in support of this

program. Based on requirements for course delivery and administration, a distribution of 40% of this funding to

each of Computing Science and Geography is proposed for instructional delivery, with an additional 3%

provided to the Faculty of Applied Sciences for program administration. Based on this breakdown the

following table provides a proposed budget distribution to academic units, cuhninating in the steady-state annual

budget in 2007-8.

I ?

Year

?

CMPT ?

GEOG ?

IlApplied

Sciences1

I

2004-5 ?

$5700011 ?

$5700011

?

2005-6

II

?

$11400011 ?

$11400011

?

$85501

I

2006-7

II ?

$17100011

?

$17100011

?

$128251

2007-8

II

$22800011

$22800011

$171001

S

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