S.03-6

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SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

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MEMORANDUM

To: ?

Senate

From: ?

A.

MacKinnon, Chair

Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies

Subject: Faculty of Applied Sciences - Proposed changes to BC 12 Admission Requirements

(SCUS Reference 02-30 - rev.)

Date: ?

December 12, 2002

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Action undertaken at the December 10, 2002 meeting of the Senate Committee on

Undergraduate Studies gives rise to the following motion:

"That Senate approve changes to BC 12 Admission Requirements in the Faculty

of Applied Sciences as set forth in

S.

03-6 ."

•

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SCUS 02-30 (rev.)

SCI Athiuion Rcq.irc.,c.ts - Faculty ( Appltcd Scc.cc,

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12/4/02 9:41 AM

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(dated Dec. 1/02)

CA.SFU.FAS.UCC/Papers:2002-4F

• BC12 Admission Requirements — Faculty of Applied Sciences

Robert D. Cameron, Associate Dean of Applied Sciences

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Revision F - December 1, 2002

Based on Revision E as approved at Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies on November 12 2002, with an amendment deferring consideration

of admission requirements for Tech One, as requested by Senate Committee on Agenda and Rules.

I.

Introduction

The Faculty of Applied Sciences (FAS) presently provides five distinct sets of admission requirements for entry into its programs from BC Grade 12.

While each of the four Schools of Communication, Computing Science, Engineering Science and Kinesiology do require five Grade 12 courses

acceptable for overall SFU admission, the permissible sets of courses vary considerably. Tech One, the first year of the Program in Information

Technology and Interactive Arts brings yet another distinct admission model into the picture, as a carryover from the former Technical University of

British Columbia

This document proposes the development of a common framework for direct admission to FAS programs from BC Grade 12. The framework

emphasizes breadth and foundational skills in writing and mathematics. Within the framework, programs may have varying requirements with respect to

disciplinary preparation.

A common framework for requirements with respect to breadth, writing and mathematics is expected to have several advantages. First and foremost,

admitted students should be better prepared to take on and succeed in their intended program of study. Indeed, the subsequent analysis will argue that

each FAS program can benefit from improved preparation of students along at least one of the dimensions of breadth, writing, or mathematics. Second,

a common framework should provide students with more options to switch to an alternative program of study in the event their initial program choice

turns out not to match their interests or aptitudes. Third, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinaiy opportunities should be enhanced by ensuring that more

students have the broad background to consider these options. Fourth, the framework should also ensure that students are well prepared to take on the

anticipated university-wide requirements for breadth, writing-intensive and quantitative-intensive courses as proposed by the university curriculum task

O

orce. Fifth and finally, the framework should have benefits for advising high school students with respect to Grade 12 course selection, both because it

ssimpIer to communicate and because it encourages breadth while discouraging premature specialization.

Admission requirements for FAS programs must also be consistent with overall SFU requirements. The primary requirements are for five recognized

Grade 12 courses including English 12. A large selection of Grade 12 courses is recognized for admission, with a small amount of structure imposed to

provide some breadth.

In imposing additional structure beyond the minimum SFU requirements, it is also important to ensure that the additional requirements do not unduly limit

the number of admissible applicants. If the applicant pool is limited in size it may be impossible to meet admission targets without lowering the admission

average substantially.

II.

Breadth: English 12, Math 12, Arts and Science

The essential concept underlying the notion of breadth in this proposal is that admission to FAS programs should emphasize English 12, Math 12 and at

least one course course each in arts 12 and science 12 groups.

List 2 Reorganization

In order to express the breadth constraints, the current lists (in particular, List 2) of the BC 12 courses used for admission should be reorganized as

follows.

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List

English 12, Français premiere langue 12

AP calculus AB/BC

-A

List

List

biology 12, chemistry 12,

geography 12, geology 12,

history 12, principles of

12, AP computer

science NAB

- 12, AP

l ?

systems 12,

lB further mathematics 12, lB

2

English literature 12, Français

communication et littérature 12

mathematics 12, principles of

environmental science

12, AP statistics 12, 113

mathematics with calculus

N

physics 12

computer science!

B

studies 12

Group

Fine and Performing Arts

Humanities Group

acting 12, arts 12, dance

comparative civilizations 12 lB

theory of knowledge (philosophy)

Social Sciences Group

economics 12, journalism!

choreography 12, dance

12 Languages: Arabic 12, French

media 12, law 12, AP

performance 12, directing and

12 or 12A, or Français langue

Sciences Group

comparative government and

List scriptwnting 12, drama film

seconde

12*,

German 12, Italian

calculus 12, forests

politics 12, AP psychology

3

and TV 12, music composition

12, Japanese 12, Latin 12,

12, information

12, AP US government and

12, music composition and

Mandarin 12, Okanagan 12,

te chnology 12

politics 12, lB business and

technology 12, stagecraft 12,

Punjabi 12, Russian 12,

organization 12, 113

visual arts 2D 12, visual arts

Secwepemctsin 12, Spanish 12,

psychology, 113 social

3D 12, visual arts media arts

Upper Sat'imcets 12

anthropology 12

12, writing 12

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12/4/02 9:41 AM

Current Wording

Proposed Wording

List

English 12, Français premiere langue 12

Sciences Group

Math Group

biology 12, chemistry 12,

principles of mathematics

geology 12, principles of

List

12, AP calculus AB/BC 12,

Humanities Group

physics 12, AP computer

Social Sciences Group

2

AP

mathematics

statistics 12,

12,

lB

lB

further

communication

English literature

et

12,

littérature

Français12

environmental

science

NAB

science

12, AP

geography 12, history 12

mathematics with calculus

N

12, lB computer science!

B

studies 12, lB

environmental systems 12

Fine and Performing Arts

Group

acting 12, arts 12, dance

Humanities Group

comparative civilizations 12 lB

Social Sciences Group

economics 12, journalism/

choreography

performance 12,

12,

directingdance

theory

12 Languages:

of knowledge

Arabic

(philosophy)12,

comparative

media 12, law

government

12, AP

and

List

film

2D

visual

composition

and

composition

12,

12,

stagecraft

and

scnptwriting

arts

visual

TV

media

12,

and

12,

arts

12,

musicmusictechnology12,

arts

visual

3D

drama12,12,arts

Secwepemctsin

langue

Punjabi

Upper

French

Italian

12, Mandarin

St'at'imcets

12,

seconde

12

12,

Japanese

or

Russian

12A,

12,

12,

12*,

Okanagan

12

or

Spanish

12,12,

German

FrançaisLatin12,12,

12,

information

calculus

Sciences

12,

Grouptechnology

forests 12,

12

anthropology

psychology,

organization

politics

politics

12, AR

12,

12,

US government

lB

AR

lB

12,

12

business

social

psychology

lB

and

and

-

writing 12

I

The reorganization classifies List 2 courses to simplify the expression of Applied Sciences admission requirements. The reorganization does not affect

the admission requirements of any other Faculty.

Revised Admission Requirements

The following two tables provide current and proposed admission requirements. Admission requirements of the other Faculties are included in the first

table for reference only.

Current Wording

Grade 12 requirements - admission average calculated on five best courses as follows

Arts ?

Science ?

Business

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Communication

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ComputingScience

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Science

Engineering ?

Kinesiology

List

I

one course

I

one course from

I

one course

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I

one course from

I

one course from

I

one course

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one course

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from list 1

list 1

from list 1

list 1

list 1

from list 1

from list 1

two courses

principles of

principles of

two courses from

principles of

principles of

mathematics

principles of

mathematics

from list 2

mathematics 12

mathematics 12 list 2

mathematics 12

12

12

two of biology

12, chemistry 12,

one additional

one of biology 12,

geography 12,

geology 12,

course from list

chemistry 12, or

principles of

chemistry 12

chemistry 12

List

principles of

2

physics 12

2

courses

additional

physics 12

two additional

from list 2 or

courses from list 2

one additional

list 3 (as

two additional

or list 3 (as below)

science course

principles of

physics 12

principles of

physics 12

below)

one additional

courses from

from list 2 or 3

or

course

list 3

from list 2

(as

list 2

below)

or list 3

one of geography

one additional

course from

biology 12

12 or history 12 or

list 2 or list 3

(if both

one of

courses are

(if both courses

are from list 3

(if both courses

comparative

civilizations 12, lB

3

List

from

they

different

must

list

differentthey

must

are

must

from

be differentlist

3 they

theory

knowledge

of

12, or

groups)

groups)

groups)

any list 3 social

science course

Note: Advanced Placement (APP) and International Baccalaureate (lB) courses are included in this chart only if they are not

equivalent to an existing grade 12 course. Approved equivalent Programme Cadre and French Immersion courses are

acceptable for admission. Locally developed courses, however, are not acceptable.

Proposed

Wording

Grade 12 requirements for Applied Sciences - admission average calculated on five best courses, chosen one from

each row, as follows

Computing Science

Engineering Science

General Studies

Kinesiology

Tech One (tentative)

t•lSt

English

121

English

121

English

121

English 12 1

English

121

principles of

principles of

principles of

principles of

principles of mathematics

mathematics

122

mathematics

122

mathematics

122

mathematics

12 2

122

List

2

principles of physics

biology 12,

chemistry 12 or

biology 12, chemistry

one science course

12

principles of

12 or principles of

one science course

-

physics 12

physics 12

one social science or

one hun)afjties,

At'

one social science

one fine and performing

fine and performing arts

social

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nce or°"

or fine and

any course

ails

course

course, or one List 2

find performing

performing arts

(recommended)

or one

List

humanities course

course

course

social science course

2

or

3

one additional course

one

science

additional

coursemath

or

chemistry 12

one

courseadditional

from

chemistry

biology

12 or

12,

one additional course

principles of physics 12

Note: Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (lB) courses are included in this chart only if they are not

equivalent to an existing grade 12 course. Approved equivalent Programme Cadre and French Immersion courses are

acceptable for admission. Locally developed courses, however, are not acceptable.

1

or Francais premiere langue 12

2 or AP/lB Math group course.

•Rationale

Communication

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BCI 2

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12/4/02 9:41 AM

For the present, admission requirements for the School of Communication are proposed to remain unchanged continuing to be listed in the existing

table for Arts, Business and Science. Changes compatible with the overall FAS admission model may be incorporated at a later date.

The

Computing

current requirements

Science

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of the School of Computing Science already include both arts (social science) and science (two science 12 courses).

40

However, with the planned program expansion under DTO, a broader selection of arts and science courses should result in a corresponding broadening

of the applicant pool.

Engineering Science

Engineering Science presently requires four specified courses (English 12, Math 12, Physics 12 and Chemistry 12), leaving the fifth grade 12 course

free to be chosen from the list of courses generally recognized for SFU admission.

From the perspective of a potential arts 12 requirement, a review of courses taken by 2002 Engineering Science applicants showed that that

approximately 40% had a grade 12 course within the social sciences group and an additional 20% or so had a course within the fine and performing

arts group. Many of the remainder had a language 12 (humanities group). Ideally, a requirement for a course within the social sciences group would

prepare students for appreciation of the social context of engineering technology as well as giving them additional preparation in writing. A fine and

performing arts course may select for creativity as well as communication skills. However, limiting the arts 12 requirement to either or both of these

categories would likely in an overreduction of the applicant pool. Therefore, an arts 12 from any of the three groups is proposed.

General Studies

Admission requirements for the Bachelor of General Studies (Applied Sciences) have not previously been defined. The proposed requirements ensure

that students are in a position to undertake studies in any combination of Applied Sciences programs.

Kinesiology

For 2002 admission, Kinesiology requires all of English 12, Math 12, Biology 12, Chemistry 12, and Physics 12. Although this would appear to set high

standards, recent experience has shown that admission quotas cannot be met without unduly lowering the admission average. In essence, the pool of

applicants having all five of these courses is too small to allow admission targets to be met with a reasonable admission average.

The changes proposed here require two rather than all three of Biology 12, Chemistry 12, and Physics 12. The fifth course may be chosen from either

Tech

List 2

One

or List 3.

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0

Tentative changes in admission requirements for the Tech One program are shown here, for information only. Discussions are underway with respect to

the evolution of Tech One as an integrated first year in support of a broad array of applied arts and sciences programs as well as continued support of

the evolving program in interactive arts and information technology. Although the tentative changes to admission requirements have been accepted in

principle, formal approval of the changes by Senate will be sought in conjunction with a fill curriculum proposal for Tech One revision.

III. Phase-In Provisions

Applicants meeting the new admission requirements will be considered admissible effective with the Fall 2003 semester. However, applicants working

towards the requirements published in the 2002-3 calendar will continue to be considered admissible until and including Fall 2004. The new

requirements will become mandatory for all applicants effective Spring 2005.

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