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MEMORANDUM
TO:
Senate
FROM:
Jonathan Driver, Dean of Graduate Studies
SUBJECT:
Co-supervision
DATE:
20th January 2003
S.03-39
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY?
DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES
.
At its
13th
January 2003 meeting Senate Graduate Studies Committee approved a
proposal for the creation of a new category of graduate supervision. This is described in
the proposed addition to Graduate General Regulations.
Motion
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That Senate approve the new Graduate General Regulation 1.6.5 as outlined
in S. 03-
39
Proposed new regulation
1.6.5 Co-supervision
A co-supervisor may be designated when a member of the supervisory committee
exercises a degree of supervision and support similar to that of a senior supervisor.
Normally, a co-supervisor will be appointed if:
(a)
He or she holds an appointment as an adjunct professor (see policy A 12.08) at
SFU in the same department as the student and senior supervisor;
or
holds an
appointment as an associate member (see policy A 12.07) at SFU in the same
department as the student and senior supervisor;
and
(b)
The Department Graduate Program Committee satisfies the Faculty Graduate
Studies Committee and the Dean of Graduate Studies that the level of supervision
and/or support to be provided by the co-supervisor is greater than normally
expected from regular members of a supervisory committee.
Under exceptional circumstances a co-supervisor may be an SFU faculty member in the
same department as the student and senior supervisor. Reasons for approving such an
I
sarrangement will vary, but could include: co-investigator with the senior supervisor of a
Co-supervision

 
research grant funding the student's research; or providing significant supervision in a
field outside the senior supervisor's area of expertise.
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Appointment as co-supervisor recognizes significant contribution of time, expertise or
financial resources. However, the supervision of the student remains the responsibility of
the senior supervisor, who must perform all of the activities normally expected of a
senior supervisor. The co-supervisor will not take on any of the administrative
responsibilities of the senior supervisor. The co-supervisor may not substitute for the
senior supervisor, except under circumstances described in 1.6.3.
Co-supervisory status is recommended by the Department Graduate Program Committee
to the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee. If the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee
supports the appointment, it shall be forwarded to the Dean of Graduate Studies for
approval. Status as co-supervisor will be noted on all relevant documents, and on the
signature page of the thesis.
Co-supervisory status may be terminated by the Dean of Graduate Studies if either
condition (a) or (b) (above) is no longer met, or if the co-supervisor is unable to comply
with SFU policies and procedures relevant to graduate supervision.
It is the responsibility of the co-supervisor to inform his/her department chair (at SFU) or
employer (off campus) of his/her status as co-supervisor.
[Note: if the new regulation is adopted, it will be necessary to re-number the current
section 1. 6.5 to 1.6.6, and current 1.66 to 1. 6.7]
Rationale
Senate Graduate Studies Committee has debated the institution of co-supervision as a
way of recognizing the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of some graduate research,
and the significant involvement in some graduate programs of individuals from outside
departments and outside the University. SGSC agrees that such a designation makes
sense in certain circumstances. For example, the increased collaboration of SFU faculty
members with researchers in other institutions (e.g. Genome Canada, BC Cancer Agency,
major hospitals, government research agencies, other universities) requires us to
recognize the role of those researchers in graduate supervision; furthermore,
acknowledgment of their role in graduate supervision may assist them in obtaining
further research funding that will be used to support SFU graduate students.
SGSC believes that co-supervision should be allowed in cases in which an individual has
been recognized by a department as an adjunct professor (from outside SFU) or an
associate member (from within SFU). This ensures that the department has a chance to
evaluate the academic credentials of an individual, and assures the Dean of Graduate
Studies that appropriate "quality control" has been exercised. The Faculty Graduate
Studies Committee must also approve the appointment.
S
Co-supervision
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Co-supervision is not intended to recognize faculty members from the same department
as the student, unless there are exceptional circumstances where appointment of a co-
supervisor will recognize an unusual contribution of resources, time or expertise. All
faculty members are expected to serve as regular members of supervisory committees as
part of their normal responsibilities towards a graduate program.
SGSC recognizes the need for a senior supervisor to be an SFU faculty member,
normally in the same department to which the student was admitted. The senior
supervisor should retain full responsibility for overall supervision. SGSC also wishes to
avoid potential problems for a student that might result from conflicting advice. For
reasons of administrative transparency, the co-supervisor will not take on any of the
administrative responsibilities of the senior supervisor.
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Li
Co-supervision

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