Page 1
Page 2
Page 3

MEMORANDUM

TO:

Senate

FROM:

Jonathan Driver, Dean of Graduate Studies

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

. ?

That Senate approve the new Graduate General Regulation 1.6.5 as outlined

in S. 03-

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;

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

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.

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.

Co-supervision

• ?

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.

Co-supervision