For Information
?
S.O0-1 01
Simon Fraser University
?
-
FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
?
MEMORANDUM
TO:
?
Chair of Senate
7
FROM: ?
Ernie Love, Dean Pro-Tern, Faculty of Business Administration
DATE: ?
October 19, 2000
SUBJECT: Learning Strategies Group (LSG) of the Faculty of Business
Administration
At its last meeting, the Board of Governors approved in principle that the Learning
Strategies Group (LSG) of the Faculty of Business Administration could proceed to
become an incorporated unit, owned wholly by the University and operated by and for the
Faculty of Business Administration. In moving forward on this plan, at a subsequent
meeting of Senate, information on details regarding the purpose of LSG and the intention
of this new structure was requested.
This memo is intended to provide information to Senate as to the activities/purpose of the
LSG as an educational bridging enterprise of the Faculty of Business Administration as
well as our rationale for proposing to the Board of Governors that the LSG be structured
as an incorporated unit.
The Learning Strategies Group (LSG) reports to the Dean of Business through the
Associate Dean for Harbour Centre Programs. The mandate of the LSG is to design and
deliver customized management education programs and related educational services to
business. The LSG specializes in managing educational relationships with client
organizations on behalf of the Faculty of Business Administration. It does not market
executive development programs to individuals, or conduct other activities that
Continuing Studies manages for the Faculty.
The LSG has evolved out of initiatives which were first undertaken by the Faculty in
conjunction with the Extension Credit program in Continuing Studies. These early
projects showed that there was a need for university level programs that were tailored to
the specific needs of employees within large organizations. Over time, it became clear
that the main demand from most organizations was the need for more managerial
knowledge and expertise and that a close working relationship with faculty members in
this field was a critical success factor. For this reason, early in 1999, the LSG was
formed within the Faculty of Business Administration.
As a unit of the Faculty of Business Administration, the mandate of LSG is to serve the
teaching, research and community service missions of the Faculty by:
9
1]
Business Administration
?
Page 1
?
10/19/2000
Providing advanced management education to businesses in British Columbia and
beyond. The Learning Strategies Group acts as a "learning partner" to client
organizations, helping to develop managerial expertise by providing "in-house"
programs and other educational services that directly address the needs of the
organizations and their employees. LSG seeks to respond rapidly and decisively to
the business needs of its clients, drawing upon intellectual resources within the
university and additional expertise as required. It also supports the Faculty's teaching
mission by developing customized and industry-specific versions of existing
programs. Academic authority for any credit courses or university-certified non-
credit programs managed by LSG remains with the University.
2. Building opportunities for applied research. Educational links with organizations
provide a good laboratory for studying knowledge development and learning in
organizations. Many organizations have a strong interest in evaluating the impact of
educational investments and are willing to support such research efforts. In addition,
high level, customized education often points out the need for associated research into
management practices, research which may provide opportunities for students and
faculty members.
Increasing the visibility of Simon Fraser University and the Faculty of Business
Administration with key constituencies. As an educational bridging enterprise, LSG
assists the Faculty in building multi-layered relationships with businesses and with
industry associations. Such relationships can create needed opportunities for student
placements and jobs, for recruiting students to executive graduate programs, for
applied research and case studies, and for executive teaching opportunities. In its
bridging role, LSG is a substantive demonstration of the Faculty's commitment to
responsive interaction with the business community. This aids in the economic
development of the Province by ensuring that the research and management training
skills of the business faculty are tailored to meet the needs of individual
organizations; thereby enhancing their opportunities for change and growth.
4. Providing revenue to the Faculty of Business Administration. The demand for
tailored educational services by business creates an opportunity to generate
significant revenue that can support the broader teaching, research, and service
missions of the Faculty of Business Administration.
Since its inception, LSG has contributed $100,000 to other research and teaching
activities within the Faculty while also paying for its start-up costs and building a
contingency fund. The primary uses of this transferred money are the ongoing support of
seminars and speakers, support for new course development and support for more
primary research within the Faculty. Twelve faculty members and
5
regular sessional
instructors have participated in LSG managed programs and/or applied research.
External instructors and other industry experts have been used where appropriate to
augment University expertise, as required.
r
Business Administration
?
Page 2 ?
10/19/2000
. ?
In its first year of activity, LSG was primarily occupied with delivering a leadership
development program to more than 250 ICBC managers in several locations around the
B.C. It has also managed the delivery of two to four 500 level courses to managers and
mining engineers at Cominco's Trail Smelters over each of the last 4 years. The courses
at Cominco's smelters have been particularly successful in helping highly skilled
engineers understand the managerial and business related aspects of their jobs in a way
which contributes to the viability of a key enterprise in an economically challenged
region of the province. This success has led to an ongoing educational relationship with
Cominco, both at Trail and with the Explorations group in Vancouver.
LSG has also carried out several smaller projects for clients, including The Institute for
Railway Technology, BC Gas, Digital Accelerator Corporation, Westport Innovations,
Workers Compensation Board, and Discovery Software. It has also undertaken design
support and management of the Foundations program for the Management of Technology
MBA.
Major projects underway include the development of an educational partnership with the
Technology Industries Association of B.C. and a partnership with an online supplier of
services to the mining industry worldwide aimed at enhancing managerial capacity in
mining companies. This last project involves developing a version of the on-line
Graduate Diploma in Business Administration that is customized for the mining industry.
This customization lies at the very heart of the LSG mission; permitting the Business
• ?
Faculty to extend its reach and service to the community.
LSG has developed a distinctive approach to customized executive development
programs, which involves extensive consultation with clients to identify strategic learning
needs, followed by responsive design of educational initiatives that both advance the
skills of individual employees and contribute to meeting key business challenges. One of
its strategic goals is to build upon the accumulated experience of associated faculty to
offer management education customized to specific industries. In addition, by
establishing long-term educational relationships with major employers, LSG seeks to
contribute to their overall organizational development and to expand the relationship that
the Faculty of Business Administration has with the business community.
As it evolves, the Faculty of Business Administration believes that having a unit such as
the LSG is critical to its success both in bridging relationships with a broader cross-
section of the business community and in generating revenues in support of other,
important under-funded aspects of its mandate. It believes that the status quo is
unsatisfactory because LSG currently lacks the flexibility to adapt quickly to the needs
and opportunities presented by client organizations and that while many businesses
respect the knowledge and expertise of the University, they are suspicious that services
provided through the University will not be delivered in an efficient and business-like
manner. Incorporation will not decrease the amount of control exercised over the
academic content and quality of courses delivered, the way in which instructors are
appointed, or students are evaluated.
Business Administration ?
Page 3 ?
10/19/2000
The Faculty has considered alternatives. One such alternative is to form a society under
the B.C. Societies Act, as the University of Victoria has, in order to accomplish similar
purposes. However, such a society does not provide the same level of clarity in terms of
ownership and governance with respect to the University. Nor does it convey the same
business-like intent to clients. Here we would note that in exploring this option, the
University's lawyer also questioned whether a society is the appropriate form for an
organization which is intended to generate revenue for the Faculty as part of its mandate.
The other approach, and the one we feel is most suited to the need we have is to seek the
incorporation of LSG. Other universities have adopted this model, Yale and Duke
Universities in the US, and several Australian universities, presumably with the same
view of providing a model that is business-like in its flexibility while providing control
and naturally, the benefits to the parent university/Faculty. The impact of this, for FBA,
will be to establish a suitably entrepreneurial model under the clear ownership of the
University and direction of the Faculty. We have a very great desire to see the LSG
become a real engine of opportunity for the FBA. This incorporation, which is being
considered by the Board of Governors, is to deliver on this mandate.
S
S.
Business Administration ?
Page 4 ?
10/19/2000
