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5.98-96

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC

From: ?

Senate Committee on Academic Planning

Subject

Faculty of Science -

Centre for Environmental Biology

(SCAP Reference: SCAP 98-59).

Date:

November 5, 1998

Action undertaken by the Senate Committee on Academic Planning gives rise to

the following motion:

Motion:

that Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors

as set forth in S.98 - 96, the proposed Centre for Environmental

Biology within the Department of Biological Sciences."

SCAF9&59

. ?

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

MEMORANDUM

-I

To: Alison Watt, Secretary

From: C.H.W. Jones, Dean

SCAP ?

Faculty of Science

Subject: Centre for Environmental Biology

Date: October 19, 1998

At its meeting of October 13, 1998, the Faculty of Science approved the

proposal for the creation of a Centre of Environmental Biology within the Department

of Biological Sciences.

This Centre will replace the Centre for Pest Management and will oversee the

Masters in Pest Management and Masters in Environmental Toxicology programs.

Please include this item on the agenda of the next meeting of SCAP for

consideration and approval.

C.H.W. Jones

C. ?

N. Haunerland, Chair, Biological Sciences

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

MEMORANDUM

TO: Cohn Jones, Dean

FROM:

Michael J. Smith, Chair

Faculty of Science

Dept. of Biological Science

RE: Centre for Environm. Bid. ?

DATE:

August 4, 1998

Enclosed is a proposal for the creation of a Centre of Environmental Biology

within the Department of Biological Sciences. This Centre would be an administrative

replacement of the Centre for Pest Management and would have the charge

overseeing the M.P.M. and M.E.T. graduate programs.

This proposal was developed over approximately a two and half year period by

Zamir Punja, the Director of the CPM. He should be commended for his vision and

industry in developing this proposal. The proposal went through many revisions and

was discussed at length by boththe pest managers and environmental toxicologists in

this Department. Ultimately it was sent to our Graduate Studies Committee and

Strategic Planning Committee and the final version was brought to the Department for

approval and endorsement on July 28, 1998. The motion to accept the amended

proposal was passed by a large majority of the Faculty at the Departmental meeting.

The essential elements of the proposal are:

The Centre of Environmental Biology will replace the Centre for Pest

Management with a mandate expanded to include administration of both the MPM and

MET degree programs.

This is essentially an administrative restructuring within the Department of

Biological Sciences to address the management of the two applied programs and to

enhance environmental biological studies in the Department.

3) The position

the Director

the CPM will be replaced by a position

designated as Director

the CEB. Thus no new stipended positions are required.

The only budgetary requirements are the release

the MET Sessional lecture funds

held in the Dean of Science office for initiation of MET program.

We recommend that the replacement of the CPM with the CEB occur no later

than 1 September 1999 if not sooner.

I recommend that an interim Director of CPM be appointed during the

transition period. My candidate for this would be Dr. Zamir Punja.

A director of CEB should be appointed and ratified as soon as possible.

Director of the CEB would be responsible to Chair

Department as

Administrative Officer and provide Annual Reports of the CEB activities to Dean and

Chair.

The CEB should undergo an external Program review by the fourth year after

its activation, that is after 3 complete years.

In conclusion, I think that this is an exciting proposal that has every measure

of potential success. it brings together our two applied Master's programs under an

umbrella structure that will enhance their content, it will foster in interdisciplinary

development, and will provide a future basis for an expanded area of fundamental

research in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Michael J. Smith, rofessor & Chair

A PROPOSAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF

A CENTRE FOR

ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY (CEB)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This proposal outlines the rationale and need for the development of a Centre

for Environmental Biology (CEB) within the Department of Biological Sciences, to

address issues relating to pest management and environmental toxicology in the 21

century. The goals of the CEB will be to enhance teaching and research in areas

related to ecological and sustainable management of pests, advance the

understanding and management of terrestrial and aquatic environments, and improve

productivity of agricultural, forest and aquatic environments exposed to stresses and/or

toxic factors. The CEB shall encourage the development and utility of contemporary

approaches to research and teaching in the above areas, as well as foster and

promote additional linkages with areas such as resource management and

environmental sciences. The CEB shall further promote its mandate nationally and

internationally and shall develop its research expertise to be in a position to address

relevant pest and environmental issues on a global scale. In the process, the CEB

shall retain its strong ties with the fundamental sciences, strengthen its two unique

professional degree programs, and provide opportunities to undergraduate and

graduate students to enhance their education.

PREAMBLE

As the world human population increases and global expansion encroaches

upon previously undisturbed and ecologically sensitive areas, major constraints to

food and fibre production, negative impacts on environmental stability, and huge

burdens on natural resources are a growing reality. These pressures on the earth's

ecosystems have led to radical shifts in agricultural, fisheries and forestry practices,

driven by an increased demand by consumers for food and fibre. Presently, there is

enhanced consumer awareness and concern over pest problems, pesticide and drug

residues in food, contaminants in groundwater and coastal seawater, lakes and

streams, and global climatic changes. These environmental perturbations and the

associated decline in natural habitats, such as forests and oceans, have directly or

indirectly resulted from human activities.

The disruptions to the stability of natural ecological and environmental systems

have raised scientific, economic, political, social and environmental awareness of

society at large. Protection of ecosystems has consequently become a high priority for

scientific, regulatory and environmental groups in Canada and throughout the world.

As we approach the next century, there is an urgent need to address these issues. The

development of a Centre for Environmental Biology will be a major step forward to

focus efforts on enhancing pragmatic research and teaching in the area of

environmental biology. There already exists a core group of faculty that are committed

to such an endeavour within the Department of Biological Sciences.

The mandate of the proposed CEB will be to promote research and teaching,

and enhance expertise in the areas of pest management and environmental

toxicology. The inclusion of the CEB within the Department of Biological Sciences

enables the essential fundamental sciences (ecology, physiology and genetics) upon

which the Centre is based to be retained. Scientific research and broadly-based

education in these areas are vital to development of necessary expertise to address

issues in environmental biology as we approach the 21 century.

The understanding of increasing pest and environmental problems will require

a combination of scientific research methods and skills as well as an awareness of the

economic, political and social constraints that can influence how decisions can be

implemented. The CEB will enhance outreach to industry, government and scientific

organizations, foster development of additional linkages with disciplines such as

resource management, atmospheric sciences, and economics, and improve

collaborations with other emerging centres worldwide, to become an international

centre of excellence. This mandate also reflects the University's mission of supporting

professional and applied programs and the interest of industrial and governmental

agencies in graduates with skills and a research focus that enables them to address

immediate environmental needs.

The disciplines of pest management and environmental toxicology within the

Department of Biological Sciences are unique to the Faculty of Science and the

University. There is no university in Canada, and few if any in North America, with this

combination of expertise and the necessary excellence in the basic sciences that we

presently have at Simon Fraser University. Thus, the creation of the CEB will continue

to provide a unique opportunity for the University, but on an enhanced and

interdisciplinary scale.

THE DIRECTIONS OF THE CEB

The CEB shall provide the infrastructure within which teaching and research in

the areas of pest management and environmental toxicology shall be

enhanced.

The CEB shall evolve into an infrastructure within which interactions among

broad research disciplines will be promoted. This will facilitate increased

collaboration, improved networking, and a strengthened vision for the future.

The CEB shall design its professional degree programs to respond to

contemporary needs, and enhance cross-disciplinary teaching and course

offerings for these programs as well as for MSc and PhD degree programs.

• d) The CEB shall provide a mechanism through which an increased awareness of

important issues in environmental biology is promoted, both nationally and

internationally, and through which an increased recognition of the role of the

CEB is achieved.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Centre for Environmental Biology shall have the following

goals:

To conduct interdisciplinary research that will advance the understanding of

biological relationships, management

pests, and impact

environmental

stresses and toxicants on terrestrial and aquatic organisms and ecosystems, and

to promote applications of knowledge and technologies that will improve the

efficacy of pest management strategies and tactics, and lessen or eliminate

adverse environmental impact;

To offer contemporary teaching programs leading to Master of Pest Management

(MPM) and Master of Environmental Toxicology (MET) degrees. The two

professional degree programs will provide students with opportunities to conduct

research and use their knowledge and skills to solve problems in pest

management and environmental toxicology;

To contribute to the Department of Biological Sciences and the University as a

whole by teaching, research, and participating in other academic services; and

To serve society at the local, national and international levels, as individuals and

collectively as a Centre, by providing insight, interpretation and advice on issues

relating to the biology of pests, and on the impact and management of

environmental issues.

The CEB shall meet its Mission Statement by:

Administering and providing

mprehensive Master of Pest Management and

Master of Environmental Toxicology curricula and providing a stimulating

research and learning environment for students in these degree programs as

well as in the Master of Science and PhD programs;

Offering relevant graduate courses that serve the needs of both the Centre for

Environmental Biology and the Department of Biological Sciences; and

Fostering a collegial and academically productive environment and maintaining

selected support services for faculty and their students.

In achieving these goals, the CEB will be guided by the following principles:

A recognition of diverse approaches to research and teaching;

A commitment to excellence in teaching, research and service;

A recognition that research and teaching in the CEB can ensure continued world

food and fibre supplies, and achieve a viable balance between human needs

and the environment;

A recognition that advances in the development and application of effective pest

management and environmentally sustainable practices are based on results

from basic and applied research programs, coupled with field experience; and

A commitment to the highest scientific, professional and social ethics.

- ?

RATIONALE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CENTRE FOR

ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY

The Centre for Pest Management (CPM), initiated in 1967 with a complement of

eight faculty members, has grown to national and international stature in the

intervening 30 years. A prominent feature of the CPM was the development of the

Master of Pest Management (MPM) degree program, first offered in 1973, and from

which over 185 students have graduated in the subsequent 25 years. A broadly-

based education in pest management theory and practice was a major factor

contributing to the success of this professional degree program. In addition, the

resources available with regard to faculty complement and supporting infrastructure,

were consistent with the needs and goals of the program.

In recent years, the discipline of pest management has seen the development

and utility of contemporary research tools and approaches to study pest populations

and understand their biology. These include, for example, the development of

sophisticated computer-assisted systems to monitor pest populations, the

development of ecologically-based semiochemical lures to manipulate pest behavior,

the utility of molecular techniques to study population diversity and to monitor

geographic distribution, an increased acceptance of the importance of basic

biochemical, ecological, and physiological processes to study organismal and

population biology, and the creation of pest-resistant plants through recombinant DNA

techniques.

Coupled with this explosive growth in new technologies over the past 5-10

years has come an awareness of the importance of environmental health and

sustainability and the impact (positive and negative) of agricultural, urban, aquatic and

forestry-related activities on environmental stability. The balancing of public,

economic, and political sentiments requires that education on relevant issues include

broadly-based scientific disciplines.

Associated with this growth in public awareness, the discipline of environmental

toxicology has dramatically increased in profile within SFU over the past 5-10 years.

This has resulted in the development of a minor in ENTOX, a PBD program in ENTOX

and an approved Master of Environmental Toxicology (MET) program, as well as

increased enrolments in related undergraduate and graduate courses. Research in

this area has also grown dramatically and it addresses the adverse impact of

environmental pollutants and toxicants on aquatic and terrestrial organisms and

ecosystems. The emphasis on principles, methods, and approaches to understand

and alleviate these negatively impacting activities on aauatic

and

trrctr;I

environments parallels closely those used to study and manage pest populations. On

many fronts, the environmental toxicology and pest management programs share not

only a common vision but also a common scientific foundation and approach.

A gradual change in faculty complement has occurred within the disciplines of

pest management and environmental toxicology within the Department over the last 5-

10 years. To accommodate these new and diverse strengths, research and teaching

programs should evolve to capture new opportunities and ideas, to consolidate their

strengths and create a shared vision with equal partnership. It is envisioned that the

CEB will be a contemporary and interdisciplinary Centre that addresses the research

and teaching needs of the 21

century in the areas of environmental biology. This will

be achieved through progressive interactions between the MPM and MET programs,

and with the support of the Department of Biological Sciences, the Faculty of Science,

and the University as a whole, as well as external agencies and organizations. Once

approved, the CEB shall replace the existing Centre for Pest Management.

J ?

L-1

The benefits associated with the creation of the CEB in the Department and the

Faculty 0

f Science as a whole are as follows:

Bridge the disciplines of pest management and environmental toxicology to

address issues, advise on policies, and foster high-quality research into the 21

century

Develop a Centre that is cost-effective, broad enough in scope to accommodate

growth and attrition, and yet diverse enough to respond to needs and

opportunities

Enhance cross-disciplinary teaching and provide bridging courses for the

professional degree programs

0 ?

Provide enhanced opportunities for collaborative research among various

disciplines represented in the Centre

Provide one administrative infrastructure to accommodate the two professional

degree programs (MPM and MET).

Increase the profile of the Centre and the Department by promoting linkages

with national and international institutions

STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF CEB

The Faculty

The CEB shall be open to all faculty members who have active, demonstrable

biological research programs and who have a continuing commitment to teaching

and/or supervising graduate student research, in areas that are compatible with the

Mission Statement of the CEB.

Associate Members

Faculty members from Biological Sciences and other Departments with a

secondary role in teaching in the areas of pest management and environmental

toxicology, as well as researchers and professionals from outside the University, can

be made Associate members of CEB. The CEB shall also include those Emeritus and

Adjunct Professors currently appointed in the Department of Biological Science who

share the goals of CEB.

Contributions to teaching

The CEB faculty shall contribute to teaching in the Master's degrees in Pest

Management (MPM) and/or Environmental Toxicology (MET), as well as toward MSc

and PhD degrees. All CEB members shall also contribute to teaching in the core

Biological Sciences curriculum. There will be concerted emphasis to provide bridging

courses among the various degree programs. Student applications for the

professional programs shall be evaluated by the CEB Admissions Committee, with

recommendations made to the Departmental Graduate Studies Committee for final

approval.

Each faculty member in the CEB should be willing to teach one or contribute

significantly to one or more CEB-designated graduate-level courses relating to pest

management or environmental toxicology every 2 years, and/or provide direct

supervision to graduate students. These courses may consist of either 600-level or

800-level offerings, and should be relevant to the training of students in the areas of

pest management and environmental toxicology. Courses will be offered to students

in both professional programs, as well as those in MSc and PhD programs, subject to

recommendation by the Biological Sciences Course Planning Group and approval of

the Chair of the Department. Faculty members who have not contributed to teaching

and/or supervision of graduate students over the previous 24 months shall be re-

evaluated for eligibility as a CEB member.

- ?

0 ?

Contributions to research and national and international activities

It is anticipated that faculty members within CEB shall pursue and acquire

research grants, contracts, or sponsors to support their individual research programs

in the areas of pest management and environmental toxicology. These programs

include both basic and applied research. Collaborative, interdisciplinary, and

international research initiatives shall be encouraged by the Centre. Such initiatives

will be supported by the CEB to the extent they are compatible with the research and

teaching objectives of the program. External funding to support these initiatives shall

be actively pursued.

Expenditures for CEB

The expenditures for the CEB shall be predicated on the anticipated separate

costs of running each professional program, which are administered through the

• ?

Department of Biological Sciences. The CEB shall be assisted by a Secretary to the

Director and one Coordinator.

The Director

The function of the Director of CEB will be as follows:

- ?

To ensure that the administrative needs of the Centre are appropriately

addressed and are consistent with the goals and needs of the faculty and the

Department;

Enhance and promote the CEB through research and teaching in the area of

pest management and environmental toxicology, and by so doing, create an

environment that is conducive to collaboration and research within the

Department of Biological Sciences;

- ?

Ensure that the professional degrees are contemporary, well-structured

programs that provide broadly-based education and experience to students;

- ?

Increase the national and international outreach of the Centre, and secure

external funding to enhance the CEB;.

and interdisciplinary

within the CEB.

development of

CEB.

The MPM and MET programs will each elect a Coordinator, one of whom shall

be the Director of the CEB. The Director shall be a tenured/tenure-track faculty

member in the Department of Biological Science, at any rank, who is approved by a

majority of the CEB members. This position shall normally rotate between faculty in

the MPM and MET programs.

RESEARCH AREAS WITHIN THE CEB

The CEB shall foster and enhance research and teaching in areas that include,

but are not limited to, the following:

rIq

• Ecologically-based principles and methods for sustainable crop and forest

health

• Studies on the impact of environmental stresses on growth and physiology

of plants and aquatic organisms

• Use of plants and fungi for bioremediation of soils

• Application of molecular principles and methods to detect pests and monitor

populations

• Elucidating the biochemical and physiological bases for pesticide resistance

• Developing biological principles and strategies for pest management,

particularly insects, weeds, and pathogens

• Assessing the impact of environmental pollutants on aquatic environments

and on the biodiversity of their fauna and flora

• Promoting appropriate uses of biotechnology in pest management and

environmental ecology

• Studying ecological bases for pest behaviour and control strategies

• Use of semiochemicals for monitoring and changing pest behaviour

• Application of molecular principles and techniques to study population

diversity in plants and fungi

• Elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of insecticide and

environmental toxicant action

• Understanding the molecular basis of pest and plant responses to the

environment

• Studying the physiological responses of aquatic organisms to toxicants

• Principles and strategies for control of diseases on plants and aquatic

organisms