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S.97-68

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

Senate

From: ?

D. Gagan, Chair

.LZV? t'77

Senate Committee on Academic Planning

Subject: ?

Special Arrangements - Cohort Option

(SGSC Meeting June 16, 1997)

(SCAP Reference: SCAP 97-36)

Date: ?

September 16, 1997

Action undertaken by the Senate Graduate Studies Committee and the Senate

Committee on Academic Planning gives rise to the following motion:

Motion:

"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of

Governors as set forth in S.97 - 68 / a cohort option for the

Masters Degree under Special Arrangements."

SCAP 97 - 36

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

MEMORANDUM

To: Alison Watt, Director

From: Phyllis Wrenn

Secretariat Services ?

Acting Dean, Graduate

The Senate Graduate Studies Committee, at their Meeting on June 16, 1997,

approved the following motion and it is now being forwarded to the Senate

Committee on Academic Planning for approval:

MOTION:

"That the Senate Graduate Studies Committee approves and

recommends to the Senate Committee on Academic Planning

the proposal described in the document dated March

25,

1997,

entitled "A Cohort Option for the Masters degree Under Special

Arrangements" with the following amendment:

Page 4, Item V. Approval Process

Add after sentence ending ".....academic merits."

The Committee may decide that recommendations for admission

be subject to review by the Senate Graduate Studies Committee

or a sub-committee thereof."

/ ?

Phyllis Wrenn

end. ?

Acting Dean, Graduate Studies

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

GS.97. 10

OFFICE OFT DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES

Memorandum

TO: Senate Graduate Studies Committee

FROM: Bruce P. Clayman

Dean of Graduate Studies

SUBJECT:

Cohort Option

Special Arrangements DATE: March

25,

1997

I enclose a proposal for an expansion of Special Arrangements. As you are aware, at present in-

dividual students may submit proposals of individual programs of study for consideration by my

office and, ultimately, this committee.

I have assisted in the development of the attached proposal from Dean of Arts Evan Alderson to

expand the definition and applicability of this approach. As you will see, it provides an avenue for

innovation while retaining appropriate safeguards on university resources and academic standards.

I support this proposal and am placing it on the agenda of the next meeting of the Senate Gradu-

ate Studies Committee with the following proposed motion:

"The Senate Graduate Studies Committee approves and recommends to the Senate

Committee on Academic Planning the proposal described in the document dated March

25,

1997,

entitled "A Cohort Option for the Masters Degree Under Special Arrange-

ments."

Please consult members of your Graduate Program Committee and your Department Chair in

preparation for discussion of this matter.

c. M. McGinn (for immediate distribution)

P.M. Wrenn

Faculty Deans

D. Gagan

MMR2SGS.DOC 25-Mar-97

0 ?

A COHORT OPTION

for the

MASTERS DEGREE UNDER SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS

This is a proposal that Graduate Admission under Special

Arrangements be amended to provide for a cohort option for the

Masters degree.

I. BACKGROUND

Graduate study under Special Arrangements is defined as work

toward a degree that falls "outside or between- -existing- programs

' - - -

but which has a "well-developed plan of studies in an area which can

be shown to have internal coherence and academic merit and in

which the University has appropriate expertise and interests among

its faculty members." (Graduate Regulation 1.3.4)

Until this time, this mode of study has been open only to individual

students, but it is becoming clear that the flexibility to create a

•

program focused on a specific interdisciplinary goal need not be

limited to individual students. The opportunity to apply the Special

Arrangements designation to groups of students would be very

useful. It would enable new and innovative programs to be offered

to specific groups of students (as with the individual program), it

would permit the prototyping of programs which might eventually

be regularly established under normal procedures, and it would give

the university the opportunity to respond quickly and responsibly to

new areas of need without creating cumbersome infrastructures that

then must be maintained.

As with the individual Special Arrangements, the cohort option

would exist only for the life of the cohort Special Arrangement and

resources would have to be assured only for the duration of the

particular program. Once the cohort had completed its work, the

program would cease to exist. Any subsequent cohort program in

the same area would require its own separate approval. Because the

approval for Special Arrangements rests with the Senate Graduate

Studies Committee, the review process can be done in a timely way.

Approval will be given only if the committee is confident that the

proposed program has academic merit and that adequate resources'

are available. The Dean of Graduate Studies will be responsible for

reviewing the program budget and insuring that all necessary

financial and other resource commitments are in place and are in

conformity with University policies. If the proposed tuition fees

differ from the normal university fee schedule, Board of Governors'

approval will also be required.

II. STEERING COMMITTEE

The Academic Steering Committee will be composed of at least four

SFU faculty members drawn from the departments relevant to the

course of studies, including at least one faculty member from each

constituent discipline. The members of the committee will create

and present the proposal for the program, administer the individual

program, and provide for instruction and supervision. It will be

their responsibility to construct the curriculum for the program as

well as to insure that it is adequately delivered. They are also

responsible for recommending admissions and reviewing students'

progress. The Steering Committee will function as the cohort's

Graduate Program Committee as set out in Graduate General

Regulation 1.2.

III.

PROPOSED CALENDAR ENTRY

1.3.4.a Cohort Special Arrangements (to follow current 1.3.4,

attached)

These highly structured cohort-based programs are designed to meet

the educational needs of specific student groups in fulfilling the

requirements for a Masters degree, where these needs cannot be met

within existing programs. Each program will integrate studies from

across two or more disciplines and will involve a curriculum and

requirements recommended by each program's Academic Steering

Committee and approved by the Senate Graduate Studies Committee.

Students may undertake this degree program only through specific

admission to the cohort program. The admission criteria, degree

requirements and any other special conditions for an individual

Cohort Special Arrangements Program must be approved in advance

by the Senate Graduate Studies Committee; these may not be below

the minimum admission and degree requirements of regular

graduate programs. In some instances, tuition fees for these

programs may differ from the regular graduate fee schedule

published in the University Calendar, and will be announced

separately.

0 ?

IV. FORMAT FOR PROPOSALS

Any proposal for a Cohort Special Arrangements Program will

include:

A statement of the field of study and its core areas to be

covered by the proposed arrangements and the rationale for the

program. This statement will indicate the academic merit and

coherence of the program; the expertise necessary to mount the

program and evidence that such expertise is present and available

within the SFU faculty and that the program cannot be pursued

within existing SFU graduate Programs

- - ?

The names and curricula vitae of all members of the Steering

Committee. For each member, a brief statement of research interests

and their relevance to the proposed program must be provided. Each

member should indicate willingness to participate and each relevant

Department Chair should provide explicit assurances that the

required teaching and other resources will be made available, in

accordance with point #5, below.

The criteria for admission into the program, including

provision for and scheduling of any qualifying work that may be

required of some students.

The minimum academic requirements for the degree, e.g.

courses, examinations, field work and/or thesis. To the maximum

extent possible, the academic requirements should resemble those of

graduate programs in relevant areas and should include where

possible regular SFU graduate courses.

A timetable for the completion of the requirements. This

statement should include provision for students who may be unable

to complete the requirements in a timely fashion for unexpected

reasons.

A statement as to what University facilities will be needed

with approvals for their use by the appropriate authorities.

•

7. A budget for the program which specifies any additional

direct costs and details the revenue sources through which these will

be met, including any unusual fee structure. The budget will be

reviewed by the Dean of Graduate Studies before the program is

considered by the Senate Graduate Studies Committee, in order to

assure that all necessary commitments are in place. The adequacy of

library resources must be confirmed by the University Librarian.

V. APPROVAL PROCESS

If the Dean of Graduate Studies is satisfied with the financial

arrangements for the program, the Senate Graduate Studies Committee

will consider the program on its academic merits.

The Committee may

decide that recommendations for admission be subject to review by the

Senate Graduate Studies Committee or a sub-committee thereof.

Approved programs will be forwarded to the Senate Committee on

Academic Planning for information. Programs which involve

international activities will be forwarded to the Senate Committee on

International Activities for relevant approvals.

Any exceptional fee

structure will be forwarded to the Board of Governors for approval.

Following all required approvals, the program may be advertised and

implemented.

VII. FINAL REPORT

At the conclusion of the cohort special arrangements program the

Steering Committee will submit a final report to the Senate Graduate

Studies Committee. In addition to detailing the outcome of the

program for individual students, the Committee will assess the

success of the program and advise on its suitability for repetition

with a new group of studen

-s. This report will be forwarded to the

Senate Committee on Academic Planning for information.

March 25, 1997

r, 0

0 ?

Full Special Arrangements Calendar entry:

1.3.4. Admission Under Special Arrangements

Exceptionally able applicants, who wish to work for a Masters or Doctoral

degree outside or between existing programs at Simon Fraser University.

may apply to work under Special Arrangemints. A student applying for

Special Arrangements must have a well-developed plan of studies in an

area which can be shown to have internal coherence and academic merit;

and in which the University has appropriate expertise and interests among•

its faculty members.

Graduate students applying or working under Special Arrangements are

required to conform to Senate regulations for graduate students. However,

there are additional regulations which concern only students applying or

•

working under Special Arrangements. Enquiries about these regulations

• ?

should be directed to the Dean of Graduate Studies by January 1St of each

year for admission to the Fall semester.

Students working under Special'Arrangements may be required to take a•

selection of courses from existing programs. Other courses open to Special - - - -

- -

Arrangements students are

— - -- — - - - -- ?

SAR 895-3 Special Topics lobe selected by the Student and the

Supervisory Committee.

SAR 896-6 Special Topics to be selected by the Student and the

Supervisory Committee..

SAR 897-5 Special Topics to be selected by the Student and the

Supervisory Committee.

Special Arrangements Masters and Doctoral thesis work are assigned the

following numbers:

SAR.: '898; Masters Thesis

. i ?

SAR ?

899 PhD Thesis .

1.3.4.a Cohort Special Arrangements

These highly structured cohort-based programs are designed to meet

the educational needs of specific student groups in fulfilling the

requirements for a Masters degree, where these needs cannot be met

within existing programs. Each program will integrate studies from

across two or more disciplines and will involve a curriculum and

requirements recommended by each program's Academic Steering

Committee and approved by the Senate Graduate Studies Committee.

Students may undertake this degree program only through specific

admission to the cohort program. The admission criteria, degree

requirements and any other special conditions for an individual

Cohort Special Arrangements Program must be approved in advance

by the Senate Graduate Studies Committee; these may not be below

the minimum admission and degree requirements of regular

graduate programs.