S96-47

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC?

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

Senate

From: ?

D. Gagan, Chair

I4ZWZI(

Senate Committee on Academic lJanning

Subject ?

Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies

Date:

?

May 15, 1996

Action undertaken by the Senate Committee on Academic Planning at its meetings of

May 1, 1996 and May 8, 1996 gives rise to the following motions:

"That Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of

Governors, as set forth in S.96 -47 , the following motions:

1)

"That the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies

be dissolved, effective September 1, 1996."

2)

"That a Program in Latin American Studies be established, with

responsibility for the current graduate and undergraduate programs

in Latin American Studies."

3)

"That the (LAS) Program Steering Committee will conduct a review

of. the present undergraduate and graduate curricula within the new

administrative context and, within one year, will bring forward the

results of that review, together with any recommendations for

change, to SCAP through the Faculty Curriculum Committees, SCUS

and SGSC."

4)

"That responsibility for Spanish language acquisition courses and for

Spanish literature courses be moved to the Division of Interdisciplinary

Studies. An Academic Steering Committee will conduct a review of the

present Spanish programs within the new administrative context and,

within one year, will bring forward the results of that review, together

with any recommendations for change, to SCAP through the Faculty of

Arts Curriculum Committee and SCUS."

SCAP also approved a motion that the Dean of Arts and the Dean of Graduate Studies make every

possible effort to assist the 'graduate students currently within the Department of Spanish and Latin

American Studies to finish their studies in a supportive environment.

---

I

SCiP

c(3o

(ia)

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

David Gagan

?

From: Evan Alderson

Chair, SCAP

?

Dean of Arts

Subject Department of Spanish and

?

Date: ?

March 21, 1996

Latin American Studies

On behalf of the Faculty of Arts, I am proposing the dissolution of the

Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies, and a number of

accompanying structural changes, including the creation of a Program in

Latin American Studies and the transfer of Spanish language courses and

Spanish literature courses to the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies.

Under this proposal the existing graduate program in Latin American

Studies would continue, as would existing joint major programs in Latin

American Studies and in Spanish. The independent major programs in

Spanish and in Latin American Studies would be phased out. Concomitant

with these changes, if approved, I will recommend to the Board of

Governors the relocation of all faculty in the current department to other

• departments and programs or to the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies,

with provision for teaching in Latin American Studies and elsewhere as

needed and appropriate.

As might be imagined, there is a substantial history leading to these

recommendations. I am attaching the concise history of events that I sent to

all faculty in the Faculty of Arts as background to the ballot I distributed last

month, also attached. That ballot passed the Faculty by a very large

majority. I can of course provide additional documentation on the

background events if so requested by SCAP. What is more germane I

believe is to clarify the issues central to this proposal, some of which may

have become clouded through various discussions in the University.

(1) ?

Proposal for the Dissolution of Spanish and Latin American Studies

I believe that there is virtually no dispute by those close to the Department

about the need to dismantle the Department of Spanish and Latin American

Studies as it currently exists. The question is what should replace it.

Although several voices from both inside and outside the University have

been raised in defense of the Department of Spanish and Latin American

. Studies, the disciplines it represents and the quality and importance of its

programs, those closer to the history of the Department are I believe on the

whole in agreement that the Department itself has not worked well in

- practice and is presently unable to act as a single coherent unit. The

---

Department at present includes faculty with special expertise 'in Spanish

literature, others with expertise in Spanish language and linguistics, and

Latin Americanists from varying disciplinary backgrounds, plus five active

Associate Members from other departments with expertise in Latin

American Studies. It was founded with the idea that these different

specializations could be drawn together to create an innovative and

interdisciplinary academic program. Attractive as that idea was, and is, its

realization at Simon Fraser for whatever reasons has proved unworkable. If

the problems that have developed were simply matters of departmental

governance the various attempts to repair things might have worked, but

issues of governance have been intricately interwoven with profound

differences of academic perspectives and allegiances and significant

deficiences in collegial relations.

(2) ?

Latin American Studies

Given both the need for change and the will to maintain

,

and if possible

enhance valuable academic programs, I at first thought that the dissolution

of the current department could most appropriately be accompanied by the

creation of a Department of Latin American Studies. Most though not all of

the faculty in the current department have teaching interests directly related

to Latin American Studies and this core is enhanced by significant expertise

in other departments. It was clear that the creation of a new department

would be a satisfactory resolution to the majority of those in the department

and to many students. I established, an ad hoc committee to develop a

"blueprint" for the creation of a new department and the residual changes

that would be required. After examining the situation with care, this

committee did eventually concur with its mandate by recommending that a

department be created, but it did so with significant reservations, warning in

particular that new resources would be necessary to create a viable unit.

After further careful reflection I have decided not to recommend the

creation of a new department at this time. I am not in a position to

guarantee new resources or even the maintenance of resources recently

available to the Department. In the current budget climate it seems to me

unwise to replace one relatively small department with an even smaller

department which may be of insufficient size and breadth. I believe that it is

possible to maintain the most important and attractive academic programs

connected with the current department in other ways, most particularly

through

the creation of a Program in Latin American Studies. Such a

program would not need to house the Spanish language program which

serves, it and other units:; it could make efficient use of expertise available in

the Faculty; it could sustain the. current graduate program, with modest

changes, and continue core undergraduate programming.

Such an approach has the further advantage of providing an opportunity

for Latin American Studies to re-establish itself as

an independent unit on

the basis of the positive and coliegial energies of those, who wish to be

invOlved. This will equitably allow' all the' current 'faculty' to either attach

0

POW

---

I

3.

themselves to the new unit or pursue their academic goals elsewhere. Most

tenure-track faculty have received indications that they will be welcomed

• into existing regular departments and programs in the Faculty of Arts. The

academic appointments of some individuals will be transferred to the

Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. In all these arrangements provision

will be made for teaching in the Latin American Studies Program as

required to meet student needs and provide a diversity of offerings at the

undergraduate level and to run the graduate program. I believe that by

these means effective programs in Latin American Studies can be sustained,

but on a significantly more costeffective basis than previously.

I am recommending two changes to the academic programs in Latin

American Studies. The first of these is the elimination of the independent

major in Latin American Studies while maintaining the several joint major

programs now in place. The ad hoc committee observed that last semester

there were 11 students undertaking the major, while 31 were enrolled in

joint majors, and. recommended dropping the major program. The

advantage of a joint major is that it insures, that an "area studies" approach

is accompanied by a disciplinary grounding in a related field. As well as

representing the apparent preference of students, it seems the most

appropriate concentration for the proposed organizational structure.

The second change I am recommending concerns the graduate program,

although this does not require a specific action by Senate During, the

S

.summer of 1995 the Department agreed to some reorientation of the

graduate program. I have asked Dean Clayman to defer admissions to the

existing graduate program for one year in order that required changes can be

put in place. I have also strongly recommended consideration of a system of

biennial admissions, so that the program can serve an entering cohort

effectively and efficiently. The one-year delay in admissions will also enable

faculty to focus on helping the rather large number of graduate students

now enrolled to complete their work.

(3)

?

Spanish Language

Under the proposal to establish a Department of Latin American Studies it

seemed most appropriate to place the Spanish language acquisition courses

there. However, the case for subsuming Spanish language instruction

within a Latin American Studies Program structure is not persuasive.

Spanish language acquisition courses serve not only Latin American

Studies, but also Spanish literature students and a wide general audience.

The language program can readily be housed within the Division of

Interdisciplinary Studies, which is the home for courses in a number of

languages. The Division is expected to play a significant role in facilitating

S

the development of language instruction in relation to the new language

laboratory and instructional opportunities at Harbour Centre. I believe the

Spanish language program can serve its various constituencies very

effectively from that base.

W

N

---

4

(4)

Spanish Literature

Most of the existing courses in Spanish literature will also be moved to the

Division of Interdisciplinary Studies, with provision for maintaining the

current joint major

,

and minor ,

programs. The ad hoc committee

recommended abandoning altogether the opportunity to concentrate ' in

Spanish literature at Simon Fraser, on the grounds that a major program is

available at UBC and that the critical mass of faculty and students are not'

likely to be available to maintain an independent program over the long.

term. My own sense is that the joint majors, with French and with Latin

American Studies, can quite reasonably be sustained in response to student

interest. Linkages to the study of other European literatures can be

encouraged within

Interdisciplinary

Studies and the Humanities Program.

(5)

Conclusion

Several members of the present department are' understandably unhappy

with these recommendations. They would prefer that Latin American

Studies be granted the status of an independent department, and that all

current programs be maintained. In various appeals to the community a

number of procedural issues have been raised concerning the genesis of

these recommendations, some of which 'imply that I have proceeded

arbitrarily in this matter without due consultation and departmental assent.

I believe on the contrary that there has been a long history of efforts to assist

the department to find a direction it could collectively and constructively

pursue. If simpler solutions had proved possible I would have welcomed

them.

My various, responses to ongoing difficulties are outlined in my memo to

the Faculty of Arts. It was only at the end of a long process that I concluded

that the present department is not viable. Thereafter, I have attempted to

find a restructuring that is financially sustainable and academically

justifiable, that meets student needs and interests as: fully as possible under

current circumstances, and that in my judgement provides the most

positive available opportunity for all faculty involved. I do not pretend that

all of these recommendations have the assent of the majority of the

Department. The Faculty of Arts on the other hand has concurred with my

view that the proposals represent the most academically responsible course

of action at this time. I therefore propose to the Senate' Committee on

Academic Planning the 'following motions:

(i) that a Program in Latin American Studies be established, with

responsibility for the current graduate and undergraduate programs in

Latin American Studies.

,

/ Curriculum changes to be brought forward by

the Program will include the phasing out of the major in Latin

American Studies.

1/.

---

5

.

(ii) that responsibility for Spanish language acquisition courses and for

Spanish literature courses be moved to the Division of

Interdisciplinary Studies. Curriculum changes to be brought forward

will include the phasing out of the current Spanish major.

(iii) that the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies be

dissolved,. effective September 1, 1996.

Evan Alderson

Dean, Faculty of Arts

EA/jm:

copy:

J .

Stubbs

B. Clayman

Faculty & Staff SLAS

a

,

---

Evan Alderson

EA/jm:

copy:

D. Gagan

S

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts ?

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

All Faculty and

Staff ?

Froth: Evan Alderson

Department of Spanish and

?

Dean' of Arts

Latin American Studies

Subject:

Proposed Dissolution of SLAS

Date:

?

March 21, 1996

This is to inform you that I have today forwarded the attached

recommendations to the Senate Committee on Academic Planning. I have

also advised Vice-President Gagan to provide opportunity for

representations to SCAP from members of the Department prior to

condüding its deliberations.

---

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY ?

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts

?

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

All Faculty ?

From:

Evan Alderson

Faculty of Arts

?

Dean of Arts

Sub ject:

Dissolution of the Department

Date: ?

February 19, 1996

of Spanish and Latin American

Studies and related changes

I am asking all faculty in the Faculty of Arts to vote on my proposal for the

dissolution of the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies and for a

major restructuring of the academic programs it has offered. If a majority vote

of the Faculty approves of this proposal, I will forward the recommendations to

Senate Please return the attached ballot by Wednesday, March 6.

This proposal follows upon a long process of deliberation, including several

stages of administrative review and formal and informal consultation with

members of the Department. In what follows here, I set out a concise

description of. events leading to this recommendation and outline the proposed

changes and reasons for them.

As many of you are aware, the Department of Spanish and Latin American

Studies was formed some years ago as a merger of the Latin American Studies

Program and the Spanish Division of the old Department of Languages,

Literatures and Linguistics. At the time the merger seemed to be a good way to

advance the academic interests of both units and to provide for the

development of a coherent and forward-looking interdisciplinary department.

Unfortunately, the new department has not worked well in practice. Despite

the signal achievement of implementing a new M.A. in Latin American

Studies, the Department has not developed as a cohesive and collegial

enterprise. Not surprisingly, there are differing views as to the causes of the

difficulties, but there is a widely shared perception that the current situation

cannot continue.

I have taken a variety of actions to attempt to improve the situation over the

past .year and a half. Early in the Fall of 1994 I appointed an ad hoc Review

Committee of Professors Roger Blackman of Psychology and Santa Aloi of

Contemporary Arts to "review the current operations and directions of the

Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies." While that review was

in progress the Chair of the department resigned. I then followed one of the

major recommendations of the Review Committee in appointing an Acting

Chair from outside the Department for an eight month term. Dr. Blackman

• took on that task from January to August 1995. During that time some progress

was made in securing agreement on how to refocus the graduate program, but

at the end of it the Department was unable to find a Chair from among its own

members.

3

---

2

Given the inability of the Department to govern itself in the normal way, I

struck a new ad hoc committee to propose in detail an alternative organization

which would involve the dissolution of the Department of Spanish and Latin

American Studies and the creation of a new Department of Latin American

Studies. This committee included the new externally appointed Acting Chair,

Dr. Maureen Covell of Political Science, and Dr. William Cleveland of History

and was chaired by Associate Dean Andrea Lebowitz. The work of this

committee included consultation with the Department but it was also

influenced by the gathering budgetary storm clouds of last semester. Although

the Committee did present a plan for a new department, it warned that the

viability of the plan was "heavily dependent on the availability of new

resources."

After receiving the ad hoc Committee's final report and comments on it from

department members, and in light of the increasing severity of the budget

prospects and other considerations, I put before department members an

opinion ballot that included the Committee's recommendations and my own

alternative suggestions. My suggestions included returning Latin American

Studies to the original model of an interdisciplinary program, without

departmental status or separate faculty appointments, but maintaining the

graduate program and undergraduate joint majors.

The outcome of the opinion ballot was decisive in one regard. Almost without

exception the Faculty and Associate Members of Spanish and Latin American

Studies found the committee's recommendation for dissolution of the present

department to be a "preferred" or "acceptable" outcome ("Preferred"- 10;

"Acceptable"- 3; "Unacceptable"- 1). A majority of those voting preferred the

creation of a new Department of Latin American Studies but just as many

found the alternative of a program either "acceptable" or "preferred" as found

it "unacceptable." The vote on other matters followed from their general

preference for the establishment of a new department with dedicated faculty

appointments. A majority wished Spanish language acquisition courses to be

included within the new department, and Spanish literature programs to be

maintained outside it.

I have considered the range of opinions in the formal ballot and additional

representations made to me, particularly by students and faculty associated with

Latin American Studies. The recommendations • on the attached Faculty-wide

ballot are essentially in accord with the "alternative suggestions" I put forward

to the Department. I outline my reasoning here:

1)

There appears to be nearly universal agreement that the present

department should be disbanded. Once that decision is taken, the question

as to what should replace it must necessarily be addressed from both

academic and budgetary perspectives.

2)

I very much support the continuation of academically strong programs in

Latin American Studies at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. At

the same time, I believe that such programs should be focused in such a

.

.

---

3

way as to be sustainable with relatively modest resources. Pressures to

build faculty numbers in relation to the perceived needs of a discipline

. rather than demonstrated student demand should be resisted, as should

the development of a •

disproportionately large graduate program.

Although it has been argued that anything less than departmental status

would be demoralizing to the Latin Americanists and potentially

damaging to the academic programs, I see a program structure for Latin

American Studies as appropriate under current restraints. An

academically and 'administratively successful program could seek

departmental status at a later time.

3)

I am now unable to devote new resources to Latin American Studies and

•

?

cannot guarantee replacements for positions that become vacant. A small

department is inherently less efficient than a program which can draw on

• ?

expertise from elsewhere. It has been argued that I should consider an

• alternative model under which any excess teaching capacity within the

Department could be loaned to other departments, but my analysis of the

historical relationship between teaching capacity and student demand in

• • the present department does not inspire confidence that such a system

would be highly efficient. Given the ability of our Latin Americanists to

teach productively in other departments, I believe that Latin American

Studies should draw upon teaching capacity as needed, and not as secured

within a departmental structure. The overall savings to the University

will arise primarily from a more efficient match between student numbers

and faculty availability. Modest additional savings will be available

through administrative restructuring.

4)

Although the ad hoc Committee recommended' that Spanish language

instruction be kept within the new Department of Latin American

Studies, the argument for associating it directly with a program is much

less strong. I believe the Spanish language program could more effectively.

serve its various purposes, including service to LAS students and to

Spanish literature students and to all those interested in Spanish language

acquisition, as part of a co-ordinated approach to language teaching within

Interdisciplinary Studies.

5). Given the necessity for change, I believe that each part of the current

department, as well as all its faculty and students, should be given some

opportunity for refocusing and renewal. My intention is to provide the

most constructive opportunities for all affected faculty and students that I

believe can be sustained under current circumstances.

Evan Alderson

•

?

Dean of Arts

• ?

EA/jm:

. ?

Copy:

J.Stubbs

D.Gagan

B.Clayman

---

BALLOT

0

DEAN'S PROPOSAL TO RESTRUCTURE

?

SPANISH AND LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

1)

The Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies will be

disbanded.

2)

Faculty members in the Department will be assigned to other units, with

provision for teaching in the Latin American Studies program, the

Spanish language program, and Spanish literature courses as appropriate.

3)

A Program in Latin American Studies will be established, to be governed

by a Director and a Steering Committee, and with responsibility for

graduate and undergraduate programs in Latin American Studies.

4)

New admissions to the graduate program are to be deferred to the 1997-98

academic year, subject to revisions and consideration of a system of

biennial admissions.

5)

The undergraduate program in Latin American Studies will include the

minor and existing joint majors, with the understanding that the

curriculum will be reviewed and revised by the Steering Committee. The

independent major program in Latin American Studies will be phased

out. The Latin American Studies Field School will be continued.

6).

A

selection of the existing Spanish Literature courses (as identified by the

ad hoc Committee) will be moved to the Division of Interdisciplinary

Studies. The minor and existing joint major programs will be retained,

subject to revisions, but the independent major program in Spanish will

be phased out. Continuation of these programs will be contingent upon

the availability of resources and sufficient faculty and student interest.

7).

Courses relating directly to Spanish language acquisition will be moved to

the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. Most of the existing courses

relating to Spanish linguistics will be dropped. The Certificate in Spanish

Language Proficiency will be retained.

0

AGREE

?

0 DISAGREE

?

0

ABSTAIN

Enclose your ballot in the small envelope, place it in the larger addressed

envelope, print your name in the left-hand corner, and return to the Office of the

Dean of Arts by 4.00 p.m. on Wednesday. March 6. 1996

/0

---

SciP

%e

(I\

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

?

-'

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

Alison Watt

?

From:

Evan Alderson

Secretary, SCAP

?

Dean of Arts

Subject: Department of Spanish &

?

Date: ?

April 24, 1996

Latin American Studies

I believe it may be useful for members of SCAP to have before them some,

documentary background to my initial

,

submission regarding the

Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies. I am appending the

following documents:

1)

Tally sheet of Faculty of Arts ballot on restructuring of the Department

of Latin American Studies.

2)

Memo to all members of Spanish and Latin American Studies of

January 9, 1996 and accompanying "Opinion Ballot", with tally sheets

appended.

3)

Memo to All Members of the Department of Spanish and Latin

American Studies of December 7, 1995 and the accompanying "Report

of the Ad hoc Committee".

4)

Memos to the Department of September 20 and August 11, 1995.

5)

The final report of the "Ad hoc Review Committee (Aloi/Blackman)

dated November 29, 1994.

Members of SCAP should also be aware that President Stubbs,. Vice-

President Gagan and I have received numerous letters and e-mails from

individuals and institutions external to the University protesting,

variously, "closing the program in Latin American Studies at Simon Fraser

University"; "the proposed dissolution of the Latin American Studies

Department at SFU"; "the dissolution of the University's Department of

Spanish and Latin American Studies and the downsizing of its Latin

American Studies Program." I have also received several representations

from current students. I am also forwarding the one substantial student

petition I have received, dated February 21, 1996.

SEvan Alderson

Dean, Faculty of Arts

EA/jm: ?

If

---

BALLOT

DEAN'S PROPOSAL TO RESTRUCTURE

?

SPANISH AND LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

1)

The Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies will be

disbanded.

2)

Faculty members in the Department will be assigned to other units, with

provision for teaching in the Latin American Studies program, the

Spanish language program, and Spanish literature courses as appropriate.

3)

A Program in Latin American Studies will be established, to be governed

by a Director and a Steering Committee, and with responsibility for

graduate and undergraduate programs in Latin American Studies.

4)

New admissions to the graduate program are to be deferred to the 1997-98

academic year, subject to revisions and consideration of, a system of

biennial admissions.

5)

The undergraduate program in Latin American Studies will include the

minor and existing joint majors, with the understanding that the

curriculum will be reviewed and revised by the Steering Committee. The

independent major program in Latin American Studies will be phased

out. The Latin American Studies Field School will be continued.

6).

A selection of the existing Spanish Literature courses (as identified by the

ad hoc Committee) will be moved to the Division of Interdisciplinary

Studies. The minor and existing joint major programs will be retained,

subject to revisions, but the independent major program in Spanish will

be phased out. Continuation of these programs will be contingent upon

the availability of resources and sufficient faculty and student interest.

7).

Courses relating directly to Spanish language acquisition will be moved to

the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. Most of the existing courses

'relating to Spanish linguistics will be dropped. The Certificate in Spanish

Language Proficiency will be retained.

AGREE

I '

?

DISAGREE

I ?

'

ABSTAIN_k_

^ -1 ^

Date:

Scrutineers:

(Tii

1 ------------

.

/0^

---

• ?

Spanish and Latin American Studies Student Union

•

?

(SLASSU)

E-mail: slassu-executiv@sfu.ca

To: ?

Dr. Evan Alderson

?

Date: ?

February 21, 1996

• ?

Dean of Arts

From: ?

SIASSU

Re: ?

Pending Decision on SLAS Department's Future

We would like to express our position as regards the

'

above unresolved

matter, which is stifi provoking confusion and demoralization amongst

undergraduate students, faculty and staff in SLAS; Confusion because, as

time passes, no one knows what to expect, and demoralization, because

of the uncertainty of the situation. We are deeply concerned that this

situation is further damaging the future feasibility of the programs

offered by the SLAS department which will be kept after its restructure.

SLASSU has been carrying out, to the best of its ability, a campaign of

. ?

support for a planned dissolution of the Department of Spanish and

Latin American Studies and the creation of a new Department of Latin

American studies, which would house the existing LAS undergraduate

degrees, MA program, and the Spanish language instruction. During the

last two week of January we collected signatures from students who

supported our position. Please see enclosed. We based our campaign on

your initial position, expressed when you appointed the ad-hoc

committee, and the feedback we have received from SLAS students.

Our main concerns with an alternative to a LAS department are those

related to accessibility to courses for

LAS

undergraduate students. In

answers to the questionnaire distributed by SLASSU last November, we

agreed that LAS courses offered by other departments were too infrequent

and irregular to allow proper planning of our course load. Also, for us to

register in courses outside our department we have to ask for waivers on

pre-requisites, which are not always issued. Furthermore, in-house

students have priority over LAS students, thus, we often end on waiting

lists. Under these circumstances, the avenues left for us are to take as

many of the courses offered by the SLAS department as possible, which

do not vary much from term to term, or to switch degrees.

/... 2

.

---

Memo to Dr. E. Alderson, Dean of Arts

?

From: SLASSU - February 21, 1996

?

Re: Peding Decision on SLAS Dept

?

Page #2

Considering the current situation, we sincerely do not see how an

interdisciplinary program with no home faculty could improve it

Especially when we see that, as a consequence of the freeze placed on

contracts due to budget cuts, the LAS program is on the verge of loosing a

highly qualified Latinamericanist, Dr. Corard Herold, whose expertise on

Latin American Economy and Brazil has greatly enhanced our studies

and that of the graduate students in the department. Moreover, the

History department will soon loose its Latinamericanists to retirement,

who may not be replaced, also due to budget cuts.

We are very aware of the situation brought about by government budget

• cuts, and of the many limitations it imposes on the creation of a new

department. On the other hand, the structure for a future LAS

department already exists in SLAS, and options, such as sharing in-house

faculty resources amongst others, are feasible solutions. Improvements to

the SFU's LAS programs rely on a team effort from latinamericanists

working closely together. This key closeness would be provided by a

department structure and a strong commitment from the

administration to its success.

We would not be asking for a department,if we did not believe that the

increasing ties between Canada and Latin America call for more

Canadians specialized in the region. In terms of attracting future

students, SFU should have the competitive advantage of offering the only

LAS department with an MA program in Canada. It will be a lost

opportunity for SFU if it steps down from its commitment by creating an

interdisciplinary LAS program, instead of building on what it already has

and creates a LAS department.

Sincerely,

''Lorena jam

Chair of SLASSU

(604)254-6278

jara@sfu.ca

End.

Attached were petitions with approximately 830 signatures.

/41

---

.

?

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

MEMORANDUM

To:

All members of Spanish

?

From:

Santa Aloi

and Latin American Studies

?

Roger Blackman

Subject:

Ad hoc

Review Committee

Date:

November 29th, 1994

Final

Report

Attached is the final report of the

Ad Hoc

Review

Committee.

We received feedback from five core faculty members,

one associate faculty member, one graduate student and the

graduate caucus, and one staff member. We have considered

your thoughtful and sometimes provocative comments and made

a' number of changes to the report (signalled by vertical

bars in the left margin).

We want to address here a criticism made by a number of

respondents: that we have simply "told [SLAS) to solve our

ownproblems," and that we are "throwing the ball back into

the departmental court." Coupled with observations that

• ?

SLAS has clearly demonstrated its inability to solve its own

problems, the pessimistic conclusion offered by these

critics is that nothing will change.

We are indeed

tempted to be more directive or

prescriptive in our recommendations, particularly since we

each have developed a personal sense of the right thing to

do on at least some of the issues facing SLAS. However, we

have resisted that temptation for the following reasons

(listed in order of increasing importance)-*

It is beyond our mandate to prescribe specific

solutions for substantive (as distinct from procedural)

problems;

We lack the disciplinary knowledge needed to make any

such substantive prescriptions cogent and compelling;

We do not believe that the fundamental problem is that

SLAS cannot figure out its own solutions; rather, it is

that there is insufficient trust and tolerance in the

department to implement those solutions;

Externally imposed prescriptions might provide some

short-term relief but would do little to solve the

fundamental problem.

/5

1

---

The only real long-term hope for SLAS is that in

working through the issues that face it - and surely not all

the issues are contentious and divisive - a

modus vivendi

will emerge that ensures the department's survival and gives

it the opportunity to flourish. It would be naive to think

that all hatchets will be buried, grudges forgotten, and

enemies transmuted into friends. But it is not unrealistic

to hope that accommodations can be reached that allow people

with different experiences, skills and aspirations to co-

exist within a single administrative unit. If this hope is

not realized, despite sincere and concerted, efforts by those

involved, then the experiment should be declared a failure

and appropriate administrative action taken.

But no-one will say that it was for want of trying!

Santa Aloi

Contemporary Arts

Local: 4496

Home: 261-8243

Fax: 291-5907

E-mail: Santa_Aloi@sfu.ca

Roger Blackman

Psychology Department

5486

469-2120

291-3427

Roger_Blackman@sfu.ca

CC: Evan Alderson, Dean of Arts

Andrea Lebowitz, A/Chair SLAS

1

I

2

---

.

DEPARTMENT of SPANISH and

LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

FINAL REPORT?

of the

?

ad hoc

REVIEW COMMITTEE

Professor Santa Aloi

?

School of Contemporary Arts

Professor Roger Blackman

Department of Psychology

Submitted to the members of the SLAS community ?

November 29, 1994

0

/7

---

SLAS Review COmmittee Final Report

1. ?

INTRODUCTION

COMMITTEE MANDATE

In a memorandum to the faculty of the Department of Spanish

and Latin American Studies on September 10th, the Dean of

Arts announced that he had struck an

ad hoc

Review Committee

of Professors Roger Blackman of Psychology and Santa Aloi of

Contemporary Arts to "review the current operations and

directions of the Department of Spanish and Latin American

Studies." The terms of reference of the Review Committee

were

"To consult extensively with members of the Department and

with others as they deem appropriate in order to:

1.

advise the Chair on ways to improve administrative

procedures in the Department;

2.

advise the Department on effective modes of

departmental governance;

3.

advise the Dean and the Department on effective ways to

establish and pursue appropriate long-term objectives

for the Department." In addition: -

4.

"Should the committee identify matters outside these

terms of reference which in its view require attention,

it may recommend to the Department or the Dean means by

which these matters should be addressed."

1.2

?

CONSULTATION

In the last two months we have jointly conducted individual

interviews with all nine core SLAS faculty members (some

more than once), all five associate faculty members, six of

seven language/sessional instructors, all three office staff

members, eight of seventeen graduate students (including all

five committee/assembly representatives), and three

additional persons. We did not solicit written input, but

received and read some documents that were submitted to us.

It is important to note the extraordinary degree of

cooperation that we received. No-one declined to speak to

us, and very few seemed defensive or reluctant. Most

welcomed the opportunity to reflect on administrative issues

If

1.1

1

---

.

.

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

in SLAS, and seemed genuinely appreciative of our efforts.

Since we knew we would have very little opportunity to

verify what SLAS members told us during interviews, we were

obliged to treat everything at face value. This does not

mean that we uncritically treated it as true. Rather, we

accepted it as that particular member's description of

events. We expected that the picture of departmental life

that emerged would be in varying degrees rich, complex,

confusing and contradictory. After 30 hours of interviews,

the picture was certainly rich and complex. Initial

confusion was greatly reduced as we were able to cross-check

impressions across interviews and to clarify our uncertain

grasp of events and issues. Surprisingly, perhaps, there

were relatively few contradictions. Of course, different

individuals with shared experiences often recalled and

interpreted them in contrasting terms. But as outsiders

without bias we believe we now have an accurate picture of

the SLAS Department's current administrative situation, and

are aware of the forces that shaped it. Our vision cannot

be perfect, but we doubt that our impressions are badly

distorted.

1.3

?

THE CURRENT MALAISE

Created from the Latin ?_rnerican Studies program then housed

in the Faculty of interdisciplinary Studies and the Spanish

component of the old De

p

artment of Languages, Literatures

and Linguistics in the Faculty of Arts, the SLAS department

has a legacy of tensions and uncomfortable accommodations.

The 'marriage of convenience" established as a result of

PACUP cuts in the mid-1980s has provided both a challenge

and an opportunity to the members of this department. SLAS

got off to a good start in establishing a core program and

introducing such successful innovations as the LAS Field

School. Moreover, in some areas the Spanish and LAS

programs meshed well. However, there have remained areas of

considerable friction between the two partners in this

marriage.

Although there is apparently good will on the part of most

individuals, and while each of the people we interviewed was

initially optimistic at the prospects for SLAS, things have

lately gone badly wrong. Just how bad is the situation?

Suffice it to note that in 94-1, one-third of the core

faculty were on meclical leave that was in two cases

characterized as stress-related, and many other members

reported experiencing substantial anguish related to

departmental strife. We have also been told that almost all

of the new MA students have seriously considered withdrawing

from the program in this their first semester.

/11

.

2

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

If we believed that the blame for this state of affairs

could be laid at the door of just one or two "evildoers,"

this report would have been much shorter. Such is not the

case. Some members of the department have acted in good

faith, attempting to steer a rational and balanced middle

course through the controversies surrounding them.

Unfortunately, others have behaved in ways that range from

unhelpful to thoroughly unprofessional. These regrettable

actions have occurred in a context of academic and scholarly

disagreements, employment insecurity, conflicting political

cultures, contrasting leadership Styles, and impoverished

resources. It would have taken remarkably strong leadership

to steer the department safely through such stormy weather.

In the event, negative forces vitiated the department's

excellent potential.

1.4

?

DETERNINING FACTORS

It seems to us that there are a number of historical reasons

for the problems of governance in the SLAS department. In

.the breakup of DLLL, the already small and somewhat bruised

Spanish division suffered a further setback in the

subsequent loss of half its number. Although linking the

Spanish division and the LAS program within a single new

department can be seen as a bold and imaginative step, the

continued sense of insecurity both of programs and positions

has left its mark in the department. While the situation

varies, a considerable number of the faculty and teaching

staff continue to feel that their positions or programs are

threatened.

The SLAS constitution declares its "goal of integrating the

study, teaching and research of Hispanic Language,

Linguistics and Literature with the interdisciplinary study,

teaching and research. related to the peoples and cultures of

Latin America." It, seems to us, however, that there has

been no concerted commitment to unity of purpose in this

merger. In the absence of a reasonably clear and broadly

supported mission, academic turf battles have occurred that

are intense, hurtful and potentially destructive of the

program.

The fault lines in the department run along several quite

different dimensions. The separation embedded in the

constitution between Spanish and Latin American Studies is

only one of several that have become a source of friction,

particularly of late. The perception among some is that

"interdiscipliriarity" in the context of this department

means the integration of Hispanic and language studies with

Latin American Studies. Others see Latin American Studies

as interdisciplinary per Se, and see Spanish as one of

several disciplines from which to view Latin America.

W

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

. ?

While the split between social sciences and humanities is

not rigid, some people have suggested that, especially on

the graduate level, the social sciences perspective is the

most valid one and that serious work in the humanities is

tangential to the department's mission. Beside academic

fissures, personal alliances, post-colonial political

tensions and class resentments also seem to have split the

department.

In addition to disagreement on focus and academic turf,

certain problems characteristic of small and new departments

have intensified the pressure in SLAS. Much work has been

done to build programs, devise and teach courses, and

establish administrative structures. In the early years of

the department, considerable strides were made in putting

into place the basic building blocks intended to provide a

solid basis for departmental growth. These were impressive

achievements since they occurred in a time of economic

constraint, when small and new departments faced a

particularly daunting challenge in tackling these tasks with

minimal faculty and staff resources.

To these sources of stress we must add another, more

insidious force - unprofessional conduct. Whether or not it

is the case, the department is perceived by many of its

. ?

members to be rife with authoritarianism, clientilism, and

harassment. Most members feel that administrative decisions

are not being made openly and fairly. Department morale is

low and mercers show little respect or trust for each other.

Old friends feel betrayed; faculty, staff and students are

fearful of being seen with "someone in the other camp."

Although members have been urged by the Dean to separate the

personal from the political and the academic, this seems to

have been unachievable to date.

2. THE DEPARTMENT CHAIR

2.1 ?

APPOINTMENT OF EXTERNAL CHAIR

Even in the best of circumstances, it is a substantial

challenge for an external chair to take over a department.

In SLAS in 1992, the circumstances were much less than

optimal. ?

This was an historically unruly department that

demanded a lot of its administrators. Lack of clerical

. ?

support or a full-time departmental assistant was also a

handicap. All past chairs had complained about the

inadequacy of university support for the department in this

regard. The economic constriction of the past few years has

4

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

left its mark 'on all programs. However, it has been

particularly hard in a new department that depends on growth

in order to fulfill its potential. Although the university

supported the development of SLAS by establishing two senior

positions, there is a consistent perception that it did not

provide for enough infrastructure support.

2.2 ?

EROSION OF SUPPORT

Our interviews yielded two opposed perceptions of what went

awry in the administration of the department over the last

few semesters. We offer the following characterization of

these two positions.

?

On the one hand,, we were told that a

small minority of existing SLAS members opposed the chair's

appointment from the start. This minority, aided by a

recently appointed senior faculty member who has since left,

allegedly set about undermining the chair's authority and

thwarting his plans. Through means foul and fair, it is

said, they disrupted departmental business and disparaged

the actions and motivations of the chair. Over the last few

semesters, this has had the effect of causing several other

members to become disaffected with departmental governance.

It is argued that this concerted opposition, combined with

the administration's failure to supply the resources that

were believed to have been committed to SLAS at the time of

the chair's appointment (e.g., three faculty positions), are

the root causes of the erosion of support for the chair.

On the other hand, we were offered an alternative scenario.

It is argued that the chair sought to achieve his ends

through means that sometimes were not democratic or even-

handed. These critics feel that the chair failed to give

due recognition to opinions and arguments that were not

consonant with his own. It is suggested that the normal

honeymoon period was abbreviated by the chair's lengthy,

absence from campus just one semester after assuming his

appointment. Without strong management skills, it is

argued, the chair squandered the credit many had afforded

him as an established and visionary researcher who was

expected to put the department on the scholarly map.

We were provided with information and argument supporting

each of these contrasting scenarios. Since we are neither a

fact-finding commission nor an arbitration panel, we are not

obliged to choose between them. In fact, we are inclined to

accept that each contains some measure of truth, but

probably not to the extent that its supporters believe.

What is clear from our interviews is that, regardless of

which interpretation one supports, there was little or no

hope of resolving departmental governance issues under the

recently resigned chair.

c2

5

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report?

2.3. ?

RECOMMENDATIONS

The department has an acting chair who is holding the fort.

We are recommending that an

'

interim chair be appointed for a

two-semester period. That person should use his/her

experience to defuse tensions and facilitate accommodations

between the various departmental factions. We. think it best

that the interim chair be an outsider, one who has not been

personally embroiled in departmental politics. This

arrangement would provide the best opportunity for the

department to overcome the suspicious and mistrusting

inertia' that is currently preventing it from moving forward.

• ' '

?

2.3.1 ?

As soon as possible, the Dean of Arts should replace

the acting chair of SLAS with an interim chair whose term

should extend to August 31, 1995 or until the appointment of

new department.chair, whichever occurs earlier.

2.3.2

The Dean should choose an interim chair who has

substantial academic administrative experience at SFU and

who is not a current or past member of the SLAS community.

S ?

An external chair needs a good deal of help in the early

months in order to avoid getting hold of the wrong end of

the stick. Lacking institutional experience and/or

disciplinary expertise, the chair may inadvertently make

mistakes that would have been avoided by a better informed

individual.. This is one reason why new chairs are afforded

a honeymoon period. The honeymoon will be a lot shorter and

smoother if the interim chair of SLAS seeks and receives

advice from department members. Since that will inevitably

occur, it is better that it is done formally than

informally, and that members know and approve the identity

of those from whom advice'is to be regularly sought.

2.3.3

The interim chair should strike a. Chair's Advisory

Committee that will provide guidance on matters that lie

beyond the chair's disciplinary competence; the membership

of the CAC should be representative and acceptable to the

majority of the department.

The department has to start somewhere in its effort to

identify a common purpose. We suggest that the meeting

point should be the graduate program (see also Section 4

below) . Many members have told us that that is the key

issue. Achieving broad support (if not a consensus) on the

graduate program will serve a number of important purposes.

It will signal the direction in which the department intends

to grow. It will reduce uncertainty for current students

and provide clearer guidelines for the selection of new

.

0

I

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

students. And it will indicate the department's willingness

and capacity to solve its own problems. If and when the

graduate program issue is resolved, the department will be

in a better position to tackle the constitution, some

provisions of which are currently in abeyance and some of

.whichappear to be hindering rather than facilitating

growth.

2.3.4

The interim chair should initiate two tasks. First,

the terms of reference of the

LAS HA

Program should be

revisited with the goal of clarifying its focus. Second,

the

SLAS

constitution should be revised so that it embodies

principles appropriate for a truly integrated,

interdisciplinary and democratic department.

2.3.5

-The revised constitution should be

. subject to

ratification by a 213.vote.of the departmental assembly.

2.3.6

In the event that the revised constitution -is not

ratified, the interim chair should so advise the Dean; the

university should then reconsider the departmental status of

SIJAS.

2.3.7

The Dean should initiate the search for a new

SLAS

department chair to take over from the interim chair as. soon

as feasible. ?

.

?

. .•

2.3.8

Since none of the previous

SLAS

department chairs

appears to have sufficient I

departmental.

:

support to. 'warrant

another term of office, it is our opinion that none of them

should be recommended for the newly advertised position.

2.3.9

Candidates for department chair. -should be sought who

have demonstrated administrative competence and who are

committed to the support and development of

SLAS

as an

interdisciplinary department.

3. DEPARTMENTAL DEMOCRACY

3.1 ?

THE DEMOCRATIC TRADITION AT SFU

SF11 has a well-established tradition of participatory

?

S

democracy at all decision-making levels of the institution.

7

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

The department meeting or assembly is the primary decision-

making body of the department and unless it delegates

authority, the chair has quite limited formal power to make

unilateral decisions. In principle, this feature of

participatory democracy makes it very cumbersome and time-

consuming. In practice, there is a natural tendency for

simpler, more pragmatic administrative procedures to emerge

over time. Member participation becomes an option rather

than an obligation. If the chair keeps members informed on

all matters, members will typically respond by allowing the

chair considerable freedom to manage departmental business..

Part of that freedom is deciding how to handle items of

business.

The most efficient and effective manner of handling

administrative business is for the department chair, often

with advice from colleagues, to decide whether an item of

business should go directly to the relevant department

committee for the formulation of recommendations, should

receive initial discussion at the department assembly, or

should be dealt with by the chair. The purpOse of initial

discussion at an assembly meeting would be to provide

general guidance and allow for the expression of differences

of opinion that the relevant committee could take into

account in formulating specific recommendations.

W ?

Ideally, the issues dealt with at the committee level should

be widely advertised, fully discussed, and decided after

thoughtful and honest consideration. All members should be

allowed - even encouraged - to provide input at the

committee level. To the extent this happens, much of the

hard work will have been done by the time committee

recommendations on an issue reach the department assembly..

If this process results in much "rubber stamping" by the

assembly, that is arguably a good thing since it frees the

assembly to deal with more complex matters of policy or

action. At the other end of the scale, the chair is free to

make a plethora of day-to-day decisions where some action

has to be taken, but it is judged that little of importance

hangs on the particular choice made.

This style of governance can continue as long as resources

are not too scarce, and, more importantly, as long as the

chair retains the trust of department members. That trust

is quite fragile and can be eroded rapidly, perhaps through

the inattention, poor judgement, or even malfeasance of the

• chair, or perhaps through the actions of members who want to

•

?

see the department move in a different direction and who

choose not to use the democratic process to achieve this

•

?

goal.

8

---

SLAS

Review Committee Final Report

3.2 ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES IN SLAS

Although internecine disputes seem to have been the way of

life in

SLAS

since its inception, the department has

nevertheless managed to operate reasonably effectively, at

least until the last few semesters. In particular, a

constitution was drawn up and ratified, and a new graduate

program was created and implemented. Of late, however,

administration in

SLAS

has become increasingly bogged down.

With trust and mutual respect greatly diminished, members

have looked more and more to the department assembly as the

only acceptable arena for the resolution of conflicts. But

the assembly has been unable to carry the load. Too much

time and energy has been spent on issues that seemed less

than important, such as the minutes of the last meeting or

the wording of a brochure. No strong hand was available to

ensure the orderly conduct ofbusiness, and members seemed

unable or unwilling to regulate themselves. Most recently,

the facade of courtesy and civility that typically cloaks

even the fiercest of academic debates has begun to crack.

Most

SLAS

members deplored this state of affairs.Although

attributions varied, many identified lack of openness as a

central issue, both as culprit and casualty. when there was

a failure to provide timely, written information to all the

participants in a decision, it was taken as evidence that

some parties were being deliberately excluded from the . . .

?

0

democratic process. The vehemence of the resulting protests

and rebuttals no doubt contributed to making openness a

casualty. This was reflected at the interpersonal as well

as administrative level. It became hader to deal with

interpersonal concerns in a frank and direct manner. Third-

party criticizing became more common. The quality of life

in the

SLAS

cozriunity was thus further reduced.

Another casualty of the breakdown of the democratic process

has been planning. It was made clear to us that SLAS

faculty have made a large investment of time and effort over

the last 3-4 years -developing the mission statement, a key

element in any academic department's plan. But where are

the fruits of this labour? As we understand it, the motion

to adopt the missionstatement remains tabled. More mundane

aspects of planning have also become bogged down. For

example, course assignments are determined only a little in

advance, and the scheduling of faculty teaching and research

semesters seems haphazard.

We believe that action on the following recommendations is

necessary (if not sufficient) for the return of what the

recent chair called "normal working conditions" in SLAS.

The first recommendation is a general exhortation; the

remainder point to procedural improvements to or

clarifications of the administrative process.

9

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Retort

3.3 ?

RECOMMENDATIONS

.

?

3.3.1

When engaged in departmental administration, all

members of the SLAS community should commit themselves to

following an open, fair and democratic process.

3.3.2

Full and timely information should be provided to

all

participants in decision-making, and should be made

available to other members who wish to attend the advertised

meeting.

The following recommendat i on is aimed at preventing surprise

actions, in which an unannounced issue is introduced and

decided at a meeting to the later consternation of eligible

voters who were absent. Note that any procedural regulation

can be set aside if. 2/3 of eligible and present voters

decide to do so, which would allow for the consensus

disposition of urgent unannounced business. Also, the term

"substantive" is used to exempt housekeeping motions.

3.3.3

Binding decisions on substantive issues may be made

at assembly and committee meetings only if the issue being

decided appears on the agenda for that meeting.

The normal manner of deciding an issue is by an open vote at

the meeting. Sometimes, however, members want secret votes

and/or mail ballots. Secrecy can foster an atmosphere of

mistrust, and should therefore by used only sparingly. Mail

ballots are time-consuming and extend voting to members who

were not present to hear the discussion at the meeting.

Mail ballots should therefore be used only for voting on

exceptionally im

p

ortant issues where the perceived cost of

disenfranchising absent members outweighs the cost of

obtaining their votes.. Items of exceptional business might

include election of committee members, appointment of new

faculty members, and amendments to the departmental

constitution.

3.3.4

?

Votes on motions pertaining to re

q

iilar business

should be taken by a show of hands, with secret and/or mail

ballots being allowed only if supported by a 213 majority;

votes on exce

p

tional business items should normally be by

mail ballot.

.

10 ?

J7

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Retort

4.

GRADUATE STUDIES

.

4.1 ?

THE GRADUATE PROGRAM

The development of the LAS MA Program has been perhaps the

most salient aspect of the department's growth in the last

three years. It has also been the site of the most intense

dispute about the nature of the SLAS department.

Some department members fear that the original shape of the

program as passed by Senate has been distorted to

accommodate interests that are not truly focussed on LAS

studies. When the graduate program brochure was finally

published, not all members of the department signed on to

it, and they are now calling for a return to the original

form of the program. It appears that the intake of students

over its first two

y

ears has reflected the push

' and

p

ull of

conflicting interests, and that the nature of the program is

in danger of being defined by who sits on the admissions

committee in a particular year.

As outsiders, we do not feel qualified to judge the relative

academic merits of the em p

hases the program might take.

Clearly there is real growth and market potential for Latin

American Studies in today's world. It may well be in the

best interests of the University for the program to develop

with this in mind. It would seem reasonable that work on

the people and culture of Latin America could be

sufficiently inclusive to allow for a variety of valid

approaches. Ideally, social science, literature and

cultural studies perspectives should enrich each other. It

comes down to emphasis and focus in the program.

Some members told us that the existing program has not yet

struck an appropriate balance. Opinions varied, of course,

on how much sco p e was desirable; what to one student was

scholarly breathing room to another student was lack of

academic focus. Nevertheless, in our opinion the department

should clarify the goals of the MA Program (see

Recommendation 2.3.4).

This should then make it easier to specify the type(s) of

student who should be admitted to the program, and the

extent to which make-up work should be required of students

whose profile deviates from the norm.

.

11

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

4.2

?

RECOMMENDATIONS

4.2.1

The focus of the LAS XA Program should be sharpened

to give it a clearer identity.

4.2.2

Agreement should be reached on the optimal

credentials of students accepted into the LAS 1'LA Program,

and on procedures for determining whether make-up courses

are required.

Recommendations 2.3.4, 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 call for the

department to "bite the bullet" on the objectives, structure

and operation of the graduate program. As noted above, the

department assembly is not the place to conduct this task.

Everyone knows this who has tried to engage •in important,

detailed and potentially divisive planning in a large,

heterogeneous group. The department assembly would normally

be the right starting point, for ensuring that the task

objectives and central issues are understood and for

agreeing on the process. And the department assembly is the

certainly the right end point, since that is where the

acceptability of a recormnended plan is determined. But the

hard work of drafting the recommendations should be done by

a smaller group. We recommend that a Graduate Program Task

Force be established for this purpose. Task Force members

should be selected from willing nominees after consultation

from the Chair's Advisor y Committee.

4.2.3

A

Graduate Program Task Force should be struck to

formulate recommendations intended to clarify the

objectives, structure and operations of the graduate

program.

4.3

?

GRADUATE STUDENTS

"Is this the man we are supposed to be against?" (contents

of a note passed from one student representative to another

• at a SLAS assembly meeting). This was indicative to us of

the extent to which SLAS graduate students have become

embroiled in what are primarily faculty disputes.

Although the degree of involvement of students in

departmental decision making varies across SFU's programs,

all provide the opportunity for students to voice their

•

?

views on relevant issues and to have representative votes at

department corrnittee and assembly meetings. We feel

strongly that students ought to have a voice on decision-

making bodies at the departmental level.

• ?

cm

12

.

.

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

Students generally welcome this opportunity, but it comes at

a cost. Such involvement can distract, students from their

studies. More importantly, student representatives run the

risk of becoming caught up in faculty disputes. This may

have additional, emotional costs, and in extreme cases may

even affect the student's academic career. While students

should continue to have a voice in decision-making in SLAS,

we must stress that faculty have a responsibility for

ensuring that this involvement does not ensnare students in

faculty machinations. ?

-

4.4 ?

RECOMMENDATIONS

4.4.1

?

Students should concentrate on achieving the

scholarly goals of their programs and avoid involvement in

faculty disputes; this includes resisting attempts to

indoctrinate or co-opt them.

5.

LANGUAGE INSTRUCTORS

The only Language Instructors (Lanls) left in the university

are in French and SLAS. For a variety of reasons, the

university wants to discontinue this job category. SLAS has

considered turning the Lani position into a Laboratory

Instructor (LabI) position, and so recommended. However,

this recommendation has not been acted on. This failure to

proceed has led to a good deal of confusion and uncertainty.

The situation is exacerbated by the need to find TA

employment for an increasing number of LAS MA students.

Given few TA openings in LAS courses, many of these students

compete for work from the same base unit pool for language

courses that supplies the Lanls. When the latter are also

asked to assist in the training of TA5, this can markedly

increase employment insecurity and decrease staff morale.

Although these matters lie outside our 'primary mandate, we

draw them to the department's attention as a set of

interrelated issues that need resolving.

5.1 ?

RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1.1

The Department should address the following concerns

of Language Instructors:

RV

S

S

.

13--

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

Lack of continuity in the administration of the

language instruction program;

?

-

The proposed change of the Continuing Language

Instructor (LanI) position to a Laboratory Instructor

(LabI) position;

Clarification of the credentials expected of Labls;

The relative employment priority of LanI/Labls and TAs

in the assignment of teaching in language courses;

Employment of non-native speakers as TA5 in language

courses;

The training of TAs by LanI/Labls in language courses.

6. UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

.

?

"The first responsibility of university teachers is the

pursuit and dissemination of knowledge and understanding

through teaching and research." Thus reads the first

statement of professional ethics in the SFU Policies and

Procedures. In SLAS, teaching and research do not yet

appear to have suffered irreparable damage as a result of

departmental strife. However, they are under serious

threat, in particular because of the increasing frequency

with which SLAS members are engaging in various forms of

unprofessional conduct, ranging from the unfortunate to the

outrageous. One of our goals in addressing current

governance problems is to allow faculty to focus more of

their time and energy on this

p

rimary responsibility. This

can occur only if all members make a concerted and sustained

commitment to conducting themselves in a professionally

appropriate manner. However, there appear to be differences

among the members of the SLAS community in what constitutes

unprofessional conduct. It is important, therefore, that we

be as clear on this issue as we can, given the limits of our

mandate and that we are not a fact-finding committee.

.

14

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

?

6.1 ?

GOING TO THE DEAN

We note that SLAS department members have a history of

taking their concerns directly to the Dean. Of course,

faculty have the right to do so, especially when those

concerns are not addressed by the chair. However, we would

remind SLAS members of the Policies and Procedures statement

that "Through the process of selecting a Chair, all

department members commit themselves to support the

incumbent, and must tolerate the Chair's right to take a

position which differs from that of some members of the

Department" (A13.02 #18). This is accompanied by a

reciprocal obligation that the Chair provide "democratic

leadership taking note of majority and minority views." In

this department, these complementary obligations have not

received the respect they deserve. Although it is not an

egregious form of unprofessional conduct, going to the Dean

whenever a problem arises tends to undermine the established

administrative linkages in the university. Whether

calculated or innocent, it is a practice that should be

strongly discouraged.

?

6.2 ?

DENIGRATING COLLEAGUES

The faculty Code of Ethics and Responsibilities enjoins

faculty members to "refrain from denigration of the,

character and competence of their colleagues." Of course;

one cannot work for long in any university before divesting

oneself of the notion that this statement is universally

respected. It would be foolish to try to impose a ban on

all negative ccrtinents. However, the public expression of

such comments and sustained "private" gossiping have hurt

the department both internally and externally.

?

6.3 ?

FAVOURITISM

Academic favouritisrn can be characterized as the

differential rewarding of an individual or the members of a

group, without good reason, using such benefits as advance

information, good grades, employment opportunities, or

similarly valued resources. To the extent that department

members perceive this as occurring - and several say it does

- morale can suffer and existing interpersonal tensions can

be heightened.

15

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

0 ?

6.4 ?

DUAL RELATIONSHIPS

Many members expressed concern to us over relationships they

saw as improper. These concerns included suspicions of

intimate relationships, patronage, favoritism, and nepotism.

It seems that relatively few in the department have escaped

being tarred with one of those brushes, and that they have

characterized the department both past and present. Without

judging the truth or falsity of such contentions, we can

only report that these are issues that must be addressed.

More perhaps than any other factor, they appear responsible

for poisoning the atmosphere in SLAS.

Ethical issues are raised when a member of the academic

• community who has a power relationship with another member

?

also has a close personal relationship with that person.

For example, a TA might develop a romantic relationship with

a student in her tutorial. One ethical issue with such

"dual relationships" is the concern that the student in

question may be favoured by the TA, in grading for instance.

Another ethical issue is that other students.may take

offence at the dual relationship because they believe that

their experience in the course is thereby diminished in

various ways. In judging the issue of dual relationships,

.

?

persons of integrity can draw the line at quite different

places in what is admittedly a grey area. Nevertheless, the

university has seen fit to take a reasonably clear stand on

the issue of dual relationships between graduate students

and their supervisors. The following extracts are from the

Graduate Student Handbook (1994,.

pp. 18-19)

"1. The relationship between supervisors and students must

be a purely academic one. Any deviations from this require

cessation of any evaluative role for the supervisor."

112.

Romantic, intimate relationships (includirg but not

limited to sexual intimacy) are unacceptable between faculty

members and graduate students because of the increased

potential for coercion, favouritism and harassment and so

should be avoided. The societal view of "consenting adults"

does not apply in the faculty member - graduate student

case, because of pre-existing imbalances in power. Faculty

members are responsible for drawing a clear line of

separation between their professional and personal lives."

113.

A faculty member who enters into an intimate or close

. ?

relationship with a graduate student who is or will be

subject to the faculty member for evaluation, supervision or

employment should terminate or decline the evaluative /

supervisory / employment role(s) and take all necessary

c3

16

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

steps to avoid any suggestion of bias, including informing

the department chair of the situation."

"4. Faculty members who are in a financial relationship

with a student shall not be involved in any evaluative role

with respect to the student. Such relationships may include

business partnership or an employee-employer relationship

outside the normal scope of research or teaching

assistantships, but normally exclude situations where both

faculty member and student are co-holders of the rights to

intellectual property."

11

5.' Faculty members must not permit personal conflict with

a graduate student to impinge on that student's relationship

with other faculty members. Similarly, faculty members

should not allow personal animosities among colleagues to

influence graduate students' relationships with those

colleagues."

6.5

?

NEPOTISM

One special type of dual' relationship that presents a

problem is the practice of nepotism, whereby individuals

gain advantage by virtue of their status as relatives of

those in a position of influence. A related practice, that

might be called "academic nepotism" to distinguish it from

"familial nepotism," occurs when advantage accrues to those

who had their dissertation supervised by the person in a

position of influence. In either case, where an unwarranted

advantage is gained or is perceived to be gained, non-

favoured members of the community are thereby disadvantaged.

Again, we must stress that we do 'not have the information

that would allow us to come to definitive conclusions about

the existence of nepotism in SLAS. However, we can note

that, the frequency of current familial and past academic

(supervisory) relationships in SLAS seems much higher than

in other departments with which we are familiar.

6.6. ?

RECOMMENDATIONS

6.6.1 All SLAS

members should re-read the university codes

of

ethical conduct for their group, and should reflect on

whether their own behaviour is in conformity.

17

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

6.6.2.

The department should arrange facilitated workshops

in which members will examine such issues as setting

boundaries in faculty-student relationships, and conflict

resolution.

6.6.3 ?

The department should consider establishing a

standing Committee on an Optimal Working Environment with

faculty, staff and student members, that will provide a

forum for discussion and advice.

6.7 ?

A CODE OF CONDUCT

Only "within the context of civilized and-ethical behavior,"

as one member out it, "is there a chance for things to work

in this department." We agree that refining the rules and

improving the systems for management will have little effect

if there continues to be an inordinate amount of bickering,

manipulation, academic imperialism, humiliation and

denigration of colleagues. If the department is to get its

house in order, it cannot rely only on a fair-minded,

efficient and knowledgeable chair and a set of guidelines

I ?

for governance, but it must also subscribe to a code of?

conduct that has the following elements:

to disconnect the personal from the political and the

academic;

to allow for the free expression of ideas and dissent;

to protect faculty, staff and students from fear of

reprisals;

to provide the fair and eq-uitable

.

treatment which is

the right of all faculty, staff and students;

to create an atmosphere conducive to good teaching,

learning and research;

* to encourage members to be more tolerant of those with

differing backgrounds, scholarly views, and academic

Op.1flOfl5.

18

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

7.

CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE

What will happen if SLAS fails to make. sufficient use of

what we believe (and many SLAS members also believe) is the

final opportunity to set its house in order? One outcome

that might be attractive to certain members is the splitting

of SLAS into two departments. Each "side

s

could then pursue

its own agenda unhampered by actions of the opposition.

This outcome would be extremely unfortunate, in our opinion,

because the vitality and potential of this department lies

precisely where its tension lies - in the support each area

can give to the other. Even if there were additional money

to create two departments, we doubt that the university

would find such an investment to be reasonable. The

consequence of failure to grasp this opportunity to get back

on track would more likely be the disbanding of SLAS, with

some faculty and staff being absorbed by other units and the

remainder either terminated or moved into some limbo status

if termination was not a contractual option. In our.

opinion, that would be a tragic ending for what was a bold

and imaginative academic experiment that had -and still has

- the potential for success.

7.1

?

RECOMMENDATIONS.

7.1.1 ?

That SIJAS view the recommendations in this report as

an opportunity

of last resort to save the Department of

Spanish and Latin American Studies.

8. WORKING TOWARD LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES

An academic department is a community, and for a department

to function well each member needs to see her/his self-

interest in the common good. To achieve common goals

requires that individuals participate responsibly, in a

spirit of compromise where necessary, to achieve mutually

beneficial objectives. For the SLAS department to move

forward it, must engage the responsible participation of its

members. We suggest that a useful framework may come from

considering the question: What should SLAS produce?.

C3 ^

19

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

8.1 ?

WHAT SHOULD SLAS PRODUCE?

The developing of a mission statement can be a frustrating

process. One reason is the difficulty often experienced in

trying to produce a. statement that goes beyond public

relations prose and supplies a blueprint for building. One

way to achieve a consensus on such a blueprint is to pose -

and then answer - some quite specific questions. In the

following recommendations we identify some questions that

might serve this purpose.

8.2

?

RECOMMENDATIONS

8.2.1 ?

Individually and collectively SLAS should address

these questions:

a)

Following its educational mission, what kinds of

student with what kinds of skill and knowledge does the

SLAS department want to graduate?

b)

Zn research, what unique or distinctive scholarly

products should

be expected from the members of SLAS?

8.2.2

?

To

develop a set of common goals, SLAS

should

consider polling its members on several issues related to

teaching, research and service:

In teaching:

Assuming no substantial new resources, what is the

minimum set of courses needed to offer an academically

respectable program in Spanish and Latin American

Studies?

***

What would be the ideal curriculum for producing the

kinds, of student you want to graduate?

*** What are the resources and personnel necessary for the

minimum and ideal scenarios?

Considering what

you now teach and what you

could

teach, how could you most effectively contribute to the

minimum and ideal programs?

B 7

.

20

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

Zn research:

*** Considering your individual work, what resources are

minimally required for you to be an effective

researcher? How can the department facilitate your

research

Considering collaborative possibilities, what fields of

inquiry is this department uniquely situated to pursue?

What programs would facilitate such inquiry?

Zn service:

**

In what area of service do you feel most qualified and

willing to contribute (i.e., department organization,

curriculum, planning,

graduate studies, extra-

departmental committees, outreach).

" ?

How can the department encourage equitable and

effective participation?

In what kinds of outreach activities do you feel most

qualified and willing to engage?

S

9.

?

CONCLUSION

It may be helpful to sunarize what we see as the key

recommendations in this report. We believe that first step

should be the appointment of an interim chair from outside

the department. This person, assisted by an advisory

committee, would serve as a mediator and facilitator with

the initial goal of sharpening the focus of the graduate.

program. Later, attention could shift to the constitution.

Much of the initial work would be carried out by a Graduate

Studies Task Force, whose recommendations would be

considered by the departmental assembly. Our other

recommendations are offered as subordinate and supportive

measures.

We are aware that we are recommending the department revisit

some difficult territory - the defining of its focus and

priorities. We acknowledge that SLAS members are tired and

emotionally drained by past conflicts. We do not wish to

minimize this. Nonetheless, with no possibility of "winning

or losing" but with every possibility of doing fulfilling

work in a civilized atmosphere, we hope that there will be a

will to keep trying. ?

5

3f

-

21

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

We do not expect the department to do this alone or in the

context of plenary sessions and department retreat. In

fact, our intention is quite the opposite. The interim

chair should be responsible for focussing department

thinking in a constructive way. The most productive

discussions will take place in small groups of people who

are comfortable with one another, and when conflictive

issues arise the interim chair should facilitate their

understanding and resolution.

Like any other department, SLAS has and will continue to

have diverse elements. In multidisciplinary departments -

even those with a worked-out interdisciplinary mission,

maintaining disciplinary integrity can present challenges.

Where goodwill and collegiality are high, it seems to take

little effort to live and let live. In a more conflicted

department like SLAS, it is crucial to find accommodations

that allow the diverse elements to coexist in relative peace

if not actual harmony. Only then can sufficient effort be

directed to the primary academic goals of teaching and

research.

.

\slas\finalrep

?

S.A. R.B. Nov.

29/94

S

3q

L

22

---

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

?

Office of the

Dean, Faculty of Arts

?

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

All Members ?

From: Evan Alderson

Department of Spanish & Latin

?

Dean of Arts

American Studies

Subject: The Future of the Department Date:

?

August 11, 1995

I am writing to you regarding the future of the Department of Spanish and

Latin American Studies. As I'm sure you are aware, my recent call for

nominations for the position of Chair of the Department went unanswered.

Under current circumstances, the Department appears to be unable to find a

qualified individual to serve as Chair. This turn of events, following upon

a significant history of difficulties in the Department, leads me to the

conclusion that the Department as presently constituted is not capable of

governing itself in the normal way as an academic department at Simon

Fraser. In addition, virtually all of the advice I have received is that the

current working environment in the Department is unsatisfactory and that

for a variety of reasons the members of the Department can not collectively

bring about adequate constructive change.

I very much regret that the founding idea of a combined Department of

Spanish and Latin American Studies has not worked in practice. I

personally believe the idea was academically sound. As you know, there are

many explanations for the current dysfunction. I am not sure what weight

to ascribe to any of the reasons I have heard voiced, but I take the need for

substantial change to have been demonstrated. Under the circumstances, it

is my responsibility to propose an alternative future organization.

Given the need for mandated change, the University must choose a clear

academic direction. My view, which is shared by many with whom I have

spoken, is that in the long term Latin American Studies has a brighter

potential future at Simon Fraser than the study of Spanish literature. I

therefore intend to move expeditiously toward the creation of a Department

of Latin American Studies and the dissolution of the Department of

Spanish and Latin American Studies. The University should continue to

invest in the creation of a strong Latin American Studies program with

vital links to other departments and an emphasis upon contemporary

social, economic and cul-tural issues.

This recommendation, and many of the accompanying changes, will require

Senate and Board approval. Substantial further work will be required to

detail the necessary changes, but I anticipate modifications in some faculty

.

.

410

---

appointments, in undergraduate curriculum, and in departmental

structure.

I anticipate that the curriculum of the new department will include current

LAS undergraduate and graduate courses, Spanish language courses, and

courses now designated as "SPAN" which have a significant focus on Latin

American literature. I expect that courses with an exclusive focus on Iberian

literature will be discontinued or removed from the Department. Some

Iberian literature courses may find a place in the Division of

Interdisciplinary Studies in the Faculty of Arts, possibly with a greater focus

than at present on literature in translation. It is possible that the

discontinuation of the Spanish major may eventually prove necessary.

With regard to faculty, I anticipate that the appointments of faculty in the

present Department who are not directly engaged in teaching and research

in Latin American Studies or. Spanish language teaching will be transferred

elsewhere, likely to the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. I would

support efforts to develop an active group in European and comparative

literatures in Interdisciplinary Studies or elsewhere. Other shifts in faculty

appointments may also be desirable, including joint appointments for some

current Associate Members. I anticipate that full faculty voting rights in the

new Department will be limited to those with full or joint appointments.

As I understand the recent departmental action regarding the graduate

. ?

program, no substantial further changes to the graduate program will be

required. There will continue to be the opportunity for graduate study

under Special Arrangements. In general I would expect the home

department of special arrangement students to be the same as the home

department of the senior supervisor.

I intend to begin the implementation of this plan in September. 1 will

provide for interim governance of the Department and appoint an ad hoc

committee to develop the detailed specification of changes that will be

required for action by the Faculty of Arts, Senate and the Board of

Governors. I will not recommend a search for an external Chair or

continuing faculty replacements before a viable new structure has been

established.

Evan Alderson

Dean of Arts

EA/jm:

Copy:

J

.

Munro

W ?

R. Blackman

A. Lebowitz

S. Alci ?

L,L,

---

To:

FILE

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

?

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts

MEMORANDUM

All Members of Spanish and

?

From: Evan Alderson

Latin American Studies ?

Dean of Arts

copy.

0

Subject:

Future of the Department

?

Date: September 20, 1995

This is to follow up on my memorandum of August 11 regarding the future of

the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies. In that memo I outlined my

intention to initiate a planning process leading to the creation of a Department of

Latin American Studies and the dissolution of the Department of Spanish and Latin

American Studies.

I have given further thought as to how the planning can best proceed. A

significant re-structuring of this kind requires an overall plan as well as a large

number of detailed changes in curriculum and calendar language. It is not necessary

or even appropriate that all the details be worked through prior to the establishment

of the new department and its membership. In order to enable a careful consideration

of the proposal, however, it is important to provide a clear "blueprint" of the structure

and mandate of the new department and the other academic arrangements involved.

Such a plan can lead to a series of motions to be placed. before the present Department,

the Faculty of Arts and Senate.

I am appointing a small ad hoc planning committee to formulate this blueprint.

This committee will consult with members of the present Department, but it will not

include faculty or associate members of SLAS. It is charged to provide full and

impartial advice to me regarding relevant academic changes both inside and outside

of the new Department of Latin American Studies. The Committee will be open to

representations from all individuals associated with the present Department,

including students, and may seek advice from department members and others as it

sees fit; it will consult formally with the Department concerning a draft of its

proposals; I intend to place the Committee's final recommendations concerning

academic structure and curriculum before the Department for formal vote before

referring the matter to the Faculty of Arts.

In order that the committee will operate within a commonly understood

framework of assumptions, I outline below the areas I expectit will consider and some

issues I will ask that it address.

.

Li

---

. ?

1)

The New Department.

I will ask the Committee to make recommendations regarding the structure and

mandate of the new Department of Latin American Studies. I anticipate that the new

Department will include:

a)

The M.A. in Latin American Studies as recently reformulated by vote

within the SLAS Department. I will seek advice from the committee as to

whether this program should move to a pattern of biennial admissions,

with the next admissions for the 1997-98 academic year.

b)

An undergraduate major and minor and appropriate joint majors in Latin

American Studies. I expect that these programs may be essentially the

same as at present, and I assume that they will include opportunities for

the study of Latin American literature and culture.

c)

I anticipate that The LAS Field School will continue to be a valuable part

of the undergraduate program. The Committee may choose to comment

on prospects for the Department's further involvement in international

activities.

d)

Spanish language courses, including a sequence of courses leading toward

. ?

competence in the language, plus courses in Spanish linguistics directly

pertinent to the acquisition of language skills or to the study of Latin

American society.

In addition to the consideration of these program areas, I ask the Committee to

suggest appropriate governance structures for a department of this kind, including the

constitutional role of Associate Members and issues regarding graduate students not

enrolled in programs administered by the Department.

2)

Other Courses

I will receive from the Committee recommendations regarding the continuation

and location of existing courses and programs that do not fit within the mandate of

the new Department. As one aspect of these recommendations I seek advice as to

whether admissions to the Spanish major, joint major and minor programs should be

suspended.

3)

Faculty Placement

I will ask the Committee to consider the appropriate academic home for each

faculty member in the present Department as a result of the curriculum re-structuring.

The Committee will make its recommendations regarding faculty placement in

confidence to me, which will allow me the opportunity to discuss the matter with each

faculty member affected before submitting my recommendations to the Vice-

President, Academic for consideration and transmittal to the Board.

1713

---

3

The Committee may choose to make additional recommendations following from

its consultations and deliberations. I ask that the Committee complete its work before

the end of this Fall semester. On the basis of its report, I will formulate a series of

motions for consideration and vote at each appropriate level, and in time for proper

notice of the changes to be given in next year's University Calendar. I trust that

planning for the more detailed calendar changes required to implement the

recommendations will follow along without undue delay, and be in full effect by Fall,

1997.

I am pleased to announce that Professor William Cleveland of the History

Department, Professor Maureen Covell of the Political Science, and Associate Dean

Andrea Lebowitz have agreed to serve on this important ad hoc Committee, with

Prof. Lebowitz serving as Chair of the Committee. Dr. Covell has additionally agreed

to serve as Acting Chair of the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies

from October 1 to the end of this semester. I ask for ratification of Dr. Covell as Acting

Chair by faculty members in the Department in the accompanying ballot. As in the

past, a separate ballot, for information purposes only, is being provided to Associate

Members of the Department.

Evan Alderson

EV ?

Dean of Arts

cc: D. Gagan

W. Cleveland

M. Covell

A. Lebowitz

S

4

---

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

All Members ?

From: Evan Alderson

Department of Spanish &

?

Dean of Arts

Latin American Studies

Subject: Future of the Department Ill

?

Date: ?

December 7, 1995

I have now received the final report of the ad hoc planning committee I

appointed to advise me regarding academic changes appropriate for the

planned dissolution of the Department of Spanish and Latin American

Studies and creation of a new Department of Latin American Studies. I

attach that report for your information and comment.

I ask that you provide me with any comments you wish to make in writing

by December 22, 1995. It is my intention to seek a formal expression of

opinion from the Department regarding the Committee's

recommendations early in the New Year. I take very seriously the context.

of their review which the Committee's report articulates in its opening

section. I therefore intend to seek the Department's opinion on a structured

• ?

series of options before making my recommendations to the Faculty of Arts.

I will be out of town until the 18th of December. Those of you who may

wish to speak with me personally can make appointments to do so during

the week of December 18.

Evan Alderson

EA/jm:

copy:

M. Covell

D. Gagan

A. Lebowitz

I

L-1

-

---

Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Future Planning for the

Spanish and Latin American Studies Department ?

•

The Committee was charged "to make recommendations regarding the

structure and mandate of the new Department of Latin American Studies." In the

course of undertaking its assigned task, the Committee was compelled to

consider the following:

Any new LAS Department may be too small to offer the full

range of courses and expertise expected of a functioning

department.

The viability of a new LAS Department may be brought

into further question by the impending retirements of

some faculty members.

This review is being undertaken during a period of projected

budgetary cutbacks.

Because of these problems, the fulfillment of the Committee's

recommendations is heavily dependent upon the availability of new resources

either through internal realignment of existing resources, or external

replacements.

• ?

In addition, these considerations have led us to recommend that, in the

short run at least, the Department offer a limited range of programs. In

particular, we have recommended that a LAS major (as opposed to minors and

joint majors) be reinstated only after a revision of the undergraduate curriculum.

We have also recommended that there be no new admissions to the LAS MA

program during the departmental reorganization and that admissions resume

after the department has developed a plan for maintaining the undergraduate

and graduate programs with its existing resources.

ii

Background

At this point Latin American Studies has 31 joint majors, 11 majors, and 4

minors (including extended). In addition there are 25 graduate students. If

Spanish Literature and Linguistics courses were to be removed from the existing

curriculum, the remaining LAS curriculum would have 18 courses plus a Field

School. It is obvious that the resulting complement of faculty (after reassignment

of some faculty and the approaching retirement of others) could not possibly

maintain undergraduate and graduate programs of the present scope. Faced with

this stark reality, the Committee has had to consider the very existence of the

Department. Although we were initially charged to recommend options within a

new Latin American Studies Department, this may no longer be a structural

q6

---

•

?

possibility. If a LAS Department is not created, Latin American Studies might

continue under one of the following options.

Structural Options:

Return LAS to an interdisciplinary program structure constituted as

a separate unit.

Reduce LAS to an interdisciplinary program with no

separate administrative unit. Faculty would be reassigned

and the program would exist only as courses given in

separate departments.

The Committee has considered the above options and believes that both

the University and the Department must carefully consider them as well. While

we are suggesting that a Department be maintained, we realize that financial

realities might well require the adoption of one of the above alternatives.

Several considerations argue for the maintenance of a department. Latin

American Studies is one of few such programs in Canada and its MA is unique in

Western Canada. Latin American Studies are an area of increasing practical

interest and one in which SFU has a significant comparative advantage. Our

•

?

recommendations attempt to preserve the department and its programs as much

as possible and to leave open the possibility of restoring programs like the MA

when the reorganization is complete.

Committee Recommendation

•

?

That the Department of Spanish/LAS be disbanded.

•

?

That some faculty members in the existing Spanish/LAS

Department be assigned to other units*.

•

?

That the Spanish Major and Minor programs be phased out

and that no new students be accepted into these degrees

but that students with declared programs be allowed to complete.

• ?

That Spanish Literature courses be moved into another unit

or abandoned.

•

?

That a new Department of Latin American Studies be

created.

•

?

That the curriculum of the undergraduate program be

basedupon the existing courses outlined on the attached

spreadsheet, but that the Department be required to review

this curriculum. In particular, that the 100 and 200 level courses

---

be reviewed. That the review of the courses ensure that the 3

"streams" of History and Culture, Economy and Society, and

Politics and the State are in balance. That the overall number of

courses be reduced and that the core of Latin American Studies

be clearly outlined.

•

?

That the undergraduate program be maintained but only as

a Minor, Extended Minor, or Joint Major until the revision

of the undergraduate curriculum is complete.

•

?

That Spanish Language Acquisition instruction be maintained

in the LAS Department but that Spanish Linguistics courses

be removed from the LAS curriculum.

•

?

That the Field School be maintained.

That there be no new admissions to the LAS graduate program for

1996-97. That the question of admissions be reviewed and

admissions resumed after the Department has developed a plan for

maintaining both the undergraduate and graduate programs with

existing resources and after the number of students currently

enrolled inthe MA program has been reduced. That the program

be revised along the :lines recommended in the Graduate Task Force

Report. That the program continue to be listed in the university

calendar. That, if the program has not been reactivated by the

2000-01 academic year, the university and the Department review

the situation and consider the program's deletion.

That a new Department be created only if the potential members

of the unit can select an Acting Chair from their number. That

Associate Members, subject to university policy, continue their

voting rights but that their relationship to the new Department

be reviewed and regularized.

In conclusion, the Committee feels that the University and the Department

face some very difficult choices. While we recommend a solution that would

preserve a Latin American Studies Department, we must caution that such a

suggestion is far from assured in the present financial climate.

The Committee is reporting to the Dean on this matter confidentially.

0

---

DEPARTMENT OF LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

?

PROPOSED CURRICULUM STRUCTURE

(bold text indicates courses changed from

SPAN

to

LAS;

underlined text?

indicates new curriculum currently at SCUS)

Course

?

Stream

C

SPAN 102-3

Introduction to Spanish I

SPAN 103-3

Introduction to Spanish II

SPAN 201-3

Intermediate Spanish I

SPAN 202-3

Intermediate Spanish II

SPAN 303-3

Spanish Conversation and Composition

SPAN 304-3

Advanced Spanish Conversation and

Composition

LAS 100-3 ?

Images of Latin America

LAS 140-3 ?

Cultural Heritage of Latin America

LAS 200-3 ?

Introduction to Latin American Issues

LAS

240-3

?

Introduction

to

Latin American Literature

LAS 300-3

?

Latin American Literature in Transition

(formerly LAS 210)

LAS 309-3 ?

Special Topics: Regional Studies I

LAS 310-3 ?

Special Topics: Regional Studies II

LAS 311-3

?

Special Topics: Latin American International

Relations

LAS 312-3 ?

Special Topics: Latin American Cultural Topics

LAS 318-3 ?

Political Economy of Latin American Development)

LAS 320-3 ?

Canada and Latin America

LAS 323-3 ?

Women in Latin American Literature and Society

LAS

352-3 ?

Colonial and

19th Century Latin

American Literature

LAS 380-0 ?

Practicum I

LAS 390-0 ?

Practicum II

LAS 490-0 ?

Practicum IV

History &

Culture

History &

Culture

Economy &

Society

all streams

all streams

Politics &

the State

History &

Culture

Economy &

Society

Politics & the

State

History &

Culture

History &

Culture

---

LAS

Course

402-5

?

?

Field Study

Stream

1 ?

0

LAS 403-3 ?

Special Topics: Latin American Economy and

LAS 404-3 ?

Special Topics: Field School I

LAS 405-3 ?

Si,edal Tonics: Field School II

LAS 410-4 ?

Andean Histor

y

and Culture

LAS

456-5 ?

Selected Topics in Modem Latin American

Narrative

LAS 457-5

?

Selected

Topics in

Modem Latin American

?

Poetry

and Theatre

LAS

460-3 ?

Selected Topics

LAS

461-3 ?

Directed Studies

LAS 498-5 ?

Independent Study Project

Economy &

Society

History &

Culture

History &

Culture

History &

Culture

Literature courses that might be moved to another unit:

SPAN 210

Spanish Literature in Translation

SPAN 349

Basic Texts in Hispanic Literature I

SPAN 350

Basic Texts in Hispanic Literature II

SPAN 353

Approaches to Textual Analysis

SPAN 445-5

Selected Topics in Modern Spanish Literature

SPAN 448-5

Selected Topics in the Golden Age

Linguistics courses that might be moved to another unit:

SPAN 220

Introduction to Spanish Linguistics

SPAN 307

Practical Spanish Phonetics

SPAN 401

Dialectology I: Phonology

SPAN 402

Dialectology II: Lexicon

SPAN 411

Grammatical Analysis of Modern Spanish

SPAN 413

History of

-

the

Spanish Language

SPAN 425

Teaching Spanish as a Second Language

RR

---

0 ?

Courses to be deleted:

SPAN 440

Modern Spanish Novel

SPAN 441

Modern Spanish Theatre

SPAN 442

Modern Spanish Poetry

SPAN 443

Spanish Theatre of the Golden Age

SPAN 447

Cervantes

SPAN 451

Modem Latin American Novel

SPAN 452

Modem Latin American Poetry

SPAN 453

Modem Latin American Short Story

SPAN 454

Latin American Theatre

SPAN 465 ?

Honors Essay

.

5/

---

Opinion Ballot

Faculty and Associate Members, SLAS

1)

Committee Recommendation:

That the Department of Spanish/LAS be disbanded.

O

preferred

?

fl

acceptable ?

fl

unacceptable

2)

Committee Recommendation:

That some faculty members in the existing Spanish/LAS Department be

assigned to other units.

O

preferred

?

fl

acceptable

?

fl

unacceptable

Dean s alternative suggestion:

That all faculty members in the existing Spanish/LAS Department be

assigned to other units, with provision for teaching in the Latin American

Studies program as appropriate and required.

O

preferred ?

fl

acceptable ?

fl

unacceptable

ttU

W.

3)

Committee Recommendation:

That the Spanish Major and Minor programs be phased out and that no new

students be accepted into these degrees but that students with declared

programs be allowed to complete.

O

preferred ?

acceptable

?

J unacceptable

Dean's alternative suggestion:

That a moratorium on admissions to the Spanish Major and Minor programs

continue, but that those interested be encouraged to propose a new and

limited program which will be attractive to students and sustainable within

available resources.

O

preferred ?

acceptable ?

fl

unacceptable

T

4. ?

Committee Recommendation:

That Spanish Literature courses be moved into another unit or abandoned.

0

preferred

?

O

acceptable

?

fl

unacceptable

?

r

L

.

5:2

---

Dean's alternative suggestion:

.

?

That pending further developments the Spanish Literature courses identified

by the ad hoc committee (i.e. SPAN 210, 349, 350, 353, 445, 448) be moved to

IDS.

O

preferred ?

D

acceptable

?

fl

unacceptable

?

5) ?

Committee Recommendation:

That anew Department of Latin American Studies be created.

O

preferred

?

fl

acceptable ?

0

unacceptable

uu

Dean's alternative suggestion:

That a new Program in Latin American Studies be created, to be governed by a

Director and a Steering Committee and with Associate Members only.

0

preferred ?

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

t

?

•ut

.

6)

?

Committee Recommendation:

That the curriculum of the undergraduate program be based upon the

existing courses outlined on the attached spreadsheet, but that the

Department be required to review this curriculum. In particular, that the 100

and 200 level courses be reviewed. That the review of the courses ensure that

the 3 "streams" of History and Culture, Economy and Society, and Politics and

the State are in balance. That the overall number of courses be reduced and

that the core of Latin American Studies be clearly outlined.

0

preferred ?

fl

acceptable

?

fl

unacceptable

Dean's alternative suggestion:

Identical, except for the substitution of 'Program" for "Department".

O

preferred ?

acceptable ?

fl

unacceptable

?

7) ?

Committee Recommendation:

That the undergraduate program be maintained but only as a Minor,

Extended Minor, or Joint Major until the revision of the undergraduate

curriculum is complete.

0

preferred ?

U

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

---

8) ?

Committee Recommendation:

That Spanish Language Acquisition instruction be maintained in the LAS

Department but that Spanish Linguistics courses be removed from the LAS

curriculum.

O

preferred -

?

acceptable

?

fl

unacceptable

(tt

Dean's alternative suggestion:

That Spanish Language Acquisition instruction be moved to the Division of

Interdisciplinary Studies and be coordinated with other languages offered

through the Division. That Spanish Linguistics courses particularly relevant

to language acquisition be considered for retention.

E]

preferred

?

0

acceptable

?

O

unacceptable

I

9)

Committee Recommendation:

That the Field School be maintained.

o preferred

?

fl

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

10)

Committee Recommendation:

That there be no new admissions to the LAS graduate program for 1996-97.

That the question cf admissions be reviewed and admissions resumed after

the Department has developed a plan for maintaining both the

undergraduate and graduate programs with existing resources and after the

number of students currently enrolled in the MA program has been reduced.

That the program

.

be revised along the lines recommended in the Graduate

Task Force Report. That the program continue to be listed in the university

calendar. That, if tie program has not been reactivated by the 2000-01

academic year, the university and the Department review the situation and

consider the programs deletion.

O

preferred

?

j

acceptable ?

fl

unacceptable

Dean's alternative suggestion:

That new admissions to the LAS graduate program be deferred to 1997-98.

That the review and revision recommended as above by the ad hoc

committee take place, with a view to introducing a two-year cohort-based

program with biennial admissions.

D

preferred

?

?

O

acceptable

?

O

unacceptable

I

.

5ç1

---

11) Committee Recommendation:

That a new Department be created only if the potential members of the unit

can select an Acting Chair from their number. That Associate Members,

subject to university policy, continue their voting rights but that their

relationship to the new Department be reviewed and regularized.

O

preferred ?

acceptable ?

J unacceptable

tt

Dean's alternative suggestion:

That a Steering Committee for the prospective Program in Latin American

Studies be appointed forthwith and be asked to select a Director from among

its number.

O

preferred ?

acceptable ?

0

unacceptable

PLEASE RETURN THIS BALLOT TO THE DEAN OF ARTS' OFFICE NO

LATER THAN 4:00 P.M., MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1996.

cov

9

rl,1)

.

0

---

Opinion Ballot

FacWt

( i ;)

nd Associate Members, SLAS

Committee Recommendation:

That the Department of Spanish/LAS be disbanded.

-

0

preferred ?

acceptable ?

unacceptable

®4 L //

7

L ?

/

Committee Recommendation:

That some faculty members in the existing Spanish/LAS Department be

assigned to other units.

0

preferred

?

F1 acceptable

?

j unacceptable

/

"

--Q ?

//1

Dean s a ternnt1ve suggestion:

( f.

That all faculty members in the existing Spanish/LAS Department be

assigned to other units, with provision for teaching in the Latin American

Studies program as appropriate and required.

/

0

.

^r

preferred

a

?

?

/

acceptable. ?

)16W

unacceptable

@

11)

Committee Recommendation:

That the Spanish Major and Minor programs be phased out and that no new

students be accepted into these degrees but that students with declared

programs be allowed to complete.

0 preferred ?

acceptable ?

0 unacceptable

Dean's alternative suggestion:

?

/1

That a moratorium on admissions to the Spanish Major and Winor programs

continue, but that those interested be encouraged to propose a new and

limited program which will be attractive to students and sustainable within

available resources.

O preferred ?

•D acceptable ?

J unacceptable

/(( ?

.

?

/

417-e^

O-S

4. ?

Committee Recommendation:

That Spanish Literature courses be moved into another unit or abandoned.

0 preferred

?

E] acceptable

?

0 unacceptable

?

.

I/0cc:

?

/

?

51

1)

2)

.

---

. ?

Dean's alternative suggestion:

That pending further developments the Spanish Literature courses identified

by the ad hoc committee (i.e. SPAN 210, 349, 350, 353,

445,

448) be moved to

IDS.

0

preferred

?

J

acceptable ?

J

unacceptable

•

?

//C

5)

Committee Recommendation:

That a new Department of Latin American Studies be created.

• ?

0

preferred. ?

acceptable

?

unaccep tab

Dean's

t aVfer'native suggestion:

That a new Program in Latin American Studies be created, to be governed by a

Director and a Steering Committee and with Associate Members only.

O

pr

?

0

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

f /I ?

'/7/

•

6)

Committee Recommendation:

That the curriculum of the undergraduate program be based upon the

existing courses outlined on the attached spreadsheet, but that the

Department be required to review this curriculum. In particular, that the 100

and 200 level courses be reviewed. That the review of the courses ensure that

the 3 "streams" ofHistory and Culture, Economy and Society, and Politics and

the State are in balance. That the overall number of courses be reduced and

that the core of Latin American Studies be clearly outlined.

0

preferred ?

acceptable

?

unacceptable

4U-Z,^

0 ?

O^-

Dean's alternative suggestion:

?

li/f

Identical, except for the substitution of "Program" for "Department".

0

preferred ?

0

acceptable ?

J

unacceptable

O

a -

7)

Committee Recommendation:

That the undergraduate program be maintained but only as a Minor,

Extended Minor, or Joint Major until the revision of the undergraduate

curriculum is complete.

.

?

•

?

0

preferred ?

0

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

---

8) ?

Committee Recommendation:

That Spanish Language Acquisition instruction be maintained in the LAS

Department but that Spanish Linguistics courses be removed from the LAS

curriculum.

0

preferred ?

acceptable ?

J unacceptable

7

?

Ug

?

w/

Dean. a(

That Spanish Language Acquisition instruction be moved to the Division of

Interdisciplinary

Studies and be coordinated with other languages offered

through the Division. That Spanish Linguistics courses particularly relevant

to language acquisition be considered for retention.

O

preferred

?

acceptable ?

J unacceptable

-

03

/

9)

Committee Recommendation:

That the Field School be maintained.

O

preferred ?

0

acceptable ?

unacce table

10)

Committee Recommendation:

That there be no new admissions to the LAS graduate program for 1996-97.

That the question of admissions be reviewed and admissions resumed after

the Department has developed a plan for maintaining both the

undergraduate and graduate programs with existing resources and after, the

number of students currently enrolled in the MA program has been reduced.

That the program be revised along the lines recommended in the Graduate

Task Force Report. That the program continue to be listed in the university

calendar. That, if the program has not been reactivated by the 2000-01

academic year, the university and the Department review the situation and

consider the program's deletion.

0

preferred ?

'0

acceptable ?

0

unacceptable

Dean's alternative suggestion:

?

W. (

(

(

C's)

That new admissions to the LAS graduate program be deferred to 1997-98..

That the review and, revision recommended as above by the ad hoc

committee take place, with a view to introducing a two-year cohort-based

program with biennial admissions.

preferred ?

0

acceptable ?

. ?

J

unacceptable

C

---

• 11) Committee Recommendation:

That a new Department be created only if the potential members of the unit

can

select

an Acting Chair from their number. That Associate Members,

subject to university policy, continue their voting rights but that their

relationship to the new Department be reviewed and regularized.

O

prefcrr_t

S

?

acceptable ?

J

unacceptable

OY

Dean 'sraL suggestion:

?

/// /

That a Steering

Committee

for the prospective Program in Latin American

Studies be appointed forthwith

and

be asked to select a Director from among

its number.

O

unacceptable

^/ // Q

^

3

o

preferred

?

O

acceptable

/

C4

PLEASE RETURN THIS BALLOT TO THE DEAN OF ARTS' OFFICE NO

LATER THAN 4:00 P.M., MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1996.

S

?

6

)%

?

c1sp).

57

---

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts?

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

All Members ?

From: Evan Alderson

Spanish & Latin

?

Dean of Arts

American Studies

Subject:

Future of the Department IV

?

Date: ?

January 9, 1996

Further to my memo of December 7 distributing the final report of

the ad hoc committee on the future of the department, I have now received

a variety of comments on that report

.

and related matters. I have also

consulted carefully with Vice-President Gagan .regarding the current and

prospective financial situation as it affects forward planning for

m

programing in both Spanish and Latin American Studies.

I am now soliciting a formal expression of opinion from the

Department regarding various options, before setting forward my own

recommendations to the Faculty of Arts. Because the alternatives are

complex, I have structured the accompanying ballot in a way that I hope will

provide clear indications of departmental opinion. These indications will

inform and accompany my recommendations to the Faculty and to Senate.

I have included on the ballot the recommendations of the ad .hoc

committee, along with my own suggestions where these, differ. My

suggestions are motivated by two considerations: first, the budget prospects

are such that it seems to me unlikely that a full Department of

. Latin

American Studies can be sustained over the near term; and second, I

continue to support the maintenance and development of programs with

strong potential, such as Latin American Studies, provided that these can be

offered efficiently and' effectively within available resources. The

alternative model I am proposing attempts to maintain viable

programming, but does not create a new Department. Although

,

the

accompanying ballot sets out the essential aspects of this model as a set of

"alternative suggestions;" it may be helpful to outline the whole model

here.

Basically I am suggesting a return to the "interdisciplinary program"

structure mentioned as an option by the committee. This structure is

compatible with the continuation of a somewhat revised graduate program'

and substantial undergraduate programming. The program would have its

own courses as well as drawing on related courses in other departments; It

would have a small administrative structure and a Steering Committee but

no faculty housed permanently within it. All faculty would move to other

departments, or to the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies, with the

provision that several would regularly be assigned teaching in the Latin

American Studies Program. .-Graduate admissions :to. the 'M.A.' in Latin

American Studies would be deferred to the Fall of 1997, at which time a

.

.

---

2

pattern of biennial admissions to a cohort-based program would begin. An

undergraduate program in Latin American Studies would be reviewed by

the Steering Committee but would be maintained at least to the level of

joint majors. The Field School would be continued (appropriately

scheduled in relation to the graduate program). The Latin American

Studies Program, and potentially an associated research institute, would be

encouraged to become central in further interactions between this

University and Latin American societies.

A narrowed range of Spanish literature courses would be

administered by the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. The moratorium

on new admissions to the current major and minor programs would

continue, but interested faculty would be encouraged to develop revised

programs on a sustainable scale. Spanish language courses and the

Certificate in Spanish Language Proficiency, revised as necessary, would be

administered by the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. Faculty involved

in language teaching might eventually become part of a new "Centre for

Applied Language Studies" which would support and co-ordinate the

teaching of several languages and the development of language pedagogy at

Simon Fraser. Other faculty moving to Interdisciplinary Studies would be

encouraged to develop strong working relationships with existing programs

and departments, leading toward possible full or joint appointments.

• Among the options available, this set of arrangements in my present

view would do the least academic damage, be fairest to the various

individuals involved, reasonably protect student interests, permit an

efficient deployment of present resources, and allow for future growth and

development of academic programs that prove successful. Although these

arrangements would require restructuring of the current departmental

office, because of other accompanying changes it should not be assumed

that they would necessitate the lay-off of current staff.

The ballot attached is for Faculty and Associate Members of the

Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies. As in the past the

ballots of these groups will be accounted separately, for information

purposes. Please return the ballot to my office by

4:00 p.m. Monday, January

22.

Evan Alderson

Dean of Arts

(9/

---

Dean's alternative suggestion:

That pending further developments the Spanish Literature courses identified

by the ad hoc committee (i.e. SPAN 210, 349, 350, 353, 445, 448) be moved to

IDS.

fl

preferred

?

0

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

5)

Committee Recommendation:

That a new Department of Latin American Studies be created.

0

preferred

?

0

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

Dean's alternative suggestion:

That a new Program in Latin American Studies be created, to be governed by a

Director and a Steering Committee and with Associate Members only.

0

preferred ?

9

acceptable ?

9

unacceptable

6)

Committee Recommendation:

That the curriculum of the undergraduate program

,

be based upon the

existing courses outlined on the attached spreadsheet, but that the

Department be required to review this curriculum. In particular, that the 100

and 200 level courses be reviewed. That the review of the courses ensure that

the 3 "streams" of History and Culture, Economy and Society, and Politics and

the State are in balance. That the overall number of courses be reduced and

that the core of Latin American Studies be clearly outlined.

9

preferred

?

9

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

Dean's alternative suggestion:

Identical, except for the substitution of "Program" for "Department".

9

preferred

?

0

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

7)

Committee Recommendation:

That the undergraduate program be maintained but only as a Minor,

Extended Minor, or Joint Major until the revision of the undergraduate

curriculum is complete.

0

preferred

?

0

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

S

6-^L--

---

S

Dean's alternative suggestion:

That pending further developments the Spanish Literature courses identified

by the ad hoc committee (i.e. SPAN 210, 349, 350, 353, 445, 448) be moved to

IDS.

U

preferred

?

fl

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

?

5)

?

Committee Recommendation:

That a new Department of Latin American Studies be created.

0

preferred

?

fl

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

Dean's alternative suggestion:

That a new Program in Latin American Studies be created, to be governed by a

Director and a Steering Committee and with Associate Members only.

0

preferred ?

J acceptable ?

J unacceptable

S

?

6)

?

Committee Recommendation:

That the curriculum of the undergraduate program be based upon the

existing courses outlined on the attached spreadsheet, but that the

Department be required to review this curriculum. In particular, that the 100

and 200 level courses be reviewed .That the review of the courses ensure that

the 3 "streams" of History and Culture, Economy and Society, and Politics and

the State are in balance. That the overall number of courses be reduced and

that the core of Latin American Studies be clearly outlined.

0

preferred

?

0

acceptable

?

U

unacceptable

Dean's alternative suggestion:

Identical, except for the substitution of "Program" for "Department".

U

preferred

?

0

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

?

7) ?

Committee Recommendation:

That the undergraduate program be maintained but only as a Minor,

Extended Minor, or Joint Major until the revision of the undergraduate

curriculum is complete.

is

?

U

preferred ?

J

acceptable ?

J unacceptable

---

8)

Committee Recommendation:

That Spanish Language Acquisition instruction

Department but that Spanish Linguistics course

curriculum.

be maintained in the LAS

?

S

be removed from the LAS

fl

preferred

?

0

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

Dean's alternative suggestion:

That Spanish Language Acquisition instruction be moved to the Division of

Interdisciplinary Studies and be coordinated with, other languages offered

through the Division. That Spanish Linguistics courses particularly relevant

to language acquisition be considered for retention.

0

preferred

?

fl

acceptable

?

fl

unacceptable

9)

Committee Recommendation:

That the Field School be maintained.

0

preferred

?

fl

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

S

10)

Committee Recommendation:

That there be no new admissions to the LAS 'graduate program for 1996=97.

That the question of admissions be reviewed and 'admissions resumed after

the Department has developed a plan for maintaining both the

undergraduate and graduate programs with existing resources and after the

number of students currently enrolled in the MA program has been reduced.

That the program be revised along the lines recommended in the Graduate

Task Force Report. That the program continue to be listed in the university

calendar. That, if the program has not been reactivated by the 2000-01

academic year, the university and the Department review the situation and

consider the program's deletion.

U

preferred

?

0

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

Dean's alternative suggestion:

That new admissions to the LAS graduate program be deferred to 1997-98.

That the review and revision recommended as above by the ad hoc

committee take place, with a view to introducing a. two-year* cohort-based

program with biennial admissions.

0

preferred

?

0

acceptable

?

0

unacceptable

?

.

---

11) Committee Recommendation:

That a new Department be created, only if the potential members of the unit

can select an Acting Chair from their number. That Associate Members,

subject to university policy, continue their voting rights but that their

relationship to the new Department be reviewed and regularized.

0

preferred ?

U

acceptable ?

fl

unacceptable

Dean's alternative suggestion:

That a Steering Committee for the prospective Program in Latin American

Studies be appointed forthwith and be asked to select a Director from among

its number.

fl

preferred ?

fl

acceptable

?

11

unacceptable

PLEASE RETURN THIS BALLOT TO THE DEAN OF ARTS' OFFICE NO

LATER THAN 4:00 P.M., MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1996.

C

L

---

Sc.Al°

OIL)

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies ?

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

Members of SCAP

?

From: Jorge Garcia

Professor & Chair,

Standing Committee for Latin American Studies

Subject: Deanof Arts motions

?

Date: March 29, 1996

The case for Latin American Studies'

The Dean of Arts is recommending the dissolution of the Department of Spanish and Latin

American Studies, the cancellation of Majors in Spanish and in Latin American Studies, the

reduction of Latin American Studies to Interdisciplinary Program status, the transfer of the

Language Teaching component to IDS, the dispersion and transfer of LAS faculty to other

departments, and the curtailment of Graduate Studies admissions.

The current proposal is the diametric opposite of his own earlier assessment that recognized "a

brighter potential future (for Latin American Studies) at SFU"

2

and that the University should

continue to invest in the creation of a strong Latin American Studies Department.

3

This reversal

seems to have been motivated not by academic considerations but as an expedient opportunity to

solve the immediate urgency of budgetary planning.

4

Hardship for members of SFU's LAS

. ?

community (students, staff, faculty and other stakeholders) would represent a benefit to a few:

departments would get 'free' additional faculty

5

and the Spanish Language component would prop

up the viability the Dean's planned Language Centre. But our department is not spoils to be

distributed. The measures included in the Dean's motions are punitive, demoralizing and

regressive. They could also be interpreted as a slap in the face to the growing Canadian-Latin

American cultural minority.

SCAP is being asked to approve a demotion of Latin American Studies from its departmental

status to what it was in 1979 - now when the need for Canadian expertise in Latin American

Affairs is increasing; When economic, cultural and scientific links are being established, and when

financial and research sources are becoming available.

The historical record

1971.

LAS Program is created by Senate as the first interdisciplinary Program at SFU.

1979.

A Joint-Major BA in LAS and six Faculty of Arts disciplines is approved.

'The case about abolition of the disciplinary Spanish Major has to be judged on its own merits. This document speaks

for Latin American Studies only. It does not in any way imply agreement with recommended provisions related to the

Spanish Program.

2

Dean's memo, The Future of the Department, 11 August

1995,

p1. This document is marked as [LAS I], all subsequent

documents are marked in alphanumeric sequence.

3 Dean's memo, 11 August 1995, pl. [LAS I]

' "My suggestions are motivated by two considerations: first the budget prospects are such that it seems to me unlikely

that a full Department of LAS can be sustained over the near term;"... Dean's memo 9 Jan 96,p1 .[LAS2] "Spanish

language ... might become part of a new "Centre for Applied Language Studies" p2. [LAS2]

Those departments who have agreed to take SLAS Faculty should the department be disbanded do not necessarily

support such an outcome. ?

-

---

1984.

LAS Program is transferred to Arts.

1988.

LAS merges with SPAN in a new Department of SLAS.

The

new department's

recent history can be divide in two periods:

a)

Three years of unprecedented success and innovation. Student enrollment trebles from

approx. 150 to 450. The Department attains a national & international profile and sponsors

various international symposia. LAS BA Major is approved in 1989, and the MA in LAS is

approved in 1991.

b)

Three years of decline and internal strife.

1992. An external chair position is authorized. Serious irregularities take place. The Search

Committee does not include "one faculty member from another department in the Faculty.. .

"6

The

Dean's Office proceeds with the Chair's appointment omitting the mandated ratification vote by

faculty.

7

The new Chair's administration is plagued with problems arising from confrontational and

undemocratic style, and from exacerbation of personality conflicts.

8

. The Chair of Graduate

Studies and full professor feels obliged to resign.' A bitter split about implementation of the LAS

MA and about academic focus (Iberian literature vs. Latin American Studies) in the Department

occur. The Dean's Office does not take any action until Fall 1994, and fails to call for the

scheduled External Departmental Review. The Chair resigns after a faculty recall petition. [A

13.02 19.]

1995.

The Dean charges that the department is unable to govern itself in the normal way. What

he does not disclose is his prior ruling disenfranchising

1

° five voting associate faculty, in violation

of the Department's Constitution

11

tilting the power back to the unseated Chair. No one accepts

nomination under these circumstances.

Spring Semester 1996.

An orchestrated attack against the Department is under way, precursory

to the Faculty of Arts Referendum. It includes an arbitrary freeze on declarations of Majors,

suspension of admissions to Graduate Studies and offering of LAS faculty transfers to other

departments. The Department is placed under a virtual trusteeship.

12

22 February 1996 A

Standing Committee for Latin American Studies is struck with a

membership of the great majority of Latin Americanists. Their offer to the Dean to cooperate and

participate in the restructuring of Latin American Studies is ignored.13

-

Due Process

Two fundamental University principles have been transgressed: the principle of free debate and

full discussion of issues; and the principle of deference to professional expertise. No expert's

academic assessment preceded the Dean's motion to discontinue or curtail Programs of

Instruction.

Latin Americanists who, after all, would have to run any new structure on a daily basis and are

familiar with developments in their field of specialization, were excluded from the planning

process. Collective wisdom and experience were disregarded. Does the Dean intend to run the

6

A 13.02,4 d), [old AC

57, 5

d)]ofSFU Policies & Procedures.

7 A 13.02

'

6.9 . [old AC

57 5.9.]

See Ad Hoe Review Committee Final report,.29-November 1994. [LAS3]

9

A

'wrongful dismissal' legal action has been-filed.

'°Dean's memo of 29 June 1995: Call for nominations for SLAS Chair [LAS4]

"Constitution: Articles 4.3.1 & 3.1 [LAS5]

12

See memo to Evan Alderson, 18 March 1996. [LAS6]

13

See memo to Dean 22 January 1996 [LAS7]

L

S

2

---

new Program from his office? Will he repeat past mistakes and appoint a "Director" without

ratification?

The Dean did not submit his recommendations to any forum for open discussion prior to a faculty

referendum. The only two debates took place in the floor of two SLAS departmental meetings. In

the first one, the Ad Hoc Committee report was repudiated as an unwarranted attack on the

Department, and an intrusion beyond its professional field of competence."' In the second one, a

motion to reject the Dean's restructuring proposal was carried by unanimously.

15

While it is true

that the Dean sought the formal opinion of SLAS faculty by ballot

16

, it is also true that all of his

major proposals were defeated. This fact was concealed from members of the Arts faculty when

asked to vote.

17

Both the Dean and his Ad Hoc Committee chose to hear only what they wanted

and to ignore all the adverse formal representations by students and faculty alike.

The Dean's "restructuring" plans were produced in an autocratic fashion with a paternalistic

attitude. As a result, his proposals are unwise and their results would be unworkable. Recent

trends in Interdisciplinary Studies show a development of distinct research methodologies, and

growing marketability of 'independent major degrees': Women Studies, Black Studies, Chicano

Studies, Latin American Studies, Canadian Studies, Native Studies, to name a few. Language

and culture are essential elements in the training of area experts and should remain integrated.

•

Feasibility

The Departmental structure and its terms of reference seem the most appropriate to enable Latin

American Studies to thrive and to ensure successful servicing of its various graduate and

undergraduate programs and outreach activities. As for the Dean's contention that a "smaller LAS

• ?

Department would not be viable", suffice it to point out that the whole Department of S/LAS had

fewer faculty members when approved in 1988 than a LAS Department would have now, after the

transfer of Spanish Literature faculty to IDS.

A successful model should be built on existing strengths, not by reduction and partitioning. The

faculty college should be kept together, (the title is irrelevant "Department", "School", "Institute",

"Centre"). Internal academic decisions should be "internally" generated (degrees, curriculum,

admissions). Language & culture should remain within the academic unit. Latin Americanists

should be allowed to originate their own plan. After all, LAS has a twenty-year record of

democratic self-government, innovation, and growth (prior to its merger with SPAN).

The paper trail in the six doduments originating in the Dean's Off ice'

8

show that at first (Dl, D2,

D3)there was a genuine search for a creative solution. LAS was to have departmental status, and

"deserved further University investment". D4 and D5 record the "switching to reverse gear"

favoring a destructive approach. Not only LAS would be reduced to a Program but its BA Major

would be discontinued and its faculty dispersed. The reasons given are budget related, and as

such constitute an unfair and unjustified "vertical" cut. Document D6 is clearly one of damage

control, now that the threat of budget cuts is less severe. The good prospects of LAS remain the

same - nothing has changed, only the Dean's recommendation has. A political failure of

14

Minutes of meeting 23 November 1995 [LAS8]

Departmental meeting 23 February 1996. No minutes were distributed to date

t6

0pinion ballot results 22 January 1996 [LAS9]

.•

17

19 February 1996 memo to All Faculty of Arts. [LAS 10]

18

See

.

attachments, also labeled DI to D6.

3

---

governance is being construed as an academic deficiency and addressed with abolition of

programs of instruction.

The Dean's model foresees no home faculty for LAS; therefore it will suffer from a lack of

coherence and commitment, which cannot be imposed from above. A

program

(which is "not part

of the regular academic units in the University"

1

) will have serious difficulties in securing an

adequate share of scarce resources. It will neither be able to fill appointments in key

interdisciplinary sectors: (popular culture, communication, Hemispheric business studies, Brazilian

studies, development studies), nor will it be incapable of ensuring priority enrollment for its majors.

Traditional departments have their own priorities and are unable to provide for specific

interdisciplinary needs. LAS will have all the responsibilities of a department, but no means to

discharge them appropriately.

In conclusion:

Although we concur with the Dean that the Department of SLAS has experienced an irreparable

disciplinary split, his office has to share the responsibility for having tolerated and participated in

the administrative irregularities that have led to it. His response to the crisis has oscillated

between two extremes: protracted inaction and ill-conceived overreaction.

The Dean's Office has obtained the Arts Faculty's approval with misinformation and a duplicitous

interpretation of the SLAS faculty vote in the absence of a forum for debate. Therefore he can not

legitimately speak on behalf of the Faculty of Arts in this instance.

The Dean of Arts has failed to produce any evidence to construct a credible case of academic

failure against LAS that would justify his motions. This type of wholesale administrative

restructuring and abolition of academic programs of instruction is totally unwarranted and

unjustified. Furthermore, the Dean has admitted "on the record" at the Annual Meeting of the

Faculty of Arts of 28 March 1996, that his sudden decision against a "Department of Latin

American Studies" was budget driven.

A political and administrative problem has to be addressed with administrative remedies. A

transfer of the Spanish Literature component of the department to IDS is all that is needed to

resolve the internal conflict.

This sad episode reveals the need to implement clear "procedures" to prevent autocratic

intervention against academic units, and to secure due process.

Petition to SCAP

Please exercise your mandate "to review.existing programs according to the criteria set out in [S

80-98] for the purpose of assessment, and in some cases, possible expansion, curtailment, or

discontinuance".

Defeat or amend the Dean of Arts proposal to maintain the departmental status for Latin American

Studies.

Seek the advice of an external review committee to evaluate the academic alternatives before

making a final decision.

4001 of Policies & Procedures

?

.

.

Gq

4

---

S

S

4ASILw

4Di

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY?

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts

?

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

All Members

?

From: Evan Alderson

Department of Spanish & Latin ?

Dean of Arts

American Studies

Subject The Future of the Department Date:

?

August 11, 1995

I am writing to you regarding the future of the Department of Spanish and

Latin American Studies. As I'm sure you are aware, my recent call for

nominations for the position of Chair of the Department went unanswered.

Under current circumstances, the Department appears to be unable to find a

qualified individual to serve as Chair. This turn of events, following upon

a significant history of difficulties in the Department, leads me to the

conclusion that the Department as presently constituted is not capable of

governing itself in the normal way as an academic department at Simon

Fraser. In addition, virtually all of the advice I have received is that the

current working environment in the Department is unsatisfactory and that

for a variety of reasons the members of the Department can not collectively

bring about adequate constructive change.

I very much regret that the founding idea of a combined Department of

Spanish and Latin American Studies has not worked in practice. I

personally believe the idea was academically sound. As you know, there are

many explanations for the current dysfunction. I am not sure what weight

to ascribe to any of the reasons I have heard voiced, but I take the need for

substantial change to have been demonstrated. Under the circumstances, it

is my responsibility to propose an alternative future

organization.

Given the need for mandated change, the University must choose a clear

academic direction. My view, which is shared by many with whom I have

spoken, is that in the long term Latin American Studies has a brighter

potentia1 future at Simon Fraser than the study of Spanish literature. I

therefore intend to move expeditiously toward the creation of a Department

of Latin American Studies and the dissolution of the Department of

Spanish and Latin American Studies. The University should

continue

to

invest in the creation of a strong Latin American Studies program with

vital links to other departments and an emphasis upon contemporary

social, economic and cultural issues.

S

This recommendation, and many of the accompanying changes, will require

Senate and Board approval. Substantial further work will be required to

detail the necessary changes, but I anticipate modifications in some faculty

10

---

•1

appointments, in under

g

raduate curriculum, and in departmental

structure.

I an

i

ticipate that the curriculum of the new department will include current

LAS undergraduate and graduate courses, Spanish language courses, and

courses now designated as "SPAN" which have a significant focus on Latin

American literature. I expect that courses with an exclusive focus on Iberian

literature will be discontinued or removed from the Department. Some

Iberian literature courses may find a place in the Division of

Interdisciplinary Studies in the Faculty of Arts, possibly with a greater focus

than at present on literature in translation. It is possible that the

discontinuation of the Spanish major may eventually prove necessary.

With regard to faculty, I anticipate that the appointments of faculty in the

present Department who are not directly engaged in teaching and research

in Latin American Studies or Spanish language teaching will be transferred

elsewhere, likely to the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. I would

support efforts to develop an active group in European and comparative

literatures in Interdisciplinary Studies or elsewhere. Other shifts in faculty

appointments may also be desirable, including joint appointments for some

current,Associate Members. I anticipate that full faculty voting rights in the

new Department will be limited to those with full Or joint appointments.

As lunderstand the recent departmental action regarding the graduate

program, no substantial further changes to the graduate program will be

required. There will continue to be the opportunity for graduate study

under Special Arrangements. In general I would expect the home

department of special arrangement students to be the same as the home

department of the senior supervisor.

I intend to begin the implementation of this plan in September.

I will

provide for interim governance of the Department and appoint an ad hoc

committee to develop the detailed specification of changes that will be

required for action by the Faculty of Arts, Senate and the Board of

!

,

Governors.

I will

not recommend a search for an external Chair or

continuing faculty replacements before a viable new structure has been

established.

Evan Alderson

Dean of Arts

EA/jm:

Copy:

J

.

Munro

R. Blackman

A. Lebowitz

S.

Alol ?

-w

.

.

---

4AS

ZW

-

?

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts

?

MEMORANDUM

To:

?

All Members

?

From: Evan Alderson

Spanish & Latin

?

Dean of Arts

American Studies

Subject: Future of the Department IV

?

Date:

?

January 9, 1996

Further to my memo of December 7 distributing the final report of

the ad hoc committee on the future of the department, I have now received

a variety of comments on that report and related matters. I have also

consulted carefully with Vice-President Gagan regarding the current and

prospective financial situation as it affects forward planning for

programming in both Spanish and Latin American Studies..

• I am now soliciting a formal expression of opinion from the

Department regarding various options, before setting forward my own

recommendations to the Faculty of Arts. Because the alternatives are

complex, I have structured the accompanying ballot in a way that I hope will

provide clear indications of departmental opinion. These indications will

•

?

inform and accompany my recommendations to the Faculty and to Senate.

I have included on the ballot the recommendations of the ad hoc

committee, along with my own suggestions where these differ. My

suggestions are motivated by two considerations: first, the budget prospects

?

.

are such that it seems to me unlikely that a full Department of Latin

American Studies can be sustained over the near term; and second, I

continue to support the maintenance and development of programs with

strong potential, such as Latin American Studies, provided that these can be

offered efficiently and effectively within, available resources. The

alternative model I am proposing attempts to maintain viable

programming, but does not create a new Department. Although the

accompanying ballot sets out the essential aspects of this model as a set of

"alternative suggestions," it may be helpful to outline the whole model

here.

Basically I am suggesting a return to the "interdisciplinary program"

structure mentioned as an option by the committee. This structure is

compatible with the continuation of a somewhat revised graduate program

and substantial undergraduate programming. The program would have its

own courses as well as drawing on related courses in other departments. It

would have a small administrative structure and a Steering Committee but

S

?

?

no faculty housed permanently within it. All faculty would move to other

?

departments, or to the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies, with the

• provision that several would regularly be assigned teaching in the Latin

American Studies Program. Graduate admissions to the M.A. in Latin

American Studies would be deferred to the Fall of 1997, at which time a

---

2

pattern of biennial admissions to a cohort-based program would begin. An

undergraduate program in Latin American Studies would be reviewed by

the Steering Committee but would be maintained at least to the level of

joint majors. The Field School would be continued (appropriately

scheduled in relation to the graduate program). The Latin American

Studies Program, and potentially an associated research institute, would be

encouraged to become central in further interactions between this

University and Latin American societies.

A narrowed range of Spanish literature courses would be

administered by the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. The moratorium

on new admissions to the current major and minor programs would

continue, but interested faculty would be encouraged to develop revised

programs on a sustainable scale. Spanish language courses and the

Certificate in Spanish Language Proficiency, revised as necessary, would be

administered by the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. Faculty involved

in language teaching might eventually become part of a new "Centre for

Applied Language Studies" which would support and co-ordinate the

teaching of several languages and the development of language pedagogy at

Simon Fraser. Other faculty moving to Interdisciplinary Studies would be

encouraged to develop strong working relationships with existing programs

and departments, leading toward possible full or joint appointments.

Among the options available, this set of arrangements in my present

view would do the least academic damage, be fairest to the various

- individuals involved, reasonably protect student interests, permit an

efficient deployment of present resources, and allow for future growth and

development of academic programs that prove successful. Although these

arrangements would require restructuring of the current departmental

office, because of other accompanying changes it should not be assumed

that they would necessitate the lay-off of current staff.

The ballot attached is for Faculty and Associate Members of the

Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies. As in the past the

ballots of these groups will be accounted separately, for

information

purposes. Please return the ballot to my office by 4:00 p.m. Monday, January

22.

21

Evan Alderson

Dean of Arts

EA/jm:

?

0

.

IC5

---

C^c, r ?

IA53

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

•

?

MEMORANDUM

To:

All members of Spanish

?

From:

Santa Aloi

and Latin American Studies

?

Roger Blackman

Subject:

Ad hoc

Review Committee

Date:

November 29th, 1994

Final

Report

Attached is the final report of the

Ad Hoc

Review

Committee.

We received feedback from five core faculty members,

one associate faculty member, one graduate student and the

graduate caucus, and one staff member. We have considered

your thoughtful and sometimes provocative comments and made

a number of changes to the report (signalled by vertical

bars in the left margin)

We want to address here a criticism made by a number of

respondents: that we have simply "told [SLAS] to solve our

own problems," and that we are "throwing the ball back into

the departmental court." Coupled with observations that

SLAS has clearly demonstrated its inability to solve its own

problems, the pessimistic conclusion offered by these

critics is that nothing will change.

We are indeed tempted to be more directive or

prescriptive in our recommendations, particularly since we

each have developed a personal sense of the right thing to

do on at least some of the issues facing SLAS. However, we

have resisted that temptation for the following reasons

(listed in order of increasing importance):

It is beyond our mandate to prescribe specific

solutions for substantive (as distinct from procedural)

problems;

We lack the disciplinary knowledge needed to make any

such substantive prescriptions cogent and compelling;

We do not believe that the fundamental problem is that

SLAS cannot figure out its own solutions; rather, it is

that there is insufficient trust and tolerance in the

department to implement those solutions;

Externally imposed prescriptions might provide some

short-term relief but would do little to solve the

fundamental problem.

74

1

---

C Z AA

The only real long-term hope for SLAS is that in

working through the issues that face it - and surely not all

the issues are contentious and divisive - a

modus.vivendi

will emerge that ensures the department's survival and gives

it the opportunity to flourish. It would be naive to think

that all hatchets will be buried, grudges forgotten, and

enemies transmuted into friends. But it is not unrealistic

to hope that accommodations can be reached that allow people

with different experiences, skills and aspirations to co-

exist within a single administrative unit. If this hope is

not realized, despite sincere and concerted efforts by those

involved, then the experiment should be declared a failure

and appropriate administrative action taken.

But no-one will say that it was for want of trying!

is

Santa Aloi

Contemporary Arts

Local: 4496

Home: 261-8243

Fax: 291-5907

E-mail: Santa Aloi@sfu.ca

CC: Evan Alderson, Dean of Arts

Andrea Lebowitz, A/Chair SLAS

Roger Blackman

Psychology Department

5486

469-2120

291-3427

Roger_Blackman@sfu. ca

.

2

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

3.2 ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES IN SLAS

Although internecine disputes seem to have been the way of

life in SLAS since its inception, the department has

nevertheless managed to operate reasonably effectively, at

least until the last few semesters. In particular, a

constitution was drawn up and ratified, and a new graduate

program was created and implemented. Of late, however,

administration in SLAS has become increasingly bogged down.

With trust and mutual respect greatly diminished, members

have looked more and more to the department assembly as the

only acceptable arena for the resolution of conflicts. But

the assembly has been unable to carry the load. Too much

time and energy has been spent on issues that seemed less

• ?

than important, such as the minutes of the last meeting or

• ?

the wording of a brochure. No strong hand was available to

ensure the orderly conduct of business, and members seemed

unable or unwilling to regulate themselves. Most recently,

the facade of courtesy and civility that typically cloaks

even the fiercest of academic debates has begun to crack.

Most SLAS members deplored this state of affairs. Although

attributions varied, many identified lack of openness as a

central issue, both as culprit and casualty. When there was

a failure to provide timely, written information to all the

. ?

participants in a decision, it was taken as evidence that

some parties were being deliberately excluded from the

democratic process. The vehemence of the resulting protests

and rebuttals no doubt contributed to making openness a

casualty. This was reflected at the interpersonal as well

as administrative level. It became harder to deal with

interpersonal concerns in a frank and direct manner. Third-

party criticizing became more common. The quality of life

in the SLAS community was thus further reduced.

Another casualty of the breakdown of the democratic process

has been planning. It was made clear to us that SLAS

faculty have made a large investment of time and effort over

the last 3-4 years developing the mission statement, a key

element in any academic department's plan. But where are

the fruits of this labour? As we understand it, the motion

to adopt the mission statement remains tabled. More mundane

aspects of planning have also become bogged down. For

example, course assignments are determined only a little in

advance, and the scheduling of faculty teaching and research

semesters seems haphazard.

We believe that action on the following recommendations is

necessary (if not sufficient) for the return of what the

recent chair called "normal working conditions" in SLAS.

• ?

The first recommendation is a general exhortation; the

remainder point to procedural improvements to or

clarifications of the administrative process.

9

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

3.3 ?

RECOMMENDATIONS

3.3.1

When engaged

in

departmental administration, all

members of the SLAS community should commit themselves to

following an open, fair and democratic process.

3.3.2

Full and timely information should be provided to

all participants in decision-making, and should be made

available to other members who wish to attend the advertised

meeting.

The following recommendation is aimed at preventing surprise

actions, in which an unannounced issue is introduced and

decided at a meeting to the later consternation of eligible

voters who were absent. Note that any procedural regulation

can be

set aside if 2/3 of eligible and present voters

decide to do so, which would allow for the consensus

disposition of urgent unannounced business. Also, the term

"substantive" is used to exempt housekeeping motions.

3.3.3

Binding decisions on substantive issues may be made

at assembly and committee meetings only if the issue being

decided appears on the agenda for that meeting.

The normal manner of deciding an issue is by an open vote at

the meeting. Sometimes, however, members want secret votes

and/or mail ballots. Secrecy can foster an atmosphere of

mistrust, and should therefore by used only sparingly. Mail

ballots are time-consuming and extend voting to members who

were not present to hear the discussion at the meeting.

Mail ballots should therefore be used only for voting on

exceptionally important issues where the perceived cost of

disenfranchising absent members outweighs the cost of

obtaining their votes. Items of exceptional business might

include election of committee members, appointment of new

faculty members, and amendments to the departmental

constitution.

3.3.4

Votes on motions pertaining to reaular business

should be taken by a show of hands, with secret and/or mail

ballots being allowed only if supported by a 213 majority;

votes on exce

y tion p

i business items should normally be by

mail ballot.

S

10

?

7^

---

SLAS

Review Committee Final Report

.

CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE

What will happen if

SLAS

fails to make sufficient use of

what we believe (and many

SLAS

members also believe) is the

final opportunity to set its house in order? One outcome

that might be attractive to certain members is the splitting

of SLAS

into two departments. Each "side" could then pursue

its own agenda unhampered by actions of the opposition.

This outcome would be extremely unfortunate, in our opinion,

because the vitality and potential of this department lies

precisely where its tension lies - in the support each area

can give to the other. Even if there were additional money

to create two departments, we doubt that the university

would find such an investment to be reasonable. The

consequence of failure to grasp this opportunity to get back

on track would more likely be the disbanding of

SLAS,

with

some faculty and staff being absorbed by other units and the

remainder either terminated or moved into some limbo status

if termination was not a contractual option. In our

opinion, that would be a tragic ending for what was a bold

and imaginative academic experiment that had - and still has

- the potential for success.

7.1 ?

RECOMMENDATIONS

7.

.

7.1.1

That SLAS view the recommendations

an opportunity of last resort to save the

Spanish and Latin American Studies.

in this report as

Department of

8.

WORKING TOWARD LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES

An

academic department is a community, and for a department

to function well each member needs to see her/his self-

interest in the common good. To achieve common goals

requires that individuals participate responsibly, in a

spirit of compromise where necessary, to achieve mutually

beneficial objectives. For the

SLAS

department to move

forward it, must engage the responsible participation of its

members. We suggest that a useful framework may come from

considering the question: What should

SLAS

produce?

S

19

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

8.1 ?

WHAT

SHOULD SLAS PRODUCE?

The developing of a mission statement can be a frustrating

process. One reason is the difficulty often experienced in

trying to produce a statement that goes beyond public

relations prose and supplies a blueprint for building. One

way to achieve a consensus on such a blueprint is to pose -

and then answer - some quite specific questions. In the

following recommendations we identify some questions that

might serve this purpose.

8.2

?

RECOMMENDATIONS

8.2.1

Individually and collectively SLAS should address

these questions:

a)

Following its educational mission, what kinds of

student with what kinds of skill and knowledge does the

SLAS department want to graduate?

b)

In research, what unique or distinctive scholarly

products should be expected from the members of SLAS?

8.2.2 ?

To develop a set of common goals, SLAS should

consider polling its members on several issues related to

teaching, research and service:

In teaching:

Assuming no substantial new resources, what is the

minimum set of courses needed to offer an academically

respectable program in Spanish and Latin American

Studies?

*** What would be the ideal curriculum for producing the

kinds of student you want to graduate?

* What are the resources and personnel necessary for the

minimum and ideal scenarios?

Considering what you now teach and what you could

teach, how could you most effectively contribute to the

minimum and ideal programs?

20 ?

Iq

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report

In research:

Considering your individual work, what resources are

minimally required for you to be an effective

researcher? How can the department facilitate your

research

*** Considering collaborative possibilities, what fields of

inquiry is this department uniquely situated to pursue?

What programs would facilitate such inquiry?

In service:

In what area of service do you feel most qualified and

willing to contribute (i.e., department organization,

curriculum, planning, graduate studies, extra-

departmental committees, outreach).

How can the department encourage equitable and

effective participation?

In what kinds of outreach activities do you feel most

qualified and willing to engage?

40 .

9. ?

CONCLUSION

It may be helpful to summarize what we see as the key

recommendations in this report. We believe that first step

should be the appointment of an interim chair from outside

the department. This person, assisted by an advisory

committee, would serve as a mediator and facilitator with

the initial goal of sharpening the focus of the graduate

program. Later, attention could shift to the constitution.

Much of the initial work would be carried out by a Graduate

Studies Task Force, whose recommendations would be

considered by the departmental assembly. Our other

recommendations are offered as subordinate and supportive

measures.

We are aware that we are recommending the department revisit

some difficult territory - the defining of its focus and

priorities. We acknowledge that SLAS members are tired and

emotionally drained by past conflicts. We do not wish to

minimize this. Nonetheless, with no possibility of "winning

or losing" but with every possibility of doing fulfilling

work in a civilized atmosphere, we hope that there will be a

.

?

will to keep trying.

21

---

SLAS Review Committee Final Report.

We do not expect the department to do this alone or in the

context of plenary sessions and department retreat. In

fact, our intention is quite the opposite. The interim

chair should be responsible for focussing department

thinking in a constructive way. The most productive

discussions will take place insmall groups of people who

are comfortable with one another, and when conflictive

issues arise the interim chair should facilitate their

understanding and resolution.

Like any other department, SLAS has and will continue to

have diverse elements. In multidisciplinary departments -

even those with a worked-out interdisciplinary mission,

maintaining disciplinary integrity can present challenges.

Where goodwill and collegiality are high, it seems to take

little effort to live and let live. In a more conflicted

department like SLAS, it is crucial to find accommodations

that allow the, diverse elements to coexist in relative peace

if not actual harmony. Only then can sufficient effort be

directed to the primary academic goals of teaching and

research.

\slas\finalrep

?

S.A. R.B. Nov. 29/94

C

22

---

SEAIhj

51

Evan Alderson

Dean of Arts

is

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts

MEMORANDUM

To:

SLAS Faculty, Associate Members,

?

From: Evan Alderson

and elected student representatives

?

Dean of Arts

Subject: ?

Call for Nominations: SLAS Chair

?

Date:

29 June 1995

As I indicated in our meeting today, I am now calling for nominations for the

position of Chair of the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies from

among the faculty and Associate Members of the Department. I believe, that the

appropriate title and term for this position may be either Chair for a one- or two-year

term, or Acting Chair for a one-year term. Associate Members who have

departmental voting rights are eligible to stand for the position with the

understanding that to assume the title of Chair, an individual should have and

would be recommended for at least a joint appointment in the Department for the

duration of the term.

The deadline for nominations is July 13, 1995. To be valid, nominations

should include the signature of the nominee and in addition the signatures of two

nominators from among those eligible to vote in departmental elections. The Vice-

President has expressed his reluctance to accept as Chair a non-tenured faculty

member.

If more than one valid nomination is received, I will conduct an election as

specified in A 13.02, section 5 (1) under "Method of Appointment." The candidate

identified through a single valid nomination or through an election will be subject to

ratification by the faculty, as specified in Section 9 of the same policy. Only those

holding faculty appointments in the Department will be eligible to vote in the

ratification ballot. Because the confidence of the full department as it normally

functions will be important to any candidate, I. will put the name of any final

candidate before the Associate Members in a separate ballot for

information

purposes.

I recognize that there may be some contention around the status of Associate

Members of the Department in the ratification ballot, given the constitutionof the

Department. I ask those who may feel that this interpretation of University policy

abrogates departmental rights and practices to consider not only the language of the

policy but some of its logic: the ratification of the Chair is the clearest occasion on

which faculty have the opportunity to assent to the appointment of an individual

who may have substantial influence over their professional lives, including chairing

their DTC. Associate Members, even where they participate fully in departmental

affairs, have no such direct interest in the outcome.

cc J

.

Munro

R Blackman

---

/

4(As C

DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH

?

AND LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

CONSTITUTION

0. PREAMBLE

0.1 The Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies (SLAS) is

constituted with the goal of integrating the study, teaching and

research of Hispanic Language, Linguistics and Literature with the

interdisciplinary study, teaching and research related to the peoples

and cultures of Latin America.

0.2 The study of Portuguese, Brazilian Literature and Brazilian Studies,

as well as Caribbean and Amerindian Studies, are part of the

Department's academic mandate.

1.0 THE DEPARTMENT

1.1 The Department has two equally important academic components:

?

the Spanish Program and the Latin American Studies Program.

1.2 The Spanish Program includes: Spanish Language, Spanish

Linguistics and Spanish and Latin American Literature.

1.3 The Latin American Studies Program includes: interdisciplinary

courses and joint cross-disciplinary studies with Archaeology,

Communication, Geography, History, Political Science,

Sociology/Anthropology and Spanish.

1.3.1 The Latin American Studies Interdisciplinary Field School is an

integral complement to the Department's programs. It is scheduled

at least every other year, and offers the students a full semester of

academic credit in addition to first hand experience with the

language and culture of the area.

2.0.0 THE CONSTITUTION

2.1 The Constitution shall comply with the SFU Policies and Procedures

and will be amended as necessary.

1 ?

E3

---

• ?

2.2

3.0

Amendments shall be adopted when approved by two-thin

of voting members.

FACULTY AND TEACHING STAFF

C

17J

3.1 Permanent SLAS Faculty are tenured and tenure-track designated

faculty in three categories: faculty exclusively appointed to the

Department, joint appointments to SLAS and other SFU departments,

and founding associated faculty-with appointments to other SFU

departments who regularly teach full Latin American content

courses.

32 Faculty shall also include:

3.2.1 Professors Emeriti (Academic [AC] 42).

3.2.2 Senior Lecturers and Lecturers (AC23)

12.3 Adjunct Professors (AC30)

3.2.4 Sessional Faculty (AC32)

3.3 Teaching staff shall include:

3.3.1 Continuing Language Instructors

3.3.2 Non-continuing Language Instructors

3.3.3 Graduate Teaching Assistants

4.0 GOVERNANCE

4.1 The Chair has an overall responsibility for ensuring that

departmental policies are formulated and executed, that University,

Faculty and departmental regulations are followed and that

individual members of the Department fulfill their assigned duties.

4.2 Specific responsibilities related to the academic content andoperation

of the various department programs will be discharged b y

committees.

4.2.1 All committees will report to the Departmental Meeting.

2 ?

gçL.

---

i..partmental

Meetings

4.3.1 Membership of Departmental meeting with voice and vote are all

permanent faculty (3.1), lecturers with a two or more years

appointment (3.2.2) and two elected student representatives (one

graduate and one undergraduate).

4.3.2 Professors Emeriti (3.2,1); non-founding associate faculty; Adjunct

professors (3.2.3); limited-term faculty and limited-term lecturers,

with less than a two-year appointment; sessional instructors (3.2.4),

and language instructors (3.3) may have voice but no vote.

4.3.3 The Department will meet not less than once a semester, or when

there is business to be considered, or when requested in writing by

three or more voting members (4.3.1).

4.3.4 The Departmental Meeting has jurisdiction over departmental policy,

Continuing Faculty (CFL) appointments (4.9) and academic matters.

4.3.5

The Departmental Meeting receives reports from the Spanish

Steering Committee (SSC) (4.4) and the Latin American Studies

Steering Committee (LASSC) (4.5) and has power to refer back

documents for clarification and/or for amendment, but not to

overrule them.

4.3.6 The Departmental Meeting also receives reports from departmental

representatives to Faculty and University Committees.

4.3.7 Quorum is a majority of voting members.

4.4 Spanish Steering Committee (SSC)

4.4.1 The SSC consists of all faculty appointed to the Department who

teach at least one Spanish course, professors Emeriti, teaching staff

(3.2 - 3.3), and two student representatives (one graduate and one

undergraduate). It shall elect its own chairperson and determine its

own procedures.

4.4.2

T

he SSC has full jurisdiction over the academic content of the

Spanish Program and Spanish courses. The LASSC (4.5) will have

no veto power over these decisions.

R60

3

---

0 ?

4.5

Latin American Studies Steering Committee (LASSC)

4.5.1 The LASSC consists of all permanent faculty (3.1) who teach at least

one full Latin American content course, professors Emeriti, sessional

faculty and two student representatives (one graduate and one

undergraduate). It will elect its own chairperson and determine its

own procedures.

4.5.2 The LASSC has jurisdiction over the LAS Program, LAS courses

and the LAS Field School. The SSC (4.4) will have no veto power

over decisions in these areas.

4.6 Tenure Committee

4.6.1 The Department Tenure Committee (DTC) will be formed in

accordance with (AC2) of the SFU Policies and Procedures and may

draw its membership from the complete list of permanent faculty of

SLAS (3.1).

. ?

4.7 Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC)

4.7.1 The Department Undergraduate. Curriculum Committee will have a

three member minimum membership as follows:

- two elected faculty members - one from Spanish and one from LAS

- one elected student representative.

The Chair of the Department may be an ex-officio member. The

Committee will elect its own Chair and establish its own procedures.

4.7.2 The UCC will have the responsibility of planning and projecting

calendar revisions.

4.8 Graduate Studies Committee (GSC)

4.8.1 The Graduate Studies Committee will consist of a three-member

minimum membership as follows:

- Chair of Graduate Studies elected by voting members of the

Department for a two-year mandate

- Chair of the Department

- one elected faculty representing Spanish or LAS

.

- one student representative

4.8.2 The GSC will have the responsibility of planning and projecting the

administration of graduate studies in the Department.

4

---

4.9 Appointments Committee (APC)

4.9.1 The APC will have the following membership:

- Chair of the Department

- four elected faculty members, two from SPAN and two from LAS

- one elected student representative

4.9.2 The APC will produce a shortlist of candidates, interview them and

submit a ranking to the Department. The decision will be formalized

by a departmental vote.

4.9.3

T

he APC will also deal with a selection of limited-term and sessional

appointments.

4.10 Other Committees

4.10.1 The Departmental Meeting may strike any other committees as

deemed necessary. The terms of reference for these committees will

be specified.

5.0

STUDENT REPRESENTATION

5.1

Student representatives will be invited to participate in all

departmental committees with the exception of the Tenure and

Salaries Committee and other committees dealing with "faculty only"

matters.

5.2

Student representation shall have voice and vote.

6.0 INTERNAL CHAIR SELECTION

6.1 Will be made under the terms of reference of SFU Policies and

Procedures (AC44) with the following additional conditions:

6.2 A Chair's Search Committee shall consist of a Dean of Arts

representative, a representative from SSC (4.4) and a representative

for LASSC (4.5).

6.3 The Search Committee will solicit and receive nominations, will

interview candidates, and will' produce a shortlist with a

recommended ranking.

Ej

5 ?

^ I

---

0

6.4 The Dean of Arts will, conduct a ratification, ballot for the candidate

ranked as number one in the shortlist.

6.4.1 All permanent SLAS faculty (3.1) will have the right to vote in the

ratification balloting.

6.4.2 The candidate must be ratified by absolute majority in order to be

recommended for appointment.

6.4.3 If the candidate fails to receive the required majority, a similar

ballot will be conducted for candidate number two, and so on until

ratification occurs.

6.4.4 If no candidate from the shortlist receives the required support

(6.4.2) the Dean of Arts will proceed with an appointment without

further procedures.

7.0 EXTERNAL CHAIR SELECTION

7.1 Will be conducted by the Dean of Arts in agreement with the

University Policies and Procedures Manual.

8.0 LEAVE

8.1 Sabbatical leave, leave of absence, and medical leaves will be

governed by SFU Policies and Procedures (AC 19), (AC8) and

(AC25).

9.0 RULES OF ORDER

9.1 Unless specifically superseded by the procedures in this Constitution,

the procedures in Roberts' Rules of Order shall apply.

10 September 1991

S..

Yr

ri

---

1,

P

t5

c

.

I

evan_alderson, 10:28 AM 3/18/96, Dissolution of

SILAS

To: evan_alderson

From: Jorge Garcia <garcia@sfu.ca

>

Subject: Dissolution of S/LAS

Cc: jstubbs, dgagan, dubiel, las-sc, slas-dept, percival

Bcc: rieckhof, whitbrea, dclose@kean.ucs.mun.ca

X-Attachments:

To: Dr. Evan Alderson,

Dean of Arts

Dear Evan:

I would like to lodge my strongest objection to the pre-mature and unprecedented actions taken

by your Office in breach of University Policies, interfering in the SLAS Department operations

and planning, as "if the.Department were already disbanded". Senate alone has the power to

discountinue Programs of Instruction and Departments, and the matter has not even been

discussed yet.

Your Office has maintained a arbitrarily imposed moratorium on declaration of Majors in Spanish

and in Latin American Studies, and a suspension of admissions to the LAS MA Program since

the beginning of the 1996 Spring Semester. Recently you have appointed Dr. Andrea Lebowitz,

who does not represent the interests of Spanish. or Latin American Studies, as Chair of SLAS

pro-tern

.

without ratification by faculty. I also understand that Dr. Lebowitz is taking decisions

without consultation with faculty and by-passing the appropriate Departmental Committees. The

Chair's secretary has been given lay-off notice, teaching assignments and scheduling of courses

are being managed directly through the DA's office. Nedless to say that these actions are

decimating enrolments and causing hardship to students and faculty alike.

Jorge Garcia,

Professor SLAS,

Chair of the Standing Committee for Latin American Studies.

S

Printed for Jorge Garcia <garcia@sfu.ca

> ?

1

1

---

Z., A

5-

7

Simon Fraser University?

Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies?

Memorandum

To: ?

Dr. Evan Alderson

?

From: Jorge Garcia

Dean of Arts ?

Professor

Date: January 22, 1996.

Re: The future of Latin American Studies

Dear Evan:

I would like to inform you that a Standing Committee for Latin American Studies has been

established with representation of the great majority of faculty, and representation of

students and Sessional Instructors. The Committee has held two formal meetings and has

approved by. unanimity the following resolutions which we would like to submit for your

consideration.

. ?

On behalf of the Standing Committee I would also like to offer our full cooperation to

plan the immediate steps for a rapid transition to a permanent departmental structure for

Latin American Studies.

Resolution # 1

"Be it resolved that a Standing Committee for Latin American Studies be

constituted with the following membership: Brohman, De Grandis, Escudero, Garcia,

Gates, Herold, Newton, Otero, Zuccolo, Jara (undergraduate), Giles (graduate), Everton

(Sessional).

The mandate of the Committee to be: To advocate for the creation of a Department of

Latin American Studies that would house the existing LAS Major and MA Programs and

the Spanish Language instruction, and to cooperate with the Dean of Arts and the

University Administration to that effect.

The Committee shall cease its functions at such time as the SFU Senate and Board of

Governors have approved the new Department."

Resolution # 2

"We are deeply concerned by the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee on

Future Planning for the SLAS Department, in particular those which underlie the

cancellation of the LAS Major and the suspension of admissions to the MA Program.

92:)

---

These actions have worked confusion and hardship on students; they have a strong

negative effect on current enrollments and on future recruitment.

We maintain that recommendations with such sweeping consequences can have force only

if they are the outcome of an academic evaluation --a proper peer review. This has'lT

carried out. The members of the Ad Hoc Committee are not Latin Arnericanists; their

professional competence does not extend to evaluation of professional matters. The

procedure that has been followed is therefore (in our view) questionable. On this point we

are seeking further opinion from the Faculty Association Executive and the appropriate

committees of Senate.

We urge that the temporary measures noted above be rescinded immediately; that the

relevant standing committees of the existing SLAS Department, the Undergraduate

Curriculum Committee and the Graduate Studies Committee, be requested to provide

recommendations on the respective programs, and that no change to the existing LAS

Programs of Instruction be considered without an external peer review."

S

2

---

I

?

__

DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH

AND LATIN

AMERICAN STUDIES

?

DEPARTMENTAL MEETING

?

Minutes 23 November 1995 1230

Present. Covell (Acting Chair, SLAS)

Lebowitz, Cleveland (Ad Hoc Committee members)

Brohman, Ciria, DeGrandis, GarcIa, Gates, Herold, Otero, Sosa, Spurling

Corzo, Erickson, Everton

• Brook, Hostetler, Jara, Preibisch, Sandoval

• Ludington (DA)

Hill (recording secretary)

1.

Approval of

agenda

The agenda was approved as circulated.

2.

Approval of minutes of 26 October 1995

Clavero asked that on page, item two "Literature to Texts "of' the Colonial Period

be changed

to "Texts of the Colonial Period";

under item d) the name of John

Cameron be changed to

Jaime Cisneros.

Otero asked that on page two, item four

20th Century Art be changed to 20th Century

Mexican

Art. The minutes of 26

October 1995 meeting were approved as amended.

3.

Business arising from the minutes

UCFV minor in LAS and a joint major between LAS and Geography proposal: A

memo was sent to UCFV from Spurling informing them of the departmental

approval of these programs.

4.

Ad-Hoc Committee Draft Report

Covell introduced the Ad-Hoc Committee members to the department. The Dean

asked the Ad-Hoc Committee to prepare a report making recommendations as to

the structure of a new Department of Latin American Studies and its viability

within university resources. Under the assumption that no increase of resources

would be available, the committee drafted a report and is here to answer

questions, clarify some points and get reactions from the department. The

committee was commended for their work and their main recommendation of

creating an LAS department was generally supported. It was mentioned that we

?

• ?

have the first LAS joint major and MA programs in Canada placing SFU as the

center for LAS and the momentum for the creation of a LAS department is strong

as the Canada-Latin America relationship is more emphatic. A lengthy discussion

ensued:

There was general disagreement with the pessimistic assessment in the report and

most felt that the LAS program has not failed as more people are interested now

than when the Major was originally approved. The graduate program has been the

most positive achievement of the department. Pending faculty retirements are a

fact of life and don't diminish institutions or universities. This is bad timing to

suspend the graduate program, the performance of graduate students have

?

•

?

exceeded our expectations and the fact that we now have such a high number of

students should not be a concern as three to four students are getting ready to

defend their theses. The graduate program was the goal of the LAS program from

the beginning, without it LAS would not exist. Biannual admission or reduction of

---

damage the integrity of a three year old program, she expressed that students will

be organized to

fight

this decision. The LAS Department should decide on the

viability of the MA program. Lebowitz will discuss it with the other members and

option:

decide as

in

a

one

committee.

step, dose

The

SLAS,

Committee

open LAS

was

and

asked

consider

if it would

graduate

be

and

opened to a new

?

is

undergraduate problems that the new department will be faced with to reduce the

negative effects of the Department being closed without a new Department

beginning. Lebowitz stated that he first step was to end the Department of SLAS,

she reminded all

members that the committee's recommendation was to suspend

admission to the MA program, not the program itself..

The members pointed out that the report should be much more detailed, it should

include the reasons and bases for sh recommendations, it should, also exclude

words such as "suspension" "canceling". The question was raised whether the

decision to "suspend" the Graduate program was based on the assessment of the

future departmental resources (re: members) or to budgetary considerations.

Lebowitz responded that the decision was made on the basis that the future

Department might be too small to handle the job.

5.

?

Other

business - Budget

Covell informed the department that the Dean has asked for specific reduction for

each department's Temporary Instructional Budget. It was suggested by the Dean

that each department reduce their Summer course offerings by two courses.

Covell asked if the UCC should handle the decide on this matter. It was decided,

to allow the Chair and Ludington to decide what two courses funded by this

budget could be cut.

?

0

The meeting adjourned at 2:25

0

---

[ii Recipient, opinion ballot results

?

tM9

To:

From: Jorge Garcia <garcia@sfu.ca

>

Subject: SLAS opinion ballot results

Cc:

Bcc:

X-Attachments:

>

>Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 17:59:07 -0800 (PST)

>X-Sender: garcia © popserver.sfu.ca

(Unverified)

>

>The tallies of the 22 January 1996 "Opinion Ballot" conducted by the Dean of

>Arts amongst SLAS faculty members were realeased to me as chair of the LAS

>Standing Committee on march 5, 1996 with a total of 14 votes cast. By this

>time the ballot submitted to the Arts faculty was already out (since

>February 19).

>.

>The results are as follows:

>1)Cmtee.'s recommendation [CR]: That the Dept. of SLAS be disbanded. 10

>preferred [P]; 3 acceptable [A]; 1 unacceptable [U].

>

•

>?) CR: That some fabulty in the existing SLAS Dept. be assigned to other

>units. 8[P]; 3[A]; 3 [U].

>2)

Dean's aternative [DA]: That all faculty members in the xisting dept of

>SLAS be asigned to other units, with provision for teaching in the LAS

>program... 9[U]; 3[P]; 1[A]

>

>3)

CR. That the Sapnish Major and Minor be phased out and that no new

>students be accepted into these degrees... 12[U]; 1 [P]

>3)DA. That a moratorium on admissions to the SPAN major and Minors continue,

>but that those interested be encouraged to propose a new and limited

>program ... 8[U]; 4[P]; 2[A]

>

>4)

CR. That Span literature courses be moved into another unit or abandoned.

>7[P]; 4[U]; 2[A]

>4)DA. That pending further developments the Sapn Lit courses identified by

>the Ad Hoc Cmte. de moved to IDS. 11 [A]; 3[P]

>

>5)

CR. That a new Department of Latin American Studies be created. 9[P];4[U]

>5) DA. That a new Program in LAS be created, to be governed by a Director

>and a Steering Committee and with Associated members only. .7[U]; 4[A]; 3[P]

>

>6)CR. That a curriculurnof the undergrad. progr. be

based upon the existing

>courses ... But that the Department be required to revise this

>curriculum ... That the overall number of courses be reduced and that the core

Printed for Jorge Garcia <garcia@sfu.ca

>

---

I

No Recipient, opinion ballot results

>f LAS be clearly outlined. 8[A]; 4[U]; 1[P]

>6)

DA. Identical except for the substitution of "Program" for "Department".

>9[U];

>

5[A]

?

0

>7)

CR. That the undergrd. prog. bemaintained but only as a Minor, extended

>minor, or Joint Major until the revision of the undergr. curriculum is

>complete. 8[U]; 4[A]; 2[P]

>

>8)

CR. That Span. Lang. instruction be maintained in LAS Dept. but that Span

>Linguistics be removed from the LAS curriculum. 8[P]; 4[U]; 1[A]

>8) DA. That Span Lang instruct, be moved to the Div. of Interdisciplinary

>Studiés and be coordinated with other lang. offered through the Division.

>That Span Ling. courses relevant to lang. acquisition be considered for

>retention. 9[U]; 4[P]; l[A]

>

>9)

CR. That the Field School be maintained. 1 0[P]; 2[A]; 2[U].

>

>10)

CR. That there be no new admissions to the LAS grad Prog. for 1996/97.

>that the question of admissions be reviewed and admission resumed after the

>Dept has developed a plan for maointaining both the undergr and grad progr

>with existing resources and after the number of students currently enrolled

>in the MA Prog has been reduced ...... 11 [U]; 2[A]

>10) DA. That new admissions to the LAS grad prog be deferred to 1997/98.

>That the review and revision recommended as above by the AH Cmtee take

>place, with a view to introducing a two-year cohort-based program with

>biennial admissions. 8[U]; 3[A]; 3[P]

?

•

>Jorge Garcia

>

>

>

Ol

Printed for Jorg

e Garcia <garcia@sfu.ca

>

?

2

1

---

AS

fift

-

?

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts

MEMORANDUM

To:

?

All Faculty ?

From: Evan Alderson

Faculty of Arts

?

Dean of Arts

Subject:

Dissolution of the Department

Date: ?

February 19, 1996

of Spanish and Latin American

Studies and related changes

I am asking all faculty in the Faculty of Arts to vote on my proposal for the

dissolution of the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies and for a

major restructuring of the academic programs it has offered. If a majority vote

of the Faculty approves of this proposal, I will forward the recommendations to

Senate. Please return the attached ballot by Wednesday, March 6.

This proposal follows upon a long process of deliberation, including several

stages of administrative review and formal and informal consultation with

members of the Department. In what follows here, I set out a concise

description of events leading to this recommendation and outline the proposed

changes and reasons for them.

As many of you are aware, the Department of Spanish and Latin American

Studies was formed some years ago as a merger of the Latin American Studies.

Program and the Spanish Division of the old Department of Languages,

Literatures and Linguistics. At the time the merger seemed to be

a good way to

advance the academic interests of both units and to provide for the

development of a coherent and forward-looking interdisciplinary department.

Unfortunately, the new department has not worked well in practice. Despite

the signal achievement of implementing a new

M.A.

in Latin American

Studies, the Department has not developed as a cohesive and collegial

enterprise. Not surprisingly, there are differing views as to the causes of the

difficulties, but there is a widely shared perception that the current situation

cannot continue.

I have taken a variety of actions to attempt to improve the situation over the

past year and

a half. Early in the Fall of 1994 I appointed an ad hoc Review

Committee of Professors Roger Blackman of Psychology and Santa Aloi of

Contemporary Arts to "review the current operations and directions of the

Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies." While that review was

in progress the Chair of the department resigned. I then followed one of the

major recommendations of the Review Committee in appointing an Acting

Chair from outside the Department for an eight month term. Dr. Blackman

. took on that task from January to August 1995. During that time some progress

was made in securing agreement on how to refocus the graduate program, but

at the end of it the Department was unable to find a Chair from among its own

members.

---

OA

Given the inability of the Department to govern itself in the normal way, I

struck a new ad hoc committee to propose in detail an alternative organization

which would involve the dissolution of the Department of Spanish and Latin

American Studies and the creation of a new Department of Latin American

Studies. This committee included the new externally appointed Acting Chair,

Dr. Maureen Covell of Political Science, and Dr. William Cleveland of History

and was chaired by Associate Dean Andrea Lebowitz. The work of this

committee included

consultation

with the Department but it was also

influenced by the gathering budgetary storm clouds of last semester. Although

the Committee did present a plan for a new department, it warned that the

viability of the plan was "heavily dependent on the availability of new

resources."

After receiving the ad hoc Committee's final report and comments on it from

department members, and in light of the

increasing

severity of the budget

prospects and other considerations, I put before department members an

opinion ballot that included the Committee's recommendations and my own

alternative suggestions. My suggestions included returning Latin American

Studies to the original model of an interdisciplinary program, without

departmental status or separate faculty appointments, but maintaining the

graduate program and undergraduate joint majors.

The outcome of the opinion ballot was decisive in one regard. Almost without

exception the Faculty and Associate Members of Spanish and Latin American

Studies found the committee's recommendation for dissolution of the present

department to be a "preferred" or "acceptable" outcome ("Preferred"- 10;

"Acceptable"- 3; "Unacceptable"- 1). A majority of those voting preferred the

creation of a new Department of Latin American Studies but just as many

found the alternative of a program either "acceptable" or "preferred" as found

it "unacceptable." The vote on other matters followed from their general

preference for the establishment of a new department with dedicated faculty

appointments. A majority wished Spanish language acquisition courses to be

included within the new department, and Spanish literature programs to be

maintained outside it.

I have considered the range of opinions in the formal ballot and additional

representations made to me, particularly by students and faculty associated with

Latin American Studies. The recommendations on the attached Faculty-wide

ballot are essenti

all

y in accord with the "alternative suggestions" I put forward

to the Department. I outline my reasoning here:

1)

There appears to be nearly universal agreement that the present

department

should be disbanded. Once that decision is taken, the question

as to what should replace it must necessarily be addressed from both

academic and budgetary perspectives.

2)

I very much support the continuation of academically strong programs in

Latin American Studies at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. At

the same time, I believe that such programs should be focused in such a

q7.

---

3

way as to be sustainable with relatively modest resources. Pressures to

• build faculty numbers in relation to the perceived needs of a discipline

rather than demonstrated student demand should be resisted, as should

the development of a disproportionately large graduate program.

Although it has been argued that anything less than departmental status

would be demoralizing to the Latin Americanists and potentially

damaging to the academic programs, I see a program structure for Latin

American Studies as appropriate under current restraints. An

academically and administratively successful program could seek

departmental status at a later time.

3)

I am now unable to devote new resources to Latin American Studies and

cannot guarantee replacements for positions that become vacant. A small

department is inherently less efficient than a program which can draw on

expertise from elsewhere. It has been argued that I should consider an

alternative model under which any excess teaching capacity within the

Department could be loaned to other departments, but my analysis of the

historical relationship between teaching capacity and student demand in

the present department does not inspire confidence that such a system

would be highly efficient. Given the ability of our Latin Aniericanists to

teach productively in other departments, I believe that Latin American

Studies should draw upon teaching capacity as needed, and not as secured

within a departmental structure. The overall savings to the University

willarise primarily from a more efficient match between student numbers

and faculty availability. Modest additional savings will be available

through administrative restructuring.

4)

Although the ad hoc Committee recommended that Spanish language

instruction be kept within the new Department of Latin American

Studies, the argument for associating it directly with a program is much

less strong. I believe the Spanish language program could more effectively

serve its various purposes, including service to LAS students and to

Spanish literature students and to all those interested in Spanish language

acquisition, as part of a co-ordinated approach to language teaching within

Interdisciplinary Studies.

5). Given the necessity for change, I believe that each part of the current

department, as well as all its faculty and students, should be given some

opportunity for refocusing and renewal. My intention is to provide the

most constructive opportunities for all affected faculty and students that I

believe can be sustained under current circumstances.

Evan Alderson

Dean of Arts

EA/jm:

Copy:

J.Stubbs

D.Gagan

B.Clayman

---

t4.(A.A

j

iq1

BALLOT

DEAN'S PROPOSAL TO RESTRUCTURE

?

SPANISH AND LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

1)

The Department of

Spanish and Latin American Studies will be

disbanded.

2)

Faculty members in the Department will be assigned to other units, with

provision for teaching in the Latin American Studies program, the

Spanish language program, and Spanish literature courses as appropriate.

3)

A Program in Latin American Studies will be established, to be governed

by a Director and a Steering Committee, and with responsibility for

graduate and undergraduate programs in Latin American Studies.

4)

New admissions to the graduate program are to be deferred to the 1997-98

academic year, subject to revisions and consideration of a system of

biennial admissions.

5)

The undergraduate program in Latin American Studies will include the

minor and existing joint majors, with the understanding that the

curriculum will be reviewed and revised by the Steering Committee. The

independent major program in Latin American Studies will be phased

out. The Latin American Studies Field School will be continued.

6).

A selection of the existing Spanish Literature courses (as identified by the

ad hoc Committee) will be moved to the Division of Interdisciplinary

Studies. The minor and existing joint major programs will be retained,

subject to revisions, but the independent major program in Spanish will

be phased out.

Continuation

of these programs will be contingent upon

the availability of resources and sufficient faculty and student interest.

7).

Courses relating directly to Spanish language acquisition will be moved to

the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. Most of the existing courses

relating to Spanish linguistics will be dropped. The Certificate in Spanish

Language

Proficiency will be retained.

0 AGREE ?

0 DISAGREE

?

0

ABSTAIN

Enclose your ballot in the small envelope, place it in the larger addressed

envelope, print your name in the left-hand corner, and return to the Office

of

the

Dean

of

Arts by 4.00 p.m. on Wednesday. March 6. 1996

---

ebz

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

?

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts?

MEMORANDUM

To:

All Members of Spanish and

?

From: Evan Alderson

Latin American Studies

?

Dean of Arts

Subject:

Future of the Department

?

Date: September 20, 1995

This is to follow up on my memorandum of August 11 regarding the future of

the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies. In that memo I outlined my

J

intention to initiate a planning process leading to the creation of a Department of

Latin American Studies and the dissolution of the Department of Spanish and Latin

American Studies.

I have given further thought as to how the planning can best proceed. A

significant

re-structuring of this kind requires an overall plan as well as a large

number of detailed changes in curriculum and calendar language. It is not necessary

or even appropriate that all the details be worked through prior to the establishment

of the new department and its membership. In order to enable a careful consideration

of the proposal, however, it is important to provide a clear "blueprint" of the structure

and mandate of the new department and the other academic arrangements involved.

Such a plan can lead to a series of motions to be placed before the present Department,

the Faculty of Arts and Senate.

I am

appointing

a small ad hoc planning committee to formulate this blueprint.

This committee will consult with members of the present Department, but it will not

include faculty or associate members of SLAS. It is charged to provide full and

impartial advice to me regarding relevant academic changes both inside and outside

of the new Department of Latin American Studies. The Committee will be open to

representations from all individuals associated with the present Department,

including students, and may seek advice from department members and others as it

sees

fit; it will consult formally with the Department concerning a draft of its

proposals; I intend to place the Committee's final recommendations concerning

academic structure and curriculum before the Department for formal vote before

referring the matter to the Faculty of Arts.

In order that the committee will operate within a commonly understood

framework of assumptions, I outline below the areas I expect it will consider and some

issues I will ask that it address.

/,04)

---

2

1) The

I will

New

ask

Department.

the Committee

?

to make recommendations regarding the structure and

0

mandate of the new Department of Latin American Studies. I anticipate that the new

Department will include:

a)

The M.A. in Latin American Studies as recently reformulated by vote

within the SLAS Department. I will seek advice from the committee as to

whether this program should move to a pattern of biennial admissions,

with the next admissions for the 1997-98 academic year.

b)

An undergraduate major and minor and appropriate joint majors in Latin

American Studies. I expect that these programs may be essentially the

same as at present, and I assume that they will include opportunities for

the study of Latin American literature and culture.

c)

I anticipate that The LAS Field School will continue to be a valuable part

of the undergraduate program. The Committee may choose to comment

on prospects for the Department's further involvement in international

activities.

d)

Spanish language courses, including a sequence of courses leading toward

competence in the language, plus courses in Spanish linguistics directly

pertinent

American

to

society.

the acquisition of language skills or to the study of Latin

?

)40

In addition to the consideration of these program areas, I ask the Committee to

suggest appropriate governance structures for a department of this kind, including the

constitutional role of Associate Members and issues regarding graduate students not

enrolled in programs administered by the Department.

2) Other Courses

I will receive from the Committee recommendations regarding the continuation

and location of existing courses and programs that do not fit within the mandate of

the new Department. As one aspect of these recommendations I seek advice as to

whether admissions to the Spanish major, joint major and minor programs should be

suspended.

3) Faculty Placement

I will ask the Committee to consider the appropriate academic home for each

faculty member in the present Department as a result of the curriculum re-structuring.

The Committee will make its recommendations regarding faculty placement in

confidence to me, which will allow me the opportunity to discuss the matter with each

faculty member affected before submitting my recommendations to the Vice-

President, Academic for consideration and transmittal to the Board.

/0/

---

3

.

The Committee may choose to make additional recommendations following from

its consultations and deliberations. I ask that the Committee complete its work before

the end of this Fall semester. On the basis of its report, I will formulate a series of

motions for consideration and vote at each appropriate level, and in time for proper

notice of the changes to be given in next year's University Calendar. I trust that

planning for the more detailed calendar changes required to implement the

recommendations will follow along without undue delay, and be in full effect by Fall,

1997.

I am pleased to announce that Professor William Cleveland of the History

Department, Professor Maureen Covell of the Political Science, and Associate Dean

Andrea Lebowitz have agreed to serve on this important ad hoc Committee, with

Prof. Lebowitz serving as Chair of the Committee. Dr. Covell has additionally agreed

to serve as Acting Chair of the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies

from October 1 to the end of this semester. I ask for ratification of Dr. Covell as Acting

Chair by faculty members in the Department in the accompanying ballot. As in the

past, a separate ballot, for information purposes only, is being provided to Associate

Members of the Department.

Evan Alderson

EV

?

Dean of Arts

cc: D. Gagan

W. Cleveland

M. Covell

A. Lebowitz

Aoc

^

---

^5

- ?

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts

?

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

All Members ?

From: Evan Alderson

Department of Spanish &

?

Dean of Arts

Latin American Studies

Subject: Future of the Department III

?

Date: ?

December 7, 1995

I have now received, the final report of the ad hoc planning committee I

appointed to advise

me

regarding academic changes appropriate for the

planned dissolution of the Department of Spanish and Latin American

Studies and creation of a new Department of Latin American Studies. I

attach that report for your information and comment.

I ask that you provide me with any comments you. wish to make in writing

by December 22, 1995. It is

m

y

intention to seek a formal expression of

opinion from the Department regarding the Committee's

recommendations early in the

New

Year. I take very seriously the context

of their review which the Committee's report articulates in its opening

section. I therefore intend to seek the Department's opinion on a structured

series of options before making my recommendations to the Faculty of Arts.

I will be out of town until the 18th of December. Those of

you

who may

wish to speak with me personally can make appointments to do so during

the week of December 18.

" -,

^ ': 1: ^ ^,

Evan Alderson

EA/jm:

copy:

M. Covell

D. Gagan

A. Lebowitz

.

.

17J

---

• ?

Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Future Planning for the

Spanish and Latin American Studies Department

The Committee was charged "to make recommendations regarding the

structure and mandate of the new Department of Latin American Studies." In the

course of undertakingits assigned task, the Committee was compelled to

consider the following:

Any new LAS Department may be too small to offer the full

range of courses and expertise expected of a functioning

department.

The viability of a new LAS Department may be brought

into further question by the impending retirements of

some faculty members.

This review is being undertaken during a period of projected

budgetary cutbacks.

Because of these problems, the fulfillment of the Committee's

recommendations is heavily dependent upon the availability of new resources

either through internal realignment of existing resources, or external

replacements.

In addition, these considerations have led us to recommend that, in the

short run at least, the Department offer a limited range of programs. In

particular, we have recommended that a LAS major (as opposed to minors and

joint majors) be reinstated only after a revision of the undergraduate curriculum.

We have also recommended that there be no new admissions to the LAS MA

program during the departmental reorganization and that admissions resume

after the department has developed a plan for maintaining the undergraduate

and graduate programs with its existing resources.

Background

At this point Latin American Studies has 31 joint majors, 11 majors, and 4

minors (including extended). In addition there are 25 graduate students. If

Spanish Literature and Linguistics courses were to be removed from the existing

curriculum, the remaining LAS curriculum would have 18 courses plus a Field

School. It is obvious that the resulting complement of faculty (after reassignment

of some faculty and the approaching retirement of others) could not possibly

. ?

maintain undergraduate and graduate programs of the present scope. Faced with

this stark reality, the Committee has had to consider the very existence of the

Department. Although we were initially charged to recommend options within a

new Latin American Studies Department, this may no longer be a structural

/941

---

possibility. If a LAS Department is not created, Latin American Studies might

continue under one of the following options.

?

0

Structural Options:

Return LAS to an interdisciplinary program structure constituted as

a separate unit.

Reduce LAS to an interdisciplinary program with no

separate administrative unit. Faculty would be reassigned

and the program would exist only as courses given in

separate departments.

The Committee has considered the above options and believes that both

the University and the Department must carefully consider them as well. While

we are suggesting that a Department be maintained, we realize that financial

realities might well require the adoption of one of the above alternatives.

Several considerations argue for the maintenance of adepartment. Latin

American Studies is one of few such programs in Canada and its MA is unique in

Western Canada. Latin American Studies are an area of increasing practical

interest and one in which SFU has a significant comparative advantage. Our

recommendations attempt to preserve the department and its programs as much

as possible and to leave open the possibility of restoring programs like the MA

when the reorganization is complete.

Committee Recommendation

•

?

That the Department of Spanish/LAS be disbanded.

• ?

That some faculty members in the existing Spanish/LAS

Department be assigned to other units*.

•

?

That the Spanish Major and Minor programs be phased out

and that no new students be accepted into these degrees

but that students with declared programs be allowed to complete.

That Spanish Literature courses be moved into another unit

or abandoned.

• ?

That a new Department of Latin American Studies be

created.

• ?

That the curriculum of the undergraduate program be

based upon the existing courses outlined on the attached

spreadsheet, but that the Department be required to review

this curriculum. In particular, that the 100 and 200 level courses

16^^

---

be reviewed. That the review of the courses ensure that the 3

"streams" of History and Culture, Economy and Society, and

Politics and the State are in balance. That the overall number of

courses be reduced and that the core of Latin American Studies

be clearly outlined.

That the undergraduate program be maintained but only as

,j L

?

,( , a Minor, Extended Minor, or Joint Major until the revision

of the undergraduate curriculum is complete.

That Spanish Language Acquisition instruction be maintained

in the LAS Department but that Spanish Linguistics courses

be removed from the LAS curriculum.

That the Field School be maintained.

That there be no new admissions to the LAS graduate program for

1996-97. That the question of admissions be reviewed and

admissions resumed after the Department has developed a plan for

maintaining both the undergraduate and graduate programs with

existing resources and after the number of students currently

enrolled in the MA program has been reduced. That the program

• ?

be revised along the lines recommended in the Graduate Task Force

Report. That the program continue to be listed in the university

calendar. That, if the program has not been reactivated by the

2000-01 academic year, the university and the Department review

the situation and consider the program's deletion.

That a new Department be created only if the' potential members

of the unit can select an Acting Chair from their number. That

Associate Members, subject to university policy, continue their

voting rights but that their relationship to the new Department

be reviewed and regularized.

In conclusion, the Committee feels that the University and the Department

face some very difficult choices. While we recommend a solution that would

preserve a Latin American Studies Department, we must caution that such a

suggestion is far from assured in the present financial climate.

The Committee is reporting to the Dean on this matter confidentially.

---

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

?

Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts?

MEMORANDUM

To: ?

David Gagan

?

From: Evan Alderson

Chair, SCAP

?

Dean of Arts

Subject: Department of Spanish and

?

Date: ?

March 21, 1996

Latin American Studies

On behalf of the Faculty of Arts, I am proposing the dissolution of the

Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies, and a number of

accompanying structural changes, including the creation of a Program in

Latin American Studies and the transfer of Spanish language courses and

Spanish literature courses to the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies.

Under this proposal the existing graduate program in Latin American

Studies would continue, as would existing joint major programs in Latin

American Studies and in Spanish. The independent major programs in

Spanish and in Latin American Studies would be phased out. Concomitant

with these changes, if approved, I will recommend to the Board of

Governors the relocation of all faculty in the current department to other

departments and programs or to the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies,

with provision for teaching in Latin American Studies and elsewhere as

needed and appropriate.

As might be imagined, there is a substantial history leading to these

recommendations. I am attaching the concise history of events that I sent to

all faculty in the Faculty of Arts as background to the ballot I distributed last

month, also attached. That ballot passed the Faculty by a very large

majority. I can of course provide additional documentation on the

background events if so requested by SCAP. What is more germane I

believe is to clarify the issues central to this proposal, some of which may

have become clouded through various discussions in the University.

(1)

?

Proposal for the Dissolution of Spanish and Latin American Studies

I believe

that there is virtually no dispute by those close to the Department

about the need to dismantle the Department of Spanish and Latin American

Studies as it currently exists. The question is what should replace it.

Although several voices from both inside and outside the University have

been raised in defense of the Department of Spanish and Latin American

Studies, the disciplines it represents and the quality and importance of its

programs, those closer to the history of the Department are I believe on the

whole in agreement that the Department itself has not worked well in

practice and is presently unable to act as a single coherent unit. The

/1) ?

---

Department at present includes faculty with. special expertise in Spanish

literature,- others with expertise in Spanish language and linguistics, and

Latin Americanists from varying disciplinary backgrounds, plus five active

Associate Members from other departments with expertise in Latin

American Studies. It was founded with the idea that these different

specializations could be drawn together to create an innovative and

interdisciplinary academic program. Attractive as that idea was, and is, its

realization at Simon Fraser for whatever reasons has proved unworkable. If

the problems that have developed were simply matters of departmental

governance the various attempts to repair things might have worked, but

• issues of governance have been intricately interwoven with profound

differences of academic perspectives and allegiances and significant

deficiences in collegial relations.

(2) ?

Latin American Studies

Given both the need for change and the will to maintain and if possible

enhance valuable academic programs, I at first thought that the dissolution

of the current department could most appropriately be accompanied by the

creation of a Department of Latin American Studies. Most though not all of

the faculty in the current department have teaching interests directly related

to Latin American Studies and this core is enhanced by significant expertise

in other departments. It was clear that the creation of a new department

• would be a satisfactory resolution to the majority of those in the department

and to many students. I established an ad hoc committee to develop a

"blueprint" for the creation of a new department and the residual changes

that would be required. After examining the situation with care, this

committee did eventually concur with its mandate by recommending that a

• ?

department be created, but it did so with significant reservations, warning in

• ?

particular that new resources would be necessary to create a viable unit.

After further careful reflection I have decided not to recommend the

creation of a new department at this time. I am not in a position to

guarantee new resources or even the maintenance of resources recently

available to the Department. In the current budget climate it seems to me

unwise to replace one relatively small department with an even smaller

department which may be of insufficient size and breadth. I believe that it is

possible to maintain the most important and attractive academic programs

connected with the current department in other ways, most particularly

through the creation of a Program in Latin American Studies. Such a

program would not need to house the Spanish language program which

serves it and other units; it could make efficient use of expertise available in

the Faculty; it could Sustain the current graduate program, with modest

changes, and continue core undergraduate programming.

. Such an approach has the further advantage of providing an opportunity

for Latin American Studies to re-establish itself as an independent unit on

the basis of the positive and collegial energies of those who wish to be

involved. This will equitably allow all the current faculty to either attach

ri

---

3

themselves to the new unit or pursue their academic goals elsewhere. Most

tenure-track faculty have received indications that they will be welcomed

into existing regular departments and programs in the Faculty of Arts. The

academic appointments of some individuals will be transferred to the

Division of Interdisciplinary Studies. In all these arrangements provision

will be made for teaching in the Latin American Studies Program as

required to meet student needs and provide a diversity of offerings at the

undergraduate level and to run the graduate program. I believe that by

these means effective programs in Latin American Studies can be sustained,

but on a significantly more cost-effective basis than previously.

I am recommending two changes to the academic programs in Latin

American Studies. The first of these is the elimination of the independent

major in Latin American Studies while maintaining the several joint major

programs now in place. The ad hoc committee observed that last semester

there were 11 students undertaking the major, while 31 were enrolled in

joint majors, and recommended dropping the major program. The

advantage of a joint major is that it insures that an "area studies" approach

is accompanied by a disciplinary grounding in a related field. As well as

representing the apparent preference of students, it seems the most

appropriate concentration for the proposed organizational structure.

The second change I am recommending concerns the graduate program,

although this does not require a specific action by .Senate. During the

summer of 1995 the Department agreed to some reorientation of the

graduate program. I have asked Dean Clayman to defer admissions to the

existing graduate program for one year in order that required changes can be

put in place. I have also strongly recommended consideration of a system of

biennial admissions, so that the program can serve an entering cohort

effectively and efficiently. The one-year delay in admissions will also enable

faculty to focus on helping the rather large number of graduate students

now enrolled to complete their work.

(3) ?

Spanish Language

Under the proposal to establish a Department of Latin American Studies it

seemed most appropriate to place the Spanish language acquisition courses

there. However, the case for subsuming Spanish language instruction

within a Latin American Studies Program structure is not persuasive.

Spanish language acquisition courses serve not only Latin American

Studies, but also Spanish literature students and a wide general audience.

The language program can readily be housed within the Division of

Interdisciplinary Studies, which is the home for courses in a number of

languages. The Division is expected to play a significant role in facilitating

the development of language instruction in relation to the new language

laboratory and instructional opportunities at Harbour Centre. I believe the

Spanish language program can serve its various constituencies very

effectively from that base.

1617

---

4

(4)

Spanish Literature

. Most of the existing courses in Spanish literature will also be moved to the

Division of Interdisciplinary Studies, with provision for maintaining the

current joint major and minor programs. The ad hoc committee

recommended abandoning altogether the opportunity to concentrate in

Spanish literature at Simon Fraser, on the grounds that a major program is

avilable at UBC and that the critical mass of faculty and students are not

likely to be available to maintain an independent program over the long

term. My own sense is that the joint majors, with French and with Latin

American Studies, can quite reasonably be sustained in response to student

interest. Linkages to the study of other European literatures can be

encouraged within Interdisciplinary Studies and the Humanities Program.

(5)

Conclusion

Several members of the present department are understandably unhappy

with these recommendations. They would prefer that Latin American

Studies be granted the status of an independent department, and that all

current programs be maintained. In various appeals to the community a

number of procedural issues have been raised concerning the genesis of

these recommendations, some of which imply that I have proceeded

•

?

arbitrarily in this matter without due consultation and departmental assent.

I believe on the contrary that there has been a long history of efforts to assist

the department to find a direction it could collectively and constructively

pursue. If simpler solutions had proved possible I would have welcomed

them.

My various responses to ongoing difficulties are outlined in my memo to

the Faculty of Arts. It was only at the end of a long process that I concluded

that the present department is not viable. Thereafter, I have attempted to

find a restructuring that is financially sustainable and academically

justifiable, that meets student needs and interests as fully as possible under

current circumstances, and that in my judgement provides the most

positive available opportunity for all faculty involved. I do not pretend that

all of these recommendations have the assent of the majority of the

Department. The Faculty of Arts on the other hand has concurred with my

view that the proposals represent the most academically responsible course

of action at this time. I therefore propose to the Senate Committee on

Academic Planning the following motions:

(i) that a Program in Latin American Studies be established, with

responsibility for the current graduate and undergraduate programs in

Latin American Studies. Curriculum changes to be brought forward by

. ?

the Program will include the phasing out of the major in Latin

American Studies.

//0

---

5

(ii)

that responsibility for Spanish language acquisition courses and for

Spanish literature courses be moved to the Division of

Interdisciplinary Studies. Curriculum changes to be brought forward

will include the phasing out of the current Spanish major..

(iii)

that the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies be

dissolved, effective September 1, 1996.

Evan Alderson

Dean, Faculty of Arts

EA/jm:

copy:

J