S.95-49
Simon Fraser University
Office of the Vice-President, Academic
?
Memorandum
TO: Senate
?
FROM:
?
J.M. Munro, Chair
Senate Committee on
Academic Planning
SUBJECT:
Graduate Curriculum
?
DATE:
?
August 10, 1995
Revisions - Department
of Chemistry
SCAP Reference: SCAP 95-39
Action undertaken by the Senate Graduate Studies Committee and the Senate
Committee on Academic Planning gives rise to the following motion:
is
?
MOTION: ?
'that Senate approve and recommend approval to the
Board of Governors, as set forth in S.95-49
?
the proposed
curriculum revisions including
I) Change in credit hours from 4 to 3 for CHEM 805 and
806
ii)
CHEM 806 be graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory
iii)
Deletion of CHEM 802-3
iv)
Changes to the Degree Requirements for the Masters,
Ph.D. and transfer from the M.Sc. to the Ph.D."
tLA4J
For Information:
Acting under delegated authority of Senate, the Senate Graduate Studies Committee
has approved change of title and description for the following courses: CHEM 801-3,
805-3, 806-3.
CHANGES to CHEM 805/806 and CHEM 801
40-
To facilitate earlier transfer from M.Sc. to Ph.D. and earlier completion of
M.Sc.
and Ph.D. degrees,
it is proposed that:
1.
Chem 805 be changed to a thesis research proposal seminar. Chem 805 will be mandatory for M.Sc.
and Ph.D. students.
2.
Chem
805
& 806 be reclassified as 3 credit hours
3.
Chem 806 be evaluated as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory and be counted towards the student's
minimum course requirement.
4.
Chem 806 be evaluated as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory jointly by the course instructors and the
student's supervisory committee. In the event of an Unsatisfactory grade, the Department will
adopt regulation 1.8.2 and follow the procedure for review of unsatisfactory progress (regulation 1.8.2
attached).
5.
Chem 802 (Student Seminar II) be no longer offered.
S
Fl
I* ?
W:gsd\dgscminutes\.schd8O5A.doc
New Graduate Course:Proposal rorm
CHEM 805 NEW
CALENDAR INFORMATION:
Department:Chemistry
?
'Course Number: 805
Title: M.Sc. & Ph.D. Research Thesis Proposal
Description: Critical Evaluation of Written and Oral Thesis Research P.roposfl.s.
Credit Hours:
?
Vector: ?
Prerequisite(s)
if any': -
ENROLLMENT AND SCHEDULING:
Estimated Enrollment: 12
?
When will the course
first be
offered: 96-1
How often will the course he offered: Annually, in the Spring Semester.
JUSTIFICATION:
1.
Recommended by external review committee of 1994.
2.
This replaces the existing CHEM 805 which is an evaluation of research proposals.
3.
Credit hours have been reduced from 4 to 3 to reflect the preparation for this course.
4.
Would be offered at the same time as CHEM 806.
RESOURCES:
Which Faculty member will normally teach the course:
A
team of 3, drawn from the Department.
What are the budgetary implications of mounting
the course:No
new
faculty or resources
are required. Existing CHEM 805 to be dropped.
Are there sufficient Library
resources (append detalls):YeS.
Appended: a) Outline of the Course
b)
An indication of the competence
of the
'Faculty member to give the course.
c)
Library resources
Approved: Departmental Graduate Studies
Co=ittee*è.L- ?
Date:/T(
Faculty Graduate 'Studies 'Committee: k
"
Date: ?
IL
I
Faculty: ?
C-k
?
' ?
i2
_____Date
Senate Graduate Studies
?
Date:2Q%_i.
Senate:
?
'
?
--
?
Date:
New Graduate Course Proposal Form
CHEM 805 OLD
I
?
CALENDAR INFORMATION:
Department:
?
Chemist:
ry
?
Course Number: 805
Title: M.Sc. Research Seminar
Description: Critical Evaluation of Written and Oral Research Reports.
Credit Hours:
?
4_S ?
Vector:
?
Prerequisite(s) if any: -
ENROLLMENT AND SCHEDULING:
Estimated Enrollment: 12 (+8 in
?
When will the course first be offered:
uut.ii 8uu)
How often will the course be offered: Annually, in the Fall Semester.
JUSTIFICATION:
This course (and/or the equivalent C1IEM 806) would be required by all graduate students
in Chemistry, as proposed by the new departmental requirements for graduate degrees.
Its inception was recommended by the External Review of Chemistry, held in Spring 1988.
RESOURCES:
Which Faculty member will normally teach the course: A team of 4, normall
y
drawn from
the Departmental Graduate Studies Committee.
What are the budgetary implications of mounting the course: No new faculty or resources
are required. The present cumulative examination system will be dropped.
Are there sufficient Library resources (append
details):
?
Yes.
Appended: a) Outline of the Course
b)
An indication of the competence of the Faculty member to give the course.
c)
Library resources
Approved: Departmental Graduate Studies Committee:
?
. Prc,j ?
Date: ?
L
4J
• ?
Faculty Graduate Studies Committee:
?
Date: ?
1-Ajt
Faculty: ?
Date:
Senate Graduate Studies Committee:
?
Date:
Senate: ?
Date:
90-3
New Graduate Course
krO;pObiaA
ru.i,w
CHEM
.
806
NEW
CALENDAR INFORMATION:
Department:Chemistry ?
Course Number:'806
Title: Ph.D. Thesis Research Seminar
Description :
:
Critical Evaluation of Written and Oral Thesis Research
R'porrs.
Credit hours:
3 ?
-. ?
Vector:
?
P.rerequisite(s)
if
any:CHF:M
805.
To be evaluated Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory and counted towards :the minimum course requi rent
ENROLLMENT AND SCHEDULING:
Estimated Enrollment: ?
8
?
'When will the course first he offered.: _971
Bow often will the course be offered: Annually, in the S p rin g Semester,
CHEM 805 and R06
would be mounted as one course.
JUSTIFICATION:
Would be offered at same time as
:
CHEM 805. This course has lbeen offered since 90-1.
Credit hours have been reduced from 4
1
to 3 to x.ef].ect 'the preparation 'time fortlhis course.
RESOURCES:
,A team of 3, normally drawn from
The
Which Faculty member will normally teach the course:_________________________________
Department. Evaluation to be performed :by tthe instructors .'& the student's supervisory cmte.
What are the budgetary implications of mounting the course:__________________________
No new faculty or resources are required. Existing CHEM
:
806 to be dropped.
Are there :sufficient Library resources (append detail):: _es.
Appended: a) Outline of the Course
b) An indication of the competence of the Faculty imember ito :give the course.
C)
Library resources
Approved: Departmental Graduate ;Studies Committee.:
?
.
?
Date:/
Faculty Graduate Studi'es Committee:
?
1()g._
DatCj('1
Faculty:
Senate Graduate Studies
?
Date:! -gç
Senate:
New Gradiinf
('riIrsa Prposa1 Fo-m
CHEM 806 OLD
CALENDAR INFORMATION:
Department:
?
Chemistry
?
Course Number:806
Title:
?
1 , 1
1 . 1). Research Seminar
Description: Critical Evaluation of Written and Oral Research Reports.
Credit Hours:
?
4 -.
?
Vector:
?
Prerequisite(s) if any: CHEM 805
ENROLLMENT AND SCHE DULT}hG:
Estimated Enrollment:8 (+12 in
?
when will the course first be offered:90-3
CHEM 805)
How often will the course be offered: Annually, in Fail semester. CHEM 805 and 806
WOuld
be mounted as one course.
?
-
JUSTIFICATION:
See
CIhEM
805.
A
separate course number (806) is required to allow Ph.D. students to
take Lh is seminar a second time, if 805 was taken for the M.Sc. degree.
Which Faculty member will normally teach the course: A team of 4, normally drawn from
the Depar tmcntal Graduate Studies Committee.
What are the budgetary implications of mounting the course: No new faculty or resources
are
required. The present cumulative examination system
will
be dropped.
Are there sufficient Library resources (append details):
?
Yes.
Appended: a) Outline of the Course
b)
An indication of the competence of the Faculty member to give the course.
c)
Library resources
Approved: Departmental Graduate Studies Committee:
P.o.
Prt__t_Date_L'
Faculty Graduate Studies Committee:
7?Li.pu-c
?
Date:
Faculty:
?
Date:_
Senate Craduate Studies Committee:
?
Date:______________
Senate:
?
Date:
'S
.
Proposed Calendar Changes:.
MSc Program
Degree Requirements
Course work
FROM:-
The minimum requirement for the Masteçs
.
degree consists of 12 semester hours of graduate course
credit, including CHEM 8013 (Student Seminar 1) and CHEM
8054
(MSc Research Seminar);
CHEM 805 must be taken at the first opportunity rollowing two semesters registration in the
program.
TO:- The minimum requirement for the Masters degree consists of 12 semester hours of graduate course
credit, including CHEM 801-3 (Student Seminar) and CHEM
805-3
(Research Proposal Seminar).
CHEM 805 must be taken at the first opportunity following registration in the program.
Ph.D. Program
Degree Requirements
Course Work
FROM:- For students entering with a BSc or equivalent: 20 semester hours of graduate course credit,
including CHEM 801-3 (Student Seminar I)t and CHEM 802 .3 :
(Student Seminar
, 11.) and CHEM
806-4 (PhD Research Seminar). CHEM 806 must be taken: at the first opportunity following two.
semesters registration in the program . . CHEM
: 805 wilt be accepted in place of CHEM: 806 for-
students who have transferred from the MSc program,.,
For students entering with a Masters degree: 12 semester hours of graduate course credit, including
CHEM 802-3 (Student Seminar II) and CHEM 806-4 (PhD Research :
Seminar). CHEM. 806 must
be taken at the first opportunity following two semesters registration in the program.
TO:- For students entering With a BSc or equivalent: 20' semester hours of graduate course credit,
including CFIEM 801-3 (Student Seminar), CHEM 805-3 (Research Proposal Seminar) and CHEM
806-3 (Research Seminar). CHEM 805-3 must be taken at the first opportunity following
registration in the program. CHEM 806 must be taken at the first opportunity following 3 semesters
registration in the graduate program
For students entering, with a Masters degree: 12 semester; hours of graduate course credit,. including
CHEM 805-3 (Research Proposal. Seminar) and CHEM 806 .
..(Research Seminar). CHEM 805-3
must be taken at the first opportunity following registration in the program. CHEM 806 must he
taken at the first opportunity following. 3 semesters registration in the program. CLIEM 801-3
(Student Seminar) is optional.
0 .
Transfer from the M.Sc. to the Ph.D. Program
FROM:- In addition to satisfying the University requirements, students wishing to transfer from the MSc
program to the PhD program without submitting a Masters thesis will be judged by the Graduate
Program Committee on the research reports submitted in CHEM 805.
TO:- Transfer from the MSc Program to the PhD program without submitting a MSc thesis must satisfy
University requirements, and include CHEM 805 (Research Proposal Seminar). Evidence of
research potential will be judged by the Graduate Program Committee.
Graduate Courses.
FROM:-
CI-IEM 801-3 Student Seminar I. Discussion of recent literature through student seminars.
TO:-
?
CHEM 801-3 Student Seminar. Discussion of recent literature in chemistry through student
seminars.
FROM:- CHEM 802-3 Student Seminar H. Discussion of recent literature in chemistry through student
seminars.
-. ?
Prerequisite:
?
Chem 801 or Masters Degree
TO:
?
DELETE FROM CALENDAR
FROM: ?
CHEM 805-4 MSc Research Seminar. Critical evaluation of written and oral reports.
TO:- ?
CI-1EM805-3
M.Sc. and Ph.D. Research Thesis Proposal
FROM:- CHEM 806-4 PhD Research Seminar. Critical evaluation of written and oral research reports.
'10:- ?
CUEM
806-3
Ph.D. Thesis Research Seminar
Prerequisite:
?
CHEM 805.
11
S.95-49
Appendix
. ?
To:
From:
Date:
Subject:
Senate
Steven Holdcroft, Chemistry GDSC, Chair
September 13, 1995
SCAP 95-39
I have been notified of an item of concern to the Department of Chemistry on the
agenda for the upcoming SCAP meeting (SCAP-95-49). Specifically, a rationale for the
proposed changes to the graduate program is missing. I would like to address this
concern. Please find attached a memo from myself, addressed to the Chair of the
Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee, which outlines the need for modifying
the current graduate program.
In addition to this, I add the following comments regarding motions (I) to (iv) on item
S.95-49.
(I) The GSC felt that the assignment of 4 credits for Chem 805 was not consistent with
the expected work load in relation to other course work. The number of credits was
changed from 4 to 3; an assignment more appropriate for this course.
(ii)
CHEM 806 has been modified and now focuses on thesis research. It was felt that
grading a research-base course was extremely subjective. It is the Department's
experience that it is difficult to provide a grade which accurately reflects the students
performance. It is proposed to circumvent this dilemma by grading the course
satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
(iii)
Modifications of the graduate program meant that a Ph.D. student entering the
program with a B.Sc. degree could, in principle, take 12 credits of seminar courses out
of the required 20; or a Ph.D. student entering the program with a M.Sc. degree could,
in principle, take all 12 credits as seminar courses. This was deemed an excessive
number of seminar courses for this discipline, and thus it was proposed that CHEM 802
(which is similar in format to CHEM 801) be deleted.
(iv)
Self-explanatory, given the proposed changes.
All these points were debated at length at the Departmental, Faculty, and Senate
Graduate Studies Levels. They were subsequently put forward for recommendation
with the belief that that these modifications would satisfy specific comments related to
the external review and improve the Chemistry graduate program.
S
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
?
4,111
CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT MEMO
TO: ?
M. Winston, Chair Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee
From: ?
S. Holdcroft, Chair Graduate Program Committee
Date: ?
March 20, 1995
Subject: ?
Proposed Rescheduling of Courses - CHEM 805/806 and CHEM 801
Last summer the Department of Chemistry underwent an external review. The review committee
made several recommendations regarding the graduate program. I bring three of these to your
attention.
Recommendation 16
?
The Department should implement policies which will reduce the
average time for completion of the M.Sc. to two years without
reducing standards.
?
S
Recommendation 17
?
The Department should implement policies which will reduce
the average time for completion of the Ph.D. degree to less than
4.5 years without reducing the standards.
Recommendation
22
?
The seminar course CHEM 801 and 805 should be retained as
requirements for the M.Sc. degree. CHEM 805 should be taken
as early as possible and no later than in the fourth semester of the
M.Sc. program.
The departmental graduate program committee has proposed a rescheduling of the graduate
seminar courses in order to facilitate both transfer from the M.Sc. program to the Ph.D. program
and the timely completion of the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. The proposed rescheduling and
modification of these courses is attached, together with the proposed calendar changes. This
proposal was accepted by the Department at its March 23rd meeting. It is now brought for
consideration by the Faculty of Science graduate studies committee.
cc ?
C.H.W. Jones
B.M. Pinto
R.G. Korteling
D. Sutton
T.J. Borgford
S. Wolfe
W:\gstd\dgsc\gencorrs\facsci.doc
?
11
