0-4,
i (t,i4IS '
FOR INFORMA11ON
..
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
?
Senate Graduate Studies Committee
?
Re
port
to Senate
February 1988
The Dean of Graduate Studies is responsible for the general
supervision of graduate work at the University and is Chairmm of
the Senate .Graduate Studies Committee. This report outlines the
position of graduate studies at Simon Fraser University, describes
some changes made in the 1987/88 year and makes recommendations for
future directions.
I.
Enrollments and Degrees
Table I shows the recent history of graduate enrollments and
degrees granted. It is taken from the 1987 S.F.U. Fact Book which
will contain more detailed breakdowns by department and Faculty.
The FTE enrollment figures must be treated with caution. The
process for determining them is subject to considerable variation
among departments and is often based on incomplete information on a
student's activities. In consultation with the Director of
Analytical Studies, Walter Wattamaniuk, I am working on a more
consistent and logical scheme for determining FTE enrollments.
II.
Degree Completion
Table II is a survey of the times required by S.F.U. students
to earn their graduate degrees. The data are from the Graduate
Studies Database system. The corresponding figures from last
year's report are also shown. I am very pleased to note a small
but significant decrease in average completion times. It should be
noted that these data do not take into account the possibility that
a student may have been enrolled part-time for all or part of the
program and thus may overstate completion times, especially for
programs with large numbers of part-time students. Data on
enrolment status may be found in the S.F.U. Fact Book.
I remain concerned by what appear in many cases to be
excessive times for degree completion. I have appended a statement
issued by the Canadian Association of Graduate Schools expressing
their concerns in this area. When resources are limited, it is
especially important that they be used effectively.
I am actively encouraging departments to ensure both that
their degree requirements are realistic and that their students
make satisfactory progress, as required by Senate regulations,
toward meeting those requirements. I am also considering more
. ?
rigorous enforcement of the regulations requiring annual progress
reports.
/2
-2-
I am also pressing for timely appointments of supervisory
encountered
committees.
many
In establishing
students who
the
had
Graduate
been here
Studies
for several
Database,
years,
I
?
yet
.10
apparently had no supervisory committees. This situation has
largely been remedied; each semester, reminders about 'delinquent'
students are sent to Departments by my office; a minor flood of
committee reconnendations follows.
III.
Grades
Table III gives information on the S.F.U. graduate grades of
all students enrolled in the Fall 87 semester; it includes courses
taken in that semester up to the end of 87-2 and excludes students
who had not yet taken an S.F.U. graduate course. In Table IV will
be found corresponding data from 1986, for comparison. Data were
taken from the Registrar's data files and incorporated into and
processed within the Graduate Studies Database system.
For each department, a number of measures of the grade
distribution are presented. The weighted CGPA ("Wted") weights
each student's CGPA by the number of semester hours completed. The
average CGPA ("Aver.") does no weighting, but counts all students
equivalently The median ("Med.") CGPA and the N% CGPA give the
CGPA at the median of the distribution and at the Nth percentile.
For example, in the third entry of Table III - Business, the top
10% of the students have CGPA of 3.79 or higher, the top 20% have
CGPA of 3.62 or higher and so on. It is interesting to note, in
comparing Tables III and IV, that there is little evidence for the
"grade inflation" that was predicted by some upon the introduction
of A-, B+, and B- grades in 86-3.
The tremendous range in the nature of the grade distributions
among departments may stem from two causes: (1) differences in
grading practices and (2) differences in the abilities of
students. I believe that, most likely, it is a mixture of these
with the former a larger contributor than the latter. This range
is one of the reasons that I have moved away from interdepartmental
comparisons of CGPA in the ranking of applicants for S.F.U.
graduate scholarships.
IV.
Special Arrangements
The Senate Graduate Studies Committee serves as the Graduate
Program Committee of students enrolled under Special Arrangements.
As its chairman, I have given special attention to these students.
With the goal of ensuring their satisfactory progress, I have
brought all their supervisory committees into compliance with
Senate's regulations and, as of 86-3, require up-to-date progress
reports as a condition of registration. To date, the response of
students and supervisors has been excellent.
. . . ./3
-3-
I am pleased to report that the defences of theses completed
.
?
under Special Arrangements, which I chair, have all been quite
successful. Table V provides some data on degree completion.
These data are subject to the same caveat about part-time study as
the data in Table II.
Historically, Special Arrangements have been a high risk
area; students either succeed or fail spectacularly. Numbers of
students enrolled have remained roughly constant around 30. Degree
completion has been highly variable: 7 in 1987, 6 in 1986, 2 in
1985, 6 in 1984, 1 in 1983, 2 in 1982, and 4 in 1981. Other
students have dropped out. By the steps outlines above and by
rigorous enforcement of the criteria for entrance into Special
Arrangements, I hope to improve the success rate.
At the request of the S.G.S.C., I undertook a review of the
Special Arrangements program. The results of that review have been
reported to Senate and changes to the program approved by Senate.
V. ?
S.G.S.C. Motions
In Appendix B you will find a compilation of motions
considered by the S.G.S.C. since the last report.
• ?
VI. Future
I remain optimistic about the future of graduate studies at
S.F.U. The quality of most of the thesis defences which I have
attended has been high. With rare exception, applicants
recommended by departments for entry into Ph.D. programs have been
very strong. Through more aggressive recruiting of excellent
applicants with the aid of entrance scholarships, more rigorous
enforcement of the present requirements for satisfactory progress,
and more careful monitoring of student supervision, it should be
possible to improve the quality of graduate programs and decrease
times for degree completion, thus making more effective use of our
limited resources.
B.P. Clayman
Dean of Graduate Studies
0
TABLE I
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SUMMARY DATA
?
1982 ?
1983 ?
1984
?
1985
?
1986 ?
1987
Annualized Graduate Enrollment
Head Count
?
1243 ?
1355 ?
1414 ?
1419 ?
1377 ?
1366
FTE
?
937 ?
1054 ?
1137 ?
1153 ?
1125 ?
1084
Master's Degrees Awarded
121 191 208 218
279
214
Ph.D. Degrees Awarded
25
22
30
37
39
42
TOTAL
146
213 238
255
318 256
.
0
5.
TABLE II
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DEGREE COMPLETION TIMES (SEMESTERS)
.
Master's
Ph.D.
Completion in:
86-3->87-3
85-3->86-3
86-3->87-3
?
85-3->86-3
ARCH
MA
15.60
13.75
21.80
21.50
BISC
MPM
10.16
10.18
16.00
15.64
of
MSc
11.22
11.36
-
-
BUS
MBA
10.50
10.69
-
-
CHEM
MSc
10.11
8.75
14.33
16.00
CMNS
MA
12.40
10.73
-
11.00
CMPT
MSc
8.79
8.93
13.00
11.00
CRIM
MA
10.57
11.00
-
11.00
DLLL
MA
10.50
8.00
-
-
ECON
MA
6.40
7.00
19.67
18.11
EDUC
MA
11.86
12.34
10.50
8.50
MED
11.92
12.09
-
-
MSc
10.50
15.00
-
-
ENGL
MA
17.11
14.24
-
20.50
GEOG
MA
11.75
12.50
29.00
27.50
of
MSc
9.33
9.33
-
-
HIST
MA
10.00
14.60
-
14.00
KINE
MSc
9.33
10.86
13.00
-
MAST
MSC
8.31
7.91
13.75
13.50
MRN
MRN
11.44
10.57
-
-
PHYS
MSc
8.31
10.50
12.50
13.60
POL
MA
5.00
13.00
-
-
PSYC
MA
7.22
7.54
16.00
19.30
SA
MA
9.67
15.00
-
-
SAR
MA
7.00
8.33
16.75
18.80
of
MSc
-
19.00
-
-
WS
MA
7.00
6.00
-
-
Average/Number
?
10.51/273 ?
10.94/361 ?
16.13/49 ?
17.05/64
.
TABLE III
Summary Data on SFU Graduate Grade Point Averages of Master's and
?
Ph.D. Students Who Have Taken SFU Graduate Courses as of Semester 87-2
# of
CGPA
CGPA CGPA
CGPA
CGPA
CGPA
Dept
Stu.
25%
20%
10%
Aver.
Med.
Wted.
ARCH
29
4.00
4.00
4.00
3.67
3.67
3.65
BISC
111
4.00
4.00
4.00
3.71
3.75
3.69
BUS
74
3.62
3.67
3.79
3.44
3.38
3.42
CHEM
38
3.71
3.75
4.00
3.46
3.50
3.51
CMNS
35
4.00
4.00
4.00
3.74
3.78
3.79
CMPT
53 4.00
4.00
4.00
3.61
3.67
3.64
CRIM
46
3.82
3.93
4.00
3.63
3.71
3.64
DLLL
12 4.00
4.00
4.00
3.88
4.00
3.88
ECON
52
3.53
3.68
3.82
3.37
3.40
3.38
EDUC
277
3.93
4.00
4.00
3.66
3.67
3.67
ENGL
51
4.00
4.00
4.00
3.77
3.83
3.79
ENSC
14
3.78
3.78
3.89
3.48
3.67
3.48
GEOG
28
3.93
4.00
4.00
3.64
3.71
367
HIST
24
4.00
4.00
4.00
3.70
3.75
3..73
MASTKIN
4231
4.003.80
4.003.86
4.004.00
3.533.62
3.673.64
3.61
3.60
WS
MRNPSYC
SASARPHYSPOLPHIL
22
256829
3714
84
4.004.003.78
3.93
4.003.673.693.33
4.003.784.004.003.943.673.773.33
4.004.004.00
3.894.004.003.673.83
3.573.693.893.633.733.513.533.00
3.423.774.003.673.793.613.003.48
3.60
3.66
3.91
3.52
2.79
3.72
3.54
3.61
V.
.
ci
TABLE IV
Summary Data on SFU Graduate Grade Point Averages of Master's and
?
Ph.D. Students Who Have Taken SFU Graduate Courses as of Semester 86-2
S
.
# of
CGPA
CGPA CGPA CGPA
CGPA CGPA
Dept
Stu. 25%
20% 10% Aver.
Med. Wted.
ARCH 32
4.00
4.00
4.00 3.73 3.75 3.72
BISC
124
4.00
4.00 4.00
3.66
3.71 3.65
BUS
135
3.50 3.60 3.86
3.37 3.33 3.37
CHEM
47
3.85
4.00
4.00 3.54 3.50 3.56
CMNS 36
4.00
4.00 4.00 3.61
3.67 3.66
CMPT
69
3.83
4.00
4.00 3.53
3.66 3.59
CRIM 50
4.00
4.00 4.00 3.55 3.62 3.53
DLLL
18
4.00
4.00 4.00 3.78 3.89
3.78
ECON 77 3.62
3.67 3.83 3.43
3.43 3.46
EDUC
287 4.00
4.00 4.00 3.67 3.80 3.69
ENGL
60 4.00
4.00 4.00 3.82 4.00 3.82
GEOG
35 4.00
4.00 4.00 3.67
3.71 3.69
HIST
29
4.00 4.00
4.00 3.53 3.74 3.59
KINES
34
4.00
4.00 4.00
3.63 3.80
3.65
MASTA
46 4.00
4.00
4.00 3.53 3.67 3.63
MRN
52
3.78
3.86 4.00 3.53
3.64
3.50
PHIL 3
3.50
3.50
3.60 3.26 3.50 3.33
PHYS
42 3.88
4.00
4.00
3.40 3.50 3.56
POL
11
3.83
4.00 4.00 3.71 3.67 3.71
PSYC
76 3.87 3.91
4.00 3.67 3.71
3.69
SA
25
4.00 4.00 4.00 3.78
4.00
3.83
SAR
26
4.00
4.00 4.00 3.77
3.88
3.77
WS
3 2.50 2.50
4.00
2.83 2.50
2.71
TABLE V
Times for Degree
Completion for Graduands Completing Degree Requirements
in 85-3 and Thereafter.
Semester
?
Semester
Semesters
Dept Pgm
Name
Completed Started
in Program
SAR ?
HAS P. DOLDEN
853 ?
823
10
SAR ?
MAS A.
DAVIS
861
?
833
8
BAR ?
MAS M. LEE
863 ?
843
7
SAR ?
3 Graduands;
SAR MSC A. MALLINSON
SAR MSC A. MCBRIDE
SAR ?
2 Graduands;
SAR
PHS
A. LUKE
BAR
PHS M. REYES
SAR PHS S.
PETERSEN
SAR PHS A.
RAHMAN
SAR PHS J.
WINTERDYK
SAR
PHS P. HOWARD
SAR
PHS
N.
MCNULTY
BAR ?
7 Graduands;
8.33 = Average Semesters in the MAS Program
853
?
783
?
22
853 ?
803
?
16
19.00 = Average Semesters in the MSC Program
871 ?
812
?
18
862
?
782 ?
25
863
?
823 ?
13
863 ?
793
?
22
871 ?
823
?
14
862 ?
801
?
20
862
?
811 ?
17
18.43 = Average Semesters in the PHS Program
.
Totals: ?
5 Master's Graduands and 7 Ph.D. Graduands
12.60 = Average Semesters in the Master's Program Overall
18.43 = Average Semesters in the PhD Program Overall
0
APPENDIX A
ON THE TIME TAKEN TO COMPLETE GRADUATE RESEARCH DEGREES
STATEMENT BY CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATE SCHOOLS
?
Approved, November 1987
The Canadian Association of Graduate Schools is concerned over the lengthy times taken for
many students to complete their graduate degrees. It recognizes the essential role of
graduate studies in the creation and dissemination of new knowledge to the benefit of
society, as well as the need for the efficient utilization of the resources of society while
fulfilling that role. Excessive time taken to complete graduate degrees places an
unnecessary drain on the universities and can deprive potential students of opportunities
to pursue graduate studies.
The following statements provide specific advice for addressing this problem:
Whereas most of the major scholarships/fellowships available to graduate students in
national, provincial or university competitions are tenable for a maximum of 2 years for
a Masters degree and 4 years for a Doctoral degree which times are deemed to be sufficient
periods for a first-class student to complete these degrees,
and whereas: - most provincial grants to universities for Masters students provide base
support for 1.5 years (three terms) or, in a few instances, for 2 years (four terms), and
for doctoral students for up to 3 years, with fees charged and residence requirements
listed accordingly, but no support thereafter to the university to sustain indirect costs of
these students,
and whereas: - postdoctoral awards from outside agencies, appointment criteria for
University and Government positions and posts in private sectors all take into account the
time taken to complete graduate degrees, with preference given to those who have
completed within reasonable time constraints,
and whereas: - research findings made at the beginning of a graduate degree program risk
becoming obsolete, scooped or otherwise superceded the longer the program is continued,
with attendant risks that examiners will not accept the final submission,
but whereas: - reviews and statistics collected at many universities indicate that almost
all sectors take longer than these widely-accepted time frames to complete the thesis
degrees, in some sectors much longer on average particularly for the masters degree; and
also that an alarming rate of drop-out occurs in many programs,
the Canadian Association of Graduate Schools has concluded that a serious problem exists in
IV
the times taken to complete research degrees In Canada, which needs to be addressed by all
Graduate Schools and by the various sectors of the university where graduate work is
conducted. Conditions vary from place to place and between disciplines, of course, but we
M
/2
are agreed that remedial measures are needed, and we are convinced that we could and
should serve our bright young talents more effectively. The following recommendations
represent a distillation of several years of discussion and many documents on reforms
undertaken by particular universities, as a consensus of minimal actions that we
recommend.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. that the universities through their various responsible sectors shall do everything in
their power to facilitate the progress of graduate students through masters and doctoral
programs, by:-
?
-
a)
ensuring the maximum possible opportunities for external and internal awards
(Fellowships) for deserving students, as judged by responsible reviews of past and
on-going performance,
b)
giving top priority to providing graduate students with the facilities and services
needed to conduct their studies with minimal delays. Means include maximizing
available Assistantships and giving priority to help those students who have
demonstrated satisfactory progress and are still within reasonable time to complete
their degrees, maintaining library, computer, laboratory facilities etc., open during
periods that do not necessarily correspond with needs of other university sectors.
2. that faculties of Graduate Studies and Research do everything in their power to ensure
that efficient and effective services are provided to graduate students and faculty alike by:
a)
Lobbying to strengthen internal fellowship, scholarship, loan and bursary
programs and by informing and requiring students and supervisors to apply for all
available external awards,
b)
providing efficient and effective services to graduate students, faculty members
and research units and minimizing administrative and bureaucratic delays in the
processing of applications for admission and financial aid,
C)'
making present regulations concerning deadlines, programs and procedures known
to every student, supervisor and academic unit at appropriate intervals,
d) implementing special options where warranted to eliminate undue expectations for
rnini-doctorar performance at the Masters level and, in general, tailoring degree
demands to the length of time during which a fellowship-quality student can
reasonably .be expected to finish before the fellowship runs out.
3. that deoartments strive, within their limits, to provide the resources, program
guidelines and personal supervision necessary for reasonable progress of students through
graduate programs by:-
.../3
II
.••
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/3
a)
providing workspace for graduate students and a community with which to
Interact, e.g., through regular seminars, student lounge, etc.,
b) requiring early designation of programs, monitoring faculty who act
as research supervisors, and only accrediting or authorizing those who have records
of effective assistance to graduate students in completing degrees to continue in this
role,
C) making known program guidelines, requirements, regulations and deadlines in the
form of regular bulletins (booklets, memos, handbooks, etc.) issued to graduate
students and staff members,
d) ensuring graduate students of ready access to supervisors and supervisory
committees, monitored by regular assessments at which satisfactory progress or
remedial measures are recorded and implemented.
e)
requiring conciseness in graduate theses.
Approved at meeting of
• ?
Graduate School Representatives in Canada
(CAGS Annual Meeting)
November 6, 1987
Gordon Maclachlan
President, CAGS
0
APPENDIX B
REPORT TO SENATE OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE SENATE GRADUATE STUDIES COMMITTEE
FROM JANUARY 1987 TO DECEMBER 1987
Number of Meetings - Six (6)
The Senate Graduate Studies Committee with delegated power from Senate to:-
1.
Recommendations for Admission under Special Arrangements. Ten (10) recommendations
were considered. Seven (7) recommendations were considered once; one (1)
recommendation was considered at three (3) meetings; one (1) recommendation
was approved with clarification sought to the satisfaction of the Dean of Graduate
Studies; one (1) recommendation was rejected.
2.
One Recommendation for Admission was brought forward to the Senate Graduate
Studies Committee for consideration. This was rejected.
3.
Approved the following changes in the General Regulations - Graduate Studies.
Regulation 1.4.2 be changed
From: Registration
All students should arrive on campus one week before the beginning of
classes in each semester. Registration takes place during the week.
The course or thesis work for which the student registers must have the
approval of his Graduate Program Committee and of his Senior Supervisor
once the Senior Supervisor is appointed. Students who are going on leave
• ?
are required to register.
To:
?
Registration
All students should arrive on campus one week before the beginning of
classes in each semester. Registration takes place during that week.
The course or thesis work for which the student registers must have the
approval of the Chairmai of his'raduate Program Committee and of hitv
Senior Supervisor once the Senior Suoervisor is appointed. Students
who are going on leave are required to register.
Regulation 1.8.3 be changed
From: Withdrawal from Courses and from the Universi
Permission of the Senior Supervisor is required to withdraw from a course.
If the Senior Supervisor is not yet appointed, permission of the Chairman
of the Graduate Program Committee is required. If such permission is
granted, a student may withdraw from a course without academic penalty
u
p
to the end of the ninth week of classes in any semester.
To: ?
Withdrawal from Courses and from the University
Permission of the Senior Supervisor and the Chafrm- of the Graduate Program
Committee is required to withdraw from a course. If the Senior Supervisor
•
?
is not yet appointed, permission of the Chairman of the Graduate Program
Committee is required. If such
p
ermission is granted, a student may withdraw
from a course without academic penalty up to the end of the ninth week of
classes in any semester.
/3
Modification of Graduate Regulation 1.9.4
1.9.4 PREPARATION FOR EXAMINATION OF DOCTORAL THESIS
Preparation for the examination of a Doctoral Thesis shall not take place
until the thesis is substantially complete and in the format laid down in
Appendix A of the General Regulations - Graduate Studies.
At least two months before the proposed date for the thesis examination,
the candidate's Supervisory Committee shall make a recommendation concerning
the composition of the Examining Committee (in conformity with 1.9.3) and the
date of the thesis examination. This recommendation, which shall also include
the thesis title, an abstract of the thesis, and a short biography of the proposed
External Examiner, shall be sent to the Graduate Program Committee, then to the
Faculty Graduate Studies Committee for approval, then to the Senate Graduate
Studies Committee for final approval. The recommendation must reach the Dean
of Graduate Studies at least five weeks before the examination date. The Dean
of Graduate Studies shall invite the External Examiner and provide information
on the examination date and procedures.
Modification of Graduate Regulation 1.10.2
1.10.2 CLASSIFICATION OF THE THESIS
Classification of the Thesis
There are four possible outcomes of the thesis defence:
1.
The Thesis may be passed as submitted.
2.
The Thesis may be passed on the condition that minor revisions be completed
to the satisfaction of the Senior Supervisor.
3.
The Examining Committee may defer making judgement if it judges that the
thesis could pass after additional work by the candidate. A thesis upon
which judgement is deferred shall come forward for re-examination within
a period specified by the Examining Committee. This re-examination may
consist of a formal examination (under Section 1.10.1) or the Committee
may reach its decision after reading-the revised thesis. The method of
re-examination will be specified at the time of the deferral of judgement.
4.
The Thesis may be failed. In this case, the candidate is required to
withdraw from the University.
The decision of the Examining Committee is by simple majority vote except that
the Committee may not pass a thesis or defer its judgement on a thesis without
the concurrence of the External Examiner.
4.
?
Graduate Curriculum Changes for the Departments of History, Archaeology,
Economics, Psychology, Engineering Sciences and Natural Resources Management.
5.
The Senate Graduate Studies Committee wholeheartedly endorsed the establishment
of a Graduate Student Centre which would be more than a Reading Room.
6.
The Senate Graduate Studies Committee agreed that the capability of purst.iing
• ?
a graduate degree under Special Arrangements should be maintained but that
the instructions to applicants should be more specific as to requiring a
comprehensive exam at the Ph.D. level and that a student should take seminar
courses as opposed to all Special Topics courses and Directed Readings.
7.
The Senate Graduate Studies Committee approved new Terms of Reference for
Special Arrangements for Graduate Studies.
8.
The Senate Graduate Studies Committee approved a change in the deferral period
for graduate grades from the last day for receipt of grades in the following
semester to the end of the third week of classes in the following semester.
9.
The Senate Graduate Studies Committee approved the change in the name of the
Graduate Program in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics
to the Program in Languages and Linguistics.
"7'
S
r
