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a ,

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

IVi

t I

(I'J

I i' liT

To: Senate

From: Senate Committee on

Undergraduate Studies

Senate Committee on

Academic Planning

Subject:

School of Criminology -

Date:

December 12, 1985

Enrolment Management Plan

Action undertaken by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies at its

meeting of December 10, 1985, and by the Senate Committee on Academic

Planning at its meeting or December 11, 1985, gives rise to the following

motion:

MOTION:

"That Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of

Governors, as set forth in 5.86-

13,

the proposed enrolment

management plan in the School of Criminology.

ILI

scus.2so

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY ?

Faculty of Arts

ME URAN Bull

To: ?

R(--n Heath, secretary ?

FROli:

Sheila Roberts

, Secretary ?

Faculty of Arts Curriculum

Committee

SUBJECT:

CRIMINOLOGY ENROLMENT

DATE-

December 1 9ô

MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Faculty of Arts Curriculum. Committee at its meeting of November 28..

1985 unanimously approved the Proposal to Limit and Manage

Undergraduate Enrolments in

the School of

Criminology.'

Would you please

place this on the agenda of the next. meeting of SCAP. We are aware that

:3eCtioflS III and IV of the plan may not be necessary now that the

W ?

Registration Priority System has passed Senate, and you should remove

Ujese if

ou see them as unnecessary at this time.

Opp

I ?

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

MEMORANDUM

To: Senate Committee on

From: W. R. Heath, Secretary

Undergraduate Studies

SCUS

Subject: Criminology Enrolment

Date: December 4, 1985

Management Plan

At its meeting of December 2 Senate approved the Registration Priority

System which is noted in the attached report as being satisfactory to the

School of Criminology and consequently I would recommend that that portion

of the report not proceed to Senate but that the report to Senate would

conclude on page 4 at the end of item 2 "Continuation in the Major". The

material is forwarded to SCUS for their information.

I-

PROPOSAL TO LIMIT AND MANAGE UNDERGRADUATE ENROLMENTS 

?

IN THE SCHOOL OF CRIMINOLOGY 

This document outlines a plan for addressing the severe 

difficulties ? 

confronting the School 

?

of Criminology due to 

?

increasing 

?

enrolment 

?

pressures ? 

and ? 

declining ? 

departmental 

resources. If approved, the plan will operate to alleviate 

enrolment pressures while at the same time maintaining and 

enhancing the quality of the undergraduate program 

'

and ensuring 

that those students who perform at an acceptable academic level 

will continue' to have access to courses in a fair and equitable 

manner. 

More specifically, ? 

the following are proposed for the 

?

selection of students for the Fall 1986 semester: 

1.

the establishment of a yearly quota of students to 

be admitted to the major and minor in Criminology, 

the exact number to be determined.by 

the School of 

Criminology according to resource availability. 

2.

consideration o.f applications for admission to the 

School of Criminology twice a year. 

3.

announcement in advance of each competition the 

minimum cumulative grade point average below which 

students will not be considered for admission. 

4.

establishment of a minimum cumulative grade point 

average for students to continue in Upper Division 

Criminology courses. 

5.

implementation of a new system for registration 

priority' for ? 

limited enrollment Upper Division 

?

criminology seminar courses. 

6.

adoption of a new policy relating 

,

to course drops 

at the Upper Division level. 

The School of Criminology will continue to admit students to the 

Lower Division level under existing University regulations. 

RATIONALE FOR THE PROPOSAL 

'The Repor-t of President's Committee on Enrolment Limitation, 

(1982), as ratified and amended by Senate, established the 

following principles: 

1. ? 

That enrolment limitations for individual departments be 

considered ? 

when ? 

one ? 

of ? 

the

?

following ? 

conditions ? 

prevai is: 

2.

a.

enrolment growth exceeds the department ability to 

S ?

respond because of physical space constraints, the 

inability ? 

of ? 

the University 

?

to

?

allocate more 

operating resources to the department, or the 

inability of the department to attract sufficient 

qualified faculty. 

b.

undergraduate ? 

enrolment ? 

in ? 

the

?

department 

constitutes ? 

an ? 

excessive ? 

proportion ? 

of ? 

the

?

Universitys' total undergraduate enrolment. 

?

it is determined that the best interest of the 

department 

?

and

?

the University ? 

in maintaining ? 

academic quality require that enrolment be limited. 

All ? 

three 

?

conditions ? 

currently ? 

exist' in 

?

the ? 

School ? 

of ? 

Criniinol.ogy. 

In addition, ? 

the ConTnittee also set forth 'the general 

?

principle to be followed in constructing any enrolment limitation 

scheme: ? 

that any policies for limiting enrolment be based 

?

primarily on academic achievement and potential. 

Since its inception in 1974, the School (formerly 

Department) of Criminology has experienced exponential growth and 

the program now has. over 600 declared and intended majors at the 

S

..

undergraduate level. In addition to serving students who enter 

their first year at Simon Fraser University, the School receives 

students from criminal justice programs in 10 colleges across 

British Columbia and Alberta. 

For several years, the School of Criminology has been 'the 

fourth largest program at Simon Fraser University in terms of 

total undergraduate enrolment, and in Fall, 1985, a further 18% 

increase in undergraduate enrolments was recorded. While faculty 

and departmental resources kept pace with increasing student 

enrolments during the late 1970's and early 1980's, 

?

it is 

apparent that current admission. and registration priority 

arrangements are no longer adequate to meet the demands being 

placed upon the School of Criminology by students entering the 

program and those currently enroled in it. Over the past three 

years, Criminology has suffered a net .loss of 2 tenure-track 

positions and is suffering from .a shortage of space and office 

personnel. Further, it is likely that the amount of monies 

allotted to Criminology for Teaching Assistantships will decline 

in the near future, further straining departmental resources. 

Course waiting lists with 50 or more names on them, students 

queuing up for as long as 15 hours to put their name on a waiting 

list, third and fourth year students with 3.8 cumulative grade 

point averages unable to gain access to limited enrollment 

seminar courses - all of these difficulties require redress in 

the irrmediate future. 

The rapid increase in undergraduate enrolments in 

Criminolog y 

..and the challenges presenter' by this growth were 

noted in The President's Task Force on Enrolment Limitations. 

The authors of the report noted that such increases would pince 

severe demands for the hiring of new faculty, the addition of 

library resources, and for additional departmental resources. 

The authors, of the report further noted that an inability to 

attract or hire new faculty, the use of a large number of 

sessional lecturers, and overcrowding in courses "...can, over 

time, result in a lowering of equality of programs." In 

discussing the possible courses of action to address these 

contingencies, the authors (182:14) concluded: 

From the Committee's perspective, it is both rapid 

growth and the proportion of the University's total 

enrolment identified with particular departments 

which should serve to flag the possihle need to 

consider enrolment limitations in that particular 

program. 

THE PROPOSED PLAN 

The following plan proposes not only to limit enrolment 

through the imposition of a quota system and also outlines a 

mechanism through which the School of Criminology will manage 

enrolments at the Upper Division level to insure that access to 

limited enrollment courses is provided in a fair and predictable 

fashion on the basis of academic performance. 

I. ? 

Entry to the Criminology Major and Minor. 

Entr y 

into the major or minor in The School of Criminology 

will be on the basis of a formal application made to the School 

during the Fall or Spring semester. The School of Criminology 

will establish a yearly quota - the number of students to be 

admitted into the major. 

T

his quota will be established on the 

basis of projected available course space and departmental 

resources, and subject to the approval of the Dean of Arts. The 

subcorrmittee of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee will 

receive and review all applications for entry into the major or 

minor.: ? 

In its,screening decisions, the Corimittee will consider 

all ? 

relevant ? 

materials, ? 

including ? 

cumulative ? 

grade 

?

point, ? 

practical experience, letters of recommendation and any other 

material 

?

the

?

student wishes ? 

to submit in support of ? 

the? 

application. 

Students transferring to Simon Fraser Universit 

y

from a two year 

college that has articulated the first 60 credit hours of study 

in Criminology with the School of Criminology will be considered 

on the basis of their college cumulative grade point average (re- 

calculated ? 

on ? 

the ? 

basis ? 

of

?

grades ? 

received ? 

in

?

courses 

transferable ? 

to the university) ? 

as well as other ? 

relevant ? 

materials. 

4.

II.

Continuation in the Major 

To continue as majors/minors in Criminology, students must 

maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.25. Those 

students whose cumulative grade point average falls below a 2.25 

will not be allowed to register in any Upper Division Criminology 

courses, including those offered through the DISC program. When 

their cumulative grade point average is ,restored to a 2 

.

. 25, 

'students will be re-admitted to the program' after review and 

approval by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. 

III. Priority 

?

for

?

Registration 

?

in ? 

Upper ? 

Division 

?

Limited 

Enrollment Seminar Courses 

Under the proposed enrolment management plan, registration 

priority forlimited enrollment Upper Division seminar courses in 

the School of Criminology will be established on the basis of 

cumulative grade point average rather than on the basis of the 

total number of semester hours completed. After extensive 

deliberations and considerations of the alternatives, it is the 

consensus of the faculty of the School of Criminology that 

registration 

?

priority ? 

premised on 

?

academic achievement ? 

is

preferrable. ? 

The plan will ensure that those students with high 

?

grade point averages are given priority for registration. 

. ?

The 'current system of registration premised on total number 

of semester hours results in a considerable ' amount of 

unpredictability among students as well as creating morale 

problems on the part of both students and faculty when good 

students are unable to gain access to desirable seminar 

courses. , The plan is particularly relevant for the School of 

Criminology, which offers at least 10 limited enrolment (25 

student maximum) seminars each semester, courses which should 

attract the best and brightest students. The proposed enrolment 

management plan will function to aim for highest caliber of 

student available, while at the same time lending predictability 

and certainty to the registration process for these courses. If 

the proposed university-wide Registration Priority System is 

enacted by Senate in the near future, then the School of 

Criminology would be prepared to apply the university-wide system 

instead of the alternative system outlined in this document. 

IV.

Course Drop Policy for Upper Division Courses 

In an attempt to increase the access of courses to students 

and to reduce the administrative load occasioned by students 

dropping courses, students who drop or withdraw after the first 

week of classes from an Upper Division Criminology course that 

has been closed due to 'high enrolment will lose priorit 

y

for

•

?

admission to that course for one semester. 

?

In extenuating 

?

circumstances this regulation may he waived b 

y

the School 

following 

?

written ? 

ippc!ul 

?

by ? 

the ? 

student 

5.

?

(

A student who drops a Criminology course which does not fall 

under the above category, after the normal course change period, 

will not be permitted to pre-register for that course in the 

following semester, but may be admitted to that course during the 

course change period if space exists. 

Criminology 320-3 and 330-3, the two required courses at the 

Upper Division, and 369-4, which students must complete to 

qualify for consideration for a field placement, will be exempt 

from the proposed drop policy. 

CALENDAR ENTRY RE: ENROLLMENT LIMITATION PLAN FOR SCHOOL OF

CRIMINOLOGY

Admission

The School of Criminology limits admission

. -to

the upp'er division

of its Major, Minor and Honors programs. Entry into the Major/Honors

or Minor in the School of Criminology will be on the. basis of a formal

applicat ion made to the School during the Fall or Spring Semester.

Students are eligible, to apply for entry to the Maj'ori/Hono.rs program

after successful completion of 60 credit hours, including the lower

division Group A and Group B required.co.urses. Students a'e eligible

to apply for entry to the Minor program after suc'ees.sfulcornpletion of

60 credit hours and CRIM 101 and CRIM 131. Students shou1drnake

application to the School during the semester in which they are

completing the above requirements. If completion is to take place

during a Summer Semester, students should make appl.icat ion during the

Spring, and will be admitted for the Fall Semester conditional upon

successful completion of the requirements in Summer.

With the approval of the Dean of Arts, the School

of Criminology will establish a yearly quota - the number of students

to be admitted into theMajor/Honor,sor Minor. This quota Will be

established on the basis of proj•.ecte,d available eøurse space and

School resources. In advance of each competition, the School will

announce: the minimum cumulative grade point average below which

students will not be. considered for admission., The School will

receive and

review all

applications

from those eligible ?

2.

relevant materials, including cumulative grade point, practical 

experience, letters of recommendation and other material the student *. 

wishes to submit in support of the application. 

Continuation in the 

Major/Honors/Minor 

To continue as Majors/Honors/Minors in Criminology, students must 

maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.25. Those students 

whose cumulative grade point average falls below a 2.25 will not be 

allowed to register in any upper division Criminology courses, 

including those offered through the DISC program. When their 

cumulative grade point average is restored ton 2.25,'students will be 

re-admitted to the program after review and approval by the School of 

Criminology. 

Registration Priority 

Registration priority for limited enrollment upper division 

seminar .courses in the School of Criminology will be established' on 

the basis of cumulative grade point average. Students with a G.P.A. 

below 2.25 will not be permitted to registerin any upper.divisjon 

Criminology course. 

Course Drop Policy 

Students who drop or withdraw after the first week of classes 

from an upper division Criminology course that has been closed due to 

high' enrollment will lose priority for admission to that course for 

one semester. In extenuating circumstances this regulation may be 

waived by the School following written appeal by the student. 

A student who drops a Criminology course which does not fall? 

under the above category, after the normal course change period, will 

3.

?

not be permitted to pre-register for that course in the following 

semester, but may be admitted to that course during the course change 

period if space exists. 

Criminology 320-3 and 330-3, the two 

,

required courses at the 

?

upper division, as well as GRIM 369-4, which students must complete to 

qualify for consideration for a field placement, will be exempt from 

the above drop policy. 

Transfer Students 

Students transferring to Simon Fraser University from a two-year 

college that has articulated the first, 60.credit hours of study in 

Criminology with the School of Criminology will be considered on the 

basis of their college cumulative grade point average (re-calculated 

on

?

the basis 

of

grades 

received 

?

in

courses 

transferable 

?

to

?

the

University), 

as

well 

?

as

the other 

relevant 

materials. 

.