SiMON FRASER
MEMORANDUM
UNIVERSITY
?
S. 5-/b
SENATE
••
U
OS
PROPED DISCONTINUATION
.
OF HONORS,
S
ubject
.......................................
MAJOR, MINOR PROGRAMS IN
(i) RUSSIAN:
?
(ii) C,EPM.N
SENATE COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC PLANNING
From
...........................................
SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES
FEBRUARY 20, 1985
Date
................................................
Action undertaken by the Senate Committee on Academic Planning at its meeting of
February 18, 1985 and the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies at its meeting
of
Fehruo:y 19, 1985 gives rise to the following motions:
RUSSIAN
MOTION 1: That Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.85-10, that the degree programs,
including honors, majors and minors, in Russian be discontinued
with appropriate phasing out of the program as early as possible
but in a manner that ensures students well-advanced in the programs
are given reasonable opportunity for completion."
(Note: 1. It is understood that procedures and regulations covering
.
?
students in programs and phasing out will come forward
later for approval when completed.
2: It is understood that no new honors, majors or minor
students will be accepted into these programs after
April 30, 1985.
3. It is understood that there may be need of restructuring
DLLL. ?
Proposals could come forward later for
consideration when completed.)
MOTION 2: That Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.85-10, that a sequence of four
Russian language courses, i.e. Russian 100-3, 101-3, 201-3 and
202-3 be retained.
?
All other existing Russian courses will be
discontinued or transferred to other programs as of August 31, 1987.
The following courses will be eliminated or transferred to other
programs: Russian 105-1, 106-1, 300-3, 301-3, 302-3, 110-3, 111-3,
211-3, 310-3, 311-3, 140-3, 340-3, 341-3, 401-3, 402-4, 406-3,
407-3, 450-3, 451-3, 452-3, 453-3, 454-3, 455-3, 449-3."
S
-2-
?
.
GERMAN
MOTION 3: "That Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.85-
10,
that the degree programs,
including honors, majors and minors, in German be discontinued
with appropriate phasing out of the program as early as possible
but in a manner that ensures students well-advanced in the
programs are given reasonable opportunity for completion."
(Note: 1. It is understood that procedures and regulations
covering students in programs and phasing out will
come forward later for approval when completed.
2.
It is understood that no new honors, majors or minor
students will be accepted into these programs after
April 30, 1985.
3.
It is understood that there may be need of restructuring
DLLL. Proposals could come forward later for
consideration when completed.)
MOTION 4: "That Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.85- 10, that a sequence of four
German language courses, i.e. German 102-4, 103-4, 201-3 and 202-3
be retained.
?
All other existing German courses will be
discontinued or transferred to other programs on August 31, 1987.
The following courses will be eliminated or transferred to other
programs: German 140-3, 205-1, 240-3, 300-3, 301-3, 350-3, 360-3,
370-3, 371-3, 401-3, 402-3, 404-3, 406-3, 408-3, 409-3, 443-3,
444-3, 446-3, 447-3, 449-3, 451-3, 455-3, 459-3, 460-3, 461-3."
.
SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
.
?
MEMORANDUM
To .........
...
.
r. Ron Heath
Cu..........................
Subject
......
.
iscontinuation of Honors, Major
and Minor Program in Russian and
-----------------------
From .... ...
Wattaiiianiuk
S
•
ary to SC/P
Date .....
February•
1
p.,..
.
Please be advised that the Senate Committee on Academic Planning, at a Special
Meeting on February 18, 1985, approved the motions as set out in SCAP 85-3
relating to the discontinuation of the Honors, Major and Minor Programs in
both Russian and German.
Debate on the motions was preceded by a number of presentations from faculty
and students. I attach a list of presentors for your reference.
In dealing with the motions for discontinuation, SCAP took into consideration
a rumber of factors relating to both programs:
(1)
student enrollments
(2)
teaching resources
(3)
impact of discontinuation on faculty and students
(4)
impact of discontinuation on other programs at SFU
(5)
impact of discontinuation on the community
(6) similar programs at other universities
'v4)
W 3W / g q
9
SENATE COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC PLANNING
SPECIAL MEETING
FEBRUARY 18, 1985, ADMINISTRATION BUILING ROOM 3172
AGENDA
?
-Motions relating-to the discontinuation of Russian
and German Programs.
LIST OF PRESENTORS
1.
Dr. Evelyn J. Harden; Associate Professor, DLLL
(representing the Russian Division)
2.
Dr. Margaret B. Jackson; Assistant Professor and Chairman,
German Division of DLLL
3.
Margaret A. Ziviski; representing students of Russian
4.
Manuela Myers; representing students of German
5.
Dr. Laurence Kitching; Associate Professor, DLLL -/
6.
Dr. Phyllis M. Wrenn, Associate Professor, DLLL
7.
Dr. Ian R. Whitaker; Professor, Sociology/Anthropology
8.
Dr. Neville J. Lincoln, Associate Professor and Chairman
of DLLL (will be available to answer questions from
members of SCAP)
PLEASE NOTE
1.
Presentations will commence at 2:00 p.m. on an individual
basis. Speakers will be called in the order above.
2.
Presentations should be limited to 10 minutes. Questions
may follow from members of SCAP.
.
[IJ
00
•
?
SiMON 1
?
i[ASEII UNIVERSITY ?
Scfl
P
S- 3
.
?
MEMORANDUM
Senate Committee on Academic Planning ?
J.W.G. Ivany
To ..................................
......................
From
... .
?
?
ice-V..re
...
side.t
.
..
Ac
..ad..
emi c
..................
?
Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studie
Subject. Proposed Discontinuation of Honors, ?
Date ?
8 February 1985
4áJ5, ?
Pó..................................
m
........
...........
ssian, oij in berman
Following the review by PACUP and the President's proposals in September 1984,
the Dean of Arts in response to instructions from me placed a number of motions
before the Faculty of Arts Undergraduate Curriculum Committee relative to the
above topics.
Attached hereto for your information are materials showing the motions placed
and the results at that committee. The following are included:-
Appendix I ?
- Memo, Jan 7, 1985. Dean of Arts to FACC showing basic motions
proposed.
Appendix flA - Memo, Jan 7, 1985. Dean of Arts to Vice-President Academic
stating basic motions placed, the results on those motions, and
alternatives proposed by the Committee
Appendix 1113
1113 -
Memo, Dec 11, 1984. Secretary FACC to Dean of Arts showing basic
is
motions proposed, the results on those motions and alternatives
proposed by the Committee
Appendix IEA- Memo, Dec
Li,
1985. German Division to FACC proposing a German
minor rather than four courses proposed
Appendix IILB- Memo, undated. E. Harden of Russian Division proposing Russian
translation courses rather than four courses proposed.
II. ?
Following further review and discussion with the Dean of Arts it is my intention
to place before SCAP and to place before SCUS the motions substantially as
originally proposed by the Dean of Arts.
Representatives of the Department and the affected divisions will have opportunity
to make presentations at the meeting of SCAP scheduled for Monday, February 18th.
- It is proposed to consider firstly the topic of Russian, and then that of German.
III.. ?
Motions for consideration.
(I) ?
Russian
MOTION 1: "That the degree programs, including honors, majors and
minors, in Russian be discontinued
with appropriate phasing out of the program as early as
possible but in a manner that ensures students well
-
advanced in the programs are given reasonable opportunity
for completion.
(Note: ?
1. It is understood that procedures and regulations covering
?
0
O
Senate Committee on Academic Planning
Senate Commi.ttee on Undergraduate Studies
?
8 February
1985
-2- ?
S
III. Motions for consideration (continued)
(1) Russian (continued)
I ?
students in programs and phasing out will come forward
later for approval when completed.
I ?
2.
It is understood that no new honors, majors or minor
students will be accepted into these Programs after
April
30, 1985.
I ?
3.
It is understood that there may be need of restructuring
DLLL. Proposals could come forward later for consideration
when completed)."
MOTION
2:
"That a sequence of four Russian language courses, i.e.
Russian
100-3, 101-3, 201-3,
and
202-3
be retained. All
other existing Russian courses will be discontinued or
transferred to other programs as of August
31, 1987.
The following courses will be eliminated or transferred to
other programs: Russian
105-1, 106-1, 300-3, 301-3, 302-3,
110-3, 111-3, 211-3, 310-3, 311-3, 140-3, 340-3, 341-3,
454-3,
401-3,
455-3,
402-4, 406-3,
449-3."
407-3,
450-3,
451-3, 452-3, 453-3,
(ii) German
MOTION 1:
"That the degree programs, including honors, majors and
minors, in German be discontinued
with appropriate phasing out of the program as early as
possible but in a manner that ensures students well-
advanced in the programs are given reasonable opportunity
for completion.
(NOTE 1. It is understood that procedures and regulations covering
students in programs and phasing out will come forward
later for approval when completed.
2.
It is understood that no new honors, majors or minor
students will be accepted into these Programs after
April
30, 1985.
3.
It is understood that there may be need of restructuring
DLLL.
P
roposals could come forward later for consideration
when completed.)"
MOTION
2:
"That a sequence of four German language courses, i.e.
German
1024, 103-4,201-3
and
202-3
be retained. All
Senate Committee on Academic Planning
Senate Committee on Under
g
raduate Studies ?
8 February
1985
.
?
-3-
I I I. Motions for consideration (continued)
(ii) German (continued)
MOTION 2:
(continued)
other existing German courses will be discontinued or
transferred to other Programs on August
31, 1987.
The following courses will be eliminated or transferred
to other programs: German
11+0-3, 205-1,
2140-3,-
300-3,
301-3, 350-3, 360-3, 370-3, 371-3, 401-3, 402-3, 404-3,
406-3, 408-3, 1409-3, 443-3, 444-3, 1+1+6-3
,
447_3, 449-3,
1451-3, 455-3,
4593,
460-3, 461-3."
Rationale:
The retention of the four courses will provide SFU
students with an introduction to the German language.
In the strict sense of the word, they are not equivalent
to lower division courses at UBC, but it is our under-
standing that they are transferable and will be
satisfactory for students intending transfer and major
in German at that University.
n
SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
MEMORANDUM
Charles Hamilton, Chairman
To.:.
Faculty of Arts Curriculum Committee
Subject
.....................................................
R. C.
Brown
.
,
..
.......................
From
......................
...
Faculty of Arts
Date. ?
1mb...,198.
.9
On October 19, 1984, the Academic Vice President instructed
me as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts to present the following motions
to the Faculty of Arts Curriculum Committee:
Motion:
That the FACC accepts the proposal that:
1.
The degree programs, including honors, majors
and minors, in German be discontinued
2. The degree programs,including honors, majors
and minors, in Russion be discontinued
• ?
with appropriate phasing out of the program as early
as possible but in a manner that ensures students
well-advanced in the programs are given reasonable
• ?
opportunity for completion.
(Note: 1. It is understood that procedures and
regulations covering students in programs
and phasing out will come forward later
for approval when completed.
2. It is understood that no new honors, majors
or minor students will be accepted into these
Programs after April 30, 1985.
3.
It is understood that there may be need of
restructuring DLLL. Proposals could come
forward later for consideration when
completed.)
In
the
event that Senate and the Board of Governors approve
the motions discontinuing these Programs, I recommend that the following
additional motions be approved:
2/
0
I
2/
Motion:
That the Faculty of Arts Curriculum Committee
recommend that a sequence of four German language
courses, i.e. German 102-4; 103-4; 201-3; and 202-3
be retained. All other existing German courses will
be discontinued 1r transferred to other Programs on
August 31, 1987.
Rationale: The retention of these four courses will provide
SFU students with an introduction to the German
language. In the strict sense of the word, they
are not equivalent to lower division courses at
UBC, but it is our understanding that they are
transferable and will be satisfactory for students
intending transfer and major in German at that
University.
1. The following courses will be eliminated or transferred to other
programs: German 140-3; 205-1; 240-3; 300-3; 301-3; 350-3; 360-3;
370-3; 371-3; 401-3; 402-3; 403-3; 404-3; 406-3; 408-3; 409-3; 443-3;
444-3; 446-3; 447-3; 449-3; 451-3; 455-3; 459-3; 460-3; 461-3.
Motion:
That the Faculty of Arts Curriculum Committee
recommend that a sequence of four Russian
.
?
language courses, i.e. Russian 100-3; 101-3;
201-3; and 202-3 be retained. All other exist-
ing
transferred
Russian
to
courses
other
will
programs
be discontinued
as of August
or31, ?
1987.
2
Rationale: The retention of these courses will provide SFU
students with an introduction to the Russian
language. The sequence of courses can be
considered to be equivalent to
the
lower division
language requirements for
entry
into the UBC
- ?
major degree program in Slavonic Studies.
2. The
following courses will be eliminated or transferred to other
programs: Russian 105-1; 106-1; 300-3; 301-3; 302-3; 110-3; 111-3;
211-3; 310-3; 311-3; 140-3; 340-3; 341-3; 401-3; 402-4; 406-3; 407-3;
450-3; 451-3; 452-3; 453-3; 454-3; 455-3; 449-3.
P- C. - ?"-^
R. C. Brown
RCB/mc
.
GOis'
JL. ?
iL \.L V
?
. :t.
?
• ?
t
'- .---
-
-crL)
fl1V&NI ?
--'i ,:
Ivany
?
From
?
. ?
Dean
.
of Arts
Subject
?
!.).2P.!
At a meeting on Decembor 6, 1984, I presented the following
• ?
motions to the Faculty of Arts Curriculum Committee:
Motion
1:
That theFe1Caccepts the proposal that:
•
?
•
?
1.
The degree programs, including honors
.
,majors and
minr in Gexnan be discontinued
with approriate p1iaing out
of
VLO
program as earl:,
as
possible but
in a manner
that enures students
well-advanced in the programs are
givcn reasonable
opportunity for
completion.
(Note: I. It is understood that procedures and rcg74.lai;ior.s
coverii'j
s1;wtcnl; in
programs and 1
.
)12asin7 out zjill
come
forward la i:cr for approval i7:en completed.
• ?
2. It is undervtood that no
new
honors.
majors or i'iino.r.
students will be accepted
into
1;hsc
Pr'ograras after
•
?
April 30, Z96.
3.
It is understood that. the-re may he need
of
restrzwi-uri77
DLTJL. Proposals could come foiard lai;er for com;ic2er-
ation when compl-i;ed. )
?
-
The Committee chose to defeal the motion to discontinue the cteyree
?
programs in German. Instead, it approved the following substitute motion:
That the Faculty of A1.:; Curriculum Co.'nmi.ttce (10cc not see
adequate acadci,ic: recwow for di:;corrt.inuing the Geiman
programs but. in
-1:1w event thai: S.C.A.P.
considers
tcrriiznati-aq
these
f'rO'was
that 11w Gommittec suppori;:; the. re'te;ztion
of
a minor progra'.i in
CC1vc1n
•
,
consisting of
thec coues
G1'Ei1. 102-4, 103.4, ::01-3, 202.-3, 240.-4, 300-3, 37O-3, 371-3.,
400--3, 410-3; nei
?
.::;os Gi/:i-,'. 400-3 I(cadi.nqs in ;er-;n
IiflgUir;
i.w
CL'
Li I '-
i
l.ur; p/Pus G7II. ?!C0--3
which shouZd be
offcrc'! once a j.:a,'
us ?
1-7-i,z:d in U. fJacs;on
'5
me;fl() of
4, l911!.
.2.
I, ( -3
U
J .W . C. IV
lily
?
- 2 ?
oil
flIhry 7,
193!)
The Coniini ttce chose to
consider the motions concerni
nq the flussi an
procj'ams in two, parts: it agreed by majority vote that the honors,
majors and minors be discontinued,
Motion 2:
The drec progra:ns, inc1udi.ng
lsO;20i'5,
majors and zainors,,
in Russian be discontinued
with appropriate phasing out
of
the proiraJn as early lar.
possible but in a manner that ensures students well-
adzanced
in
the programs are given reasonable opportunity
for completion.
(Note: 1. It is understood that procedures and
regulations cover-
•
?
mc,'
tudnts in programs and phcwing out wil.1- come
for-
ward later for approval when completed.
• ?
2. It is understood that no new honors, majors or vi-nor
students willbe accepted into these Program; after
April 30
.
, 1985.
3.
It is understood that there may be
need of restructur--
ing DIsTiL. Proposals could come forward later for con-
sideration
wizen completcd.)
Lit
defeated Motion 3;
That the Faculty
of
Arts
Curricul-wn C'o:ninittcc rccoitncnds
W
?
that a scqucnce
of
four Russian language courses
.
,
i1
c.
Russian 100-3, 101-3, 207-3, and 202-3
be retained, tilt
other
existing
Russian co-sos wil7 be discontinued or
transferred to other programs as of August 31., 1987L
The
following
COlO5CC
will. be
ciuWUlated or transferred
CO
other
prjrams: Russ ian. los--i, lOG-i, 300-3, 307-3, 302-3,
110-3, 111-3, 211-3, 310-3, 311-3, 140-3, 340-3, 31-3,
401-3, 402-4, 406-3, 40'/-3, 450-3, 451-3,
452-3,
454-3, 455-3,
449-3.
The Committee then approved the foflowing substitute motion for a
reduced program
in
Russian translation:
Motion:
That a reducel program
in Russian
translation be
approved
which consists
of
Ii1J. 110-3, 105-1,
111-3, 106-1 210-3
new course -. intermediate Practvcc in
Russian Tranciation I,
RUSS. 211-3, 310--3, 311--3.
I attach a copy of the Committee's report for your consideration.
1),.C. Bro'.;n
1t.t.ch.
11
-f
( 111ION FRASER UNIVILSITY
MMO3AHDUM
f-1PP&4r
?
J
From.
Sh].a Roberts, Secret:ary
•
Faculty of Arts Ctirrj.cu)um Committ:ec:
?
?
Date .
?
9
?
. ?
•
Faculty of Arts
Subject...
Russian and German
The following actions were taken. by the Faculty of Arts Curriculum
Committee at its meeting of December 6, 1984 in response to your
:memo to the Chairman dated November 29, 1984. (C.
84-21):
Notion:
That the FAC accepts the proposal that:
1-.
1 ?
The
aegree
I ?
programs,
?
. ?
ncludtng
- -- ?
hon
-
ors, majors
•
and minors, in German be discontinued
with appropriate phasing out of the prqgram as early
as possible but in a manner that ensures students
well-advanced in the programs are given reasonable
opportunity for completion.
?
. ?
.
(Note:
?
I. It
is
understood that procedures and
•
regulations covering students in
programs
I ?
.
?
and phasing out will come
forward later for
( ?
.
approval when completed.
2. It is understood that no new honors, majors
or minor students will be accepted into these
Programs, after April 30, 1985.
? •
?
.
3. It is understood that there
may
be need of
restructuring DLt1L.
?
Proposals could come
forward later for consideration when
.
•
completed.)
• ?
1 '.
In Favour'
Notion Defeated.
?
9
?
Opposed
The Committee rejected the motion on the grounds that there were no
academic reasons given for the proposed discontinuation of the programs
in German. ?
They noted that the enrolments were quite. good, and that
both the major and minor programs had active students in them.
• ?
• .
GOlO
- ?
---
?
-
?
-
' ?
The Committee substituted
the
following motion for Motion .3 from
Vzt
your memo, which listed CERN 102-4, 103-4,
201-3
and 202-3 for
retention:
•
?
?
That the Faculty of Arts Curriculum Committee does
?
not see adequate academic reasons for discontinuing
the German programs but in the event that S.C.A.P.
considers terminating these programs that the
Committee supports the retention of a minor
program in
,
German, consisting
of
these courses
GERM 102-4, 103-4, 201-3, 202-3, 240-4, 300-3,
370-3, 371-3, 400-3, 410-3; new courses GERM 400-3
Special Topics in German Studies GERM 410-3
Readings in German Linguistics or Literature;
plus GERM 460-3 which whould be offered onc3•a
- year as outlined in M. Jackson's memo
of
December 4, 1984.
This motion was passed unanimously
Notion
2. The degree programs, including honors, majors
?
•
- and minors, in Russian be discontinued
with appropriate phasing out of the program as early
as possible but in a manner that ensures students well-
.
?
?
advanced in the programs are given reasonable
?
opportunity for completion.
(Note: 1. It is understood that procedures and regulations
covering students in programs and phasing out
will come forward later for approval when
completed.
2.
It is understood that no new honors, majors or
minor,
Programs
students
after April
will
30,
be accepted
1985.
into these
3.
It is understood that there may be need
of
restructuring DELL. Proposals could come
forward later for consideration when completed.)
Notion Carried. ?
5 In Favour
4 Opposed
1 Abstention
The difference between the two programs was discussed at some length,
With the Dean pointing out that it was probable that a proposal would
have been made to discontinue the Russian program despite the present
financial situation because there is not sufficient student interest
in Russian
in
this province at the precnt time to justify continuing
.13
G011
very
programs.
present
programs
small
that
at
courses
all
it is
three
not
are
uni
possible
kept
versities.
open
to
which
give
The
would
faculty
program
be
full
ca
is
ncelled
so
t
:
eaching
sma
ll
in
loa(1s
other
at:
-
Notion
4. That the Faculty of Arts Curriculum Cownittec
recommends that a sequence of four Russian
language courses,
i.e.
Russian 100-3; 101-3;
201-3; and .202...3 be retained. All other existing
Russian courses will be discontinued or
transferred to other programs as
of
August 31, 1987.
The following
c
ourses will be elininated or
transferred to other programs: Russian 105-1;
106-1; 300-3; 301-3; 302-3; 110-3; 111-3; 211-3;
3l03; 311_3; 140-3; 340-3; 341-3; 401-3
;
402_4;
449-3.
4063; 407-3; 450-3; 451-3; 452-3; 453_3; 454-3; 455-3;
Failed for lack of a second.
The folloving motion was
moved,
•
approved
That
.
a reduced
which
progiarn
consists
in
.
of
Russian
RUSS 110-3,
t
ranslation
RUSS los-i,
be
RUSS 111-3, RUSS 106-1, RUSS 210-3// course.
In'terniedj ate .p
ractic
(
,
in
Russian Translation
• ?
RUSS 211-3, RUSS 310-3, RUSS 311-3.
6 In Favour
3 Opposed
It was argued that by retaining this three year program S.F.U.
humanities
students who
social
wished
s
ciences
to attain
or
a
S
reading
ciences.eould
knowledge
do so.
of Russian in the
I
SR/inc
?
S. Roberts
End..
G0i2
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
JJJ-
4
MEMORANDUM
4 0
0
.......
(:h . llami.l ton, Chairman, and Members
of the Faculty of Arts Curriculum Ctt c
Minor in German in place of nroposed
Subject.
4-cour&ii
1u:c•
ii. Jackson,
Cit
ai rinan , and
From......................................................
Members of the German Divisiop,. DLLL
December
14,
1.98/4
Da:e.......................................................
At present, 28 students are enrolled as
Majors
or Minor. ,
; in German,
a number which compares well with other divisions in the DLLL. In
fact, it compares favorably with some small departments. (We also
have the same ratio as U1C, for example.) In 1.984-3, there were 75
students in Lower Division courses and 54 students in Upper Division
courses. This warrants retaining at least a minor degree program in
German at SFU in place of having students transfer to UBC in their
third year of German Studies. (Complications arising from such a
transfer would not only affect the students' German program; such
transfer would also cause considerable complications for other areas
of their studies.)
For these reasons, the German Division suggests that Simon Fraser retain
a ver y s
Lruetured zitmd limited minor program consi.sii.ng
of
the IolJ.owiiig
courses:
Lower Di'isj.uii ?
(:102-6,
1.03-4,
201-3, 202-3, 240-3
Upper
Division ?
C300-3, 360-3, 370-3, 371-3, 14003/419_3
0240-3 and all Upper
Division
courses may be completed
in
two semesters if
scheduled as follows:
FALL
SPRING
Course
flours
Course
hours ?
.
102-4
5
102-'i
5
103-4
5
103-6
- -
201-3
4
202-3
j
2403
3
360-3
.3 Fr '
300-3
if
371-3
3
?
'''
6i-
fiiJ
370-3
3
400-3/410-3
3.
Tö
9
G400-3
a1*o'js in
German
Studies
C4 10-3 ?
1:tditt;
IU
German 1.in. or 1-it.
(a
course designed to
acco:iattdat e
S
itidmu is
cxcmn t
from G300-3)
a strvice course (;!(,0-3 ;hui,t
i
H be offered UnCC a
year or
whenever requested
by a stiffirient niimuhrr Of
St ids.'u t
Brown, I).:
?
,
F.tc: t.y
of
Arts
6t7peJtix
lilT
STATEMENT
1.
First of all, I would like to thank the many departments in the
Faculty of Arts for their expressions of support for maintaining at
least a reduced Russian program at SFU.
2.
I would like to ask that the German and Russian programs be discussed
as two separate issues because their problems are very different.
3.
At a meeting of the Russian Division held on November 30th and
attended by three of the four members of the Russian Division the following
motion was passed unanimously:
"We believe that a full major and minor Russian program should be
continued."
A second motion was also passed unanimously. It reads:
"In the event that it is not possible to maintain the Russian
program as it exists, we would not be averse to maintaining a minor program.
In the event that neither of the aforementioned programs is feasible,
the RussiaDivision proposes a reduced program emphasizing Russian translation,
a copy of which is attached. This program is being offered as an alternative
to the motion being put forth by the
Dean of Arts to
the Curriculum
Committee on December 6th, 198."
14•
Although I do not intend to be an apologist for the proposals being made
by the administration of this university with respect to Russian, I have
to concur with the Dean of Arts' proposal that the Russian program be
reduced. As you may know, the Russian Division consists at present of
four persons. Of these four, one will be taking early retirement as of
September 1, 1986, while another, who has not taught any course in the
Russian Division for the last three years, has said that he does not wish
to teach in Russian at all. If the Russian major/minor program is
discontinued, it is anticipated that two of the three remaining persons will
be absorbed into the Linguistics Division, inasmuch as they hold a joint
appointment in Russian and Linguistics.
?
It is anticipated that the remaining
faculty member would teach the reduced program.
00
Li
•
?
.1.
5.
I would like to propose further that the alternative program
which
has
been handed out to you today constitute the reduced Russian program.
I believe that it will be better than the program proposed by the Dean of
Arts in that it will give interested persons at SFIJ the opportunity to
learn to read and translate Russian material in their field.
?
I believe
this is more important than providing people with courses that will
enable them to enter the UBC major program in Slavonic Studies. Anyone
who really wants to major in Russian would go to UBC to start with rather
than take two years at SFU and transfer. I believe therefore that we
should be attempting to provide those Russian courses which will be most
Ml
useful to people who are remaining at SFU.
6.
Finally, I would like to ask that the reduced program be not a two-year,
but a three-year program.
1-^ -
7^^ .
Evelyn J. Harden
Associate Professor of Russian
EJ
iii]'
APROPO
?
R I1UC £ ! ?
tIS' I N I' ROC\' :
?
1 R;
?
L.\I I
RUSSIAN 110-3 -- TRANSLATION RUSSIAN I
A course for beginners who wish to acquire an ability to read and translate
Russian, including both prose fiction and non-fiction prose, such as journals,
newspapers, etc.
RUSSIAN 105-1 -- RUSSIAN PRONUNCIATION
A course in practical phonetics, pronunciation, and transcription exercises.
Offers intensive training in pronunciation and transcription. tt should be taken
concurrently with the first Russian language course taken at the University.
RUSSIAN 111-3 -- TRANSLATION RUSSIAN II
-
?
?
Continuation of RUSSIAN 110-3, including translation techniques and specialized
vocabularies.
RUSSIAN 106-1 -- RUSSIAN WORD FORMATION
A practical course to aid students in acquiring Russian vocabulary through
study and exercises in the more regular aspects of word-derivation.
?
It should ?
be taken concurrently with the second semester of Russian language.
RUSSIAN
210-3 --
INTERMEDIATE PRACTICE IN RUSSIAN TRANSLATION I
A course in which students are given intermediate level instruction in
reading Russian and an opportunity to do translations of moderately difficult
material which they themselves will choose in their particular area(s) of
interest. There will be regular classroom discussion of the material.
RUSSIAN 211-3 -- INTERMEDIATE PRACTICE IN RUSSIAN TRANSLATION II
Continuation of RUSSIAN 210-3. Students may conclude a.pràject begun in
RUSSIAN 210 or undertake a new project.
RUSSIAN
310-3 --
PROJECTS IN RUSSIAN TRANSLATION I
A course in which students will choose one or more pieces of Russian printed
material in their special area(s) of interest and translate these materials with
the aid of regular classroom discussion and the guidance of the instructor.
RUSSIAN
311-3 --
PROJECTS IN RUSSIAN TRANSLATION II
Continues the work of RUSSIAN 310-3, emphasizing as well techniques of
producing polished translations.
?
In this course students may conclude a large
?
Droject begun in RUSSIAN 310 or undertake a new project.
With the exception of RUSSIAN 210, all of the abovementioned courses are
p
the
resently
ci
?
irig
being
of
taught.the
Russian
?
It
major
is expected
and minor
therefore
programs
that
it
in
should
the year
he possible
following
to
?
offer RUSSIAN 105, 110, 210 and 310 in the fall semester and RUSSIAN lOG, 111,
211 and 311 in the
?
ririj semester.
' p •.
.
Minutes
of
the Russian Division Meeting
November 30th, 1981+
The meeting commenced at 10:
1
+5
a.m.
PRESENT: Drs. R. DeArmond, E. Harden and J. Wahigren
The agenda is open.
Dr. Wahlgren moved and Dr. Harden seconded a motion that
"We believe that a full major and minor Russian
programme should be continued."
The motion passed unanimously.
\
Dr. Wahigren moved and Dr. Harden seconded that
. ?
"In the event that it is not possible to maintain the
Russian programme as it exists, we would not be averse
to maintaining a minor programme. In the event that
neither
of
the aforementioned programmes is feasible,
the Russian Division proposes a reduced programme
emphasizing Russian translation, a 'topy of which is
attached. This programme is being offered as an
alternative to the motion being put forth by the Dean
of
Arts to the FACC on December 6th, 1981+."
The motion passed unanimously.
Meeting adjourned at 12:22 p.m.
I
•
?
0017
t .'S{;
:iN(')
.1
?
N1 SI'Vt I sI I cs
S tJx ?
__Ii\Si
?
IN.1VIR3 11 V
1
,
11
1
0Q, VkM:
.iNi) 0:;
?
,j)
?
.tLEK L)JIE:iF
FALL SE'1USTE[.
190
1981
1982
1983
19811
1985
A. ?
Course Enrollments
-
100 Level
71
78
97
76
d
53
200 Level
46
49
39
37
22
300 Level
24
35
23
26
33
400 Level
8
14
10
15
21
Total
149
177
169
155
129
SPRING SSTER
A.
?
Course Enrollments
-
100 Level
64
79
88
102
83
82
200 Level
20
39
49
46
30
24
300 Level
11
17
14
35
34
40
400 Level
24
23
3
16
16
Total
119
158
154
199
163
171
SUN
T
MER SEOSTflR
A.
?
Course Enrollments
-
100 Level
22
20
17
12
-
200 Level
-
17
14
11
300 Level
-
-
S
-
-
400 Level
1.3
S
-
-
-
Total
35
42
35
23
ACADEMIC YEAR
Total ?
Course Enrollments (Fall + Spring + Summer)
1980 - 81
349
1981 -
82,
367
1982--.-83
391
1983 - 81
318
1984-85 ?
1
.
?
300
1.980
1981.
1982
1983
1984
ill
Majors,
nor;
is
3
13
9
12
8
17
7
) 9
9
V.!
00
8
U
I
2
'1
1
7
ft
..••.',.l•
J.;I()d.
.LJU...)
.i.J)'
5
1
•1
:s
1.
.1
. ?
.J.
o
()
00i9
v
bj o us
Minors
CI .AflI IAI)S
. hjor
11i
If')
YS
2 ?
()
?
0 ?
. . 0
J. ?
0 ?
C) ?
0
.
S
L s
SjjR ENROl LtN !
?
STj\'Ljfl(:;
-
IAJ
1N!i 01
3RD lIK E1OI,Li'IaNT
YEAR
•
FALL SEMESTER
1980 ?
1981 ?
1982
1983
1984
1985
A.
?
Course Enrollments —
100 Level
35 ?
32
19
43
200 Level
5 ?
.7 ?
•
6
. ?
6
7
300 Level
7 ?
10
10
4
4
400 Level
7
•
?
.
?
..
Total
54 ?
53
38
61
43
SPRING SEMESTER
?
•
.
S
.
-.
A. ?
Course Enrollments
—
100 Level
19 ?
15
13
32
26
33
200 Level
6
?
3
9
.
?
9
3
11
W
300 Level
• ?
5 ?
3
3
.
?
6
18
3.
.
400 Level
:. ?
4 ?
1
3
H
4
14
Total
34 ?
22
28 ?
•
5$
5]
61
ACADEMIC YIAR
Total ?
Course Enrollments (Fall + Spring.
+ Summer)
1980-81'
75
?
.
.
198182
81
.5
1982-83
96
.
1983-34
]].2
.
.
•
•
1984-85
?
•
104
.
?
.
. ?
S
.
.
•
•1
()çf) ?
•1
?
1 (C)
I
fl(Z
1
;
?
...i1
I ?
i_'I ?
I.''J; ?
I.Iii•
?
I ?
)!
12 February
1985
Dear SCAP Member:
On Monday, February 18th, SCAP will convene to discuss
the retention or dissolution of the German and Russian
programs in the Department of Languages, Literatures and
Linguistics.
?
-
I shall be present to s
p
eak for the retention of the
?
Russian program and would appreciate it if you could find
time to consider the
a
ttached documents before the meeting
takes place.
Sincerely yours,
Evelyn J. Harden,
Associate Professor of Russian
End.
0020.
.
?
cor/
copy dated November
29, 1984
ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DES SLAVISTES
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF SLAVISTS
October
30, 1984
Dr. William Saywell, President
Simon Fraser University
BU RNABY
B.C. V5A 1s6
Dear President Saywell,
I am writing to you to suggest that the announced plan to
terminate the Russian programme at Simon Fraser Universtiy may be ill-advised.
I write as the President of the Canadian Association of Slavists, as a former
Chairr;ian of my Department at the University of Alberta, and also as a
doctoral graduate of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics
at Sinon Fraser (the 'Department of Modern Languages", as I knew it).
Before explaining my own perspective on the situation, I must
say (and this is not merely a platitude aimed at getting your attention,
although if it also achieves that aim I shall not object) that I genuinely
value my years of study at SFU: my career since I graduated
12
years ago
has been moderately successful, and the academic aspects of this success
must be due in some part (and, I believe, a major part) to my studies at
Simon Fraser. What I value in particular was the range of viewpoints on
my subject -- Slavic linguistics -- that provided me with a much better
balanc than, I believe, I would have received anywhere else in Canada.
In the last decade we in Slavic studies have seen our field
begin to shrink alarmingly. The lack of official interest in the languages,
cultures and socio-political life of Eastern Europe, and in particular, the
seemingly disinterested official Canadian attitude to theU.S.S.R since
the cessation of scholarly exchanges in
1980,
has resulted in a depressing
(perhaps even, a shocking) state of affairs: namely that we seem to be
hardly trying to learn anything about one of our two major neighbours.
Recently, the U.S. government, realizing some of its mistakes in this respect,
has injected millions of dollars into Soviet and East European Studies;
meanwhile, Canadians are relying more and more in this area on expertise
from south of the border.
This is, then, surely the wrong time to be cutting down on
Russian languages programmes anywhere in Canada. Even where the Russian
programmes, such as Simon Fraser's, do not have their optimal enrolments,
Canadiai authorities should surely not act hastily in closing them down.
It would be out of place for me to boast of the achievements of
the alumni of the Russian programme at Simon Fraser. However, you should be
• ?
aware of the fact that the publication by Ardis Ltd. of translations of
Zamyatin's works done by students (not faculty!) puts Simon Fraser among
the leaders in this kind of endeavour.
0021
-
copy dated November
29, 1984
Letter to William Saywell, President, Simon Fraser University
From Tom M.S. Priestly, ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DES SLAVISTES
Dated October
30, 1984
page
2
I understand that the Department of Languages, Literatures and
Linguistics has made two suggestions concerning reduced programmes in
Russian. I myself would urge you to reconsider the plan to close down the
Russian program, and to actively consider the substitution of a compromise
arrangement, involving a reduced programme of some kind. I urge this
both for the reasons mentioned above, and for one other:
I suggest that some kind of co-operation with the Department
of Slavonic Studies at the University of British Columbia would make a
great deal of sense. There was, when I studied at SFU, the general feeling
that the two departments -- like the two universities -- were different in
kind. I suggest that this difference should be emphasized: whereas the
Slavonic Department at UBC (which is generally considered to be one of the
three top ones in its field in Canada) is known for its excellent standards
and achievements in the more traditional fields, there is surely room in the
Lower Mainland for a second university to complement it, to emphasize
other areas of academic interest, and to do well those things that UBC
does not do very much. I have a vague understanding (vague, for I have
not kept in touch with these things as, perhaps, I ought) that it is in
many areas such as these that Simon Fraser has made its name. So also,
then, in the area of Slavonic Studies, it is surely possible to devise
programs at SFU which complement those at UBC; and the programs recently
suggested by the Department may well fill the bill.
I realize that a formal arrangement of this kind may well be
out of the question.
?
Informally, however, I urge that a dovetailing of
programmes between the two institutions will be of benefit to both, and
can be done without any long-range planning committees and other
bureaucracies; the co-operation of the academics concerned should be all
that is required.
Yours sincerely,
Tom M.S. Priestly
CC: Dr. G. Ivany, Vice-President, Academic
Dr. R. Brown, Dean of Arts
Dr. N. Lincoln, Chairman, DLLL
Mr. F.H. Moonen, Chairman, Board of Governors
0022
EJH/gb
Nov. 29/84
ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DES SLAVISTES
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF SLAVISTS
EXECUTIVE 1984-85
OctOber 30.
President:
T
.
M
.
S. PRIESTLY
Department of Slavic & East European Studies
University of
Albena
Edmonton. Alta 166
2HI
Telephone ?
40314323273
-
_'.
'C:iiam
Sayweli. President
Immediate Past President:
ra
s e r Universty
N 3 ZEKULIN
Unive
r
sity of Cal
g
ary
- -
Vice Presidents
J
L BLAC
K
Carleton Universir
S SZLEK MILLER
:E5 ?
dent
SaywEi
McMaster
Unive'tt
Secretari.TrOaltirUr
:
?
wr:t.:r.g, to y
ou
to
sUgEE
?
B ?
E
r.r.
:ur.:c
6 HANSON
- ?
-
-
-
r- - ?
-
r.E ?
.:EE!
p roramrne
at S
imon
aser ?
'-: ?
-
t)ep2rtmertotHistory
University of Sas^katchevvan
the President
of
the Canadian
?
E ?
3 B
?
-_r me:,
Telephone ?
306)9665614
hrrrrc
ç
m y
tlepartment.
at
the UriverE1.y
?
-
Ch
ai
rman. Programme Committee:
::
:
.
ra
?
graduate of the Department of Larae.
e
7
?
End
Depanmnl
Frindake
C(Ileçe
of Histoty
Lr'iJcs
at
Simon Fraser (the
?
Departmer.t of !od
?
r. ?
naos'.
-
?
-
Mississauga. Oft L5L 106
O
lephone 1416) 828-5243
.g,ng Editor,
Ee::re explaining my
Own
perspeCtE
:r. ?
hE
?
:
Canadian Slavonic
Papers:
ROB THOMSON
?
-a
h" s i s
not merely a platitude
a:med
University of Tcront
i
t
also ach
i
eves that aim I
she ?
c
?
-
Members
at
Large:
S HAYNIUK
- ?
-
e ?
years of study at SFU: my career s. ?
::s :
?
year a
-
University of Manitoba
beer. ?
c . derat . elv ?
jzceE!'J, ?
er ?
r.e ?
e:.;der.:: ?
:f
?
h:s
B MCGRA1H
MemorialUflierSItV
-
E:eE ?
mt be
due
in
some part
?
ard.
B SHARRAIT
::
a.
Simon Fraser. what I v1e
?
n
z ?
r:oua ?
r.Ee
-
University of Waterloo
on my subject -- Slavi: :r.u:::
?
-- tha.
?
.ie ?
e
C WOROBEC
Kc:n: Stale University
r-i:h
?
teter
?
balance ?
than.
I
believe,
I ?
wouci ?
ha:E ?
•:8::e
?
ar.:.ir:er8
Advisory Board:
eia ?
:ariada.
University of Calgary
the last decade we in Slav:c std1eE he':e
.
RC ELW000
Carleton Un
iv
ersity
-
.C.
Ehr:r.kz
?
alarmingly. The lack
?
of offiiaI ?
rereE
?
i.-. ?
...
NGO PEREIRA
:re ?
and socic-political life of Eastern Euro
p
e. ?
:r. Car.::.er.
the
-
Dalhousie University
eerg.'
disinterested official Canadian at.ttude
t:
the J.E..E.. E:r.:e the
:es-at:ort of scholarly exchanges
in
1980, :-a
?
resuted
in
a
?
.ressing
( p
erhaps even, a shocking) state of affairs: naeiy the. -:;e seem to be
hardly trying to learn anything about one cf
,
our two major r1ehbours.
Recentiy
the U.S. government, realizing some of its mistaKes
?
Jts respect,
has ir:jectad millions of dollars into Soviet arid
East.
European Studies;
ear,whi.e,
Canadians are relying more and more :n this
area :n
expert.:se
003
V.
f- :m :uth of the border.
7nis
IE,
then,
surely the 'rore tr.e to be :utt.ing c''r. crt
FUEEIfl
:.ECS
programmes an
y where
in
Canada. Ever where the Russian
such as Simon Fraser's. di riot have their optimal eriroirnergts,
:ar.i:?.r authorities should surel
y
not act hastily in :losing them dc''ri,
;1: :
uld
be out cf tIace f:.r me
t:
boast :f the achievement cf
tr:e u sian prc
. rarrte at.
.imor Fraser.
However, you should
the
fact that
the pub::aticr, v Ardis Ltd. of translations
works done v students (nct ?
:utv! cuts Eimor Fraser
a leaders in this k:nd of er.dea'.'cur.
understand that the Depar
nart
o f
Lanuaes. Literatures and
L:su:st:cs has made two sUgge ions c:'ricernin reduced programmes
in
m y
self would ure you to reconsider the plan to close down
he F.;.:ar program, and to activel
y
consider the substitution of a
se arrangement, involving a reduced
p roramme
of
some kind. I
both for the reasons
rner.t:oned
above, and for one other:
—
igges
.
t. that some
?
r1d of co-c
'
peraticn
•
ith the Department ci
Et.uthes at the J versiv :1 Eiritish C.oumba would make a great
sar.sa.
There was. when
Aed
at
EF
I
J. the eneral feelin5i that
der'artments -- like the two ur;'ersitieE -- ;ere d:fferert
ir.
sugest that this difference shc'ud be emc
' hasi:ed: whereas the
Department at
I
J3C
i'hch is generally considered to be one of
th three tc.
p
ones in Its field
in
Canada) is known for its excellent
rds and achievements in the more traditional fields, there is surely
the
Lower Mainland for a second university to complement it,
a..ohasze
other areas
of academic interest, and to do well those things
• ?
I-.
?
PC
?
not
do very much. I have a vague understanding (vague,
have not kept
in touch with these things as, perhaps. I ought)
:t
is
in many areas such as these that Simon Fraser has made its
also,
then, in
the area of Slavonic Studies, it is surely possible
t:
se programs at SFU which complement those at UBC;
and the
pr-
. grams
recently suggested
by the Department may well fill the bill.
0o,
?
.
realize that a
formal arrangement of this
kind may well be
:1 he O
.
I
jestion. Informally, however, I urge that a dc'vetaihrg
programmes between the two institutions will be of benefit tc. both,
r10
cr be done without any long-range planning committees and :her
Jr:a:ie5; the cc-operation of the academlcE concerned ho-lid be e.
Yur! s1ric.ere7,
Tom M.S. PrleEt.lv
Dr. 3. ivary, Vice-President, Academic
Dr. R.
Brown, Dean of Arts
Dr. N. Lincoln, Chairman. DLLL
Mr.
F.H. Moonen, Chairman, Board of Governors
.• ?
0 0
FOR
The
THE
Sakharov
STUDY OF THE
Institute
SOVIET UNION
Dr. William Saywell,
President,
Simon Fraser University,
Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6
310 -1070 West Broadway
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
V6H 1E7 (604) 733-1724
N&'v
21
167(1t
.
S
Dear Dr. Saywell:
It is with great dismay that I learn of a proposal
to eliminate the Russian major program at Simon Fraser University.
At the same time, I am heartened to learn also that some considera-
tion might he given to particular reduced programs in Russian to be
offered as a series of service courses to students in other discip-
lines.
This Institute, which counts 45 academies among its
list of Fellows, considers it absolutely essential to retain some
Russian instruction at SFU in the reduced form proposed, given that
public funding is no longer available to support the oriqinal full
program. Writing on their behalf, I wish to make the following ob-
servations which I hope might be incorporated in the decision-making
process at the appropriate time;
1.
Noting that German language instruction has also been slated for
elimination, it would seem to me that Russian is being treated
under the rubrique of multiculturalism which obviously has a lower
priority than, say, science. Russian has very little to do with
multiculturalism since by far the greater portion of Canadians of
Slavic descent are Ukrainians. -However. Russian is the lingua
franca of the entire Eastern bloc and the common language of a multi-
farious nationality mosaic that is the Soviet Union. It is, as it
were, the English of the East.
2.
As a Long-time observer of the Soviet Union in world affairs, I
never cease to be astounded by the West
'
s indifference to master-
ing Russian, the language that the Soviet players in the international
game (now so fraught with danger) think and speak in. You might know
that 20 years ago I went to Moscow to found the CBC bureau there. I
was sent because of
.
my
knowledge of Russian and Soviet affairs. However,
not a single one of my successors has known Russian. When I have put
this preposterous state of affairs to CBC officials, they reply that
they cannot find any candidates who know Russian.
3.
Soviet publications of the non-fiction variety fall into two cat-
egories: those published for home consumption and those published
for foreign consumption. The latter are uniformly propagandistic
ge'M.
oL
contain
while the
a wealth
former,
of
though
detail
also
about
propagandistic
Soviet life obtainable
in general
to
tenor
outsiders
and tone,
?
7
in no way other than reading in the original. One of the more ambitious
projects of The Sakharov Institute will be to produce whole issues of
Pravda and Izvestia, more or less chosen at random, and translate them
into English, right down to the last word. In no other way can Englfsh
readers gain access to the flavour of Soviet life and thought, of whisii
their own thinking is presently entirely deprived, leading to endless
m
isconceptions even of Soviet world policy
0
O6
.
?
-2-
I have been reading the Soviet Russian press since
1960 and my view of the Soviet Union has been fundamentally affected
by that experience, coupled, of course, with 10 years of residence in
the Soviet Union itself. My view is just as fundamentally different
from the views heir] here by the conventional wisdom. For example, when
I hear journalism experts like Barrie Zwicker decry the alleged negat-
ivism of virtually all stories about the Soviet Union appearing in the
Toronto newspapers, and calling this a dire threat to world peace, my
first thoughts are of the overwhelming negativism toward the West that
informs the Soviet newspapers, which, of course, Mr. Zwicker has never
been exposed to because he does not read Russian. I am absolutely
certain that were Mr. Zwicker able to read just a few issues of the
Soviet papers, he would soon see how simplistic his formula for world
peace really is. He would see what I see through exposure to Soviet
media. I suggest that the ability simply to read the Soviet Russian
papers should he taught very widely in Canada, if only to enable Cana-
dians to read those papers.
Thus I must earnestly endorse the Reduced Russian
Program proposed by Dr.
?
Evelyn Harden,
?
Russian Division, Department
of Languages, ?
Literatures and Linguistics at SFU, most especially
Russian ?
110-3 since it does not even go as far as to attempt to pro-
duce professional ?
translators. ?
The latter are, of course,
?
highly
nL'cessary;
?
but one can le.rn to read
?
Russian-language newspapers
without necessarily acquiring the particular
?
specialized skills of
a professional. ?
translator. ?
The primitiveness of our Canadian stage
of development in this reqard was typified by the remark, made in
the course of a series written for the Globe & Mail by its former
mayor John Sewell, ?
to the effect that during his group's visit to
the Soviet Union they were all confused by "those funny looking Russ-
ian letters'. ?
Can it be that people who give top priority to the
achievement of a stable peace have not given any priority at all to
mastering the very simple Russian alphabet?
For all these reasons, the entire elimination of
the Russian program at SFU would be a most disheartening retrograde
step in the march toward world peace.
You s sincere ,)y,
David Levy, Director.
CC.
Dr. Evelyn Harden
002 7
Burnaby, B.C.
23 October,
1984
Dr. William C. Saywe].l,
President
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C.
Dear
Sir:
•
?
?
As students of Russian we feel compelled to protest thc proposed.
elimination of the Russian Proran. Wh:le i-se appreciate your deorc
to make the Univcrsity com;etitive in the fields of science
anu
t :cn-
nolo', we feel strongly th&t the discontinuation of Runnian ins ruction
would be very untimely.
Because of the tense international situation, enrolment .n Slavic
Studies programs has increased throughout the UnitedJtates. Russian
will be a vital 1anga-ge .n fute international negotiations. Once
roiitcal tensiomo ?
:r.:duced, citact be': ?
the
and
ac:'ic
bu±ne:':
coiunit of' the Eat and We.-,t ;
;
M undoubtdly grow. Such dev-r.
will influence and increase the --..lue pl:.ce on Sian as an acadernc
sujoct. it is clear, then, that this University must not be allowed
to fall behind in this disciolinc.
We invite ycu, therefo2'c, to consider rci.jin a rduced a;at.r
Drogram, ba:3cC on one of th
?
itifl tV(
proi:oels :.. dC; ?
Sir. :E
% '
,
!%-r,
H:rden, We feel tftt such a ;rogr;.m, which would em-hasize either ()
speaking, or (2) reading
and
translation, wrnild provide a serice to
students in other disciplines who mi;it hene 'it in their work fron
having some knowledge of Russian.
We would be ha-;py to meet with you at any time, If you
?
like
oo.,4s
.
.
C
• • •
-
: y ?
2,
-to furer dicu cur proposal.
Yours Sincerely,
7 Zv'/
!-raret A. Zviski
Russian Div±sona]. Representative
cc: Dr. J.W.G. Ivany, Vice-President, Academic
D.
R.C. Brown, Db-1 of Arts
L • F.
H
. :OO..
n, Chahmn, Bo.--.d of Go.r:r
Dr. n.J.
LccJ.n, Chairman, DLLL
• Or'r •
?
':
c
?
D1,11.t-c.rt Uris
r
/4tW
4i'iwi?I
/
?
1L32
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2
PRESIDENTS OFFICE
19
&LRNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA V5A
iSO
T&phome:
2
V
I 4 6 4'
Area wd,
tx14
November 6, 1964
.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
EJ
Ms. Margaret A. Zivinski
Russian Divisional Representative
do
Department of Languagues, Literatures
and Linguistics
Simon Fraser University
Dear Ms. Livinski:
Thank you for your letter of October 23, 1984. While I appreciate your
concern, the present financial crisis at Simon Fraser University requires a
decisive response that can be delayed no longer.
Let me be perfectly candid. The financial difficulty facing Simon Fraser
University is severe. We have seen tuition fees rise oy approximately 117%
over the past five years. During the same period, full-time equivalent
student enrollment has increased by 20.9% while the constant dollars per
1
u11-time equivalent student in the provincial operating grant has decreased a
devastating 29.8%. The propects of significant grant assistance in the
immediate future are far from positive.
In the past, the response has been to implement across-the-board cuts in
salaries, programs, faculty and administrative staff. Unfortunately, a
continuation of this response is now impossible if mediocrity is to be avoided
in all quarters of university life. As I stated in a recent address to the
University community, we have reached the point where we can no longer do more
with less. Hard decisions must be taken in order to preserve arid to enhance
te quality of our programs.
With regard to your concerns about the Russian language program, I find
your analysis persuasive. Regrettably, however, the demand for Russian
studies at Simon Fraser University, when measured in full-time equivalent
student enrolment, is not large enough to justify the program's continuation.
Nonetheless, it is my hope, based to a large extent on the kind of argument
you have put forward, that instruction in Russian will be retained in some
form or another. Program status is no longer an option, unfortunately.
Thank you again for your evaluation of the issue.
Yours sincerely,
William G. Saywell
President
cc: Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Ms.
Mr.
J.W.G. Ivany, V.P. Academic
R.C. Brown Dean Qf Arts
N.J. Lincoln, Chairman, DLLL
B. Orser, President, DLLL Student Union
F.H. Moonen, Chairman, Board of Governors
0031
;.
,
if
idgE
,
oithonc;:
boLy resvLzr?ctIor)
chR(:-2
1r
arner1(:(2
ChU
r> (_ h2
I
Janu3rv 9th 1935.
The President,
Simon Fraser University,
Burnal'y B. C.
Dear Sir:-
It has come to the notice of the Russiri Orthodox
S
ociety that the University
•
?
intends to eliminate some of the Russian Language courses presently offered by
?
the Department of Lsnguages and Linguistics.
One of the goals of our Society is the promotion of Russian culture among the
descendents of Russian immigrants and other interested parties, therefore, any
news about a possible curtailment of Russian programs at any one of Provincial
Universities, is to us disappointing, to say the least.
While we appreciate that the proposed cuts are necessitated by economic constr-
aints, we wish to add, nevertheless, our support to your students petition,
that the Russian Language oograms be preserved without any cuts or with only
minimal cuts--cuts, that will not adversely impact students, who are actively
• ?
pursuing Russian Language studies.
Yours very truly,
•
?
•'"••
c:Dr.E.Hardex,V
Dr. J. Wahigreri
?
Secretary
?
President
Miss M.A. Ziriskj
•
?
Dr. i. Lincoln
1i
?
Y
JSSIN
EAST 43rd
ORTHODOX
AVE
N UE,
VANCOUVER,
SoC
B.C.
?
I
[
YUFF
•
?
- ?
:)4 ?
2 ?
flFC1y 'HON[ (604)32r-5873
Miss Edna Davis
4070 W. 38th Avenue
Vancouver, B.C.
v6N2Y9
L.
December 198
The Honourable
William Bennett
Premier
Legislative Buildings
Victoria, B.C.
VBV
1X4
Dear Sir;
am distressed to hear that some
01
Lhe languxc programs
are to be out at S ilium Fraser University.
I fully appreciate the fact that financial restraint is rieces nary
at all
levels of socety • but,
pl
case, before carrying out this devastatinir
!
,
,low, read, and sincerely consider,
the points I have listed below.
To cancel any course before all students presently enrolled in
it have graduated is a total waste of tax payer's money.
Expo '86 will. hopefully, attract many visitors from foreign
countries. To help them enjoy their stay here and as a spin off, leave
tocir dollars here, we will need many interpreters - fully trained, fluent
interpreters. Tourism is or could be very financially rewarding to
\
T
ancouvex' and Victoria. Help it, don't hinder it.
I have no personal axe to grind. I have no child or relative at
Simon Fraser, or any other university, but I am a native horn Vancouverite
who has worked for
38
years in the transportation and tourist industry and
I know whereof I speak,
Another point 1 wish to make is, with whom are we go
i1
r
to n tall
ur fom:cit';n embassies and
!
j;uie missions, if Ludon Lm ae unable to obtain
.fl''flcCCm:;LLrv
In ngu'i ve I no I. rue 1. ion?
GOO
Mr. Prwnier, thank you for y'ur tjne
and
consideration. I
am.
?
?
Sincerely,
.
•(?c
?
/iL'
L(/
Edna Davis
cc: The Hon. J, Heinrich, Min. of Educat on
?
Dr. William Sayweli, Pros., S.F.U.
Nrfw
S
0
MINUTES OF MEETING OF DLLL PLENARY HELD ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1985 AT
11:30 A.M. JNCC-7202
Present:
Chairman:
G.
L. ?
Bursill-Hall
Dean of Arts:
R.
C. ?
Brown
DLLL ?
Faculty:
J.
Alonso,
?
B. ?
E. ?
Bartlett,
Ch.
?
P. ?
Bouton,
E. ?
R.
Coihoun,
R. ?
C. ?
DeArmond, M.
?
Fauquenoy,
?
J. Foley,
J.
Garcia, ?
H. ?
Hammerly, ?
E.
J.
?
Harden,
?
A. ?
E. ?
Hurtado,
M.
Jackson, ?
B. ?
D. ?
Kaneen,
T.
?
W. ?
Kim, ?
N. ?
J.
Lincoln,
C.
Luu-Nguyen,
?
G. ?
Merler,
T.
?
A.
?
Perry, ?
E.
W. ?
Roberts,
R.
Saunders,
?
I. ?
Sawyer,
?
J.
Viswanathan, ?
J.
Wahigren,
P.
Wrenn
Student ?
Reps:
T.
Gilbertson,
?
M.
?
Myers, ?
Y.
Petitclerc, ?
R.
Prince,
M.
Ziviski
LI ?
Reps:
M.
Duggan,
?
K. ?
Mörcke
Grad.
?
Students:
H.
B'aches
Language ?
Labs:
T.
Furumoto, T.
?
Sun
Departl.
?
Asst:
G.
Carlson
Secretary:
H.
dunes
Apologies:
R.
Davison,
?
T.
?
Kirschner,
L. ?
Kitching
Dr. ?
Lincoln noted
that Dr.
?
Bursill-Hall
?
had
kindly agreed to chair the
meeting
?
in ?
his ?
place
?
since
he had a bad cough.
1. ?
Dean of Arts'
?
Recommendations
for the DLLL
The Dean referred to his memo of January 28, addressed to all faculty
in the Department, which contained his proposal for the dissolution of the
!JLLL and the formation of three new academic units. He stressed that this
proposal was based on the assumption that the Russian and German Divisions
vould be dissolved. Essentially he proposed that the Department be divided
into a Department of Linguistics, a Department of French, and a Department of
Sp
anish and Latin American Studies.
There was a precedent in the University for the procedure outlined for
toe re-location of faculty to the different departments. Although faculty
would be invited to state a preference as to which department they wished to
be
assigned to, the final decision would rest with the Dean. This decision
would be based on consultation with the individual faculty member, the
evidence of the files as to what that person was hired to do, and where he
had been involved in the teaching program. The Dean's primary concern would
be to maintain the integrity of the teaching program.
The Dean further stated that he had already written to the Academic
Vice-President with a series of recommendations, proposals and motions based
on the above.
Referring to the question of the dissolution of the German and Russian
programs, it was announced that the Faculty of Arts Curriculum Committee had
9',,'
2.
voted in favour of retaining a minor in German and of selecting a translation
program in Russian. This would be presented to two Senate Committees along
with the Vice-President's motion that only four language courses in each
subject be retained. The resultant motion would be submitted to Senate at
its meeting of February 18. It was the Dean's assumption that the German
and Russian programs would be dissolved effective August 31, 1985. In the
interim, it was his intention to ask Dr. Lincoln to continue as Chairman of
the Department for the Summer Semester. He further noted that the University
had a commitment to students who were currently enrolled as majors and their
programs would be phased out over a period of at least two years.
Concerning lay-offs, the Dean pointed out that the President had said
that, if the budget situation did not become substantially worse than it
was
this year, then he would make every attempt to Find other teaching responsi-
bilities for faculty members. It would be an entirely different matter if
the budget deteriorated substantially. Information concerning the budget in
early December had not been encouraging. However, the President had subse-
quently been called back from Singapore to meet with the Premier, who had
indicated he was prepared to start softening a little. The Dean went on to
mention that the possibility of a comparative literature program was still
being investigated.
The question of other languages being included in a Department of
Linguistics was discussed. Dr. Roberts saw problems in full-time German anc
Russian faculty becoming members of the Linguistics Department. Dr.
Viswanathan felt very strongly that Latin should he included in a Department
of French. The Dean was prepared to discuss this issue. Dr. Fauquenoy had
concerns about the size of the new departments, but the Deao said the split
would have no effect in this regard because all data is presently kept on a
division-by-division or course-by-course basis. What the split would do
would be to provide an opportunity for development of the program. Dr.
Bartlett felt that the stated order of the thre
e
new departments (Linyui3tics,
French, and Spanish and Latin American Studies) was of significance in that
more importance was being given to some departments than others.
Questions were raised concerning the effect of the split on staff,
location of offices, and cost. A plan was currently being worked out on
space and the Dean had costed out the re-distribution of resources with
additional costs of less than $10,000. There would be some savings in the
operating budget from the dissolution of German and Russian which hopefully
could be used by the new departments. In answer to concerns from Dr. Merler,
the Dean assured her that resources would be distributed equitably. As far
as the Chairmanship was concerned, he did not believe that there was a single
member of the Department who would be acceptable to the majority as Chairman.
If the division of the Department took place, the Dean would begin a process
of selection of Chairpersons who would be involved in discussions on the
allocation of rsources.
Dr. Bursill-Hall wished to conclude with a statement that it was a
sad thing to see the end of a department which had begun with such high
idea's devoted to the study of language. He felt that the Department should
now be looking to the Pacific Rim, and any changes made should be in the
area of expanding our program in Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc. This
would restore the program to the position it had in 1964 as a leader in
innovation.
?
3
..........- -.-.- ......-
?
.- --------
Minutes
?
Of ?
the ?
Russian
?
Division
?
tlee tiny
November
?
30th, ?
19811
Thc ?
mitt inq ?
c:omtljeli(
?
J ?
i
?
1
0
:
i 5
?
a.m.
PRES
NT ?
On
?
N. ?
DeAr nmn.I ,
?
F .
?
1;i rdc:i
?
and
?
J.
?
Wall
y ifl
The ?
,ieijWj ?
i ?
open
Dr.
?
\iahlgren
moved ?
and ?
Dr. ?
Harden ?
seconded
?
a motion ?
that
We
?
believe
?
that ?
a ?
full ?
major ?
and
minor
?
Russian
prey ramme
?
should
?
be
?
continued.''
The
?
motion
?
passed ?
unanimously.
Dr.
?
W,jh I yi en ?
iioved
?
and
?
Dr. ?
Harden
?
seconded
?
that
•
'In
?
the ?
event ?
thati t
?
is ?
not ?
possible ?
to ?
mainta in
?
the
Ru
?
i an ?
pruip ?
mc ?
as ?
it ?
cxi sis ,
?
vie
?
mould
?
I
oat ?
be ?
averse
to ma ?
n
La i
n i nq
?
a minor
?
programme .
?
In ?
the event
?
that
neither ?
of ?
the
?
aforementioned
?
programmes
?
'
is
?
feasible,
the ?
Russian ?
Division
?
proposes
?
a
?
reduced ?
ptOCJraiiuiie
emphasi
z
ing
?
Russian ?
translation,
?
a
?
Copy ?
of
?
which ?
is
attached.
?
This
?
programme ?
is
?
being
?
offered ?
as
?
an
A leinJ t I
y e ?
to
?
tie mot ion
?
being
?
put
?
forth
?
by
?
the ?
Dean
of
?
Art
S ?
to
?
the ?
FACC ?
on
?
December
?
6th, ?
I981 ?
'
The ?
not i on
?
1 1
.15
sect
?
11nan i mmii s I Y,
Mee tirig adjourned at 12:22 p.m.
. ?
0037
A PROPOSED REDUCED RUSSIAN PROGRAM: TRANSLATION
RUSSIAN
A course
110-3
for
-- TRANSLATION
beginners who
RUSSIAN
wish to
I
acquire
?
an ability to read and translate
0
Russian, including both prose fiction and non-fiction prose, such as journals,
newspapers, etc.
RUSSIAN 105-
1
?
-- RUSSIAN PRONUNCIATION
A course in.praetical phonetics, pronunciation, and transcription exercises.
Offer , ; intensive training in pronunciation and transcription. It should he taken
concurrently with the first Russian language course taken at the University.
RUSSIAN 111-3 -- TRANSLATION RUSSIAN II
Continuation of RUSSIAN 110-3, including trinslation techniques and specialized
vocabularies.
RUSSIAN 106-i -- RUSSIAN WORD FORMATION
A practical course to aid students in acquiring Russian vocabulary thioum
study and exercises in the more regular as p
ects of word-derivation.
?
It shsuid
be taken concurrently with the second semester of Russian language.
RUSSIAN 210-3 --
?
INTERMEDIATE PRACTICE IN RUSSIAN TRANSLATION I
A course in which students are given intermediate tevel instrjction in
re.diny Russian and an opportunity to do translations of moderately difficul[
material which they themselves will choose in their particular area(s) of
interest.
?
There will be regular classroom discu'sion of the material.
RUSSIAN211-3 --
?
INTERMEDIATE PRACTICE IN RUSSIAN TRANSLATION It
Continuation of RUSSIAN 210-3. Students may conclude a project begun in
RUSSIAN 210 or undertake a new project.
RUSSIAN 310-3 -- PROJECTS IN RUSSIAN TRANSLATION 1
A course in which students will choose one or more pieces of Russian prirted
material in their special area(s) of interest and translate these materials with
the aid of regular classroom discussion and the guidance of the instructor.
RUSSIAN 311-3 -- PROJECTS IN RUSSIAN TRANSLATION H
Continues the work of RUSSIAN 310-3, emphasizing as well techniques of
producing polished translations. ?
In this course students may conclude a lsrcr
Project begun in RUSSIAN 310 or undertake a new project,
Wih the exception of RUSSIAN 210, all of the abovementioned courses are
pr, sentIy being taught. ?
It is expected therefore, that in the year follo:inr
tht closing of the Russian major and minor programs it should be 'possibleto
otter RUSSIAN 105, 110, 210 and 310 in the fall semester and RUSSIAN 106, Ili,
211 and 311 in the spring semester.
- - -
?
.......:. ?
-
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
.
?
MEMORANDUM
Dr. Walter J. Wattamaniuk....ecrery
senate committee on Academic Planning
From...
M
?
g.rt.
.hjxuir
German Division, DLLL
Subject..
?
fli ?
.
?
..F
?
.fP
.................................
Date.. ..Eeb.ruary..1J..]9.85...........................
I respectfully submit the following arguments in support of retaining a German
próqrain at Simon Fraser University.
1.
German is the native language of a considerable se
g ment of the B.C. population:
ca 200,000 inhabitants of this province are of German background and The Lower
Mainlaid has, perhaps, the greatest concentration of persons of German descent
in Canida. Thus, in terms of service to the community, one could ex
p ect offerings
in Gerian lan
g
uage, literature and linguistics to remain available at SFU.
2.
The majority of our students are, in one way or other, of German background.
Most o them are semi-native speakers, second-generation Canadians, who, although
the y
have heard arid learned some German at home, have had all of their formal
training in English thus far. They usually enter into our program at the
?
200
or 300 level.
. ?
Of late, increasingly many students with no family connections to Germany and no
?
high school training in German, have opted for a German degree program.
The German Division offers a comprehensive two-year language program (Germ 102-202)
with a practical orientation: each language skill (i.e. listening/understanding,
speaking, reading, writing) is emphasized from the beginning. Thus, our students
are prepared to follow, in their third and fourth year, linguistics, literature
and civilization courses conducted entirely in German (coursebooks selected
correspond to those used in similar programs at comparable levels in German
Universities). ?
In this respect our pro
r!
ram is unique in British Columbia, as
neither UBC nor UVic pursue these goals.
Further, the fact that the German program at SFU has language-specific linguistics
as one of its components makes it unique not only in B.C., but in Canada.
We maintain that learning about a language at its various levels of description
as well as being familiar with its civilization and literature is a necessary
condition for becoming competent and effective teachers, a profession chosen by
most of our students. These courses also give a solid foundation to those going
on to graduate studies. (The program at
UBC,
on the other hand, is oriented
solely toward literary studies.)
3.
A humanities program such as German will, by necessity, remain statistically
less successful than other programs which are predominantly career-oriented.
However, despite the low career potential of German, our enrolment figures over
the past 10-12 years have remained stable between 130-160.
We have, at present, 171 student enrol mentsin German courses. The number of
. ?
German Majors and Minors compares favorably with that of other divisions of comparable
size within the DLLL; in fact, it compares well with other smaller departments
in the University:
.1.
0oj
/2
1985-1 ?
compared to
?
1984-1
?
German Majors ?
22
?
Minors ?
12 ?
8
?
Total ?
34 ?
27
.
'(Total enrolments for Spanish
in 85-1 176 students)
?
Spanish Majors ?
19 ?
compared to
?
23
?
Minors ?
17 ?
26
Total ?
36 ?
49
Thus far, the University has never indicated what it would consider a satisfactory
number of majors and minors for a program ?
this size to be considered "viable'.
We have, at present, two and one-third faculty positions in German, one full-time
lecturer, one T.A. (4 hrs.) and a Language Instructor.
The average teaching load for a full-time faculty member (chairing on the average
3-4 courses per semester) amounts to 9 hrs/week. (Thomas Perry is teaching 3 hrs.
in German, contributing the remaining hours to the Linouistics Division).
Teaching responsibilities are shared as follows:
M.
?
Jackson 202, 300,
301, 360, 370,
371,
403, 404, 409, 451
B.
?
Kaneen 102,
103,
201,
202, 205,
301, 408
L. ?
Kitching 240, 350,
443, 444, 446, 447,
449, 459
T. ?
Perry
300, 360,
401,
402, 403, 406, 409 & Ling.
?
Div. ?
courses
LI's, ?
TA's 102, 103, 201,
202, 300
The Administration -- perhaps with justification -- has been preoccupied witn fiscal
considerations alone when discussing the future of German at SFU. We feel that
there is sufficient interest, documented by the number of students pursuing a degree
program in German, to retain German Studies. Should this Committee, because of fiscal
conditions, come to a different conclusion, I urge that the final proposal be a
proposal to retain German Studies at SFU in the form of a highly structured Minor
degree program:
Lower Division
?
G 102-4, 103-4, 201-3, 202-3, 240-3
Upper Division ?
G 300-3, 360-3, 370-3, 371-3, *400.3/*410.3.
G 240-3 and all Upper Division courses may be completed in two semesters if scheduled
as follows:
FALL
SPRING
Course
Hours
Course -
Hours
102-4
5
102-4
5
103-4
5
103-4
5
201-3
4
202-3
4
14
C..
)Ar
t.JJ ?
..)I.) )..)
)ffl ' ?
/1
J
310-3
?
-
3 ?
*40031*4103 3
io
.
New
courses
*G 400-3 ?
Special Topics in German Studies
*G 410-3 ?
Readings in German Ling. or Lit. (a course designed to accommodate
?
students exempt from G. 300-3).
As a service course, G. 460-3 should be offered once a year or whenever requested
by a sufficient number of students.
The recommended sequence of four language courses in place of a German degree
program (cf. memo R.C. Brown to Ch. Hamilton, dated November 29, 1984) would,
if it were adopted, put SFU on the level of regional colleges.
4.
Dr. Saywell, in his announcement of September 20, 1984, stressed that in the
future SFU would focus more strongly on international studies. While Russian
is important for Pacific Rim Studies, the significance of German in economic,
intellectual and scientific exchanges must be acknowledged, for it is the
official language (or one of the official languages) in five countries. The abolition
of Russian and German will lead to the increasing parochialization of this university.
5.
In
.
the U.S. the trend is now to expand language instruction and to reinstate
language requirements. Enrolments in Lower Division language courses would no doubt
increase if SFU were to establish a general foreign language requirement.
• ?
concomitantly,
other North American universities are stressing the advantages of
decentralization for studies in the Humanities, especially literature and languages.
The
call to centralize in B.C., to let students interested in a German program
pursue their interests at UBC, is in contradiction to what is presently considered
valuaole elsewhere.
6.
Language is necessary for the communication of thought. We hold that familiarity
with a second (or third) language and studies in literature and linguistics heighten
the learners' awareness of their ownrnotr tongue and increase their power of
expression. Beyond merely expressing thoughts, some training in the critical
expression of thought should be part of the education which a university student,
regardless of his field, has a right to expect. By reducing the offerings of the
DLLL, this University is to increase the chances that students will be denied that
breadth
of education.
1.NorthAmerican civilization
is icloe1y
t Western civilization.
Here, German through
its contribution to the arts and sciences, to philosophy
and literature, constitutes
a
significant factor. Any university or,
more precisely,
a Faculty of Arts,
will have as one of its main goals to afford young persons
an opportunity to gain
insight into the various aspects of Western culture.
Can this goal
still be achieved after a main component, a degree program in German,
has been eliminated?
I believe that German, for academic and cultural reasons, has a place in this
•
?
university and I
do hope that the above arguments will be taken into consideration
in
decisions affecting the future
of the
German/
L
(
C
^,
ivisiori
at S.EL.
c
1
?
/c,
Marqrët Jackon
MJ/c ?
0041
.
SCAP 1985/02/18
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE GERMAN DIVISION AT S.F.U.
The thrust of m
y
p
resentation is to oreserve the fufl
and
German
financial
program.
reasons
There
to
exist
dissolve
neither
the
sound
German
nor
major
compelling
program.
acadI
e n
ilc
can
at
speak
which
with
time
authoritI
was
y
invited
about the
to join
German
S.F.U.
Division
as an
only
Associate
since
1
Profes)r.
979
On two occasions in the
p
rior history of the univers1t,
the S.F.U. Senate firmly rejected unconvincing attemp-t: by the
Administration
in
1978-79
resulted
to dissolve
in the
the
Senate's
German
resolve
Division-The
to strengthen
second attempt
the Ger-
man Division by approving two tenure track positions, one at the
Assistant
level.
Professor level, the other at the Associate Professor
Since
1
979-3 the rebuilding of the Division has taken
Place and with some impressive results: Student numbers have
doubled since
1979-3;
the German
Division
has won
the res
p
ect of
the other B.C. universities, of German Departments across the
nation, of other departments on campus and of leaders among
the
Dean
community,
of Arts,
Former
R.
C.
SFU
Brown
President
have both
George
openly
Pedersen
declared
and the
their
present
pleaure
with the new stature of the Division. In 1985-1 there are more
major and minor students in the German Division than in the Spn1h
Division. Clearly, enrolment factors do not constitute a valid
reason to consider the dissolution of a successful academic pro-
gram which stands at the heart of the Humanities, otherwise t}1
dissolution
committee and
of
Senate
the Spanish
would
Division
logically
instead.
he asked to
approve the
Additional cheerful truths are as follows:
One
SFL
T
's
faculty
internationally
member of
respected
the German
Journal
Division
of
is
Linguistics,
Associate
GLCSSA;
Editor
r_11
another member of the
Division is
the Publications Officer of
a
national learned society, the CAUTG; yet a third member of the
Division is on the executive board of an International Society
for the Study of Esperanto.
The German Division also enjo
y
s a national and inter-
national reputation due to the research grants, books edited,
articles published and papers read at international conferences
by its members. The SPU German Division with 2J faculty, one
lecturer, one assistant and one graduate TA
has
won major stature
and recognition across Canada for the uniqueness of its under-
graduate program in language, literature and linguistics, it Is
the only German
Division in
the country whose students produce an
undergraduate German-language literary journal. The third
annual volume of the journal is presently being put together by the
student editorial committee.
Our students are among Canada's best. They regularly
win prizes and valuable scholarships of the German government to
J
-2- ?
SCAP 1985/02/18
.
to study language and literature in Germany. The ratio of
students to professors at SFU is
the
same as at
tJBC's
Depart-
int of Germanic Studies, as is th ratio of majors.
AP: THESE FACTS KNOWN TO ALL MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE?
Sorn€addjtjonal facts thatwill aid your deliberations
.ric1tje: The President and other administrators possess many
letters-_I have
copies
of 60--which urge him to retain the major
In Ge'rnan. It is doubtful, if he has received any letters which
pport his proposal. Among the letters of support are many from
Canadian and American universities, national associations,
community leaders, concerned individuals, and colleagues in
related disciplines. I find it impressive that the West German
Ambsssdor to Canada, Dr. Wolfgang Behrens, together with the
Vancouver German Consul General, Dr. Reinhardt Marks,both per-
sonally urged Dr. Saywell for half an hour to retain the German
pr rin.
The German-Canadian community also stands solidly behind
the SFU German Division and has presented the administration with
almost 2000 signatures on petitions which support retention of
tri g
German major. Mr. Otmar Zimmermann, Director of the Vancouver
hrinch of the prestigious internationally-based Goethe Institute
,
?
tlsD
sup p
orts retainin
g
the major. Two German-Canadian newspapers,
one
notinsl one local, and the
p
roducer of the German radio
pJ?
.
crm on
CJVB
in Vancouver
actively
support in writing and on the
:- the retentIon of the full major program.
On February
5,
1985 The President of the CANADIAN
F!Da.TIoN FOR THE
T
FUT I
IANITIES, John Matthews wrote to Dr. Saywell:
j',r I ... appeal to you...
as
a trustee ... for the Protection of the
i
dea
of the universit y
as a total community of complementary
scholcrshlp, to be particularly vigilant to see that ... unfortunate
constraints
do not fall more heavily upon the Humanities than upon
any other group of disciplines.W
Colleagues, I sumbit to you that with such vigorous
supu.:rt from di
p
lomats, associations, institutions, professors,
community leaders and concerned individuals, Senate should consider
its response to the administration's proposal very carefully. I
suggest you recommend the proposal he rejected. As you know, almost
no
financial savings can be made from abolishing the German program..
Were it abolished, there are many voices who would say that the
u
1
rersjt
y
would lose prestige, support and good will.
The bright young faculty whom Dr. Saywell would attract
from elsewhere were already brought to the German Division in
1979
by Dean Brown. The two youngest scholars in the Division are already
computer-literate
and
are
heavily involved in computer-based research
anh Instruction. In spite of pressures to become a technical un-
VCSIty,
SPU's administrators and technocrats should resist the urge
to dOvour its humanists.
0043
-3-- ? SCAP 1985/02/18
Dr. Saywell has admitted to me that he was unaware of
the favourable academic stature of the German Division prior to
formulating his
p
roposal. His rigid position remains unfounded
academically and his factual grounds are shaky.
I believe that this committee and Senate can not
declare themselves stronger than the truth. To ignore the
facts
which I have presented to you is to be arbitrary and hostile to
intellectual honesty.
In conclusion, when there are almost no financial
savings, when the tenured faculty of the German Division are to
be retained in other disciplines, is the university being honest
toward the public about cuts? Is the university being 'cannibalized"
by the administration to placate political dragons?
As
a scholar speaking to scholars, I ask you in the nie
of scholarship, the pursuit of truth and excellence torecornmend
to Senate the full retention of the German major. There are only
short-lived and indefensible political reasons to dissolve the
major program. Dean Brown knows that it has been rebuilt according
to Senate's last decision on the natter. The program should be
retained in full. Thank you for your attention.
Q'PaL
Laurence P. A. Iütohing,
Associ
p
te Professor
00
Id.;
0
