SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

S.'34S

MEMORANDUM

From...... ?

9fT. ?

BOARt 

Sub

jed.........POLICY ON ADMISSION 

Date...... ?

.3•9,• .]3 

INDEPENDENT 

SCHOOLS

Action undertaken by the Senate Undergraduate Admissions Board at 

its meeting of July 14, 1983 gives rise to the following motions: 

"That Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board 

of Governors, as set forth in S.83-65 

MOTION 1 - 'That for purposes of uhdërgraduate admissionsT, 

the University accept applicants from all 

independent schools which adhere to the British 

Columbia High School Curriculum, subject to the 

same conditions as apply to applicants from 

British Columbia public schools' 

MOTION 2 - 'That the University consider applicants from 

independent schools in other Canadian provinces 

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requirements 

if the applicant meets the admission 

requirements of the leading university in that 

province' 

MOTION 3 - 'That the SUAB in Spring semester 1986 review 

the academic performances of students from 

independent schools to evaluate the effect of 

the above policies' 

MOTION 4 - 'That above policy changes become effective for 

applicants for 1984 and subsequently" 

The above action modifies actions taken by Senate in February, 1983 

under S.83-16 revised. 

Motion 1 does not supercede the quota regulations on international 

students, whether entering from British Columbia public or private schools. 

SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

MEMORANDUM

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BOPD                                  

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subject ........

ADM

At the February meeting of Senate the following motion was approved 

and subsequently approved by the Board of Governors: 

"That Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board 

of Governors, as set forth in S.83-16 Revised 

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'That for admission from a Private HighSchooi, Simon -. 

Fraser University consider only those qualified applicants 

from B.C. Private High. Schools granted Group II status 

under the Ministry of Education guidelines (including 

equivalents in other Canadian Provinces and Territories). 

Where a school chooses to remain outside the Ministry of 

Education guidelines for Group II status, for reasons 

other than academic, the Senate Undergraduate Admissions 

Board may grant that school a waiver.' 

That this policy become effective for applicants in 

1984 and subsequently." 

This measure was adopted for the purpose of ensuring that academic 

standards of entrants from private schools would be consistent with those 

entering from public schools. There was concern over the possible 

proliferation of new private high schools, recruiting students mainly from 

overseas. The University had established no standards by which to evaluate 

such new schools. 

A number of difficulties have arisen over the implementation of the 

new policy with the result that it would be impractical to implement the 

policy in January 1984 as planned. Certain private schools do not wish to 

apply for Category II status for other than academic reasons and hence have 

appealed for waivers. The University has therefore been placed in the 

position of virtually accrediting such schools by granting a waiver or denying 

the school a waiver on potentially inadequate grounds. The University is not 

equipped to establish an accreditation process for independent schools. Such 

a process would require significant resources. 

Other recently adopted policies will also have a mitigating affect 

in respect of the Private High School policy. Firstly, the total number - 

of international students has been limited by the quota adopted by Senate and 

effective September 1983. ? 

Secondly, for international students those with 

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inadequate or marginal ability 

in

English will be screened and assisted by the 

new ESL test and remedial program. Lastly, the new continuance policy will 

have the affect of removing the poorly-prepared student in a shorter time than 

previously. 

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A full comparative evaluation of the performance of students from 

independent schools cannot be carried out before adequate data has been 

collected. This will require that students from independent schools entering 

Simon Fraser University in Spring 1984 be allowed two years to establish 

an academic record for evaluation. This would normally take the student 

half way through a degree program, i.e. to the 60th semester hour. 

Independent schools elsewhere in Canada will most likely not be 

adhering to the B.C. Curriculum. It has been the practice of the 

Registrar's Office to accept students from such schools if they met the 

entrance requirements of the most prominent university in that province. 

Therefore students from an independent school in Ontario should meet the 

published entrance requirements of the University of Toronto and those from 

independent schools in Alberta should meet the requirements of the University 

of Alberta. This approach is pragmatic but is necessitated by the additional 

problems encountered in attempting to evaluate or accredit institutions outside 

this Province. 

The proposed policy is consistent with the policies of the University 

of British Columbia and the University of Victoria, except that international 

students attending UBC may not be admitted on transfer from another Canadian 

institution. 

Implementation for January, 1984 of the revised policies set out 

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in the motion sheet is not expected to pose any additional difficulties. 