Senate 

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Sena.. te Comm ittee on 

Academic Planning 

Annual Report 

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INTRODUCTION 

Under the rules of Senate, the Senate Committee on 

Academic Planning is required to submit an annual report. 

Due to a misunderstanding, no SCAP annual report has ever 

been submitted to Senate. Rather than attempt to encompass 

SCAP's entire history, it seems more productive to limit 

the time-frame encompassed by this report. Thus, it will 

include only the past three years, 1977 - 1979. 

Since most of the recommendations emerging from SCAP 

are subsequently reviewed by Senate, this report will only highlight 

the major proposals considered by the Committee and problems 

and issues stemming therefrom. 

ACTIVITIES TO DATE 

In the past three years, the Senate Committee on Academic 

Planning has considered the following items: 

1.

Affiliated status for Northwest Baptist Theological College - 

proposal awaiting re-confirmation of request from the College 

following appointment of their new President. . (October, 1979) 

2.

Review of organization of existing 

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Faculties - SCAP Subcommittee 

appointed. Awaiting report. (January, 1980) 

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3. Canadian Studies Program proposals - recommendations forwarded 

to Senate. (December, 1979) 

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4.

Nuclear Science Minor - proposals forwarded to Senate. (October, 1979) 

5.

Proposed reorganization of the Department of Economics 

and Commerce - proposals forwarded to Senate. (October, 1979) 

6.

Vancouver Academy of Music - proposal for interlocking 

arrangement with Simon Fraser University for a four year 

diploma program. University subcommittee appointed to 

examine the implications of the proposal. Report pending. (October,1979) 

7.

Joint Major in African/Middle East Studies proposal 

considered and rejected on the grounds of cost, lack of 

student interest, and lack of a coherent academic program. (Feb., 1979) 

8.

Continuation of programs in Russian and German - SCAP 

concurred that the programs should continue. No proposals 

forwarded to Senate since no change from the status quo 

proposed. (January, 1979) 

9.

Proposals for graduate degree programs in Computing Science - 

proposals forwarded to Senate. (December, 1978) 

10.

Proposed new admission requirements for B.C. Secondary School 

graduates - a set of recommendations were considered by both 

the Senate Committee on Academic Planning and the Senate 

Undergraduate Admissions Board. Recommendations were 

forwarded to Senate. 

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(October, 1978) 

11.

Co-operative Education - policies and procedures - recommendations 

forwarded to Senate. (May, 1978) 

12.

Third stage of development in the Fine Arts including Major in 

Dance, Major in Theatre, and Minor in Visual Arts - proposals 

forwarded to Senate. 

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(March, 1978) 

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13.

The role and place of statistics and research design courses 

in the University - considered by both the Senate Committee 

on Academic Planning and the Senate Committee on Undergraduate 

Studies. General guidelines proposed. No formal proposal 

submitted to Senate. (November, 1977) 

14.

Honours Program in Linguistics - proposal forwarded to 

Senate.. (November, 1977) 

15.

Change in status of Computing Science from a program to a 

Department - recommendations forwarded to Senate. (November, 1977) 

16.

Double Minor Degree for the B.A. and B.Sc. degree - insufficient 

support to warrant further action. (November, 1977) 

17.

Multiple undergraduate degrees - proposal approved in- 

principle by SCAP. Detailed procedures to be forwarded 

to SCUS for consideration. (November 1977). 

18.

Report of the Planning Committee on Interior Programming - 

recommendations forwarded to Senate. (September, 1977) 

19.

Survey Science Program proposal - recommendations forwarded 

to Senate. (February, 1977) 

20.

Community Education Program in Health and Fitness Studies - 

recommendations forwarded to Senate. (May, 1977). 

PROBLEM AND ISSUES 

In the Annual Report of the Senate Committee on University Budget 

dated December 4, 1979, that Committee expressed three inter-related 

concerns involving the University's "planning process." First, 

there appears to be almost no institutional planning of any kind 

taking place. Second, even if all members of the University community 

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had some appreciation of the directions in which the University was 

headed, there is as yet no integration of our academic planning 

with our fiscal and capital planning. Third, the role and 

functions to be performed by various committees of the 

University are not clearly defined. These include the Senate 

Undergraduate Studies Committee, the Senate Graduate Studies 

Committee, the Senate Committee on University Budget, the 

Senate Committee on Academic Planning; as well as Senate, 

the Board of Governors and the Universities Council. 

The Senate Committee on Academic Planning shares the three 

concerns expressed by its sister committee. From the perspective 

of members of the Senate Committee on Academic Planning, SCAP has 

been far too long a re-active body rather than an initiating body. 

Early in 1979, the President asked the Senate Committee on Academic 

Planning to address the need for a more rational and effective 

planning process. The Committee strongly encouraged action in 

this area and felt that the first priority to be addressed should 

be that involving an assessment of Simon Fraser today and an 

indication of possible future directions. To that end, a subcommittee 

of SCAP has been established and is working on the development of 

such a paper which will, upon approval by SCAP, be forwarded to 

Senate for its consideration. It is our expectation that the 

other two major planning issues identified by the Senate Committee 

on the University Budget in its Annual Report will be subsequently 

addressed. 