S^-774i^ 

ACADEMIC 

At its meeting on 16 November 1977, the following motion 

was approved by the Senate Committee on Academic Planning: 

"That the status of Computing Science be 

changed from a Program to a Department." 

The rationale for the proposed change is contained in the 

attached memorandum from Dr. J. Weinkam to Dr. T. W. Calvert dated 

September 29, 1977. 

.

MOTION: "That Senate approve and recommend approval to the 

Board of Governors that the status of Computing 

Science be changed from a Program to a Department." 

V-1

To ? 

Dr. T. W. Calvert 

Dean, Interdisciplinary 

Dr. Jay WekkLf.: 

/ )

/

Subject ? 

Departmental Status 

?

Date 

?

September 29, 1977. 

At the Program Council Meeting of September 20th a motion that 

the Computing Science Program change its status from Program to a 

Department was passed without dissenting vote. The rationale for wishing 

to make this change include the following; 

1.

The Computing Science Program has now reached a level of maturity 

which warrantt the change to Departmental status. 

?

The introduction 

of the Undergraduate Program is now complete and we are about to 

introduce a Graduate Program. Unlike other Programs in the university, 

Computing Science has faculty members with full time appointments in 

the Program. The number of full time and joint appointments has grown 

to the point where there are ample faculty members to manage the affairs 

of the Program without need of a separate Steering Committee. 

2.

The designation Computing Science Program leads to a certain amount of 

confusion in those outside the university. Usually, such a designation 

is applied to a coherent group of courses within some 

other 

department. 

it is not uncommon to see Computing Science Programs within Department. 

of Mathematics or Schools of Electrical Engineering. As well, in many 

universities the designation program is applied when course of study in 

a new discipline is first introduced. As a 

Program grows and develops 

it eventually achieves Departmental status. Thus, the designation 

Computing Science Program tends to mislead outsiders as to the nature 

and scope of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University. 

3.

For

all intents and purposes, the Computing Science Program already 

functions as a department. The role of the Steering Committee has 

diminished to the point where it has not met in approximately a year. 

In accordance with our recent telephone conversation, I would like to 

arrange a meeting of the Steering Committee to seek its endorsement of this 

proposal. 

JJW/dc 

?

le, ' 

Most programs within the university differ from departments 

in that they have very few courses, very few faculty members (chiefly 

joint appointments with a "home department" other than the program), 

and their curricula consist chiefly of courses drawn from existing 

departments. Typically, a program has a steering committee with member- 

ship drawn from related departments. 

In addition, the Faculty of Education operates with faculty 

members appointed to the Faculty but exercising assigned teaching res- 

ponsibilities in one or more of three program areas (undergraduate, 

graduate or professional). Budget and personnel are allocated to the 

Faculty and are under jurisdiction of the Dean rather than Program 

Directors. Other programs such as the MBA and NPM are contained 

within a Department and, although such programs have a designated 

Director, they are not financed or staffed like departments. 

The Computing Science Program has a substantial core curri- 

culum although it draws more heavily than many departments on courses 

developed and offered in other departments. Computing Science has 

about ten faculty members with regular appointments and five faculty 

members with joint appointments between Computing Science and a depart- 

ment in Arts, Science or Interdisciplinary Studies. It has graduate 

and undergraduate curriculum committees and a Departmental Tenure 

Committee. Its Director has all the responsibilities of a Departmental 

Chairman. In short, it is funded and staffed on the same basis as any 

regular department. 

By contrast programs in the Faculty of Education, Area 

Studies programs, the MBA program, the MPM program have less autonomy 

and operate almost entirely with faculty members whose appointments 

are not to the Program per se. 