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SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
S.
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MEMORANDUM
To ............. Memhers .ofSenate
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From...................K.
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c1thoff
radua .....S.tu.d.is..................
Subject ...... Pi ?
tmentofGeographycalendar
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Date......
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August2.4......1.9.7. ....................................................
Changes
MOTION:
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That Senate approve the attached Graduate Calendar?
changes for the Department of Geography.
These Graduate Calendar dhanges were approved by the Senate Graduate Studies
Committee on August 23, 1976.
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K. Rieckhoff
Acting Dean of Graduate Studies
mini
SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
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MEMORANDUM
To................ Ms. M. McGinn, Secretary
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From
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Sheila Roberts, Secretary
Senate Graduate Studies Committee
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Faculty of Arts Graduate Studies
Committee
Subject
CHANGES - GEOGRAPHY
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Date ............... July 20, 1976
The Faculty of Arts Graduate Studies Committee approved the attached changes
to the Ph.D. programme in Geography. The Committee also supported Geography's
request that these changes become effective as soon as possible after final
approval and that incoming graduate students starting in the Fall 1976 will be
informed of these requirements.
Would you please put these changes on the agenda of the next meeting of the
Senate Executive Graduate Studies Committee.
Thank you.
S. Roberts
Attachments:
SR:nl
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1976-77
Calendar
CALENDAR CHANGES GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT
During the Fall and Spring semesters, the Graduate Studies Committee of
the Department of Geography discussed possible improvements to the
Graduate program. The Committee approved amendments to the timing of
the Ph.D. qualifying examinations and the intent of the field problem
option, as stated in the Graduate Calendar.
Ph.D. Program
7]-
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Qualifying _Examinations ?
Change in Requirements
From:
"At a time set by the Supervisory
Committee, normally at the end of
the second year of residence, the
candidate will be required to sit
written and oral qualifying examina-
tion."
To:
"Written and oral qualifying examinations
designed to establish the student's
competence to proceed with doctoral
thesis research will normally be under-
taken at the end of the first year of
residence and no later than the end
of the fourth semester of residence.
Students who fail the written or the
oral examination may retake each once
after a one semester lapse. Both
parts of the Qualifying Examination
must be successfully completed by
the end of the sixth semester of
residence."
Rationale: The previous regulation called
for the examination to be held no later
than the end of the second year of
residence. The modification above is
,designed to speed up a student's progress
through the Qualifying Examination stage.
Qualifying Examinations
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Change in Regulations
i) Field Problem:
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From:
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"a) Written: The Candidates wii:L
select one of the fo] lwiii; two
options:
I) Field Problem. The Qualiiyin
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Examination Comm-i t-? will
71
2
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select a field problem re-
lated to the candidate's
general research interests.
The student will normally be
given two weeks to prepare
and present a written report
to the Qualifying Examination
Committee and his/her perfor-
mance will be judged on the
basis of its
clarity
of thought
and presentation, appropriate
reference to relevant teOut).
satisfactory collection and
presentation of field data
and depth of understanding
portrayed. Attention will
be paid to the appropriateness
of the methodology and the
consistency of the conclusions.
A student who fails the field
problem may retake it once,
after a one -;emester ].apse."
To:
"a) Written. The candidate will
select one of the following two
options:
1) Field Problems: The Qualifying
Examination Committee will
select a field problem related
to the candidate's research
interests. The examination
will be designed to establish
the ability of a student to
Perform competently in a
field situation. This option
will normally be selected by
students whose intended re-
search will involve extensive
field work.
The student will normally be
given two weeks to prepare
Iand present a written report
to the Qualifying Examination
Committee and his/her perfor-
mance will be judged on the
basis of the clarity of thought
3
and
pre
senl;at-
j
o ?
O1'n;)iin tO
sat
rc.
isfactory
ference to re
collection
J.ev-
ri
1, 1 t(:
rirJ
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1 1)
pre
sentation of field d;t cnn
depth of
Und
erstanding portray-
to
ad.
the
A ttention
approp
riateness
viiji
be
of
paid
the
me
thodology and the COnsictency
of the
COflC1US1OS"
R
ationale: Graduate students sought a
Problem
cl
arification
option.
of
The
the
intent
nature
of
of
the
the Field
regulation is unchanged.
The last sentence 'A student who fails
the field problem may retake it once,
after a one semester lapse. ' has been
deleted
the timing
because
of
ex
aminations
a
s
tatement
and
specifying
procedure
to be followed if a student
f
ails,has now been
included under Qualifyinp Exarnjntjens
(see page 1)
p. 71 il)Wrltten Examinations
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Change in Requirements
S ?
From:
"There will be four exmjnations:
Part One: One examination paper will
be devoted to the candidate's
field of specialization and
will be designed to permit
the student to explore
extensively a chosen area
of research.
Part Two: The other three examina-
tion papers will be based
upon three topics chosen
by the candidate in
consultation with the
Qualifying Examination
Committee.
The student may select all four
topics from within one of the
recognized three sub-branches.
Where applicable one paper may
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be written in a field outn,idc
Of
Geography.
A student, Who 17i.1.s an eviin:t;-on
)I)OI' 10,3Y I(.'-
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1)
-i ffnr'
fl
('1f
LA
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To:
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"There will be four examinations
Part One: One examiro.orpaper will
be devoted to the candidate's
field of specialization and
will be designed to permit
the student to explore
extensively a chosen area
of research.
Part Two: The other three examination
papers will be based upon
three topics chosen by the
candidate in consultation
with the Qualifying Examina-
tion Committee.
The student may select all
four topics from within one
of the recognized three sib-
branches. Where applicable
one paper may be wrl
4 ;en in
a field outside of Geography."
Rationale:
40
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This modification makes the requirements
of the written examinations more explicit.
The regulations remain uncnanged.
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p. 70
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Dree Requirements ?
Changein Requirements
From:
"Candidates will be expected to
present at least two seminars,
on topics selected by the
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candidate in consulLation with
the Supervisory Committee."
.
"Candidates will be expected to
present one seminar on a topic
not directly related to
4
1,-he thesis
research prior to undertaking
Qualifying Examinations. The
topic will be selected by the
candidate in consultation with
his/her Supervisory Committee,
and must be of a standard
acceptable to that Committee.
The seminar will he presented
before interested faculty and
students."
Rationale:
Students will
now present one 3eminar rather than
two, before writing the Qualifying
Examinations. Under the proposed
new regulations the Qualifying
Examinations are to be sat no later
than the end of the
1
4th semester
rather than before the end of 2nd
year. The reduction of seminar
requirements and the shortening of
the interval between the entry into
the Ph.D. Programme and writing
of the Qualifying Examinations are
intended to speed students'
progress towards their research. The
proposed regulations provide ample
opportunity to evaluate students'
ability to engage in doctoral research.
• 71 ?
Thesis ?
Change in Req
ui
rements
From:
"The candidate will Prepare a
thesis proposal
which will be
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Circulated to faculty and
resident graduate students
and will present this proposal
at a Department colloquium."
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To:
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6
To:
"The
c
andidate will prepare a
thesis proposal which will be
c
irculated to faculty and
resident graduate students and
will present this proposal at
a
Dep
artmental collo
q
uium. In
addition, prior to completion
of the thesis, the candidate will
be expected to present before
interested faculty and students,
a report on the progress of
his/her research. The timing
of this report will be selected
in consultation with the
candidate's Supervisory Committee."
Rationale:
The proposed requirement of a thesis
progress report is intended to
serve as a departmental forum
for discussion of the research.
ALL THE PROPOSED CHANGES ARE INTENDED TO TIGHTEN-UP EXISTING
CALENDAR REGULATIONS. THERE ARE NO FUNDAMENTAL ALTERATIONS IN
THE PH.D. REQUIREMENTS.
a
