(Substitute Paper) 

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...................................................From 

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B. ? 

G. WILSON 

VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC... 

Subject.. . DEPARTMENTAL REVIEW 

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Date ? 

. NOVEMBER 28, 1972 ? 

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MOTION: ? 

"That Senate approve, as set forth in S.72-130, 

procedures for internal and external review of 

departments." 

Wilson, 

Registrar 

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Vice-President Academic 

LR

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NOVeer,1972 

After final review of the paper I submitted to Senate 

related to Departmental Review, which has been included in the Senate 

agenda material already circulated, I find that certain minor changes seem 

appropriate. I am therefore sending you a substitute paper incorporating 

these changes, and I would appreciate you circulating this to Senators. 

The significant change in the document relates to the 

elimination 

of

the mandatory requirement for submission of all report 

material to Senate and the Board of Governors. Since the reports may 

well relate to both academic and administrative concerns, the separation 

of powers between Senate and the Board of Governors as set out in the 

Universities Act suggests that the final report to each might well 

contain different material. Accordingly I aiii suggesting that the 

Academic Vice-President or the President, depending on the nature of 

the review, prepare reports specifically for these two bodies. 

Wilson 

VRO

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Departmental Review 

An appendix to Senate paper S71-80: Selection of Department 

Chairmen, outlined the responsibilities of academic departments. 

For the purposes of departmental review, the most relevant sections 

of this appendix are: 

1. Departments are responsible for maintaining teaching 

and research programs of the highest quality. They 

should maintain interest in the well-being of students 

and concern for the academic progress of the University. 

They should ensure that the quality of teaching and 

scholarship in the department is appropriate to the 

• academic aims of the University and should facilitate 

effective collaboration with other Departments. They 

will ensure that their faculty and students are given 

every opportunity to participate in the academic life 

of the University and obtain the maximum benefit from 

their participation in the Simon Fraser University 

community. 

and 4. Departments should engage in a continuous review of 

their operation to ensure that they are functioning 

well within the University and to ensure that they 

are well regarded by the wider academic community. 

The second of these makes explicit the idea that the primary 

responsibility for departmental review lies within the departments 

themselves rather than with some external University authority. It 

nevertheless seems appropriate to provide a review process which 

enables the University to ensure that internal review is adequately 

carried out and which also allows the Univerity and its departments 

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to draw on the expertise of "the wider academic community" in an 

effort to ensure that departments are well-founded inside as well as 

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well-regarded outside the University. Thus the following procedures 

seek to establish two kinds of review mechanism, operating at time 

separately but at others concurrently. 

I.

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Internal review - 

1. Responsibility for and initiation of internal review 

shall rest with the Deans of Faculties who shall report 

their findings to the Vice-President, Academic 

2.

Except in the case of new departments for which 

separate procedures have been established, each 

dpartmont shall be required to produce a biennial 

4-he aep4-fr,en#s 

report on 

itc

0

activities which shall cover, at least, 

the following points - 

a.

review of the objectives and effectiveness of 

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the department's undergraduate teaching program. 

b.

review of the objectives and effectiveness of the 

department's graduate teaching program. 

c.

review of the department's undergraduate and 

graduate advising program. 

d.

report on the research activities of departmental 

faculty. 

e.

review of the department's administrative structures 

and its functioning, both internally and within the 

University as a whole. 

3. These reports may be produced by such procedures as 

departments deem appropriate provided they are acceptable 

to the Dean and shall be submitted to the Dean by the 

middle of the Spring semester in alternate years. Where 

appropriate, Deans of Faculty will consult with the Dean 

of Graduate Studies on departmental graduate programs. 

is

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4. The Dean shall discuss his report with each department 

and make them aware of any comments and recommendations 

he proposes to make to the Vice-President, Academic. 

The Dean shall submit his report by the end of the Spring 

semester. 

S. After receiving reports, the Vice-President, Academic, 

shall provide a/report to Senate and the Board of 

Governors and take such action as, in consultation 

with the Dean and Department Chairman, he feels to be 

appropriate. 

II. ? 

External review - 

1.

Responsibility for and initiation of external review 

shall rest with the Vice-President, Academic, who 

shall report his findings to the President. 

2.

Except in the case of new departments for which 

-separate 

procedures have been established, departments will 

normally be subject to external review every five years. 

This period may, however, be reduced as a result of the 

findings of an external review or should it be found 

advisable to institute an external review under 1.5 

above. 

3.

Reviews shall be carried out by a board of reviewers 

consisting of three to five members, appointed by the 

Vice-President, Academic, on the advice of the Dean and 

Department Chairman. A majority of the review board must 

come from outside the University. 

4.

Reviewers will be provided with a statement including 

a.

the calendar entry for the department 

b.

the curricula vitae of all faculty 

a document, prepared by the 

apartmont, 

reviewing 

items I. 2a, b, and d, above 

d. other information felt to be appropriate by the 

department, the Dean or the Vice-President, Academic. 

4

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s.

Reviewers 

iI

rcguc ? 

violt thc coms 

for

a specified period together butrepare individual 

r

reports on the academic Kono of the 

department. 

At the 

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port on e 

f th 

ha11 

h-3ubmittod by 1e 

Dean 

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t-rom 

inciao 

trio ururo--f. 

6; On receiving these reports, the Vice-President, Academic 

shall submit them,with his comments and recommendations, 

to the President. After consultation with the Vice- 

President, Academic ,the Dean and the Department 

Chairman, the President shall provide akeortCto 

Senate and the Board of Governors, and take such action 

as he feels to be appropriate. 

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ams

November 28, 1972 