MEMORANDUM

SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

S.72•/7

MEMORANDUM

To_

SENATE

From

ACADEMIC PLANNING COMMITTEE

A PROPOSAL FOR AN INSTITUTE OF

Subject

PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS

Date

NOVEMBER

23, 1972

MOTION:

"That Senate accept the Proposal for an Institute

of Public Policy Analysis, as set forth in Paper

S.72-147."

S-72-/47

A PROPOSAL FOR AN INSTITUTE

OF PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS

The purpose of an Institute of Public Policy Analysis

at Simon Fraser University may be briefly stated as that of provid-

ing a forum for the examination of selected problems of Canadian

public policy both at the federal and provincial levels, and

alternative approaches to their solution. It is intended to provide

a situation in which creative minds from the community, government

and universities can come together to review and analyze current

problems and systems and to make projections and assess the value

of alternative approaches to future policy.

In order to attain these objectives, the Institute

should have a number of features. First, the Institute will endeavour

to place the examination of public policy questions within the main

stream of intellectual endeavour, both in Canada and in British

Columbia. In providing a centre for the short-term examination of

public policy questions, the Institute will marshal the necessary

information and assess solutions to these problems. It will also avoid

the tendency of permanent problem-oriented centres and institutes to

freeze conceptions of social problems and thus to institutionalize

social policy around permanent and perhaps outdated perceptions.

Second, the Institute will attempt to provide a window to the public on

decision-making processes in this country. Thus, it may invite the

participation of members of the local community with specific expertise

in the areas under discussion in the Institute; and it will also

provide, from time to time, public lectures and discussions at which

members of the Institute will lay out their problems and their

conclusions. Third, the Institute, in pursuing the objectives outlined,

will remain independent of government at all levels in pursuing its

investigation. It will not undertake contract research or accept

direct government funding except under special circumstances, to be

determined by the Vice-President, Academic. Thus, funded partly by

Simon Fraser University but principally by independent foundations,

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the Institute will be enabled to pursue its work unfettered by any

kind of outside control. Fourth, it will conduct short-term examination

of the problems which it decides to pursue. Thus, these problems will

normally be treated within a single academic year and the papers and

conclusions emerging from the discussions within the Institute will

be collected and published at that time. While it should be obvious

that this will not bring to an end all research on a particular topic

conducted by those people who have been members of the Institute during

a given year, this continuing work will be carried on by the individuals

themselves and will not be the responsibility of the Institute.

II. Organization of the Institute

1. Staff -

The staff of the Institute will be divided into

continuing and visiting categories. It is anticipated that

the continuing staff will be supported by the University

while the visiting staff will be supported by external grants.

Continuing staff will consist of:

the Director, Research and Planning, who will have

final responsibility under the Vice-President, Academic,

or his designate, for the overall policy of the

Institute and in particular for planning and executing

research. As well as conducting a regular University

course and continuing his own research the Director of

Research and Planning will be responsible for negotiat-

ing for funds, encouraging other members of the

University to participate in the work of the Institute,

advising students and editing the research papers;

the Associate Director, Symposia and Visiting Fellowship

Program, who will, independent of his work in the

Institute, conduct a regular University course and pursue

his own research interests. He will have responsibility

for the symposia and visiting fellowship program, outlined

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below; will recommend on the selection of the visiting

fellows and will, in cooperation with the director,

attempt to involve in the work of the Institute

interested and qualified members of the local community,

both from inside and outside the University. He will

also be responsible for the dissemination of the work

of the Institute, both through local and national media

and other outlets and through the annual publication

of the results of its investigations;

a research associate who will be a resource person both

for those participating in the annual Institute and for

other membrs of the University wishing to take advant-

age of his research expertise. Under the Director,

Research and Planning, he will conduct the research

workshops; and

the remainder of the permanent staff of the Institute,

viz., a secretary and a limited amount of secretarial

assistance.

The visiting staff of the Institute will generally consist

of a number of senior fellows, annual fellows, short-term fellows, and

honorary fellows. The exact number will: be dictated each year by the

requirements of the program and the availability of funding.

2. Research and Teaching -

The research and teaching functions of the Institute

will be organized along the following lines. Each year, research

and teaching will be conducted around an annual theme, selected

by an advisory committee to be established by the Vice-President,

Academic in consultation with the director and associate director

of the Institute. Projections of these themes and planning for

their investigation will be made two years in advance.

Around this theme, the following activities will be

organized:

A visiting lecturer program -

Each year public lectures will be given by the

short-term fellows, visiting the Institute for one

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semester. These fellows will be expected to make a

major commitment to prepare... their papers for

publication and be asked to participate in a course

or seminar given in the University as well as being

required to lead a research workshop in the Institute.

They will also participate, together with the annual

fellows, in the symposia.

Research workshops -

A small number of research workshops led by

Institute fellows in cooperation with the Director

of Research and Planning and the research associate

will be conducted. Invited participants will

include Faculty and graduate students with interests

in the area under investigation. The workshops will

be related to the research being conducted in this

•

area in the University.

Faculty-Graduate seminar -

The director and associate director of the

Institute will conduct one faculty-graduate seminar

around the annual theme. Invited participants will

include faculty members and graduate students with

specific interests in the area under consideration.

Symposia -

The major formal activities of the Institute will

be concentrated every year in two annual symposia,

lasting approximately ten days each. These will be

organized by the associate director and a senior

visiting fellow; and the participants will include,

in addition to the permanent and visiting staff of the

Institute, a number of honorary fellows from British

Columbia, a small number of known leaders in the

field and those members of the University community

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involved in the Institute's research program. In

selecting the participants a balance will be struck

between professional and non-professional people

representing the community, government and the

universities.

The first symposium each year will be regarded

as a highly speculative enterprise restricted to

acknowledged leaders in the field under investigation,

while the second will involve a larger group of

people who are affected by or can affect public policy.

The symposia will include plenary sessions and workshops

and a record of the deliberations will be kept. The

final papers produced by each symposium will be

edited by the director with a view to publication;

and an attempt will be made to inform the general

public of the ongoixg work of each symposium through

the appropriate media.

Academic Planning Committee

November 24, 1972

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