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DRAFT UNTIL APPROVED BY SENATE
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE SENATE OF SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY HELD
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ON MONDAY, MAY 15, 1995 IN ROOM 3210 WMX, 7:00 P.M.
OPEN SESSION
Present: ?
Boland, L., Acting Chair
1]
Alderson, E.
Absent: ?
Bacani, J.
Amason, K.
Barrow, R.
Bullock, D.
Beattie, S.
Chan, K.
Ciria, A.
Clayman, B.
Dunsterville, V.
Cohen, M.
Eaton, C.
D'Auria, J.
Einstein, D.
Dean, C.
Etherington, L.
Dhir, R.
Giffen, K.
Dobb, T.
Hoeflich, K.
Driver, J.
LeMare, L.
Frindt, R. (representing C. Jones)
Lord, T.
Gill, W. (representing J. Blaney)
Mauser, G.
Hafer, L.
Munro, J.
Heinrich, K.
Naef, B.
Jahn, R.
Segal, J.
Luk,
W.S.
Stubbs, J.
Marteniuk, R.
Warsh, M.
Mathewes, A.
Wickstrom, N.
McAskill, I.
Wu, S.
McInnes, D.
Morrison, T.
Osborne, J.
Percival, P.
Perry, T.
In attendance:
Peterson, L.
Dyck, I.
Rawicz, A.
Gee, E.
Sanghera, B.
Poole, G.
Shapiro, S.
Stewart, M.L.
Swartz, N.
Underhill, 0.
Vining, A.
Wideen, M.
Winne, P.
Heath, W.R., Secretary
Grant, B., Recording Secretary
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S.M. 15/05/95
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Approval of the Agenda
The Agenda was approved as distributed.
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2. ?
Approval of the Minutes of the Open Session of March 6. 1995
The Minutes were approved as distributed.
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3.
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Business Arising from the Minutes
There was no business arising from the Minutes.
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4. ?
Report of the Chair
i)
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Paper S.95-22 - Election Report - For Information
A report outlining the results of faculty and student elections to Senate
and the Board of Governors was received by Senate for information.
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5.
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Report of Committees
a)
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Senate Committee on Academic Planning
I)
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Paper S.95-23 - External Review - Department of Chemistry - For
Information
Following a brief discussion, the External Review Report of the Department of
Chemistry was received by Senate for information.
ii)
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Paper S.95-24 - Institute of Governance Studies
Moved by J. Osborne, seconded by B. Clayman
"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors as set forth in S.95-24, the formation of the Institute of
Governance Studies"
Question was called, and a vote taken. ?
MOTION CARRIED
b)
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Senate Committee on Academic Planning/Senate Undergraduate
Studies Committee
i)
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University College of the Fraser Valley
a)
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Paper S.95-25 - Science 400
Moved by J. Osborne, seconded by E. Alderson
"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.95-25, the following new course to be
offered at the University College of the Fraser Valley: Science 400
History and Philosophy of Science"
Question was called, and a vote taken.
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MOTION CARRIED ?
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b)
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Paper S.95-26 - Major Programs in History and English
Moved by J. Osborne, seconded by E. Alderson
"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.95-26, the following new programs to
be offered at the University College of the Fraser Valley
commencing September 1995: Major Program in History; Major
Program in English"
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I. Dyck, Chair,IDepartment of History was in attendance in order to respond to
questions.
In response to an inquiry concerning the status of the agreement between SFU
and UCFV, Senate was informed that although UCFV has been given degree-
granting status they wish to retain ties with SFU in areas with similar programs
and reasonable resources in order to establish a curriculum base for
themselves. This will provide time under their autonomous status to develop
more independent programs in other areas.
Question was called, and a vote taken.
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MOTION CARRIED
ii)
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Faculty of Science
a)
Paper S.95-27 - Revisions to Science 010
Moved by J. Osborne, seconded by P. Percival
"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.95-27, the changes to SCI 010 -
Contemporary Topics in the Natural Sciences"
Question was called, and a vote taken.
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MOTION CARRIED
b)
Paper S.95-28 - Revisions to B.Sc. General Science Degree
Moved by J. Osborne, seconded by P. Percival
"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.95-28, the changes to the
requirements for the B.Sc. - General Science Program, effective
September 1996"
Question was called, and a vote taken.
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MOTION CARRIED
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c)
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Senate Committee on Academic Planning/Senate Graduate Studies
Committee
i)
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Paper S.95-29 - Curriculum Revisions - MRM Program
Moved
by B. Clayman, seconded by J. Osborne
"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.95-29, the proposed
i) New course MRM 643-5 Environmental Conflict and Dispute
Resolution
ii) Change to calendar entry for graduate program
iii)
Change to description of Co-operative Education
iv)
Add section on Tourism under Co-operative Education calendar entry
v) Add heading to Master Program calendar entry
vi) Change to list of required courses for MRM Degree
vii) Change to list of elective courses"
Question was called, and a vote taken.
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MOTION CARRIED
Acting under delegated authority of Senate, the SGSC has approved the
following course revisions: Change of title and description MRM 601,602,631;
Change of description MRM 610,613,647,671,690,699; Change of title MRM
664.
ii)
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Paper S.95-30 - Curriculum Revisions - Criminology
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Moved by B. Clayman, seconded by E. Alderson
"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.95-30, the renumbering of CRIM 870
and 871 and the proposed New courses GRIM 872-3 Selected
Topics; GRIM 873-3 Selected Topics"
Question was called, and a vote taken. ?
MOTION CARRIED
iii) ?
Paper S.95-31 - Curriculum Revisions - Geography
Moved by B. Clayman, seconded by E. Alderson
"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.95-31, the proposed
New courses: GEOG 718-4 Soil Science; GEOG 731-4 Hydrology;
Deletion of GEOG 721-4 Biogeography of Wetlands; GEOG 724-4
Measurement and Modelling of Heat and Mass Transfer; GEOG
727-4 Field and Analytical Techniques in Geomorphology; GEOG
730-4 Fossil Landforms; GEOG 747-4 Transportation; GEOG 758-
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4 Heritage Resource Management; GEOG 761-4 Chrono-
geography"
Question was called, and a vote taken.
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MOTION CARRIED
iv)
Paper S.95-32 - Curriculum Revisions - Philosophy
Moved by B. Clayman, seconded by E. Alderson
"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.95-32, the proposed (i) changes to the
requirements for the M.A. and Ph.D. programs; (ii) change in credit
hours from 3 to 5 for PHIL 805,815,825,845,855"
In response to a concern about the evaluation of student performance in cases
where there is no thesis, it was pointed out that this option, previously approved
by Senate, is quite common in many programs across North America. Brief
discussion took place with regard to the proposed number of pages set as a
maximum length for the M.A. thesis.
Question was called, and a vote taken.
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MOTION CARRIED
v)
Paper S.95-33 - Curriculum Revisions - Education
Moved by B. Clayman, seconded by P. Winne
"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.95-33, the proposed new courses
EDUC 877-5 Contemporary School Counselling; EDUC 855-5
Multicultural and Race Relations Education: Policy Development
and Program Implementation"
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vi)
Paper S.95-34 - Curriculum Revisions - Biological Sciences
Moved by B. Clayman, seconded by R. Mathewes
"that Senate approve and recommend approval to the Board of
Governors, as set forth in S.95-34, the change of credit hours from
3 to 6 for MASC 501 Special Topics"
Question was called, and a vote taken.
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MOTION CARRIED
d) ?
Senate Committee on University Teaching and Learning ?
Paper S.95-35 - Annual Report - For Information
E. Gee, Chair of SCUTL, and G. Poole, Secretary of SCUTL, were in
attendance in order to respond to questions.
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S.M. 15/05/95
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In response to an inquiry about codification of data from the evaluation of
teaching questionnaires, Senate was advised that the evaluations will be
processed using the services and equipment at UBC.
Senate was informed that the questionnaire at this point is a test instrument, the
results of which the committee will submit to factor analysis. The overall plan,
which arises from a SCIMO recommendation, is to have a university-wide
instrument for all teaching units to use. In addition, however, Departments and
individual instructors will also be free to use their own questionnaires. SCUTL
believes that if teaching is going to be evaluated in any constructive way, it must
be evaluated in multi-dimensional ways, and SCUTL would like to explore a
three-tiered approach to the evaluation of teaching. Firstly, a standard
component for the university in general; secondly, a tier that is departmentally or
discipline specific, and a third tier that is structure specific.
Opinion was expressed that there is considerable cynicism among students
about how the evaluations are used by administrators such as Chairs and
Deans, and inquiry was made as to how much credence is given to the
information collected. It was pointed out that evaluation on teaching is not only
taken into consideration for tenure, promotion and salary review, it is viewed as
an ongoing feedback process so that if a problem is discovered it can be
brought to the instructor's attention. Suggestion was made that the issue of
student cynicism and ways to reduce it might be addressed by the Committee.
Discussion turned to specific questions on the questionnaire with concerns
being expressed regarding (i) Q.16, 22 and 27 in respect to the student's ability
to judge knowledge; (ii) lack of questions concerning student background and
time commitment to the course; (iii) separation of the course and the instructor
e.g. the importance of students' having appropriate prerequisites; and (iv) the
amount of redundancy in the form.
Referring to the concerns regarding students' ability to judge knowledge, it was
pointed out that the intent of these questions is to get an impression of the
student's perception of credibility.
Senate was advised that the items on the questionnaire were derived from
research that links certain teaching behaviors with student performance and the
intent was to begin the pilot with items that have been correlated in some way to
student performance; therefore, many questions that are used on standardized
forms across the university do not appear on this questionnaire.
In response to a suggestion that students be advised that the form is a test
instrument which contains a considerable amount of redundancy, opinion was
expressed that doing so would compromise the ability to carry out factor
analysis but students perhaps could be informed that the test version is
somewhat longer than the one that would eventually be used.
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S.M. 15/05/95
Page 7
• In response to an inquiry about student access to teaching evaluations, it was
noted that currently under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy
Act student access was not possible.
e)
Senate Undergraduate Admissions Board
Paper S.95-36 - Annual Report - For Information
The Annual Report of the Senate Undergraduate Admissions Board was
received by Senate for information.
f)
Senate Appeals Board
Paper S.95-37 - Annual Report - For Information
The Annual Report of the Senate Appeals Board was received by Senate for
information.
6.
Other Business
On behalf of Senate, the Chair extended thanks to the following retiring
Senators: A. Ciria, J. Driver, T. Perry, M. Cohen, A. Vining, J. Bacani, K.
Hoeflich, D. Einstein, and S. Wu.
7.
Information
The next regularly scheduled meeting of Senate will take place on Monday,
June 5, 1995.
The Assembly moved directly into Closed Session at 8:05 p.m.
W. R. Heath
Secretary of Senate
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