. DRAFT UNTIL APPROVED BY SENATE
Minutes of a Meeting of the Senate of Simon Fraser University held on
?
Monday, November 1, 2004 in Room 3210 WMC at 5:30 pm
?
Open Session
Present: Stevenson, Michael, President and Chair of Senate
?
Absent:
Beynon, Peter
Blackman, Roger
Breden, Felix
Brennand, Tracy
Budd, James
Copeland, Lynn
da Silva, Gisele
Dean, Charmaine
Deigrande, James
Dickinson, John
Apaak, Clement
Fung, Edward
Haunerland, Norbert
Higgins, Anne
Horvath, Adam
Mauser, Gary
McArthur, James
McFetridge, Paul
McInnes, Marcia
Scott, Jamie
Shaker, Paul
Smith, Don
Tombe, Trevor
Wessel, Sylvia
Wong, Milton
Yerbury, Cohn
Driver, Jon
Dunsterville, Valerie
Easton, Stephen
Fizzell, Maureen
Giacomantonio, Chris
Gordon, Irene
Gordon, Robert
Grimmett, Peter
• ?
Gupta, Kamal
Harder, Derrick
Hayes, Michael
Honda, Barry
Hunsdale, Shawn
Johansen, Elinor
Jones, John (representing Brian Lewis)
Krane, Bill
Li, Ze-Nian
Love, Ernie
MacLean, David
MacKenzie, Christine
McKinnon, Stephanie
Percival, Paul
Pierce, John
Pinto, Mario
Plischke, Michael
Rozell, Sara
Sears, Camilla
Schellenberg, Betty
Waterhouse, John
Weeks, Daniel
Wong, Josephine
Woodbury, Robert
Zandvliet, David
Heath, Ron, Dean of Student Services/Registrar
Watt, Alison, Director, University Secretariat
Grant, Bobbie, Recording Secretary
In attendance:
Allen, Diana
Berube, Denis
Hibbitts, Pat
Weinberg, Hal
Whittlesea, Bruce
S.M. 1 November 2004
Page 2
Approval of the Agenda
The Agenda was approved as distributed.
2.
Approval of the Minutes of the O
p
en Session of October 4, 2004
Reference was made to the motion on page 4. It was pointed out that the word 'set' was
missing from the phrase 'as set forth'. Following this correction, the Minutes were
approved.
3.
Business Arisin
g
from the Minutes
There was no business arising from the Minutes.
4.
Report of the Chair
i) ?
Paper S.04-77 - Annual financial Statements (For Information)
P. Hibbitts, Vice-President, Finance and Administration, and D. Berube, Director,
Finance and Ancillary Services, were in attendance in order to respond to questions.
Brief discussion ensued with respect to the timing of the report and its presentation to
Senate. Senate was advised that the report was normally forwarded to Senate in
September but this year there were a number of circumstances, including systems
changes, that resulted in a delay this year.
Reference was made to page 2 and concern was expressed about what appeared to be a
budget surplus in the section entitled "Summary of Appropriations". It was noted that the
carry over budget appeared to have significantly increased since last year and an inquiry
was made about this growth. Senate was advised that the carry forward was not
completely surplus money and one of the problems was the way it was reported in the
statements and this is being looked into. Senate was advised that all of the amounts apart
from the Departmental carryovers ($18,228,000) were committed. Department carryovers
identified as commitments by departments for spending were brought into budget, and
the remainder would be available for the future. One significant reason for the increase
in the Appropriations was the one-time-only funding received from the Provincial
Government at the very end of the last fiscal year which was committed primarily to
capital purchases in the current fiscal year.
In response to an inquiry about why there was a discrepancy between the amounts for
revenue/expenses on page 2 and those on page 8, Senate was advised that the figures on
page 2 reflected the operating fund of the University that was the budget approved by the
Board of Governors. The numbers on page 8 incorporate all of the activities of the
university and therefore reflect a larger number than just the operating budget.
Suggestion was made that perhaps the title on page 8 should be changed since the current
title implied an operations budget. Although the overlap between the terms operating
fund and operations was acknowledged, it was pointed out that these terms have been
used consistently as standard terminology in the report for many years and it was better to
retain
Reference
them
was
in order
made
to
to
avoid
the debentures
potential confusion.listed
on
?
page 14 and the repayment of principle
0
and interest on the next page. Clarification was requested whether the figures cover the
S.M. 1 November 2004
•
principle
Page
and interest payments due on the total consolidated debt
3
or just the 16 million.
Brief discussion followed and Senate was advised that a detailed breakdown of the
repayments could be provided on request to D. Berube.
Following further brief discussion about the increase in capital expenditure and revenue
from student fees, the report was received by Senate.
ii) The Chair reported that the University Presidents' Council was actively lobbying
the Government with respect to funding. The public advocacy statement prepared by
TUPC "Our Universities Our Future" which was recently distributed to Senate was felt to
reflect the general needs of the university system in British Columbia. In addition to the
public document, Senate was advised that TUPC produced a confidential budget
submission to the Ministry that attaches firm numbers to the expectations outlined in the
public document, namely funding with respect to grants and research, enrolment growth,
infrastructure needs, student financial assistance, and graduate student funding. The
Chair hoped to be able to report favorable progress by the end of the year or early in the
new year.
?
5.
?
Question Period
There were no questions submitted.
. ?
6. ?
Reports of Committees
A) ?
Senate Nominatin g
Committee
i)
?
Paper S.04-78 (Revised) - Elections
Senate's attention was directed to the revised Senate paper S.04-78 that showed that
additional nominations had been received. Senate was advised that Shawn Hunsdale had
also been nominated to SCIA and his name should be added to the revised paper. The
following are the results of elections to Senate committees.
Senate Committee on Continuing Studies (SCCS)
One Student Senator for term of office to May 31, 2006.
Elected by acclamation:
?
Shawn Hunsdale
Senate Committee on International Activities (SCIA)
One Undergraduate Student Senator to May 31, 2006.
Elected by acclamation: ?
Shawn Hunsdale
Senate Committee on Disciplinar
y App
eals (SCODA)
One Student (at-large) to May 31, 2005.
Elected by acclamation: ?
Patrick Smith
Senate Committee on Universit
y
Priorities (SCUP)
One Student Senator to May 31, 2005.
Elected by acclamation:
?
Shawn Hunsdale
S.M. 1 November 2004
Page 4
Committee to Review the President Prior to Re-Appointment
Two Faculty Senators and one Graduate Student (at-large).
Elected by acclamation - Faculty Senators:
?
Paul Percival
Betty Schellenberg
Ballot required - Graduate Student (at-large)
Candidates: K. Beck, D. Grant
Elected: ?
Douglas Grant
B)
Research Ethics Board
i) ?
Paper S.04-79 - Annual Report (For Information)
B. Whittlesea, Chair, Research Ethics Board, and H. Weinberg, Secretary, Research
Ethics Board were in attendance in order to respond to questions.
The Annual Report of the Research Ethics Board was received by Senate for information
without questions.
C)
Senate Committee on Universit y
Priorities
i) ?
Paper S.04-80 - External Review - Department of Earth Sciences
Moved by J. Waterhouse, seconded by C. Sears
"that Senate concur with the recommendations from the Senate Committee
on University Priorities concerning advice to the Department of Earth
Sciences on priority items resulting from the external review as outlined in
S.04-80"
D. Allen, Chair of the Department of Earth Sciences, was in attendance in order to
respond to questions.
The following is a summary of the points raised in a discussion concerned mainly with
space and program recommendations:
Space appeared to be the biggest issue facing Earth Sciences and an inquiry was made
as to whether serious consideration was being given to the recommendations relevant
to the space issue. Senate was assured that serious considerations were being given to
this issue by the Administration and it was suggested that the motion before Senate
commits the Dean of Science to seek every means possible to address this issue.
Concern was expressed about two points in the report, namely reports of declining
enrolments in Computing Science and new space opportunities available to
Computing Science at the Surrey campus. Several Senators stressed that enrolment
was not declining in Computing Science and the space issue at the Surrey campus
was not relevant to the space issue at Burnaby.
Reference was made to the departmental statement with respect to space being taken
away from Earth Sciences in the new TASC 1 building. Opinion was expressed that
S.M. 1 November 2004
Page
5
the space allocations for the new building involved a considerable amount of complex
negotiation resulting in the accommodation of most of Earth Sciences space needs.
However, it was pointed out that the department's statement referred to the original
building plans when the entire bottom floor was allocated to Earth Sciences.
With regard to the recommendation that suggests that Earth Sciences was not
included in the major requirements of other departments, opinion was expressed that
there was more integration amongst programs than was implied in the document. It
was pointed out that at least two Science programs - Physical Geography and the
Pollutant Transport Stream in Environmental Science - required majors to take at
least one introductory course in Earth Sciences and many of these students then go on
to take additional courses in order to fulfill the requirements for the Association of
Professional Geoscientists and Engineers of BC. However, it was noted that these
courses represented very small numbers, approximately five to ten students per year,
and was not the number of enrolments that the Department was hoping to attract.
Senate was advised that the Environmental Science program was expected to expand
as a result of the creation of different streams which it was felt would help to broaden
the representation of Earth Sciences courses.
Reference was made to the response from the Dean (recommendation 9 on page 3)
with regard to the suggestion that Earth Sciences courses be substituted for some of
the Geography courses in various streams. Opinion was expressed that the
recommendation seemed to be against a spirit of collaboration. It was suggested that
EASC courses may be underrepresented in the program, and the Steering Committee
for the Environmental Science program was being asked to look at this issue.
Question was called, and a vote taken.
?
MOTION CARRIED
D) ?
Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies
i)
Paper S.04-81 - Curriculum Revisions - Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (For
Information)
Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting
under delegated authority, approved seven new courses and minor revisions to existing
courses, program and degree requirements in the following departments/programs:
Archaeology, Canadian Studies, and School for the Contemporary Arts.
ii)
Paper S.04-82 - Curriculum Revisions - Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (For
Information)
Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting
under delegated authority, approved twenty new courses, fifteen course deletions, and
minor revisions to existing courses, programs, and degree requirements in the following
departments/programs: Economics, English, First Nations, French, Geography, History,
Humanities, Linguistics, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology and Anthropology.
S.M. 1 November 2004
Page 6
iii) ?
Paper S.04-83 - Curriculum Revisions - Facult
y
of Science (For Information)
Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting
under delegated authority, approved one new course, two course deletions, and minor
revisions to existing courses, programs, and degree requirements in the following
departments: Biological Sciences, Earth Sciences, Mathematics, and Molecular Biology
and Biochemistry.
7.
Other Business
A) ?
SFU Library
i) ?
Paper S.04-84 - Annual Report (For Information)
Senate received the Annual Report of the Library for information. Senators were
reminded of the highly positive and excellent external review that was presented to
Senate recently.
8.
Information
The next regularly scheduled meeting of Senate is scheduled for Monday, December 6,
2004, with agenda items for the December meeting due November 18, 2004.
Open Session adjourned at 6:15 pm. Following a five minute recess, Senate moved into Closed
Session.
Alison Watt
Director, University Secretariat
0