;5 rm

A C'

TO:

SENATE

SUBJECT: SERVICE FOR ADMISSION TO COLLEGES AND

UNIVERSITIES (S.A.C.U.)

FROM:

REGISTRAR

Paper 3(F)

August 18, 1966

File:

1-A-4

At the June 6th meeting, I reported to Senate on S.A.C.U. and its

purposes (see attached). Senate agreed that we should keep a watchful eye

on the development of S.A.C.U.

The University has now received a request from A.U.C.C. that we join

S.A.C.U. The fee for Simon Fraser is $500.00 per year. U.B.C. and the Univer-

sity of Victoria, have joined. The Provincial Department of Education will be

joining according to the Deputy Minister.

RECOMMENDATION that -

S1.

we join S.A.C.U. at this time. I make this recommendation first, as

a gesture of support for one of the first unified education oriented

projects in Canada and second, because we would be less than fair if

we waited until all the research was done, liked the result, and then

joined having shared no part of the research expenses.

2..

we make our position quite clear to the Minister of Education that our

joining does not necessarily mean we are intending to use the tests

developed and are therefore not encouraging the Department to drop the

province wide examinations it now conducts.

we make this position known to the Board of Directors of S.A.C.U.

we request our representatives on the Provincial Board of Examiners

(L. Kendall and D.P. Robertson) to work in the Board for a unified

approach to these tests by the Universities and the Department of

Education.

D. P. Robertson

•SF

•.

,•

... .

Sena

Ttegi.trar ,.

Founding Conference: Service on Ad-

May 20

1966.

miaaion to Universities and Cotgos,

Ottawa, April 2627, 1966.

The President was invited to send repreeentativeé to this Conference. The

Registrar was asked to attend as a delegate, Dr. Lorne Kendall, Head, Department

of Psychology went as an observer. (Unfortunately, Dr. Kendall became seriously

ill on arrival and was hospitalized and therefore was unable to attend any of the

m9etings).

• The Conference waè called under the.auspices of the Standing Committee of

Ministers of Education of the Provinces, and the Asociatiori of Universities and

Colleges of Canada. its purpose was to consider a recommendation to establish a

•

Canadian' Admissions Test Service similar to the College Entrance Board in the

U.S.A. The Conference, which was attended by 85 de1egate'aand 50 observers,

representing every group interested in admissions problems endorsed the recommend-

ation of the.planning committee'.

••.

•,,

...', •'

The Conference then elected a Board of Directors and instructed it to proceed

with the incorporation of the Service. ,'

•,

' ' .

The Service intends to develop standard aptitude tests and achievement tests,

both in the English language and in 'French, which can be administered to any

student in any part of Canada and the results of which will be given to the Univer-

sities subscribing to the Service

It is not at-all clear what the development of these tests will mean to 'Simon

Fraser. The Univeraities and the Deartrnent of Education in B.C. have been cool to

the idea ever since it was first raiêedn 1962.

The advantages of the Service over the present system of Departmental examin-

ations for University Entrance are claimed to 'be. as follows:

' It will make the admissions decision on out of Province students. much

easier as there will be a standard test' for all of Canada. (Some ask - for what

Universities is this a problem, and what are they doing to solve it now?).

The Departmental examination results are coming out so late in the summer

that Universities cannot process the applicants fast enough; the standard test results

would be available much earlier. (Some ask if it is possible to give standard tests

earlier, why can the departmental tests not be given earlier; what is inviolate about

a September to June school year?).

c) - It will provide an additional criterion to be used in' the selection of

students for admission to University. (Some ask - granted, it is an additional

criterio;'but so is"the length.of the student's foot, but nobodyhas advanced that

as a

,00d

criterion,- what does the

test result predict?).'-

S * nate

-2 -

May 20, 1966.

There are a 'number of

-additional

questions

about the Service, such as:

ho' is it to be'a national test when the Provinces'vary in the number of years

required for Senior Matriculation. (Grade 13 in B.C., grade 12 in Alberta)?

')-ct effect: will a standard test have on the curriculum in each Province (will

with a standard curriculum?)? Is the idea.of one big test going

•

tgar.st the trend in education to innovate, to create and experiment, to diverge

•

•frcrr other institutions? Will the test be too expensive for the student to take

(the a(m is a $15.00 cost for the student)? Will the administrationof the tests

• :'

•have.

t:o be done by experts" in central locations which will mean travel monies

• for the students .in outlying districts of B.C.? If the tests are not centralized,

•

who will adminster the test and will they be competent? If the tests are adopted

• as the criterion or even as one' of the criteria for admission to Universities,

•

'will the Department of Education pull out of the testing field altogether?..

•

•. All these questions are related to indicate that we will be 'taking .a

hard look at the development of the proposal and working closely with the other

• "Universities 'and the Department of Education through the B.C. Board of Examiners

, before a recommendation is brought before the Senate to adopt or reject the use

of these

•

tests as

•

a requirement

':.'

for"

" '': '"

admisa

•

ion

' •'

Simon

•

Fraser University.

•

Any member of Senate

who wishes more 'detailed written informatjon on the

tests and the Service, may obtain it from my office.

Robertson