PROPOSAL FOR PROCEDURE FOR SENATE TO FOLLOW

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IN INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS

The Faculty of Education requests that the Senate establish an

Interdisciplinary Programs Committee to examine all interdisciplinary

programs and to report to the next meeting of Senate on a recommendation

of the Faculty of Education that the Interdisciplinary Program for the

study of human movement lead to a B.Sc. Degree.

Justification

There are certain distinguishing characteristics and responsibil-

ities that are implicit in any discipline.

It must, for example, encourage

and carry on extensive research to support and advance existing theories

and to lead to new concepts and knowledge. Existing knowledge must be,

organized and presented in an orderly and systematic fashion through course

work or academic experiences. Each discipline too, must select interested

and promising students and encourage them to follow specific programs

leading to professional competence. Without these functions and respon-

sibilities it is doubtful if any discipline would continue to advance.

The personnel in the Physical Development Centre are faced with a

situation which makes it impossible to carry out two of these functions.

The reason why this situation exists are several, but should in no way be

:construed as truly hampering the possibilities of future development.

The philosophy of the Faculty of Education is one which identifies

that the training of a teacher begins first with his mastery of the subject

field or discipline he intends to teach. The method of promoting mastery

of a discipline involves requiring the student to complete his undergraduate

training in existing disciplines within the Faculties of Arts or Science.

Following this academic preparation, the student then undergoes

'a period of

professional preparation. This appears to be a sound philosophy and one

which is quite compatible with the thinking of the Physical Development Centre.

The difficulty

physical education has

preparation. Only rec

are two aspects to its

sense of the term, and

or technical sense.

arises, however, when one realizes that the field of

in the past primarily been one of professional

ntly has the profession begun to realize that there

totality; one, an academic discipline in the true

two, the application of the discipline in a professional

Because of this situation there does not exist within the Faculties

of Arts, Science, or Education, a place for the study of the academic discipline

of physical education. This means that unless a program for the advancement of

the discipline is evolved within the structure of the Faculties of Arts, Science,

or Education the discipline can not be studies and as a consequence, students

could not be prepared professionally.

The problem facing the Physical Development Centre therefore, was to

define what in fact constitutes the academic discipline of physical education

and then to determine how this field of study might best be incorporated within

the existing structure of the University.

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The Physical Development Centre after extensive investigation and

discussion agreed that the academic discipline of phyiical education may

be Identified as being the study of the science of human movement, it was

further agreed that the science of human movement Is founded upon a

number of life and social sciences and that a study of human movement must

first begin with a study of the basic concepts in these contributing

sciences.

The Physical Development Centre, through a committee established

by the President, worked closely with the Dean of Science in the develop-

ment of an interdisciplinary program for the study of human movement. This

program was thoroughly discussed within the department of Biological

Sciences and the Physical Development Centre and was then advanced to the

Curriculum Committees of the Faculties of Science and Education. The program

was accepted in. principle by both Committees and was passed back to the

President's Committee for further modifications. The program, after refine-

ment, was resubmitted to the Curriculum Committees; it was accepted in

principle and in content and was advanced to the Faculty of Science for their

approval and acceptance. The Faculty of Science by a vote of 20 to 15

declined to accept the program on the grounds that it.did not appear to meet

the requirements of a major degree in Science and suggested that the program

'should be sponsored by the Faculty of Education or such other body of the

University that the Senate-may recommend.

The President's Committee in reviewing the possible actions which

could be taken to advance this program following its defeat by the Faculty

of Science, recommended to the President that the Senate be requested to

establish a committee to examine all interdisciplinary progranis and in

particular, the program for the study of human movement. It was further

recommended that direct action be taken in the advancement of the program

and that the Faculty of Education be requested to accept the courses proposed

by the Physical Development Centre for the development of the program. The

President concurred with these recommendations and suggested that the Faculty

of Education be requested to advance these proposals to the Senate. It was

further recommended by the President that the Faculty of Education should be

requested to go on record as approving the offering of a B.Sc. degree for

students following this program and as being willing to offer such a degree

if the proposed Senate Interdisciplinary Committee is unable to Come up with

a more satisfactory solution.

It has further been suggested that the terms of reference for this

committee could include the identification of the various areas of inter-

disciplinary activity that Simon Fraser University could teach. The committee

could also make recommendations on the administrative structure for the over-

seeing of interdisciplinary programs, on the acceptability of proposed inter-

disciplinary programs and on the degrees to be offered for each interdisciplinary

program•