O
I
"I
"
I
C!
.:
O
I
"
TIII
.:
V
I
U
...
.
I'
IU
.. .s
II
)
I
.:N
T
,
'-\C"
I)I
.:"
II
C
,
I
N
!)
I'
R
OVOS
T
MEM
ORANDU
M
ATIENT
I
ON
S
e
n
a
t
e
8888
L
n
i\'
cr~i
[
y
D
ri
vl'.
Hm
o
:!
b
),
.
H
e
C:
lll
:l
d:1 "
SA
1
S
6
FROM
J
o
n
D
ri
ve
r
,
V
i
ce
-
P
r
es
id
e
nt
,
:
\
c
ad
c
r
ni
c
and
Pc
o
v
os
t
RE
:
C
c
ni fi
c
at
cs
'
]
'
1-:1
.: 778
.
782.3925
h
\
X: 778.782.SR7
6
DATE
Ju
l
y 2
7
, 2
()
1
I
PAGE
S
I
!
I
S.11-104
vp
a
cl
d
@s
!"
I
I
.C
l
\vw
w
.s
f
u
.c:1! V
P
:l
C
\d
r..:
llli
..:
A
S:I
r
es
ult
o
r
co
n
ce
rn
s
e
xpr
ess
ed :n SC
U
P
;lnd S
e
lla
t
e
n
';~
:lr
d
i
n
g
t
h
e
fi
'c
Lju
'
Il
l
'
wit
h
w
h
i
c
h Il
e
w C
ertificate
p
ro
g
r
a
lll
s
w
en:
e
lll
e
r
g
i
n
g
, S
C:
U
P
i
lllpn
s
c
d
a tL'
lllp
O
rary m
o
r
a
t
o
ri
u
lll
n
il
t
h
L"
)
pr
ovai orne
\\'
Cert
i
fi
c
ate
s
11
0[
;
lln
:
.\d
y
in t
h
L'
ap
p
rov
:
d
p
r
on
.:ss.
I
th
e
ll r
e
q
u
es
t
-
c
d tha
t
Sar:il
l D
e
n
e
iJ
(
Dir
ec
tor
.
U
ni
v
l...
'
r
s
iry Cu
r
ri
c
ul
u
m
)
;ll1d
K
at
e
R
o
ss (
I
t
c
g
i
s
r
r
ar
) c
O
lldu
l"
'
:
1 h
r
i
ef
r
ev
i
e
w of
tll
c
d
a
r
~
l
a
v
a
ila
hle
l
T
g
:
lr
di
ll
g
(\
:
rt
if
l
c:
H
.
cs. '
T'h
e
ir fin
d
in
!-,r:-. arc
co
nt
a
in
c
d ill r
h
e
at
t
a
c
h
c
d r
c
p
o
rt
.
T
'
h
e
r
c
port id
c
n
t
i
f
l
es
S
O
ll
l
C
u
se
rul pro
c
ed
u
r
;
t1
c1u
ll
ges
d
lat will h
el
p to
e
n
s
u
r
c
t
h
at C
c
r
ti
!l
c
ar
es
a
r
c k
e
pI
('l
IlT
e
lit
;
11\(
1
a
c
t
i
ve
;
rh
a
t t
h
e
do
c
Ll
lll
e
l
H
a
t
io
n
ro
r
nl'W C
:e
rt
i
fi
c
a
t
es
i
s C
1c
;H ,l
lI
d
C
O
lllp
1c
t
e
;
a
nd
that
a
1\
II
C
W propo
s:
ll
s
r
ur Ccni
fi
c;
lt
es
ar
c
I
I
HH
e
ri
go
r
o
u
s
l
y vet
t.
c
d to
C
I
1
S
lIr
c t
h
e
y
c
O
ll
tai
n
s
uffi
c
i
e
n
t
e
v
i
d
e
ll
c
e of
d
e
lll;I
I
HI
ro
j
u
s
t
i
f
y
th
e
ir
c
r
e
;
lt
i
o
ll
.
All
illlportClm
qu
es
tion r
aise
d
hy
t
h
c
rqlO
rt
i
s
th
e exte
n
t rn
whidl
;
l h
C
L
t
e
r d
c.:l
l
i
l
iti
o
ll ,,
('t
h
e
pur
po
s
cs of
C
~c
rt:ifi
c
\
t
es
i
s
r
e
t]
ui
I
T
(
I
.
'
I
'
ll
c r
e
p
' )
rt i
(
l
c
ll
t
i fi
es
tw()
e
ll
H
.
'
r
g
i
jI
g
C
I
I
'
cg
l )ri
cs
(
)
f C
:c
r
l"
i
!I
C
I
t'
CS
: (
I
)
C
e
ni
fic
lt
cs
l
iL-
sig
n
e
d
ro
pr
ov
id
e h
r
e
;ld
rh
:
I1
Hl!o
r
i
m
c
r
d
i
sc
i
plin
a
ri
ty, a
ll
d
(2)
CL'l"li
l
l
l-
a
t
es
d
es
ign
e
d
t
o provid
e
o
ppo
r
tu
ni
t
i
cs
(
o
r
s
p
e
c
i:
t1i
z
atioll.
I
s
upp
ort
th
i
s C:
l
L
cgo
r
iz
a
t
i
oll o
l
-
C
c
r
t
ifi
c
a
t
es
, :
111.1
I
h
eli
e
ve t
l
la
t pr
o
p
u
sa
l
s
(()
r
Il
e
w
Cc
r
tifi
G
lt
es S
hl
H
tld
s
tat
e
cl
e
arl
y w
h
c
t
h
er
th
ey a
r
c
i
nt
e
nd
e
d
to p
ro
v
i
d
e
hr
e
a
dt
h
o
r
s
p
e
c
i
a
li
z
.
l
li
o
n.
Oth
e
r r
ec
o
llll
llc
li
Li
e
d
p
ro
cesses
id
e
nrif
i
c
d ill
t
lt
e r
e
port
c
all
he i
lll
pic
ll
l
c
l
\te
d
hy
C
O
lll
lllilt
ees
.
'
rh
e
propo
se
d
annual r
ev
iew or
s
tl1lk
llt
!ll
ll
llh
e
r
s
g
r
ad
l
uti
n
g
wit
h
Ccrr
i
fi
c
lt
cs
will
h
lT
Dl
ll
L'
pa
n
or t
h
e
work o
f
t
h
e
S
l:
!la
IC
(
:Oll
ll
ll
i
ttl'l' O
il U n
de
q
.
..:
r.H
Illa!"
c
StuJ
i
l
'S
,
:
II
H
I
t
h
L'
a
Jl
a
l
ys
i
s
uf fl:a
s
i
h
il
i
l
Y
nf Li
i r
ecl
ad III i
ss
i
n
ll r
o Cl.T
ti
fic
a
re
pro
g
r
a
m
s
will
he c
ondu
d
l'
d h
y ,
Ill:ld h
oc
wor
k
i
n
g g
r
o
up Ih
a
t
I
will a
s
k th
e
I
l..
cg
i
s
t
r
;
l
r 10 dlair.
L
as
tl
y,
at
t
h
e
n
e
xt IIl
c
erin
g
o(
S
(
:
U
P
(
S
L'
p
tc
lllh
e
r
1
4
,
20
1 \
),
I
will r
eq
u
cs
t tlt
:
ll
S
C
:
U
P
re
ill
ove
t
h
e
Ill
or:
l
\:oriu
ll
!
Oil
t
h
e a
ppr
ov;
t1
Or
l
l
l
'W
C
:
cr
t
ifiClt
es.
r
\Il
:
ld
u
ll
C
lll
(
I
)
S
I
N
I
O
N
rU
/
\
S
E
H I
JN
IVEU
S
IT
Y
f
H
I
NK
I
N
G OF T
HE W
O
R
LD
SFU
Univer:-;ity Curriculum amI Institutional Liaison
Office of the Vice Presitlent, i\catlemic
Strand HaU 3100
8888 University Drive,
Burn~lby,
Be
Canada V51\ 156
MEMORANDUM
ATIENTION
FROM
RE:
Dr. Jon Driver) Chair) SCUJ>
Sarah Dench and Kate Ross
Undergraduate Certificates Review
TEL
778.782.6854
FAX 778.782.5876
DATE
June 27, 2011
PAGES
6
SCUP 11-36
Sarah_tlench@sfu.ca
\vww.sfu.ca/ vpacademic
Following discussion at SCUP and SCUS, attached is a report and recommendations on Undergraduate
Certificates. Following feedback from both
SCUP and SCUS, the recommendations were revised, and
are now submitted
to SCUP for decision.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
THINKING OF THE WORLD
Undergraduate Certificates: Review and Recommendations
As approved by Senate, an undergraduate certificate program consists mainly of
regular lower division courses; upper division courses may be (and often are)
included. A certificate program should be between 18 to
30 units, or the equivalent
of between one
or two terms of university study. Certificates are not considered to
be "stand alone" programs, and students are not usually admitted to the university
directly for
or solely to undergraduate certificate programs.
Graduand data (attached, Appendix
A) provided by the Institutional Research and
Planning (IRP)
office reflects rates at which certificates have been awarded over the
past
10 years. Some are well used, and some not. In the cases of low or diminishing
rates of certificate completion, it
is likely that the certificates were developed at a
time when other offerings in a given program
were more limited, and, over time, the
certificates have been
surpassed by newer program offerings. In other cases, it is
likely that students are simply "voting with their feet". Leaving low enrollment
certificates
in the SFU Calendar is a matter of a need for improved housekeeping,
and while there
is no monetary cost to having credentials with low enrollments "on
the books", there is little or no advantage to SFU in retaining these.
The data from
IRP on certificate completion is useful, but cannot indicate the extent
to which students
are intentionally completing certificates, or are instead
"accidentally" completing certificates. Students can simply accrue sufficient credits
and courses as they complete their degrees, such
that by the time they apply to
graduate, a graduation check by an advisor reveals
that a certificate (or more than
one) has also been completed.
In probing the data further by examining students' majors for some certificates, we
hoped to be able
to see patterns that might shed light on the issue of intentionality.
However, the
pattern of certificate enrollment by majors was inconclusive.
Sometimes majors
are receiving certificates in a related diScipline, and sometimes
certificates are being granted to non-majors.
In other words, students may be
completing certificates in areas complementary to their majors (perhaps for
disciplinary depth
or specialization) or seeking out certificates in other disciplines
(for breadth
or interdisciplinarity). In either case, the rationale could be to improve
one's employment prospects,
or simply for the sake of interest. Without surveying
certificate recipients, nothing can be concluded about
student intentions from the
current data.
What
is clear is that in the past two years, the creation of new undergraduate
certificates has accelerated. From
the 2008/09 academic year to 2010/11 (3 years),
12 new undergraduate certificate programs
were created and approved. This is a
sigl')ificant increase from the previous 5 years, in which only 5 new certificates were
approved over
that period. A number of factors may account for the increase:
Undergraduate Certificates: Review
&
Recommendations, June 2011
Page 1
• Over the past 10 years, SFU hired a significant number of new faculty
members, resulting in
the emergence of new curricula and programming;
• As disciplines grow and change, and/or become more interdisciplinary,
certificate
programs are regarded as a cost-effective means for Faculties to
reflect this
growth and to incubate potential new program areas;
• Academic units are hoping to attract new students to their disciplines, and
are creating certificates as a form
of marketing;
• Academic units are receiving feedback from industry or from students that a
concentration
of courses with a particular focus area will enhance future
career development.
Recently,
the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has discussed a revised approach to
FASS undergraduate certificates, which would necessitate a change in the criteria
for certificates, create
two categories of certificates (general, requiring lower
division credits; advanced, requiring
upper division credits), and procedural
changes regarding
how students enter and complete these credentials. Elements of
the FASS proposals are useful and warrant consideration, but it will not serve SFU
well to have a Faculty-by-Faculty approach, and before new categories of certificates
are created, it is important that SFU clarify the purpose or role of certificates as a
credential.
SFU should continue to have an overarching set of criteria and
procedures, and modifications to create categories within an established credential,
such as distinguishing
between general and advanced certificates, should be applied
university-wide
and not specific to one Faculty.
The current requirements for undergraduate certificates are stated as follows in the
SFU Calendar:
Certificate Program
A certificate program consists mainly ofregular lower division courses; upper division
courses may be included. The program should be the equivalent
of between one half
and one full year of university study (18-30 units).
Program Requirements
Note
Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 calculated on
all courses applied to the certificate that are completed at Simon Fraser
University. Duplicate courses are counted only once.
• Units applied to one certificate may be applied also to major
or
minor
programs
of a bachelor's degree under the normal regulations governing those
programs
but may not be applied to another Simon Fraser University
certificate
or diploma.
• Some of the courses have prerequisites not included in the certificate
requirements. Students are responsible for satisfying the prerequisites
of all
courses
in their programs. Prerequisite information can be found in the
University
Calendar in the course descriptions section.
Undergraduate Certificates: Review & Recommendations, June 2011
Page 2
Consideration should be given to amending the administration of Undergraduate
Certificates as follows:
1. Undergraduate certificates that have low or diminishing enrollments should
be identified via a process of annual review of enrollment numbers, and
discontinued as soon as feasible. As happens now with inactive courses,
seus will receive from IRP an annual report of credentials awarded over the
previous S-year period to identify certificates that might be eliminated.
Subsequently, departments would be asked to eliminate the certificate(s) or
provide a rationale to seus for continuance. This review process will take
place initially at seus, and requests to eliminate certificates will be
forwarded to SCUP, Senate, and the Board of Governors according to the
normal process for the elimination of programs.
2. Proposals for new undergraduate certificates must include sufficient
justification and/or evidence of demand, and a target enrollment plan.
Proposals with insufficient information will not be approved by seup. The
Director, University Curriculum will review and revise as needed the
guidelines for the creation of new programs, to include any additional
information required for certificate proposals.
3. Normally, no certificate should be designed so that all students who take a
major or minor in a program are automatically eligible for a certificate in
addition to the degree. Proposals for new certificates should include
information as to how the requirements for a certificate differ from the
requirements of the major and/or minor. In the case of significant overlap of
requirements between a proposed certificate and another program, a
rationale for the overlap must be provided.
4. To receive a certificate, students should normally be required to declare into
them at least two semesters prior to graduation. This will al10w for better
departmental and student planning, and improved advising support.
5. SFU Senate should discuss and clarify the purpose or role of certificates as a
credential. SFU should continue to have an overarching set of criteria and
procedures, and modifications to create categories within an established
credential should be university-wide.
6. Proposals for certificates should identify if they are designed to appeal to
students from within (for specialization) or outside (for breadth and
interdisciplinarity) of a given program.
7. A small working group, led by the Registrar, will be tasked with investigating
whether or not it is appropriate or feasible for the university to directly
admit students into undergraduate certificates, and if so, how. Currently,
according to the criteria for certificates, direct admission to certificates
should not happen, but in practice it does. It may be that certificates are a
useful credential to attract older learners back to university study or to
support career progress, but at this time there is no data available about this.
Clarity about stand-alone admissions to certificates will allow for improved
communications and marketing of certificates, and support improved
curricular planning. Following discussion and consultation the working
Undergraduate Certificates: Review
&
Recommendations, June 2011
Page 3
group will, if appropriate, provide for approval to Senate new Calendar
language that further defines certificates, and provides information on routes
to certificate programs.
Undergraduate Certificates: Review & Recommendations, June 2011
Page 4
INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND PLANNING
Certificate Programs at SFU and Number Awarded by Calendar Year, 2001 to 2010
Program
1st Term
Number
of Certificates Awarded in Calendar Year
Faculty
Abbr
Applied Sciences
CCMPT
Arts & Social Sciences
CSC (or CSC2)
CEXPL
CLBST
CLA
CPH
CCS
CCG
CCRM
CET
CFA
-- ----
CFNP
CNSR
CFP
CGERM
CHS
--
CPS
CRELS
CSP
CESL
CFS
CITAL
CWRRH
CCOR
CCRWR
CCA
CFOR
CFREN
CLS
CMREN
CSJ
Business Administration
CIEL
CCSR
Valid
Description
2001 2002
2003 2004
2005 2006
2007
27
26
47
35
20
10
5
0657
Computing
Studies Certificate
27
26
47
35
20
10
5
390
370
461
383
373
339
309
0657
Cert for Senior Citizens
4
1
3
1
2
1
2
1067
Certificate in Explorations
1037
Certificate in Labour Studies
1
1
0657
Certificate in liberal Arts
277
270
347
299
321
266
256
0657
Certificate in Public History
5
0657
Chinese
Studies Certificate
5
7
12
8
11
7
10
0657
Criminology
General Cert
1
1
1
1097
Cultural Resource Management
0657
Ethnic & Intercult Relats Cert
1
1
1
1
0657
Family: Studies Certificate
3
8
3
4
4
2
0657
First Nations Lang Prof Cert
19
3
9
6
8
11
3
0657
First Nations Studies Res Cert
3
1
3
2
1
1
3
0657
French Language Prof Cert
5
6
10
3
4
1
1
1084
German Studies Certificate
0657
Hell~_nl~~!.~dles
Certificate
3
---
2
1
1
1
1
1
1101
Police
Studies Certificate
1084
Religious Studies Certificate
0657
Spanish
Language Prof Cert
6
12
17
8
7
21
15
0657
_ Teaching
~~L
linguistics Cert
65
54
55
48
17
25
14
1097
Certificate in African Studies
1057
Certificate in Ita/ian Studies
1104
Certificate Writing
&
Rhetoric
1107
Correctional Studies Cert
1104
Creative Writing Certificate
0657
Criminologv Advanced Cert
1107
Forensic Studies Certificate
1107
French
t~
Education Certificate
1107
Legal Studies Certificate
1104
/'vlecileval CJnd Renaissa St. Cert
1097
Social Justice Certificttte
0
a
a
a
a
a
a
1081
Int'l Experiential Learning
1107
Corporate Social Responsibilty
InstitutionaL Research and PLanning, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby. BC. Canada V5A 156
I F 778.782.6599 I www.sfu.ca/irp
2008 2009
2
2
2
2
261
241
4
1
1
1
197
183
4
2
1
13
17
5
5
6
1
7
6
3
10
8
15
12
a
6
6
la-Year
2010
Total
3
177
3
177
214
3,341
19
4
5
1
4
128
2,544
5
1
67
4
7
6
6
4
25
14
103
1
20
6
47
1
2
6
--
.~
11
11
9
12
6
110
16
321
--
2
8
2
8
INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND PLANNING
Certificate Programs at SFU and Number Awarded by Calendar Year, 2001 to 2010
Program
1st Term
Number of Certificates Awarded in Calendar Year
FacultY
Abbr
Valid
Description
Education
ClITI
0657
Literacy Instruction Cert
CPP
1067
Cert in Professional Practices
Environment
CEO
0657
Community Economic Oevt Cert
CSCOE
0787
Cert in Sustainable Comm Oevel
CSIEN
0981
Spatial Info Systems Cert
CUSEN
0981
Urban Studies Certificate
DEVGC
1057
Development Studies (Graduate Cert)
Science
CACT
0657
Actuarial Mathematics Cert
CAHNS
0981
Applied Human Nutrition Cert
CEASC
1081
Certificate In Earth Sciences
CFG
0657
Forestry Geoscience Cert
CHFSS (or CHFS2)
0981
Health & Fitness Studies Cert
Total Certificates Awarded
Note: Certificates reported under
current Faculty structure.
Source: credawrd2, SIMS Acad_Prog_
Tbl
2001
1
1
42
12
17
13
62
7
6
49
522
2002
2003
2004
2005 2006
2007
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
41
60
42
55
39
58
13
26
14
27
13
10
17
14
27
20
14
19
18
14
7
8
14
7
13
57
65
63
78
95
96
7
6
5
1
5
10
11
12
28
26
2
1
2
2
45
47
46
66
65
67
494
634. 523
526
483
468
Institutional Research and Planning. Simon Fraser University. 8888 University Orive. Burnaby. Be. Canada V5A 156
I F 778.782.6599 I www.sfu.ca/irp
2008 2009
16
16
16
16
43
38
6
3
12
12
10
12
15
11
93
99
2
24
24
1
66
75
415
402
10-Year
2010
Total
16
50
2
16
48
48
466
124
24
65
13
164
11
113
81
789
28
20
166
1
7
61
587
364
4,831
