APPROVED BY SENATE

Minutes of a Meeting of the Senate of Simon Fraser University held on

Monday, January 9, 2012 at 7:00 pm at the West Mall Complex (Room 3210)

Open Session

Present:

Andrew Petter, President and Chair

Acierno, Kyle

Black, Sam

Brandhorst, Bruce

Brennand, Tracy

Chapman, Glenn

Craig, John

Cyr, Dianne

Dhillon, Arinder

Driver, Jon

Easton, Stephen

Eckman, Charles

Fizzell, Maureen

Fontaine, Marc

Francis, June

Garneau-Scott, Christi

Golnaraghi, Farid

Gordon, Robert

Hatala, Marek (for C. Geisler)

Haunerland, Norbert (for M. Pinto)

Kohn, Jordan

Kong, Shuyu

Krane, Bill

Laitsch, Dan

Leacock, Tracey

Li, Paul

Magnusson, Kris

McRae, Jennifer

Myers, Gordon

O’Neil, John

Palis, Heather

Parkhouse, Wade

Paterson, David

Pavsek, Christopher

Percival, Colin

Percival, Paul

Perry, Tom

Peters, Joseph

Pierce, John

Pilarinos, Andreas

Kate Ross, Registrar & Executive Director Student Enrolment

Shelley Gair, Recording Secretary

Rajapakse, Nimal

Robinsmith, Stacey

Ruben, Peter

Warner, D’Arcy

Woodbury, Rob

Yeung, Lorenz

Absent:

Armstrong, Arthur

Chen, Alexander

Cupples, Claire

Hughes, David

Kropinski, Mary Catherine

Lee, Benjamin

Leznoff, Daniel

Mann, Geoff

Moghaddamjoo, Sara

Nilson Levisohn, Michelle

Russell, Robert

Sahinalp, Cenk

Shapiro, Daniel

Shaw, Chris

Somers, Julian

Tashakor, Pasha

Taylor, Carole

Wussow, Helen

In Attendance:

Collins, Colleen

Geiger, Andrea

Hinchliffe, Jo

Jones, John

Pavlov, Andrey

Rahilly, Tim

Richmond, Stuart

Rose, Gordon,

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1.

Approval of the Agenda

The agenda was approved as distributed.

2.

Minutes of the Open Session on December 5, 2011

The minutes were approved as distributed.

3.

Business Arising from the Minutes

There was no business arising from the minutes.

4.

Report of the Chair

The Chair informed Senate that the strategic vision was now posted on the envision SFU website

and that plans are being made to incorporate the vision into the university’s planning framework.

A public launching of the strategic vision will likely happen in late February.

SFU received the evaluation report from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

(NWCCU) and the Chair reported that it was very positive. It included some of the following

recommendations: a clearer articulation of the university’s mission; meaningful, accessible and

verifiable indicators for assessing our core themes, programs and services; a need to establish and

assess student learning outcomes; and more aggressive and comprehensive plans to meet our

deferred maintenance needs. Senate was informed that some of these concerns have already been

addressed and others are underway, such as the development of performance indicators. As well,

Senate was informed that the report may help in sending a message to government that external

evaluators are concerned with the state of our infrastructure. The President and Vice President

Academic will be meeting with the NWCCU later in the week to respond to any questions and

concerns.

The Chair reported that the application process for the Dream Colloquium resulted in two

proposals being accepted for this coming year. Each colloquium will bring six speakers to the

university which will create a program for graduate students and a speaker series for the

university. Appreciation was expressed to those who collaborated across faculties to produce the

two proposals. It was also reported that “breakfast with the president” has been well received with

similar numbers of students, faculty and staff attending.

Lastly, concern was expressed over the federal and provincial agenda and the lack of attention

education is receiving in an economic and social sense. Senate was informed that efforts are being

made to increase our government relations but that more needs to be done in this area.

5.

Question Period

A question was raised during the meeting regarding whether or not the SFU program in Oaxaca

City, Mexico would be reviewed for safety reasons since a UBC student has recently died in

Mexico. Senate was informed that a review of local situations are conducted on an annual basis

before any field school takes place and that in the past field schools in Mexico have been

cancelled when there is a safety concern.

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6.

Reports of Committees

A) Student Discipline Matters

i)

Annual Report (S.12-1)

Senate received the Student Discipline Matters annual report from 2010 to 2011 for information.

A question was raised as to why repeat cases of academic dishonesty suspensions range from two

to six semesters. Senate was informed that the suspension recommendations depend on the

circumstances of each case and the penalties of past cases that are similar. A question was raised

regarding the increase in annual SCODA (Senate Committee on Disciplinary Appeals) cases. It

was explained that this number does fluctuate year by year but that there seems to be more cases

since some new policies (i.e. FD grade) were implemented.

Some questions were raised in regards to the approach taken with students dealing with mental

health issues. It was explained to Senate that the disciplinary process is an opportunity to have

contact with a student before things get worse and to try to provide an understanding of what is

expected and what supports are necessary for them to continue their education.

Senate was informed that the increase in academic dishonesty cases is most likely due to more

people reporting cases as a result of a change in process. Plans are being made to improve

communications with all students regarding academic dishonesty and the resulting consequences.

B)

Senate Policy Committee on Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries (SPCSAB)

i)

Annual Report (S.12-2)

Senate received the Senate Policy Committee on Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries annual

report from 2010 to 2011 for information.

C) Senate Committee on University Priorities (SCUP)

i)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by S. Easton

“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the proposal to establish the

School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering within the Faculty of Applied Sciences.”

Concern was expressed that fourteen out of thirty-nine votes were against the creation of this

separate academic unit and that this may lead to morale problems. Senate was informed that the

initial concern was over the division of resources and the possibility of people being transferred to

other campuses but now there is a better understanding of how it will be handled.

Clarification was requested in regards to the statement, “There is no duplication of courses

between Burnaby and Surrey” on page 5. Senate was informed that in general different faculty

members from different campuses teach their own courses but there are some first year courses

that may be taught on both campuses by the same faculty member.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

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ii)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by S. Easton

“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the change of degree name from

Master of Financial Risk Management to Master of Science in Finance, within the Beedie School

of Business.”

It was confirmed for Senate that this change is effective retroactive to the beginning of the Spring

term after approval at the Board of Govenors.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion 1

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by J. Craig

“That Senate approve the suspension of admission to the Mathematical Sciences Specialization

program within the Faculty of Education.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion 2

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by S. Easton

“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the dissolution of the

Mathematical Sciences Specialization program within the Faculty of Education.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by P. Percival

“That Senate approve the suspension of admission to the Major in Latin American Studies within

the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.”

A letter was read on behalf of the students from the Latin American Student Union which

expressed thanks to their professors and a request for SFU to create measures for preventing small

programs from closing.

A summary of student demand for this program was requested and provided, with clarification

that no faculty positions will be in jeopardy if the program is dissolved. Senate was informed that

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the major in Latin American Studies was closed once before and then reinstated but that the

resources cannot be justified for maintaining a major in this discipline.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

v)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by P. Ruben

“That Senate approve the Action Plan for the Department of Biomedical Physiology and

Kinesiology that resulted from its External Review.”

A question was raised regarding the process of external reviews when recommendations are made

that may have an impact on other units within the university. Senate was informed that this

concern has been raised before and that steps have been made to adjust the process to give Deans

an opportunity to have interaction with external review teams from other faculties.

Concern was expressed that the action plan didn’t follow the standard template. Senate was

assured that the process was made known but that compliance with the process isn’t always

possible.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by J. Craig

“That Senate approve the Action Plan for the Department of Economics that resulted from its

External Review.”

A concern was expressed that the justification for cuts focused mainly on market analysis rather

than pedagogical implications. Senate was assured that many hours have been spent by key

people in the department to find a way to offer the best quality of education within the resources

available.

A question was asked regarding the rationale for moving Econ 301 to a 200 level. Senate was

informed that this course is an intermediate core course that was originally placed at the 300 level

so that students would be required to take the course at SFU. Due to the increased demand for

economic courses and the fact that Econ 301 is a prerequisite for many upper division courses, it

was decided to move the course to a 200 level.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

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vii) Centre and Institute Report 2010/2011 (S.12-9)

Senate received the Centre and Institute Report for 2010 to 2011 for information.

viii) Centres and Institutes Renewal Applications (S.12-10)

Senate received the Centres and Institutes Renewal Applications for information.

ix) SFU Library Strategic Research Plan 2011 – 2016 and

SFU Library Annual Report 2010 – 2011 (S.12-11)

Senate received the SFU Library Strategic Research Plan for 2011 to 2016 and the SFU Library

Annual Report from 2010 to 2011 for information.

D) Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (SCUS)

i)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Applied Sciences (S.12-12)

Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under

delegated authority, approved minor revisions to an existing course in the Faculty of Applied

Sciences (Engineering Science).

ii)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (S.12-13)

Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under

delegated authority, approved new courses and revisions to existing courses and programs in the

Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (Communications, Publishing Program,

Contemporary Arts, Interactive Art and Technology).

iii) Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Environment (S.12-14)

Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under

delegated authority, approved new courses and revisions to existing courses and programs in the

Faculty of Environment (Archaeology, Environment, Environmental Science, Geography,

Resource and Environmental Management).

iv) Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Health Sciences (S.12-15)

Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under

delegated authority, approved revisions to existing programs in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

v)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Science (S.12-16)

Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under

delegated authority, approved revisions to existing courses and programs in the Faculty of

Science (Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, General Science,

Mathematics).

E)

Senate Graduate Studies Committee (SGSC)

i)

General Graduate Regulation 1.3.2 (S.12-17)

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Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by P. Ruben

“That Senate approve the revision of GGR 1.3.2 which outlines the criteria for admission to a

graduate diploma program.”

A request was made for an overview of the various changes that are being recommended to the

General Graduate Regulations. Senate was informed that the General Graduate Admission

requirements were crafted in 1980/1981 and were last reviewed approximately ten years ago.

Documentation was reviewed from a number of universities and the review showed that the

admission requirements needed to be addressed so that students who have done well in their later

years of study are able to get into the graduate programs. A second area of revision will increase

opportunities for graduate students. It addresses a change in demographics resulting from fewer

students going directly from an undergraduate degree into a graduate degree.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

ii)

Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by D. Cyr

“That Senate approve the addition of GGR 1.3.2.a which outlines the criteria for admission to a

graduate certificate program.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by S. Black

“That Senate approve the revision of GGR 1.3.3 which outlines the criteria for admission to a

master’s program.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by S. Easton

“That Senate approve the revision of GGR 1.3.4 which outlines the criteria for admission to a

doctoral program.”

A friendly amendment was accepted to delete the words “provided minimally” found in item ii)

under the heading of revised language.

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Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

v)

Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by P. Ruben

“That Senate approve the addition of GGR 1.3.8.a which outlines the criteria for admission to a

Concurrent Bachelor’s-Master’s program.”

A friendly amendment was accepted to delete the words “or better” found at the end of the

sentence in item a) under the heading of calendar language. A concern was expressed regarding

editorial errors that should have been corrected before submission to Senate. It was agreed that

the motion will be approved subject to the non-substantive editorial errors being corrected.

A question was raised regarding the necessity of a concurrent program since undergraduate

students can already take graduate courses. Senate was informed that various graduate programs

around the university were interested in developing this program. The concurrent program will

allow students to reduce the length of time for their Master’s degree and provide a more

stimulating environment which may help attract and keep top students.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by J. Pierce

“That Senate approve the addition of GGR 1.3.11.a which outlines the application to complete a

non-joint concurrent graduate degree.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by N. Haunerland

“That Senate approve the revision of GGR 1.7.6.”

A friendly amendment was accepted to delete the words “Mary Ann says this never happens at

the time of application” found on p. 3 in item d) under the heading of revised language. It was

agreed that the motion will be approved subject to some editorial changes that do not affect the

substance of the document.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

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viii) SFU Exchange Program: Outbound Graduate Students Criteria (S.12-24)

Senate received the eligibility requirements for SFU graduate students to participate in exchange

programs for information.

ix) Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Education (S.12-25)

Senate received information that the Senate Graduate Studies Committee, acting under delegated

authority, approved minor revisions to an existing course and an existing program in the Faculty

of Education.

F)

Calendar Committee (CC)

i)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by M. Fontaine

“That Senate approve a Schedule of Academic Dates 2012 – 2015.”

A request was made for the Calendar Committee and Senate to consider adding a spare block

once a week, as some other universities have done, to help with creating a positive experience for

students. Senate was informed that this is an issue for the Scheduling department to consider

rather than the Calendar Committee.

A discussion followed regarding various dates that didn’t appear to be correct. It was agreed by

Senate that the motion be withdrawn and resubmitted at a future meeting so that the dates can be

reviewed and confirmed.

MOTION WITHDRAWN

E)

Senate Nominating Committee (SNC)

i)

Elections by Senate (S.12-27)

A revised Senate paper distributed prior to the start of the meeting, showed a position that was

elected by acclamation and vacancies that would be carried forward to the next Senate meeting.

7.

Other Business

There was no other business.

8.

i)

Date of the next regular meeting – Monday, February 6, 2012.

Open session adjourned at 8:50 pm and Senate moved directly into the closed session.

Kate Ross

Registrar & Executive Director Student Enrolment

---

APPROVED BY SENATE

Minutes of a Meeting of the Senate of Simon Fraser University held on

Monday, January 9, 2012 at 7:00 pm at the West Mall Complex (Room 3210)

Open Session

Present:

Andrew Petter, President and Chair

Acierno, Kyle

Black, Sam

Brandhorst, Bruce

Brennand, Tracy

Chapman, Glenn

Craig, John

Cyr, Dianne

Dhillon, Arinder

Driver, Jon

Easton, Stephen

Eckman, Charles

Fizzell, Maureen

Fontaine, Marc

Francis, June

Garneau-Scott, Christi

Golnaraghi, Farid

Gordon, Robert

Hatala, Marek (for C. Geisler)

Haunerland, Norbert (for M. Pinto)

Kohn, Jordan

Kong, Shuyu

Krane, Bill

Laitsch, Dan

Leacock, Tracey

Li, Paul

Magnusson, Kris

McRae, Jennifer

Myers, Gordon

O’Neil, John

Palis, Heather

Parkhouse, Wade

Paterson, David

Pavsek, Christopher

Percival, Colin

Percival, Paul

Perry, Tom

Peters, Joseph

Pierce, John

Pilarinos, Andreas

Kate Ross, Registrar & Executive Director Student Enrolment

Shelley Gair, Recording Secretary

Rajapakse, Nimal

Robinsmith, Stacey

Ruben, Peter

Warner, D’Arcy

Woodbury, Rob

Yeung, Lorenz

Absent:

Armstrong, Arthur

Chen, Alexander

Cupples, Claire

Hughes, David

Kropinski, Mary Catherine

Lee, Benjamin

Leznoff, Daniel

Mann, Geoff

Moghaddamjoo, Sara

Nilson Levisohn, Michelle

Russell, Robert

Sahinalp, Cenk

Shapiro, Daniel

Shaw, Chris

Somers, Julian

Tashakor, Pasha

Taylor, Carole

Wussow, Helen

In Attendance:

Collins, Colleen

Geiger, Andrea

Hinchliffe, Jo

Jones, John

Pavlov, Andrey

Rahilly, Tim

Richmond, Stuart

Rose, Gordon,

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1.

Approval of the Agenda

The agenda was approved as distributed.

2.

Minutes of the Open Session on December 5, 2011

The minutes were approved as distributed.

3.

Business Arising from the Minutes

There was no business arising from the minutes.

4.

Report of the Chair

The Chair informed Senate that the strategic vision was now posted on the envision SFU website

and that plans are being made to incorporate the vision into the university’s planning framework.

A public launching of the strategic vision will likely happen in late February.

SFU received the evaluation report from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

(NWCCU) and the Chair reported that it was very positive. It included some of the following

recommendations: a clearer articulation of the university’s mission; meaningful, accessible and

verifiable indicators for assessing our core themes, programs and services; a need to establish and

assess student learning outcomes; and more aggressive and comprehensive plans to meet our

deferred maintenance needs. Senate was informed that some of these concerns have already been

addressed and others are underway, such as the development of performance indicators. As well,

Senate was informed that the report may help in sending a message to government that external

evaluators are concerned with the state of our infrastructure. The President and Vice President

Academic will be meeting with the NWCCU later in the week to respond to any questions and

concerns.

The Chair reported that the application process for the Dream Colloquium resulted in two

proposals being accepted for this coming year. Each colloquium will bring six speakers to the

university which will create a program for graduate students and a speaker series for the

university. Appreciation was expressed to those who collaborated across faculties to produce the

two proposals. It was also reported that “breakfast with the president” has been well received with

similar numbers of students, faculty and staff attending.

Lastly, concern was expressed over the federal and provincial agenda and the lack of attention

education is receiving in an economic and social sense. Senate was informed that efforts are being

made to increase our government relations but that more needs to be done in this area.

5.

Question Period

A question was raised during the meeting regarding whether or not the SFU program in Oaxaca

City, Mexico would be reviewed for safety reasons since a UBC student has recently died in

Mexico. Senate was informed that a review of local situations are conducted on an annual basis

before any field school takes place and that in the past field schools in Mexico have been

cancelled when there is a safety concern.

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6.

Reports of Committees

A) Student Discipline Matters

i)

Annual Report (S.12-1)

Senate received the Student Discipline Matters annual report from 2010 to 2011 for information.

A question was raised as to why repeat cases of academic dishonesty suspensions range from two

to six semesters. Senate was informed that the suspension recommendations depend on the

circumstances of each case and the penalties of past cases that are similar. A question was raised

regarding the increase in annual SCODA (Senate Committee on Disciplinary Appeals) cases. It

was explained that this number does fluctuate year by year but that there seems to be more cases

since some new policies (i.e. FD grade) were implemented.

Some questions were raised in regards to the approach taken with students dealing with mental

health issues. It was explained to Senate that the disciplinary process is an opportunity to have

contact with a student before things get worse and to try to provide an understanding of what is

expected and what supports are necessary for them to continue their education.

Senate was informed that the increase in academic dishonesty cases is most likely due to more

people reporting cases as a result of a change in process. Plans are being made to improve

communications with all students regarding academic dishonesty and the resulting consequences.

B)

Senate Policy Committee on Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries (SPCSAB)

i)

Annual Report (S.12-2)

Senate received the Senate Policy Committee on Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries annual

report from 2010 to 2011 for information.

C) Senate Committee on University Priorities (SCUP)

i)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by S. Easton

“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the proposal to establish the

School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering within the Faculty of Applied Sciences.”

Concern was expressed that fourteen out of thirty-nine votes were against the creation of this

separate academic unit and that this may lead to morale problems. Senate was informed that the

initial concern was over the division of resources and the possibility of people being transferred to

other campuses but now there is a better understanding of how it will be handled.

Clarification was requested in regards to the statement, “There is no duplication of courses

between Burnaby and Surrey” on page 5. Senate was informed that in general different faculty

members from different campuses teach their own courses but there are some first year courses

that may be taught on both campuses by the same faculty member.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

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ii)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by S. Easton

“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the change of degree name from

Master of Financial Risk Management to Master of Science in Finance, within the Beedie School

of Business.”

It was confirmed for Senate that this change is effective retroactive to the beginning of the Spring

term after approval at the Board of Govenors.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion 1

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by J. Craig

“That Senate approve the suspension of admission to the Mathematical Sciences Specialization

program within the Faculty of Education.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion 2

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by S. Easton

“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the dissolution of the

Mathematical Sciences Specialization program within the Faculty of Education.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by P. Percival

“That Senate approve the suspension of admission to the Major in Latin American Studies within

the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.”

A letter was read on behalf of the students from the Latin American Student Union which

expressed thanks to their professors and a request for SFU to create measures for preventing small

programs from closing.

A summary of student demand for this program was requested and provided, with clarification

that no faculty positions will be in jeopardy if the program is dissolved. Senate was informed that

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the major in Latin American Studies was closed once before and then reinstated but that the

resources cannot be justified for maintaining a major in this discipline.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

v)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by P. Ruben

“That Senate approve the Action Plan for the Department of Biomedical Physiology and

Kinesiology that resulted from its External Review.”

A question was raised regarding the process of external reviews when recommendations are made

that may have an impact on other units within the university. Senate was informed that this

concern has been raised before and that steps have been made to adjust the process to give Deans

an opportunity to have interaction with external review teams from other faculties.

Concern was expressed that the action plan didn’t follow the standard template. Senate was

assured that the process was made known but that compliance with the process isn’t always

possible.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by J. Craig

“That Senate approve the Action Plan for the Department of Economics that resulted from its

External Review.”

A concern was expressed that the justification for cuts focused mainly on market analysis rather

than pedagogical implications. Senate was assured that many hours have been spent by key

people in the department to find a way to offer the best quality of education within the resources

available.

A question was asked regarding the rationale for moving Econ 301 to a 200 level. Senate was

informed that this course is an intermediate core course that was originally placed at the 300 level

so that students would be required to take the course at SFU. Due to the increased demand for

economic courses and the fact that Econ 301 is a prerequisite for many upper division courses, it

was decided to move the course to a 200 level.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

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vii) Centre and Institute Report 2010/2011 (S.12-9)

Senate received the Centre and Institute Report for 2010 to 2011 for information.

viii) Centres and Institutes Renewal Applications (S.12-10)

Senate received the Centres and Institutes Renewal Applications for information.

ix) SFU Library Strategic Research Plan 2011 – 2016 and

SFU Library Annual Report 2010 – 2011 (S.12-11)

Senate received the SFU Library Strategic Research Plan for 2011 to 2016 and the SFU Library

Annual Report from 2010 to 2011 for information.

D) Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (SCUS)

i)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Applied Sciences (S.12-12)

Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under

delegated authority, approved minor revisions to an existing course in the Faculty of Applied

Sciences (Engineering Science).

ii)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (S.12-13)

Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under

delegated authority, approved new courses and revisions to existing courses and programs in the

Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (Communications, Publishing Program,

Contemporary Arts, Interactive Art and Technology).

iii) Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Environment (S.12-14)

Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under

delegated authority, approved new courses and revisions to existing courses and programs in the

Faculty of Environment (Archaeology, Environment, Environmental Science, Geography,

Resource and Environmental Management).

iv) Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Health Sciences (S.12-15)

Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under

delegated authority, approved revisions to existing programs in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

v)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Science (S.12-16)

Senate received information that the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies, acting under

delegated authority, approved revisions to existing courses and programs in the Faculty of

Science (Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, General Science,

Mathematics).

E)

Senate Graduate Studies Committee (SGSC)

i)

General Graduate Regulation 1.3.2 (S.12-17)

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Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by P. Ruben

“That Senate approve the revision of GGR 1.3.2 which outlines the criteria for admission to a

graduate diploma program.”

A request was made for an overview of the various changes that are being recommended to the

General Graduate Regulations. Senate was informed that the General Graduate Admission

requirements were crafted in 1980/1981 and were last reviewed approximately ten years ago.

Documentation was reviewed from a number of universities and the review showed that the

admission requirements needed to be addressed so that students who have done well in their later

years of study are able to get into the graduate programs. A second area of revision will increase

opportunities for graduate students. It addresses a change in demographics resulting from fewer

students going directly from an undergraduate degree into a graduate degree.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

ii)

Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by D. Cyr

“That Senate approve the addition of GGR 1.3.2.a which outlines the criteria for admission to a

graduate certificate program.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by S. Black

“That Senate approve the revision of GGR 1.3.3 which outlines the criteria for admission to a

master’s program.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by S. Easton

“That Senate approve the revision of GGR 1.3.4 which outlines the criteria for admission to a

doctoral program.”

A friendly amendment was accepted to delete the words “provided minimally” found in item ii)

under the heading of revised language.

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Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

v)

Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by P. Ruben

“That Senate approve the addition of GGR 1.3.8.a which outlines the criteria for admission to a

Concurrent Bachelor’s-Master’s program.”

A friendly amendment was accepted to delete the words “or better” found at the end of the

sentence in item a) under the heading of calendar language. A concern was expressed regarding

editorial errors that should have been corrected before submission to Senate. It was agreed that

the motion will be approved subject to the non-substantive editorial errors being corrected.

A question was raised regarding the necessity of a concurrent program since undergraduate

students can already take graduate courses. Senate was informed that various graduate programs

around the university were interested in developing this program. The concurrent program will

allow students to reduce the length of time for their Master’s degree and provide a more

stimulating environment which may help attract and keep top students.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by J. Pierce

“That Senate approve the addition of GGR 1.3.11.a which outlines the application to complete a

non-joint concurrent graduate degree.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by N. Haunerland

“That Senate approve the revision of GGR 1.7.6.”

A friendly amendment was accepted to delete the words “Mary Ann says this never happens at

the time of application” found on p. 3 in item d) under the heading of revised language. It was

agreed that the motion will be approved subject to some editorial changes that do not affect the

substance of the document.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

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viii) SFU Exchange Program: Outbound Graduate Students Criteria (S.12-24)

Senate received the eligibility requirements for SFU graduate students to participate in exchange

programs for information.

ix) Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Education (S.12-25)

Senate received information that the Senate Graduate Studies Committee, acting under delegated

authority, approved minor revisions to an existing course and an existing program in the Faculty

of Education.

F)

Calendar Committee (CC)

i)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by M. Fontaine

“That Senate approve a Schedule of Academic Dates 2012 – 2015.”

A request was made for the Calendar Committee and Senate to consider adding a spare block

once a week, as some other universities have done, to help with creating a positive experience for

students. Senate was informed that this is an issue for the Scheduling department to consider

rather than the Calendar Committee.

A discussion followed regarding various dates that didn’t appear to be correct. It was agreed by

Senate that the motion be withdrawn and resubmitted at a future meeting so that the dates can be

reviewed and confirmed.

MOTION WITHDRAWN

E)

Senate Nominating Committee (SNC)

i)

Elections by Senate (S.12-27)

A revised Senate paper distributed prior to the start of the meeting, showed a position that was

elected by acclamation and vacancies that would be carried forward to the next Senate meeting.

7.

Other Business

There was no other business.

8.

i)

Date of the next regular meeting – Monday, February 6, 2012.

Open session adjourned at 8:50 pm and Senate moved directly into the closed session.

Kate Ross

Registrar & Executive Director Student Enrolment