APPROVED BY SENATE

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

Monday, December 3, 2012 at 7:00 pm at the West Mall Complex (Room 3210)

Open Session

Present:

Andrew Petter, President and Chair

Black, Sam

Brandhorst, Bruce

Burley, David (for J. Pierce)

Cameron, Rob (for N. Rajapakse & W. Parkhouse)

Chapman, Glenn

Corbett, Kitty

Craig, John

Cupples, Claire

Cyr, Dianne

Driver, Jon

Eckman, Charles

Elle, Elizabeth

Flodr, Sarah-Sophia

Francis, June

Geisler, Cheryl

Golnaraghi, Farid

Gordon, Robert

Hedley, Nick

Jozaghi, Ehsan

Kessler, Anke

Kopahi, Moe

Laitsch, Dan

Leacock, Tracey

Leivdal, Joseph

Magnusson, Kris

McRae, Jennifer

Myers, Gordon

O’Neil, John

Palis, Heather

Parekh, Nimisha

Paterson, David

Percival, Paul

Perry, Tom

Pilarinos, Andreas

Pinto, Mario

Quarmby, Lynne

Robinsmith, Stacey

Kate Ross, Registrar and Executive Director, Student Enrolment

Kris Nordgren, Recording Secretary

Somers, Julian

Szeto, Hendson

Tingling, Peter

Warner, D’Arcy

Wussow, Helen

Absent:

Brennand, Tracy

Chen, Alexander

Delgrande, Jim

Easton, Stephen

Hall, Angie

Kropinski, Mary Catherine

Kwon, Caleb

Leznoff, Daniel

Li, Paul

Lundgreen-Nielsen, Jens

Pavsek, Christopher

Percival, Colin

Ruben, Peter

Sakhrani, Rohan

Schellenberg, Betty

Shapiro, Daniel

Shaw, Chris

Taylor, Carole

Wilson, Meaghan

Woodbury, Rob

Zhang, Kevin

In Attendance:

Guthrie, Larry

Hibbitts, Pat

Hinchliffe, Jo

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1.

Approval of the Agenda

The agenda was approved as distributed.

2.

Minutes of the Open Session on November 5, 2012

The minutes of the open session on November 5, 2012 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 welcomed the new Senate Assistant & Electoral Officer, Kris Nordgren, who will be

temporarily replacing Shelley Gair while she takes on a temporary position in Graduate Studies.

The Chair thanked Shelley for her service to Senate. The Chair also welcomed Scott McLean, the

new acting Director of Public Affairs and Media Relations.

The Chair reported on his recent visit to China, Taipei and Hong Kong; agreements were signed,

relationships were built, and the Chair attended SFU alumni receptions. The Chair felt that SFU

is seen as an important player in China, particularly by the Canadian embassy, consulates and

trade offices. The Chair noted that the high level of investment in post-secondary education and

research in China and Hong Kong is the reason Chinese universities are up in the rankings with

respect to the rest of the world. The Chair intends on making the argument that investment in

research and education is the key to support SFU’s opportunity agenda presented to the provincial

government.

In terms of labour relations, the Chair said it was gratifying that the TSSU agreement was reached

and ratified. The Chair acknowledged that the University has not reached an agreement with

CUPE and that job action is likely to be ongoing. The University will continue to try to reach a

settlement as quickly as possible and to minimize the disruption to students and programs.

The Chair ended his report with three significant good news items. First, the Canada Foundation

for Innovation (CFI) announced that 25% of its funding will be going to British Columbia and

that $8.7 million is going directly to SFU. Secondly, CIDA announced that SFU’s Beedie School

of Business and UBC’s Keevil School of Mining were successful in their joint bid for $25 million

in funding for an institute looking at extractive industries. Finally, SFU was successful in

renewing its relationship with the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment

and Development (CCICED) as the lead agency on behalf of international partners. Environment

Canada has now confirmed funding through to 2017. The Chair congratulated all those who

contributed to these successes.

i)

Annual Financial Report (S.12-160)

P. Hibbitts, Vice-President, Financial Services, and L. Guthrie, Director, Accounting Services,

were in attendance to respond to questions.

The Annual Financial Report was received by Senate for information.

5.

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The Chair acknowledged that a recently submitted question will be answered at the February

2013 meeting.

6.

A)

Senate Committee on Continuing Studies (SCCS)

i)

Annual Report (S.12-161)

Senate received the SCCS Annual Report for information.

ii)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by D. Warner.

“That Senate approve the changes to membership in the Senate Committee on Continuing Studies

effective June 2012.”

At the suggestion of the Chair, and with general assent, the motion was modified by changing the

effective date to “June 2013.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

iii)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by D. Warner.

“That Senate approve the changes to the Terms of Reference for the Senate Committee on

Continuing Studies effective immediately.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

B)

Senate Committee on University Priorities (SCUP)

i)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by J. Craig.

“That Senate approve the name of the Centre for the Reduction of Violence Among Children and

Youth be changed to the Institute for the Reduction of Youth Violence and that it become an

institute.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

ii)

External Review of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (S.12-165)

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Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by D. Cyr.

“That Senate approve the Action Plan for the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

that resulted from its External Review.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

iii)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by C. Geisler.

“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the title change for the Major in

Art and Culture to Major in Visual Culture and Performance Studies, in the School for the

Contemporary Arts within the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology, effective Fall,

2013.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

iv)

Centres and Institutes Renewal Applications 2011/2012 (S.12-167)

Mario Pinto, Vice-President, Research, was in attendance to respond to questions.

Senate received information that the Senate Committee on University Priorities, acting under

delegated authority, reviewed and approved the renewal of eighteen research centres and

institutes for a five year term. The specific list can be found in senate paper S.12-167.

v)

Centre and Institute Report 2011/2012 (S.12-168)

Senate received the Centre and Institute Report for 2011 to 2012 for information.

C)

Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (SCUS)

i)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Applied Sciences (S.12-169)

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

delegated authority, added new courses, and made revisions to existing courses and programs in

the Faculty of Applied Sciences (Mechatronics Systems Engineering).

Clarification was requested regarding the proposed changes in S.12-169, specifically the

replication of courses that currently exist. It was clarified that there is a two-step process for

creating a new course – relabeling and then curriculum revisions – and that this is the first step of

that process.

ii)

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

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

Social Sciences (French; History).

Clarification was requested on the minimum upper division unit requirement for the French major

in S.12-170. The Chair confirmed that this item would be looked into.

iii)

Curriculum Revisions – Beedie School of Business (S.12-171)

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

delegated authority, added new courses, and made revisions to existing courses and programs in

the Beedie School of Business.

Clarification was requested on several curriculum items in S.12-171. Those items are as follows:

lower division unit requirements, upper division Psychology requirements, and the prerequisite

waiver for BUS 360W in the Business/Psychology joint major program; resource allocation for

new course BUS 475. The Chair confirmed that this item would be looked into.

iv)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (S.12-172)

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

delegated authority, made revisions to an existing course in the Faculty of Communication, Art

and Technology (Interactive Arts and Technology).

v)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Education (S.12-173)

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

delegated authority, made revisions to existing courses and programs in the Faculty of Education.

vi)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Science (S.12-174)

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

delegated authority, added new courses, and made revisions to existing courses and programs in

the Faculty of Science (Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology; Management & Systems

Science; Earth Sciences; Biological Sciences; Math; Statistics & Actuarial Science; Physics).

Clarification was requested on the prerequisites for the course change to BISC 418 in S.12-174.

The Chair confirmed that this item would be looked into.

D)

Senate Graduate Studies Committee (SGSC)

i)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Applied Sciences (S.12-175)

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

authority, made revisions to an existing program in the Faculty of Applied Sciences (Computing

Science).

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Clarification was requested on the prerequisites for the course change to CMPT 626 in S.12-175,

specifically that the courses would continue to be used in the Computing Science dual degree

program. It was clarified that the courses would continue to be used and that the change was for

the purpose of academic progress within that program.

ii)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (S.12-176)

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

authority, added new courses, and made revisions to existing programs in the Faculty of Arts and

Social Sciences (History; International Studies).

iv)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (S.12-177)

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

authority, added a new course in the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (Digital

Media Program).

v)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Education (S.12-178)

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

authority, added a new course in the Faculty of Education.

E) Senate Nominating Committee (SNC)

i) Senate Committee Elections (S.12-179)

Senate received a revised summary from the Senate Nominating Committee of nominations

received and outstanding vacancies for positions on Senate committees that are elected by Senate.

7.

Other Business

i) Election Report (S.12-180)

Senate received a report for information showing the results of a recent student election to Senate.

8.

i)

Date of the next regular meeting – Monday, January 7, 2013.

Kate Ross

Registrar & Executive Director Student Enrolment