SFU
MEMORANDUM
OFFICE OF TIIE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
University Drive, Burnaby, BC
Canada V5A 1S6
TEL: 778.782.3925
FAX: 778.782.5876
S.13-30
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic
ATTENTION
FROM
RE:
Senate
Jon Driver, Vice-President, Academic and
Provost, and Chair, SCUP
Academic Plan 2013 to 2018 (SCUP 13-09)
DATE
January 16, 2013
pages
1/1
At itsJanuary 9, 2013 meeting SCUP reviewed the Five Year Academic Plan of the Vice-President
Academic, 2013 to 2018. It is attached for the information of Senate.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
SFU
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
University Drive, Burnaby, BC
Canada V5A 1S6
TEL: 778.782.3925
FAX: 778.782.5876
MEMORANDUM
ATTENTION
SCUP
FROM
Jon Driver, Vice-President, Academic and
Provost
RE:
Academic Plan 2013 to 2018
DATE
January 4, 2013
PAGES
1/1
SCUP 13-09
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic
I am pleased to provide a copy of the Academic Plan for 2013-2018 for information. The Plan builds on
the recently launched Vision and Mission, with emphasis on the interrelationship between student
learning, research, and community engagement.
A draft plan was developed in conjunction with the Deans in early 2012. Public presentations and
consultations were held in spring, together with opportunities for written feedback. Further discussions
were held with Deans and leaders of academic support units, and a penultimate plan was used by Deans to
guide Faculty and Department/Schools plans that were developed over the summer and fall. A similar
process was implemented by leaders of academic support units. The final Academic Plan was modified to
reflect issues that arose during that process.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
'Engaging Students, Research and Community 2013-2018'
Five Year Academic Plan of the Vice President Academic
1. Introduction and context
In common with most post-secondary institutions in North America, Simon Fraser University
is in a period of consolidation, rather than growth, and the expectation is that this situation
will persist for at least the next few years. The underlying causes
of our current status
include:
• Slow economic growth
• Government focus on deficit reduction
•
Little anticipated growth in the 18-24 year old population
• Caps on enrollment growth, tuition fees and institutional debt
•
Significant expansion of post-secondary and research capacity in the last decade
• Inflation
• Deferred maintenance costs
There will also be increased demands made upon SFU regarding social and economic
development, efficiencies within the post-secondary system, and environmental sustainability
issues.
A further demand which SFU has made upon itself is the intention to achieve accreditation
with the NWCCU within this planning period.
2. Challenges and Opportunities
The next few years will continue to offer some unique opportunities for us. These include:
refocusing our efforts to better suit the changing demographics of our student body, meeting
the challenge of preparing students as engaged citizens and for new kinds ofcareers, and
demonstrating the value
of university education and research.
We are seeing two (perhaps related) trends regarding quality and accountability. First,
universities are expected to provide greater support for students, not just in academic areas,
but also in relation to personal or societal factors that may impede student access and
success. At SFU, we also have the challenge
of meeting the expectations of an especially
diverse student population. Second, there is increased questioning from academia,
governments and the general public about the value of a university education and the role of
university research in economic development. This trend is evident around the world. Many
faculty and staff will be familiar with articles in the press that have this theme, and recent
books such
as Academically Adrift
(Arum and Roksa, 2011, University of Chicago Press) or
Academic Reform
(Clark, Trick and Van Loon 2011, McGill-Queen'sUniversity Press) have
opened a new debate about educational quality. If universities are to maintain their
autonomy, they must become more attentive to accountability, and they must be able to
justifytheirexistence withverifiable dataon outcomes. We also need to respond to the
student satisfaction surveys which have indicated some areas of discontent among our
student body.
It is appropriate during times of consolidation to ensure SFU is effective and efficient in
all its operations and in January 2012 the NWCCU approved SFU as a Candidate for
Accreditation. During the candidacy period, which could last up to five years, SFU will
submit annual data reports including regular self-evaluation reports to the NWCCU and
host periodic site visits from an evaluation committee that will review various aspects of
our institution. Therefore in order to achieve accreditation SFU will apply 'best practice'
in our academic operations including the development
of learning outcomes and their
assessment for all courses and programs.
International student numbers make up 18.3% oftotal student headcount. The benefits of
having international students on campus areacknowledged. However, there are associated
pressures on faculty, facilities and services provided to these students. Our intention is to
improve our management
of international student admissions through differential admission
grades, and to provide better language support for all students for whom English is not the
first language.
Another trend is the development of MOOCs (massive open online course). These online
courses are aimed at large-scale participation with open access via the web and offered free
of
charge to students. Though they have much to prove, their presence has initiated much debate
about online resources and their role in learning. SFU should examine carefully
how online
resources and mobile technology can be integrated into academic programs, and whether there
is any potential to make content and learning more accessible and affordable without
sacrificing quality.
All ofthese factors will add more pressureto allocation of scarce resources. But even ifthere
is little capacity for growth, SFU is well positioned for success over the next few years. The
new SFU Vision and Mission focuses on our strengths, and provides a high-level set of
priorities and principles. The envision>SFU process also showed that SFU is valued in the
community, not only for undergraduate and graduate education, but also because of our
contributions to research and community development. Demand for our programs is high,
and our students, staff and faculty members have received numerous awards and honours that
testify to the quality of what we do. Lack of opportunities for growth should not prevent us
from striving for higher quality, new approaches to teaching and learning, reorientation of
existing programs to reflect new knowledge and priorities, the development ofnew research
fields, and greater contributions to the community.
3. SFU Vision/Mission
The Academic Plan is one of a number of institutional plans that collectively shape the
overall direction and priorities for this diverse University. This Plan follows on the recently
developed SFU Vision/Mission and is guided by the three Core Themes and their associated
Goals determined in the Mission. This plan is aligned to the outcomes identified in the SFU
Planning Framework and is consistent with the Underlying Principles of the SFU
Vision/Mission.
The Vision/Mission, core themes and the overarching Academic Outcome are depicted
below:
SFU Vision/Mission
To be the leading engaged university defined by its integration of innovative
education, cutting edge research and far-reaching community engagement.
As depicted in this diagram the three themes and their goals intersect in the academic
programs, and the Academic Plan
must demonstrate contributions to each goal, as well as
encouraging linkages between them.
The ideas in this plan have been considered by the Deans, Chairs and Directors, and have
been presented to the university on five occasions for comment. This has resulted in a well-
supported high-level academic plan. The expected Outcomes for the end ofthis planning
horizon have been developed, together with relevant Indicators to provide a qualitative or
quantitative measure of progress. These are attached as Appendix 1.
This academic plan has the following purposes and characteristics:
•
It provides a framework of priorities upon which more detailed Faculty, Department
and support unit plans can be developed.
•
It identifies academic priorities that have well-defined objectives with measurable
outcomes.
•
The plan covers top priorities, and is not intended to be a comprehensive overview of
everything that SFU does. Many activities not listed in this plan will continue, and it
is expected that those responsible for those activities to set goals consistent with the
plan.
•
It also identifies priorities for improved operational efficiencies.
The underlying principles of SFU's vision and mission will continue to influence all
activities undertaken: academic and intellectual freedom; diversity; internationalization;
respect for Aboriginal peoples and culture; supportive and healthy work environment; and
sustainability.
4. Academic Priorities
In support of each ofthe three Goals identified in the SFU Mission, at least one Objective has
been identified as an academic priority in this plan. Below each Objective is a number of
supporting activities. These activities are meant as examples ofwhat we should be focusing
on in order to achieve the Objective but do not exclude any other activities that may further
the aim.
In addition to these Objectives, a number of ongoing operational activities together with a
number of strategic planning exercises, which will be developed over the next few years, are
listed under a separate heading later in this document.
Implementation ofthe prioritiesofthe Academic Plan is a collective responsibility, but it was
suggested during initial consultations that some indication be given as to whether the impetus
for initiatives will lie centrally with the Vice President, Academic or whether individual units
areexpected to take the initiative. The following sections incorporate this suggestion, but it
should be recognized that the Vice President Academic intends to promote and supportboth
centralized and decentralized activities.
GOAL 1: To equip students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences that
prepare them for life in an ever-changing and challenging world.
In support of this Goal two Objectives have been identified. One is aimed at the quality and
relevance of our programs and the other is aimed at improving support for students.
Objective 1.1: Enhance the quality of education and student satisfaction.
Surveys of students and alumni demonstrate a fairly high degree of satisfaction with the SFU
experience. However, there is room for improvement in a number
of areas, including
providing better access to high quality and relevant learning experiences in desired courses,
increasing the diversity
of teaching methods, linking curriculum to student needs after
graduation, and increasing off-campus learning opportunities.
Graduate programs include research-intensive programs that focus on preparation of students
for a career focused on research, as well as programs that are more oriented to professional
development related to a non-academic career. While these two categories are not clearly
demarcated, it should be understood that some
of the following activities may apply
differentially across graduate programs. For example, improvement in funding and
supervision relate more to research-intensive programs, whereas curriculum design and
pedagogy may be more relevant to course-based professional programs.
The following supporting activities are proposed for Objective 1.1:
1.1.1 Provide more opportunities for faculty members to innovate and/or
improve teaching methods.
(VPA)
Although student satisfaction with instruction is at reasonable levels, there is
the potential for diversifying pedagogy, taking advantage
of research on best
practices in undergraduate education. In addition, individual faculty members
may also wish to improve or diversify their teaching. The Teaching and
Learning Centre will support a variety
of activities to help faculty members
achieve these goals.
1.1.2 Implement learning outcomes and assessment to ensure all students
understand the structure and content of curriculum and to establish data
on achievement of student learning.
(VPA, Faculties and Departments)
By defining learning outcomes and assessing them, we can be more
accountable to students, the general public and ourselves. There is evidence
that definition of learning outcomes clarifies the purpose of courses and
programs, and leads to greater student understanding and satisfaction.
Assessment of learning outcomes makes the University accountable for design,
content and delivery of its programs.
A number
of academic units have already adopted this practice to meet their
professional accreditation requirements. However the broader adoption of the
practice for
all
Departments to develop learning outcomes and assessment is
conditional on Senate approval.
1.1.3 Improve access to courses.
(VPA, Faculties and Departments)
Difficulty in enrolling in courses is one
of the most frequent complaints from
undergraduate students. Although many factors must contribute to this, we can
do more to make courses accessible to students. We also need to explore the
possibilities offered by the potential of new technologies which support online
and blended learning.
1.1.4 Increase experiential learning opportunities.
(Faculties and Departments)
Students value opportunities to "learn by doing." Many faculty members have
incorporated such approaches in their courses and Work Integrated Learning
provides further opportunities for thousands
of students annually. We will
encourage further development of these opportunities.
1.1.5 Improve infrastructure to ensure it meets the learning and other needs of
the students' environment.
(VPA)
Appropriate physical and digital infrastructure can enhance student learning.
Examples include study space for individuals and groups, properly equipped
classrooms and labs, access to information through mobile devices, linkages
between campuses, and online support for learning resources. The Vice
President, Academic will work with other portfolios to create social and study
space for students where possible.
1.1.6
Enhance graduate supervision.
(Faculties and Departments)
Effective graduate supervision is key to success in research programs. The
Dean of Graduate Studies will ensure that training is offered to faculty
members, and that best practices are implemented in departments and
faculties.
1.1.7
More effective use of graduate funding.
(Faculties and Departments)
The University contributes millions ofdollars annually to graduate student
support, through teaching assistantships and scholarships. In addition,
individual faculty members contribute further millions through employment
of
graduate students on research projects. We should investigate the
effectiveness of this funding in ensuring it enhances the research mission and
the timely completion of graduate programs and, if warranted, make changes
to allocation to improve effectiveness.
1.1.8
Programs for mature, returning and non-traditional students.
(Faculties
and Departments)
As the demography of British Columbia changes, and as there is growth in
world-wide demand for educational credentials, we should respond by
developing new credit and non-credit programs, particularly for those who
have not previously seen universities as relevant to their personal
development. Where appropriate, new opportunities for distance, blended and
online approaches should be developed.
Objective 1.2: Improve support for students.
As noted previously, there are greater expectations for academic and non-academic support
for students. Currently, the University does a great deal in this area and there are many
opportunities to enhance the support for students across all Faculties and at all campuses.
There are a number ofareas where we could focus greater attention, and the following
supporting activities are seen as priorities.
1.2.1
Improve support for EAL students.
(VPA)
About 50% of SFU undergraduate students do not speak English as a first
language, and there are many graduate students who also need assistance. A
plan for support ofEAL students has recently been proposed and should be
implemented over the next few years.
1.2.2.
Improve access for under-represented communities.
(VPA, Faculties and
Departments)
SFU has long been committed to making education more accessible, and puts
considerable resources into this. Over the next few years we should focus on
upgrading distance education and extension credit, creating partnerships with
other institutions, and expanding non-credit activities for individuals for
whom credit programs are not appropriate or relevant. We should also
continue our efforts to increase the number of students from communities that
are underrepresented, such as aboriginal and immigrant communities.
1.2.3
Encourage community-building in academic units.
(Faculties and
Departments)
Student societies and Student Services offer a wide range of extra-curricular
programs to build a sense ofcommunity on campus. We should also ensure
that all academic units provideopportunities (especially for majors and
graduate students) to build connections to faculty and staff outside of formal
learning activities.
GOAL 2: To be a world leader in knowledge mobilization, building on a
strong foundation of fundamental research
In support ofthis Goal one very broad Objective has been identified.
Objective 2.1: Contribute to research excellence.
The primary role for the Vice-President, Academic in research excellence is ensuring that
hiring, support and evaluation of tenure-track faculty members foster the development of
high quality research. In some units this means concentrating on strong research foci,
whereas in others it means maintaining appropriate diversity ofresearch interests. In
addition, research can be supported through policies and programs that link teaching and
research and provide opportunities for students to participate in research. The following
supporting activities are identified here:
2.1.1
Ensure that the Faculty Renewal Plan contributes to maintenance of
research excellence.
(VPA and Faculties)
The Vice-President Academic should ensure that an appropriate balance of
teaching and research faculty members is maintained, and that approved
positions and budget allocations contribute to the research strengths of
academic units.
2.1.2
Continue to influence University research priorities through the Faculty
Renewal Plan.
(VPA and Faculties)
The development of an annual plan through consultation with Deans provides
astrategic opportunity to direct resources to specific research areas. Decisions
about new positions should be transparent, and based on clear criteria.
2.1.3
Ensure students are involved in research.
(Faculties and Departments)
Create opportunities in all programs for the acquisition of research skills and
research ethics. Continue to build opportunities for undergraduate students to
participate in research.
GOAL 3: To be Canada's most community-engaged research university.
One broad objective has been identified to support this Goal.
Objective 3.1: Increase community engagement activity.
Academic programs already support significant levels of community engagement. For
example, experiential learning takes students into the community, as do many graduate
research projects: Lifelong Learning creates numerous formal and informal opportunities tor
interaction with the University. The following priority activities take into consideration the
fact that much of this activity is already under way, and that other areas of the University
take on much of the responsibility for community engagement.
3.1.1 Increase opportunities for alumni to be involved in undergraduate and
graduate education.
(Faculties and Departments)
Our alumni are a great resource. Departments and Faculties should work with
Alumni Relations and the Alumni Association to create opportunities to bring
students and faculty together with alumni.
3.1.2 Promote and celebrate the value of research on communities and the
mutual benefit of SFU/Community partnerships.
(VPA, Faculties and
Departments)
Work with researchers and the VP Research to inform our communities about
the value and impact of fundamental, applied and community-based research
and share knowledge with communities and vice-versa.
3.1.3 Create new links and opportunities for under-served communities.
(Faculties and Departments)
Develop partnerships with a variety of communities to encourage better rates
of transition to university and better retention rates. In particular, focus on
communities where participation in post-secondary education has been lower.
3.1.4 Forge new institutional partnerships and opportunities.
(VPA, Faculties
and Departments)
Both local and global partnerships with other institutions can create academic
programs that build on the strengths of each institution and create more
diverse experiences for students. Focus should be on the creation
of strategic
partnerships and opportunities, where the emphasis is on enhanced outcomes
for students.
5. Ongoing Operational Activities and Strategic Planning Issues
In addition to the development of priorities that will shape the academic planning of the
University, we should also pay attention to the range of
current operations
that are underway
and support academic programs. The following brief descriptions outline areas to which we
will pay particular attention:
5.1
Institutional Accreditation:
We will continue to pursue accreditation with NWCCU,
in order to focus on adherence to best practices and to increase the accountability of
the University to its students and supporters.
5.2
Resource allocation:
We will continue to refinethe budgetprocess to align resource
allocation with academic priorities; in particular, we will extend the "performance
based" budget process to support units and to scholarship programs.
5.3
Faculty Development:
In conjunction with Academic Relations, we will develop
opportunities for faculty members to participate more effectively as leaders and
administrators. This could include career management, leadershipdevelopment,
working with new technologies, etc.
5.4
Revenue Generation and Advancement:
Continue to develop revenue generating
activities across all areas of the Vice President,Academic portfolio and support all
Advancement opportunities in conjunction with the Vice President, Advancement.
5.5
Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM):
Strengthen our approach to strategic
enrollment management, a practice that conceptualizes enrollment as a process that
begins with recruitment and concludes with a lifelong relationship with our students
and alumni.
5.6
Implementation of Aboriginal Strategic Plan:
Continue the implementation of the
current Aboriginal Strategic Plan.
5.7
Management of the deferred maintenance shortfall:
In conjunction with others
continue to seek solutions to maintaining and renovating areas identified ofparticular
importance to the campus environment.
5.8
Review of policies and procedures:
ensure that policies and procedures are aligned
to support strategic initiatives.
There are also a number of
planning priorities
that we must attend to over the next few
years. These include:
5.9
SFU Surrey:
As there is a strong public policy case to expand post-secondary
education in the South Fraser Region SFU has identified the further development
of
the Surrey campus as a top priority SFU must be fully prepared for expansion of
Surrey when funding becomes available and to this end an agreed mandate for the
campus will be developed detailing its role and focus. This mandate will direct all
future academic planning for the Surrey campus. A similar process will be undertaken
for the Vancouver campus.
5.10
International Partnerships:
SFU has a number of agreements with international
institutions including dual degree programs, research collaborations and exchange
agreements. These international opportunities offer students and faculty opportunities
to contribute internationally and to experience an enriched understanding of
languages, cultures and complex, importantglobal processes. In cooperation with the
Vice President, External Relations we should review our current international
partnerships and make strategic decisions about the future ofcurrent partnerships and
the number and kind of future partnerships.
10
5.11
Better data capture on university activities:
We could improve our performance in
capturing data about our educational, research and community engagement activities.
We should investigate ways to record and archive relevant data systematically and to
make access to such data more readily available to the public.
6. Summary
The academic plan proposed here builds upon the priorities established in the University's
Vision and Mission. In a time of limited growth and restricted funding, the academic vision
focuses on a relatively small set ofobjectives, recognizing that academic and support units
will continue to work on a range
of activities relevant to their individual missions that cannot
be expressed adequately in an institution-wide plan.
The objectives
of this plan should influence planning in all academic and support units, will
be priority items for the Vice President Academic, and will also influence the development
of collaborations with other vice-presidential portfolios.
Appendix 1: Outcomes and Indicators for 2018 - to be provided
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