APPROVED BY SENATE

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

Monday, February 4, 2013 at 7:00 pm at the West Mall Complex (Room 3210)

Open Session

Present:

Andrew Petter, President and Chair

Birmingham, Elina

Black, Sam

Brandhorst, Bruce

Brennand, Tracy

Burley, David (for J. Pierce)

Corbett, Kitty

Craig, John

Cupples, Claire

Cyr, Dianne

Driver, Jon

Easton, Stephen

Eckman, Charles

Elle, Elizabeth

Flodr, Sarah-Sophia

Francis, June

Geisler, Cheryl

Hall, Angie

Hedley, Nick

Jozaghi, Ehsan

Kopahi, Moe

Kropinski, Mary Catherine

Kwon, Caleb

Laitsch, Dan

Leacock, Tracey

Leznoff, Daniel

Li, Paul

Magnusson, Kris

McRae, Jennifer

Myers, Gordon

O’Neil, John

Parekh, Nimisha

Parkhouse, Wade

Paterson, David

Pavsek, Christopher

Percival, Colin

Percival, Paul

Perry, Tom

Pinto, Mario

Quarmby, Lynne

Kate Ross, Registrar and Executive Director, Student Enrolment

Kris Nordgren, Recording Secretary

Rajapakse, Nimal

Robinsmith, Stacey

Schellenberg, Betty

Somers, Julian

Szeto, Hendson

Tingling, Peter

Warner, D’Arcy

Wussow, Helen

Absent:

Chapman, Glenn

Chen, Alexander

Delgrande, Jim

Golnaraghi, Farid

Gordon, Robert

Kessler, Anke

Leivdal, Joseph

Lundgreen-Nielsen, Jens

Palis, Heather

Pilarinos, Andreas

Ruben, Peter

Sakhrani, Rohan

Shapiro, Daniel

Shaw, Chris

Taylor, Carole

Wilson, Meaghan

Woodbury, Rob

Zhang, Kevin

In Attendance:

Brayne, Robin

Budra, Paul

Clossey, Luke

Gemino, Andrew

Hinchliffe, Jo

Hirsch, Gail

Kitsos, Robert

Rahilly, Tim

Seigneurie, Ken

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1.

Approval of the Agenda

The agenda was approved as distributed.

2.

Minutes of the Open Session on January 7, 2013

The minutes of the open session on January 7, 2013 were approved with a minor amendment to

the list of attendees.

3.

Business Arising from the Minutes

There was no business arising from the minutes.

4.

Report of the Chair

The Chair welcomed the new Faculty Senator, Elina Birmingham and then provided an update on

several items.

The Chair reported on the British Columbia Labour Market Profile recently released by the

Research Universities’ Council of BC, which emphasized a net skills shortage within three years

and the call for 11,000 new university, college and trades spaces.

The Chair reported on SFU’s research success over the past year as evidenced by the recent

announcement of the new BC Leadership Chair in Multimodal Technology for Healthcare

Innovations, Dr. Ryan D’Arcy – an SFU neuroscientist. D'Arcy will combine health research and

technology by linking the Faculty of Applied Sciences at SFU with the medical expertise at

Surrey Memorial Hospital and elsewhere in the Fraser Health region.

SFU received Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) funding of $7.7 million for the

Prometheus Project, a joint project of BCIT, UBC, UVIC and led by SFU; and $1 million in

upgrades to the national ATLAS-Canada data centre at TRIUMF.

5.

Question Period

i)

Response to Questions from Senate (S.13-17).

A question was submitted by a Senator to the Chair in December 2012 regarding SFU’s inter-

collegiate student athletics programs: annual expenditure, athletic scholarships, academic results

of athletes, and the value of NCAA membership to SFU. The VP Academic office provided a

report to Senate in response to the questions.

A question was asked about how the current Athletics’ budget compares to the budget prior to

membership in the NCAA and about plans to defray the costs of subsidizing the program. Senate

was informed that the budget has remained the same and that funds raised by supporters and

alumni would be targeted to the student-athletes.

Clarification was requested regarding the apparent overspending of approximately $300,000

above the base budget of $166,000. The question was deferred because the information was not

included in the document provided to Senate.

A question was asked if Athletics and Recreation fees were subsidizing the Athletics department

budget. Senate was informed that the fees paid by students pay for both recreation and athletics.

Clarification was requested regarding the gender inequity in the distribution of financial aid to

student-athletes. Senate was informed that, under NCAA Title 9, there is a requirement for

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gender equity and that SFU has allocated funds specifically to increase financial aid for female

student-athletes.

A question was asked regarding travel cost increases since joining NCAA. Senate was informed

that new schools were added to the Great Northern Athletics Conference, which has resulted in

additional travel costs; however, unlike CIS championships, NCAA championship travel costs are

funded through the association.

A question was asked whether NCAA membership was sufficient in attracting international

student-athletes rather than adding additional scholarship funding. Senate was informed that

recruiting outstanding international athletes, who would pay higher international tuition fees,

requires scholarships that are attractive to these student-athletes.

6.

Reports of Committees

A)

Student Discipline Matters

i)

Annual Report – Non-academic Discipline Incidents (S.13-1a)

Senate received the Student Discipline Matters Annual Report – Non-academic Discipline

Incidents from 2011 to 2012 for information.

Clarification was requested regarding the increase in cases of unauthorized presence. Senate was

informed that each case is unique and that the definition of unauthorized presence has not

changed.

B)

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

i)

Annual Report 2011-2012 (S.13-18)

Senate received the Annual Report of the Senate Policy Committee on Scholarships, Awards and

Bursaries (SPCSAB) for the fiscal year 2011-2012 for information.

Clarification was requested regarding the revision in how needs were assessed that resulted in a

drop in total calculated financial need. Senate was informed that the revision was the alignment

of the basic living allowance with other assessment processes to identify students with the highest

need.

Disappointment was expressed at the low value of the Open Scholarship, which has recently been

as high as $110 per unit, and the rationale was requested for setting the unit value of the $70 per

unit when the domestic tuition fee is $167.10 per unit. Senate was informed that SPCSAB works

with a finite budget and is evaluating the unit values. SPCSAB has no say in the allocation of the

budget funds.

C)

Senate Graduate Studies Committee (SGSC)

i)

Motion

Moved by W. Parkhouse, seconded by S. Easton.

“That Senate approve the changes to GGR 1.3.5a Cohort Special Arrangements, effective Fall

2013.”

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Clarification was requested regarding the nature of cohort special arrangement programs. Senate

was informed that the nature of cohort special arrangement programs have changed over the past

fifteen years, so that a program may be launched as a trial or prototype in order to assess whether

there is interest in creating a permanent program.

A question was asked about the naming conventions for certificates under cohort special

arrangements. Senate was informed that the name would be Graduate Certificate in “X” Under

Special Arrangements.

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

ii)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (S.13-20)

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

authority, added new courses in the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (School of

Contemporary Arts).

iii)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Education (S.13-21)

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

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

iv)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Environment (S.13-22)

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

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

Environment (Development and Sustainability Program; Department of Geography).

D)

Senate Committee on University Priorities (SCUP)

i)

Motion

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

“That Senate approve the suspension of admission to the Explorations in the Arts and Social

Sciences Certificate Program in the Explorations Program within the Faculty of Arts and Social

Sciences, effective Fall 2013”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

ii)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by J. Francis.

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

Major in Sociology and Art and Culture Studies in the School for the Contemporary Arts within

the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology, effective Fall 2014.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

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iii)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by A. Hall.

“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the Full Program Proposal for a

Certificate in Business Analytics and Decision Making within the Beedie School of Business,

effective Fall 2013.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

iv)

Motion

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

“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the Full Program Proposal for a

Joint Major in World Literature and History in the Program in World Literature and Department

of History within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, effective Fall 2013.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

v)

Motion

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

“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the Full Program Proposal for a

Joint Major in World Literature and International Studies in the Program in World Literature and

School for International Studies within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, effective Fall

2013.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

vi)

Motion

Moved by J. Driver, seconded by K. Magnusson.

“That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors the Full Program Proposal for a

Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership within the Faculty of Education, effective Fall

2013.”

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

vii)

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

authority, approved the Master of Arts in Comparative Media Arts by Cohort Special

Arrangements, effective Fall 2013.

It was questioned whether eight students in a trial program fits the description of cohort special

arrangements. Senate was informed that three out of seven courses, including the capstone

course, will be taken together with some variation in the courses taken during the program.

vii) Five Year Academic Plan of the Vice-President Academic (S.13-30)

Senate received the Five Year Academic Plan of the Vice-President Academic, 2013 to 2018 for

information.

Clarification was requested regarding the commitment to faculty retention under research

excellence. Senate was informed that research needs of the faculties and teaching needs are both

important criteria in developing the Faculty Renewal Plan.

A question was asked why underserved communities were not addressed in the plan. Senate was

informed that the principle is well-established that underserved communities are targeted during

recruiting and support processes are put in place to ensure they have the best opportunity to

access the University.

A question was asked whether the goals are realistic and achievable given budget constraints.

Senate was informed that the plan provides clarity and direction for allocation of funds as they

become available.

ix)

Report on Learning Outcomes and Assessment (LOA) (S.13.31).

Senate was advised that to frame the discussion of the Report on Learning Outcomes and

Assessment, it was proposed to move into a Committee of the Whole.

Motion

Moved by A. Petter, seconded by S. Easton.

“"That Senate move into a Committee of the Whole for up to an hour for the purpose of a general

discussion and advice on a matter without resolution."

Question was called and a vote taken.

MOTION CARRIED

J. Driver provided a synopsis of the activity that resulted in the report, which was released in the

fall of 2012. The report was made available to the university community and a number of Senate

committees for comment either directly or through the Senate committee minutes. J. Driver

reviewed the report, the supporting documents of the report, and the comments and questions that

had been received during this process, and prepared the response and draft proposal for discussion

at Senate.

A lengthy discussion ensued with arguments for and against LOA, with the following key

concerns: the concept of an audit culture, assessment, and the nature of accountability, both

internal and external; how the processes would be implemented and monitored; the costs and time

required to implement; data collection and use; the language and jargon of learning outcomes and

assessment; and the conflation of issues causing problems in the future.

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Comments were made from faculties which have already experienced accreditation by external

organizations and have developed learning outcomes within their respective curriculums:

attracting students to the program; flexibility of the accreditor during the process; spreading the

costs over time as curriculum is developed and revised; building connections between courses and

curriculum; and the benefit to students and faculty in terms of the teaching and learning

environment in the University.

Several Senators, students and faculty, expressed positive support for learning outcomes and

assessment. The following comments were made: clear goal setting and syllabi enable students as

well as faculty and external accrediting bodies know what is being taught; accreditation means a

credential from SFU has more value nationally and internationally; and much of the work that

needs to be done is already being done by good instructors.

The concerns were addressed as follows:

•

The culture of self-assessment, rather than an external audit culture, would be determined by

the discipline that assesses its own outcomes and by colleagues in the same discipline at other

universities. There would not be a standardized system of learning outcomes and assessment;

rather, each discipline would define what is most appropriate for their discipline.

•

In terms of accountability: internally SFU wants to do the right thing for our students and

colleagues; externally, we want to show that we can assess ourselves and to potentially deflect

any external impositions.

•

Data gathering would be focused on whether faculty are undertaking the exercise; what the

impact has been on the development of curriculum; and the development of teaching methods

in their academic units.

J. Driver informed Senate that the comments expressed during the Committee of the Whole

would be considered and addressed, and urged Senate to review the recent memo and proposals

and to consider what a mature system might look like and what processes might follow to move

in that direction.

E)

Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies (SCUS)

i)

Curriculum Revisions –– Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (S.13-32)

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

delegated authority, made revisions to an existing course in the Faculty of Arts and Social

Sciences (Political Science).

ii)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (S.13-33)

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 (School of Interactive Arts and Technology).

iii)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Environment (S.13-34)

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

delegated authority, added a new course in the Faculty of Environment (Geography).

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iv)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Health Sciences (S.13-35)

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

delegated authority, made revisions to existing courses in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

A question was asked regarding the increase in course hours. Senate was informed that the

question would be taken away for further review.

v)

Curriculum Revisions – Faculty of Science (S.13-36)

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

delegated authority, made changes to existing courses and programs in the Faculty of Science

(Biological Sciences; Molecular Biology and Biochemistry; Mathematics).

A question was asked regarding the number of upper division units required in the Mathematics

Honours program. Senate was informed that the matter would be investigated further.

E) Senate Nominating Committee (SNC)

i) Senate Committee Elections (S.13-37)

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.13-38)

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

ii) Reappointment of Vice-President, Academic

The Chair congratulated the Vice-President, Academic on his reappointment.

8.

i)

Date of the next regular meeting – Monday, March 4, 2013.

Open session adjourned at 9:51 pm and Senate moved directly into the closed session.

Kate Ross

Registrar & Executive Director Student Enrolment