S.13-76
SFU
()i;i-k:i;oi-tiii:vi(:i-:-pri-:sidi-:kt,acadi:micandpr()vost
University Drive, Burnaby, BC
Canada \'5A 1S6
TEL: 778782.3925
FAX: 778.782.5876
www.sfu.ca/vpacadetnic
MEMORANDUM
ATTENTION
FROM
RE:
Senate
date
April 29,2013
Gordon Myers, Acting, Vice-President,
pages
1/1
Academic and Provost, and Chair, SCUP
Consolidated 2010 - 2013 Academic Plan Progress Report (SCUP 13-25)
<*
At its April 17, 2013 meeting, SCUP reviewed the Consolidated 2010-2013 Academic Plan Progress
Report. It is attached for the information of Senate.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND PROVOST
University Drive, Burnaby, BC
Canada V5A 1S6
TEI.: 778.782.3925
FAX: 778.782.5876
MEMORANDUM
attention
Senate Committee on University Priorities
FROM
Jon Driver
Vice President, Academic and Provost
Consolidated 2010-2013 Academic Plan Progress Report
RE:
date
April 8,2013
PAGES
1/1
,
A
SCUP 13-25
www.sfu.ca/vpacadcmic
In 2010, SFU developed the 2010-2013 Academic Plan, which addressed these five themes:
1.
High Quality Student Experience
2.
Teaching and Learning in a Research University
3.
Research Intensity
4.
The University's Role in the Community
5.
Financial Sustainability and Institutional Strength
Each Faculty and support unit was asked to develop its own 2010-2013 Academic Plan based
upon the SFU Academic Plan and its five themes.
Since 2010, each Faculty and support unit has been asked to provide updates for its 2010-2013
Academic Plan, which has provided the opportunity for each Faculty and support unit to
illustrate how it is meeting the goals laid out in the Plan.
The attached document represents each Faculty's and supportunit's final consolidated update to
the 2010-2013 Academic Plan.
Attach.
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
engaging the world
SFU
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
ENGAGING THE WORLD
2010-2013 Academic Plan:
Faculty and Support Unit Reports
April 2013
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
2
FACULTY AND SUPPORT UNIT REPORTS
VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC
3
FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
5
FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
11
BEEDIE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
16
FACULTY OF COMMUNICATION, ART AND TECHNOLOGY
24
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
27
FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT
30
FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES
33
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
39
GRADUATE STUDIES
42
LIFELONG LEARNING
47
STUDENT SERVICES
51
Introduction
This document serves as a record of what the Vice-President, Academic (VPA) portfolio
achieved in pursuing the goals and objectives detailed in the 2010-2013 Academic Plan. It
consists of a consolidation of progress reports from each Faculty and support unit within the
VPA portfolio.
The Academic Plan for 2010-2013 provided academic direction for the University and was
developed from an Academic Vision and input from consultations and discussions across the
University. Each Faculty and support unit contributed through activities detailed in their own
Plans, which were supportive of the five themes of the Academic Plan, these being:
1.
High Quality
Student Experience
2.
Teaching and Learning in a Research University
3.
Research Intensity
4.
The University's Role in the Community
5.
Financial Sustainability and Institutional Strength
The 2010-2013 Academic Plan and Faculty and support unit Plans can be found here: 2010-
2013 Three Year Plans
Vice-President Academic -Report
The Vice-President, Academic's office (VPA) primary role is to provide leadership and
management in order to fulfill the University's Vision/Mission and the goals and objectives of the
Academic Plan.
Theme 1: High Quality Student Experience
•
Implementation of the new Vision/Mission.
• VPA has developed and staffed the Office for Aboriginal Peoples.
• Encouraged Student Services to continue with their successful attention to strategic
enrolment management.
• VPA spearheaded the development of new admission processes in order to
effectively
manage International Admissions.
•
VPA initiated a reassessment of the process for the evaluation of courses and
instructors.
• A working group was established and prepared a report on support for students
whom English is an additional language.
• The Semester in Dialogue program has been expanded and extended.
Theme 2: Teaching and Learning in a Research University
•
Discussion has started regarding a move to universal use of learning outcomes and
assessment in undergraduate and graduate programs.
•
The Teaching and Learning Centre has been restructured with a greater focus on
support of diverse pedagogies.
•
Developed and funded SFU's Teaching and Learning Grant program.
•
Completed a review of experiential education and intend to promote further use of
experiential education.
•
Promoted the development of EAL Resources for Instructors.
•
Launched the Teaching and Course Evaluation Project.
Theme 3: Research Intensity
•
A new Faculty Renewal process has been produced that is strategically linked to
teaching needs and research priorities, and which anticipates conversion of limited
term lecturers to continuing positions. The Plan gives Faculty Deans greater
responsibility for assigning new faculty positions.
•
Regularized the process of allocating, appointing and funding Canada Research
Chairs.
• Supported creation and funding of various externally funded chairs.
Theme 4: The University's Role in the Community
•
Fostered more relationships with aboriginal communities.
•
Developed new relationships with other BC post-secondary institutions.
Theme 5: Financial Sustainability and Institutional Strength
• The VPA office has developed a budget process for Faculties that is linked to the
Enrolment Plan, which also provides a logical link between performance and funding.
•
Relationship with Fraser International College renewed; resulting increases in
enrolment create new revenues for SFU.
Faculty of Applied Sciences •Report
Theme 1: High Quality Student Experience
As part of our commitment to strengthen the student experience, a Student Advisory
Council, consisting of representatives from each of our student societies and groups,
School Directors, campus Associate Directors, the Dean and Dean's Office support staff,
was established in fall 2010. This council meets once a semester.
Review of curricula in the School of Engineering Science and School of Computing Science.
• Each Program has undertaken a comprehensive review of the undergraduate
curriculum to incorporate emerging disciplinary needs, modern teaching pedagogy,
enhanced experiential learning, and to increase student retention.
•
Incorporating outcome-based learning concepts is a key focus for each curriculum
review. Engineering
Science has now completed an extensive review and is
prepared to launch revised courses in the 2013-2014 fall semester, subject to Senate
approval.
•
As part of the curriculum review and our commitment to enhance experiential
learning in the classroom, Software Systems launched an interdisciplinary capstone
semester in 2012 called Designing SFU Mobile.
Develop pathways from Fraser International College (FIC) to Engineering and Software
Systems.
•
An undergraduate pathway from FICto Engineering Science at both Burnaby and
Surrey was developed and implemented in September 2010.
• To encourage successful transition to the Engineering Science program, Engineering
Science provides additional resources, such as on-site teaching and supervision.
Develop opportunities for
students to gain entrepreneurial and professional skills.
• Applied Sciences jointly launched entrepreneurship@SFU with the Beedie School of
Business in January 2012, providing academic and mentorship support and
dedicated lab facilities for undergraduate students who want to become technology
entrepreneurs upon graduation.
•
Computing Science will introduce a Graduate Co-op program in 2013, enabling
selected students to gain workplace experience.
• Through a gift by the Kaiser Foundation, a lecture series was launched in fall 2010.
The Series designed for Engineering and Computing Science undergraduate
students brings in industry experts to present full-day workshops on topics such as
entrepreneurship, cultural diversity in the workplace, conflict communication and
managing your brand.
•
In addition, the Kaiser Foundation gift has allowed the Faculty to support students'
attendance at professional and entrepreneurial conferences, competitions and
workshops across North America.
• Through a gift by Nokia, capstone and 4th year projects and curriculum
enhancement work projects are currently being developed. Funding supports
undergraduate and graduate student working on these projects, students' conference
travel, and material and equipment purchases.
Pursue funding under the NSERC-CREATE program to increase interdisciplinary training.
• In 2013, the Faculty made two submissions to NSERC-CREATE. An NSERC-
CREATE submission was made in fall 2010 but was not successful.
Theme 2: Teaching and Learning in a Research University
Complete the development of the Mechatronics and Software Systems programs in Surrey.
• The Systems One program, serving both Mechatronics and Software Systems was
launched in September 2010.
• Mechatronics is now running a full complement of courses. The program received
accreditation in 2011. As a result of increased student demand, additional resources
are needed.
• Software Systems enrolment has seen a moderate increase.
Increase opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research.
• Through over-enrolment funding, co-operative education opportunities were
developed that allowed Engineering Science students to gain research experience
on campus through SFU faculty members.
• A capstone semester at SFU Surrey was launched in 2012.
• A more focused approach for promotion of NSERC summer research awards has
been in place since 2010.
Develop the graduate dual degree program with Zhejiang University, China and research
exchange with TU Darmstadt, Germany.
•
Launched a graduate dual degree program with Zhejiang University, China in
September 2010.
•
A Letter of Intent was signed with Zhejiang University in fall 2010 to develop an
undergraduate dual degree program with Engineering Science.
•
An exchange agreement with TU Darmstadt was signed and our first student
attended TU Darmstadt in fall 2010.
•
In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Institute of
Informatics in Tokyo, Japan has been signed.
Introduce capstone courses in all programs.
• Engineering programs have a mandatory capstone course.
• Capstone students in the Dual Degree Program and Software Systems are
integrated with our staff
development team to build administrative systems that are
being used Faculty-wide.
Theme 3: Research Intensity
Develop a research strategy to increase funding from granting agencies and industry.
•
The Faculty's annual research funding (internal and external sources) increased by
nearly 100% compared to 2008-2009 reaching $10.8
million in 2011-2012. Several
large grants
came from Western Diversification and NSERC Automotive Partnership
Canada. Computing Science has been very successful in receiving the prestigious
NSERC-DAS Awards.
Develop an inter-faculty graduate program in Biomedical Engineering.
•
No progress on the inter-faculty graduate program in Biomedical Engineering due to
lack of funding; expansion of SFU Surrey
campus would provide an ideal opportunity
for this.
Increase the graduate enrolment by 20%.
•
Our graduate program has grown since 2009, primarily through the Mechatronics
Program.
We are now focused on balancing the numbers against the quality of
students and minimum funding per student.
Pursue funding for research chairs and an interdisciplinary research centre in Intelligent
Systems.
• The Faculty successfully secured funding from two external partners, the provincial
government and Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation, to launch the BC Leadership
Chair; also successfully recruited the chair in 2012-2013.
•
Industrial funding has been secured for the MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates
research chair and recruitment for the position is currently underway.
•
The proposal to develop a research centre in intelligent systems will be absorbed
into
the Faculty's future initiatives inenergy and health to align with our strategic
interests.
Theme 4: The University's Role in the Community
Develop professional graduate programs to cater to the needs of new immigrants and
industry.
•
Computing Science will pilot a professional master's program on "big data" in the
2013-2014 fall semester with strong support from industry players such as IBM.
•
Mechatronic Systems Engineering is reviewing a program for new immigrants.
Appoint an External Advisory Council to the Faculty.
•
Since early 2011, the Faculty's 12-member External Advisory Council has been
advising the Dean on matters related to industry, academic programs, curricula and
research. They have also enhanced the profile of the Faculty externally across
Canada.
Strengthen relationship with alumni.
•
We have strengthened alumni relationships by offering both informal and formal
networking events each year, and establishing regular contact through a bi-annual
eNewsletter.
• The Dean joined the SFU Alumni Association fall 2011 tour to Montreal and Toronto
to connect with out-of-province alumni.
•
Alumni have also been engaged through the External Advisory Council and Kaiser
Foundation for Higher Education seminar series.
Develop collaborations with the City of Surrey, Fraser Health Authority, Powertech and other
organizations in the Fraser Valley region.
•
A clean energy LOI has been signed with the City of Surrey, BC Hydro and
Powertech Labs with all parties committed to developing a clean technology network
in the Fraser region.
•
Fraser Health is supporting the Faculty's BC Leadership Chair by building clinical lab
space and providing resources for the chair. Fraser Health aims to position itself as
an innovator in medical technology through the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation
BC Leadership Chair in Multimodal
Technology for Healthcare Innovation.
•
The City of Surrey has agreed in principle to establish a research chair in clean
energy.
•
The Faculty is a partner in the Surrey School District's youth at-risk program called
Sticks and Stars. Grade 5 boys participate in Lego Mindstorm competitions, led by
faculty and undergraduate students in Mechatronic Systems Engineering. The pilot
program started in 2012 and has expanded in 2013 to include four Surrey schools.
Theme 5: Financial Sustainability and Institutional Strength
Review budget management in the Faculty.
•
In order to off-set budget shortfalls, a tighter control on budget at the Faculty level
was rolled out in 2010-2011. With this new approach to budget and resources in
FAS,
we have had the opportunity to build on our administration efficiencies, allowing
us to meet some of the emerging demands on our budget (PTR, course demand,
laboratory upgrades, etc.).
Review support staff structure and job descriptions to streamline duties and achieve better
efficiency.
•
Our
student affairs staff was centralized into one unit, directly under the Dean's
Office, in 2010-11. This has allowed us to increase student support, while
maintaining the same staff FTE count. With this new approach to resources in FAS,
we have had the opportunity to provide additional and strategic student support.
• When our three-year plan was submitted, we expected that the NSG technical staff
would be returned to FAS and a review and centralization of all technical staff would
be implemented; however, with the permanent removal of NSG from FAS, our plans
for the system, server and desktop support staff centralization was abandoned.
•
The Faculty plans to create a small administrative IT support unit to improve our
administrative
processes and create some efficiency.
• With the transfer of the management of the Engineering Science Co-op program to
Work Integrated Learning (WIL), we have resources to increase TA support and lab
upgrading.
Introduce awards to recognize excellent performance in teaching, research and service.
•
In 2010, FAS Medal of Excellence was established, recognizing faculty members
who have shown outstanding performance in teaching, research and service, and a
staff member who has provided superior service. The awards are given annually and
starting
2012 we have expanded the program to acknowledge outstanding Teaching
Assistants.
Increase the advancement efforts in collaboration with the VP Advancement.
•
Industry gifts have increased over the past years, allowing us to create chairs and
scholarships, support new laboratory development and professional development
opportunities for FAS students. In addition donors have been identified, where long-
term gifts and endowments are currently being pursued.
Develop
revenue generation opportunities through international and professional programs.
• International undergraduate student demand has been very high and generates
substantial revenue to the Faculty.
•
An Applied Sciences Technical English Ladder Program is currently under
consideration.
• The development of a professional graduate program in Computing Science that
caters to the industry will begin in fall 2013 and is expected to provide a new revenue
stream.
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences - Report
Theme 1: High Quality Student Experience
1.1 Create multiple admission routes to attract a diverse student body
•
Establish First Nations as a department and develop a First Nations major.
o The Department of First Nations Studies has been created as of April 1, 2012.
•
Streamline operations in English Bridge Program (EBP), Preparation of Academic
Skills (PAS), and Academic English Skills (AES), increase number of students in
these programs.
o
The EBP has been discontinued. The Faculty is looking for means to consolidate
the PAS and AES programs and other language programs in Discovery Park.
• Co-operate with SFU Now program to increase enrolment - scheduled to offer 65
courses for NOW in 2013-2014, The SFU NOW enrolment is incorporated into the
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) course planning and budget priorto the
fiscal year start.
• Partnership with Douglas College and Langara College; investigate other such
partnerships.
1.2 Increase retention rates
• Continue developing Arts Central as a one-stop support unit for FASS students.
o Renovations of AQ 3020 will be complete at the end of March 2013 and the
advising staff and Arts Co-op will be relocated there.
•
Continue working on an integrated model of staff within Arts Central; bringing in
FASS-specific support from central retention units (Advising, Career,
Recruitment/Admissions and Co-op).
o Recruitment and admissions have been removed from the mandate ofthe
advising staff. Faculty advising will be restricted to those who have not yet
declared their major. Students will be encouraged to declare their majors
early.
•
Re-examine first-year programs at Surrey campus and link to Burnaby programming.
•
Roll out two minor Bachelor of Arts programs to SFU Now.
• Work with Student Services advising unit to create a sustainable advising model.
o See above.
• Improve student-related websites
o The FASS website will be redesigned in 2013 in accordance with CQ5, the
University's content management system.
•
Develop communications plan for first-year students.
• Create peer mentorship program for students in collaboration with Student Services.
1.3 More navigable curriculum and improved course access
10
•
Work to streamline curricula; plan to deal with course availability, including reserves
and waitlists; evaluate certificates.
•
Encourage earlier declaration into programs.
• Careful course planning and scheduling every year aims at improving course access
to FASS and other students.
1.4 Internationalization
•
Through programs such as International Studies, World Literature, field schools and
exchange programs; develop a retention and program enhancement strategy for
international students.
1.5 Interdisciplinary
• Through programs such as Public Policy, Urban Studies, Liberal Studies,
Gerontology, International Studies and Applied Legal Studies
o Integrating smaller programs into a School of World Languages, Literatures
and Cultures is being investigated.
Theme 2: Teaching and Learning in a Research University
2.1 Strategic areas of teaching
•
Participate in health, environment and internationalization through programs such as
Psychology, Gerontology, Sociology and Anthropology, Archaeology, Urban Studies,
History, International Studies, and World Literature.
•
First Nations—partner with
business where possible
2.2 Integrate research into learning
•
Especially through joint grad programs in health (economics, policy, and ethics) and
environment (economics, policy, and ethics).
•
Providing financial support to both current and retired FASS faculties to organize
conferences on current and/or inter-disciplinary issues, which encourages exchange
of information and learning.
Theme 3: Research Intensity
• Strong success in SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR and MSFS, research diversified from
areas in the arts, humanities and literatures, through mathematical analysis of
human behavior, to forensics, human evolution and archaeological science. Goal is
to remain
among the top of comprehensive universities in grants awarded
o The deployment of CRCs has been rationalized and approval has been given
to
search for a Tier I NSERC CRC in Cognitive Neuroscience.
11
o We have an outstanding record of success in obtaining SSHRC grants and
our success rate in 2011-2012 (40%) once again outstripped the national
average (27%).
Theme 4: The University's Role in the Community
4.1 Closer ties with First Nations and immigrant communities
•
Establish a Centre for First Nations Languages at Burnaby
o The First Nations Languages Centre has been established in the Department
of Linguistics under the directorship of Dr. Marianne Ignace.
4.2 Ensure non-credit programs reflect the University's strategic priorities
• Rationalize EBP, PAS and AES so that international students are attracted to SFU
and supported with at least a revenue neutral suite of programs
The PAS and AES courses are monitored and improved to reflect the need of the
international students. The two non-credit fee programs now bring in a combined
gross revenue of almost $2 million per year and becomes an important revenue
stream to the Faculty.
4.3 Increase learning opportunities within local and global communities
•
Examine all arts co-op, internships, field schools and community-based learning
opportunities -
more than 3x increase in unique co-op opportunities such as
placements in the US or other Consulates, providing valuable work experience for
our students. The Faculty continues to support the important work of the co-op, field
schools and community-based learning opportunities.
•
The Faculty will be offering credit and non-credit Arabic and Persian language
courses in classroom and online and is developing non-credit courses on First
Nations
Languages to be offered on ipad/android devices.
Theme 5: Financial Sustainability and Institutional Strength
5.1 Create Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM)
• Contribution to university-wide process through representation on SEMPC; working
through
recommendations of SEMPC at Faculty level.
•
Pushing for changes in how central SEM units interact with FASS and other
Faculties.
•
Refinement of enrolment planning within Faculty.
5.2 Centralize support activities
• Faculty budgets continue to be centralized in the Dean's office for maximum
efficiency.
12
5.3 Support credit and non-credit revenue-generating activities
•
Streamlining EBP,
PAS, AES and IELTS to optimal levels, provides support to
students and explores revenue possibilities for the University.
o The IELTS office and procedures have been redesigned so that it is now a
stable operation. It becomes one of the functions that supports the admission
process to the University.
o The EBP has been discontinued. PAS and AES are developed to become a
strong
revenue stream for the Faculty.
5.4 Encourage greater financial efficiency
•
Evaluate administrative systems for better efficiency
o The Faculty has contributed its expertise in managing contracts and budget
to the implementation of a university-wide Faculty Management System.
5.5 Recruit, retain best faculty and staff
•
Teaching awards, Dean's medal, building morale, celebrating success.
o Ongoing.
5.6 Communicate plans and achievements
•
Celebrate success, following SFU Vision, by "creating an intellectually stimulating
and culturally vibrant environment."
•
Continue with
Town Hall meetings.
o Ongoing.
• New website.
o In design. The Dean's office sponsored the migration of all our departmental
websites to conform with the SFU "look and feel" in the last two years.
•
New online promotional materials for students.
13
Faculty of Business Administration -Report
Theme 1: High Quality Student Experience
Objective #4: Recruit faculty to meet new
programs needs who augment our research
themes. Replace non-research instructors with
research faculty to enhance research in
courses and to meet AACSB accreditation
requirements for academically qualified (i.e.,
active researchers) as teaching faculty.
In process. Faculty recruiting resumed in the
2011-2012 academic year. Over the 2011-
2012 and 2012-2013 academic years, the
Beedie School will hire up to 9 tenure track
and 4 lecturers to ensure sufficient teaching
resources.
Objective #3: Launch an Executive MBA for
First Nations students.
A review of Executive Education was
conducted in 2011. The Executive MBA in
Aboriginal Business and Leadership was
launched in 2011 with the first cohort starting
fall 2012.
Objective: Implement broad-based admission
for undergraduate program.
Introduced broad-based admissions for the
undergraduate program in fall 2010, which
incorporated extra-curricular activities and
achievement as part of the admission criteria.
Full implementation of broad-based
admissions was in fall 2011.
Objective #6: Introduction of Assurance of
Learning program, including learning goals,
objectives and measures to assess program
learning outcomes following AACSB
accreditation guidelines.
Learning goals and objectives for
undergraduate and graduate programs
established in 2010 with on-going assessment
of learning outcomes using direct embedded
measures. AOL is currently in place for
measuring undergraduate, graduate and
doctoral learning goals.
Objective #12: Launch an undergraduate
Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility
that includes an experiential requirement as
well as relevant courses outside the Faculty of
Business to enhance interdisciplinary
knowledge.
The undergraduate Certificate in Corporate
Social Responsibility was launched in 2011.
14
Objective #5: Creation of new category of FBA
members, Professors of Management
Practice, who will bring relevant professional
expertise to students in business and meet
AACSB accreditation criteria.
In process.
Objective #14: Create incubators to develop
student products/ business ventures.
The Ken Spencer Entrepreneur Incubator was
launched at the Surrey campus with a pilot
initiative in 2012 and will continue through
2013.
Objective #11: Revise the Minor in Business
to be more accessible to all SFU students,
including new, integrative capstone courses
that involve an experiential, client-based
component.
The undergraduate Minor in Business was re
launched for the fall 2012 semester with
revised admission and upper division course
requirements.
Objective #8: Work with the Faculties of the
Environment, Applied Sciences and Health
Sciences to make joint faculty appointments to
increase our multidisciplinary research in our
four research themes and to offer new
programs.
In process.
Objective #10: Create an
undergraduate/graduate program that is
compliant with the Bologna Accord to expand
the international options available to our
students.
On hold.
Theme 2: Teaching and Learning in a Research University
Objective #2: Grow our graduate programs in
areas where there is demand while continuing
to adapt and update these programs to meet
our communities' needs. In particular, add a
second cohort to the MBA and re-design the
FRM.
A second cohort for the MBA program was run
for the 2010-2011 MBA cohort. Future plans
are subject to demand and resources. The
Master of Financial Risk Management was
redesigned over two years and re-launched as
an MSc in Finance in 2012.
15
Objective #6: Introduction of Assurance of
Learning program including learning goals,
objectives and measures to assess program
learning outcomes following AACSB
accreditation guidelines.
Learning goals and objectives for
undergraduate and graduate programs
established in 2010 with on-going assessment
of learning outcomes using direct embedded
measures. AOL is currently in place for
measuring undergraduate, graduate
and
doctoral learning goals.
Objective #4: Recruit faculty to meet new
programs needs who augment our research
themes. Replace non-research instructors with
research faculty to enhance research in
courses and to meet AACSB accreditation
requirements for academically qualified (i.e.,
active
researchers) as teaching faculty.
In
process. Faculty recruiting resumed in the
2011-2012 academic year. Over the 2011-
2012 and 2012-2013 academic years, the
Beedie School will hire up to 9 tenure track
and 4 lecturers to ensure sufficient teaching
resources.
Objective #1: Maintain and encourage
excellent research by our faculty members
under our four research themes. These
research themes are all linked to the
community through research centres and
academic programs.
Ongoing. In
the Top 100 World Rankings of
Business Schools published by the University
of Texas at Dallas, the Beedie School placed
92nd (2008-2012) worldwide based on
research contributions across 24 journals. The
Research Centres established by the School
also reflect strategic priorities and the School's
relationship with the corporate community.
Theme 3: Research Intensity
The Faculty of Business Administration (FBA) is committed to excellence in research that is at
the same time relevant to our community and informs our teaching. In 2009, the Faculty of
Business adopted a mission, core values and strategic focus that identified 4 themes:
globalization and emerging markets; knowledge, innovation and technology; society,
environment and governance; and capital and risk management. These themes were selected
because of their relevance to our students and our local community. These themes also lend
themselves to interdisciplinary research.
16
Objective #1: Maintain and encourage
excellent research by our faculty members
under our four research themes. These
research themes are all linked to the
community through research centres and
academic programs.
Ongoing. In the Top 100 World Rankings of
Business Schools published by the University
of Texas at Dallas, the Beedie School placed
92nd (2008-2012) worldwide based on
research contributions
across 24 journals. The
Research Centres established by the School
also reflect strategic priorities and the School's
relationship with the corporate community.
Objective #4: Recruit faculty to meet programs
needs who augment our research themes.
In process. Faculty recruiting resumed in the
2011-2012 academic year. Over the 2011-
2012 and 2012-2013 academic years, the
Beedie School will hire up to 9 tenure track
and 4 lecturers to ensure sufficient teaching
resources.
Objective #9: Create and fund new research
centres in innovation and technology, and
global mining management consistent with our
research themes.
In June 2012, the CMA Centre for Strategic
Change and Performance Measurement
became the CMA Innovation Centre. The
Responsible Mineral Sector Initiative was
launched in 2011 with seed funding, dialogue
events and advisory board in place.
Theme 4: University's Role in the Community
The FBA is committed to excellence in research that is at the same time relevant to our
community and informs our teaching. In 2009, the Faculty of Business adopted 4 research
themes: globalization and emerging markets; knowledge, innovation and technology; society,
environment and governance; and capital and risk management. They were chosen because of
their relevance in the 21st Century and to the growth of the metropolitan Vancouver area. We
have carefully linked the FBA to both our local and international communities. The research
themes also lend themselves to collaborative research and programs with other faculties.
Objective #3: Launch an Executive MBA for
First Nations students.
A review of Executive Education was
conducted in 2011. The Executive MBA in
Aboriginal Business and Leadership was
launched in 2011 with the first cohort starting
fall 2012.
17
Objective #3: Expand our activities in
executive and custom education that enhance
our linkages with the external business
community both locally and internationally.
A review of Executive Education was
conducted in 2011. The Executive MBA in
Aboriginal Business and Leadership was
launched in 2011 with the first cohort starting
fall 2012.
Objective #10: Create an
undergraduate/graduate program that is
compliant with
the Bologna Accord to expand
the international options available to our
students. A new master's program to be
developed in global management would
involve students in projects in several
countries.
On hold.
Objective #12: Launch an undergraduate
Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility
that includes an experiential requirement.
The undergraduate Certificate in Corporate
Social Responsibility was launched in 2011.
Among the Faculty's core activities are existing courses and program requirements involving
community-based projects and assignments. In addition, student clubs, competitions, and the
Career Management Centre all actively engage students with members of the external
community, including both
business and non-profit organizations.
Objective #16: Increase alumni
engagement.
Alumni engagement is a core activity of the
Faculty that will receive greater attention. The
position of alumni coordinator that was cut
previously will be replaced. Alumni are
currently actively involved with student clubs
and other activities as well as classroom guest
speakers. However, much more needs to be
done to enhance the ongoing relationship.
Sam Thiara was hired as Associate Director of
Undergraduate Alumni Engagement in 2012,
and a new system was built and implemented
that not only tracks alumni and enables
analysis of alumni activity but also enables
alumni to engage with Beedie.
The Faculty of Business Administration has had a Dean's External Advisory Committee for over
20 years. Our existing research centres all have non-academic community advisors.
18
Objective #9: Create and fund new research
centres in innovation and technology, and
global mining management consistent with our
research themes and relevant to our local
communities and their global interests.
In
June 2012, the CMA Centre for Strategic
Change and Performance Measurement
became the CMA Innovation Centre. The
Responsible Mineral Sector Initiative was
launched in 2011 with seed funding, dialogue
events and advisory board in place.
Theme 5: Financial Sustainability and Institutional Strength
Objective #13: Underlying all Faculty of
Business Administration objectives is the need
to renegotiate the division of premium fee
revenues to fund continuing faculty positions
and program initiatives in order to meet
research, teaching enhancement and
community goals.
The FBA received a $22 million endowment
from the Beedie Foundation in 2011. The
University also adopted a new Faculty
Allocation Model for the 2011-2012 budget
year going forward based on enrolments. Both
of these events ensure good core funding.
Objective #7: Move to limit domestic and
international undergraduate enrolments (both
admissions and internal transfers) to match
the University's targets and funding for the
Faculty of Business Administration.
Introduced broad-based admissions for the
undergraduate program in fall 2010, which
incorporated extra-curricular activities and
achievement as part of the admission criteria.
Full implementation of broad-based
admissions was in fall 2011.
Objective #2: Grow our premium fee graduate
programs in areas where there is demand
while continuing to adapt and update these
programs to meet our communities' needs.
A second cohort for the MBA program was run
for
the 2010-2011 MBA cohort. Future plans
are subject to demand and resources. The
Master of Financial Risk Management was
redesigned over two years and re-launched as
an MSc in Finance in 2012.
Objective #3: Expand our activities in
executive and custom education.
A review of Executive Education was
conducted in 2011. The Executive MBA in
Aboriginal Business and Leadership was
launched in 2011 with the first cohort starting
fall 2012.
The Faculty of Business Administration, as a non-departmentalized faculty with among the
highest average class sizes and course capacity utilization rates and the need to provide levels
of service appropriate to a professional
faculty, uses strong internal information systems and
dedicated staff to find additional efficiencies.
19
Objective: A proposal that will allow us to
maintain
and enhance our undergraduate
career management/professional development
that will be funded by course fees or tuition is
forthcoming.
Proposal
not approved.
The Faculty will continue its advancements efforts by engaging alumni in activities and
communications beyond fundraising, and by direct fundraising efforts to support research
centres and faculty priorities.
Objective #15: Create a research magazine to
disseminate research conducted by members
of the Faculty of Business Administration to
the community.
The ldeas@Beedie digital magazine
showcases the School's academic research,
industry impact and engagement with the
community. The first issue was released in
July 2012 with a second issue focused on
International Business released in December
2012.
20
Faculty of Communication. Art and Technology • Report
Working in the leading edge area of new media, culture, and emerging technologies, FCAT has
a rich history of innovation and collaboration in its component units and is excited by the
potential of collaboration across its schools and with the community. We are on the edge of a
period of intense faculty renewal over the next decade that will dramatically reshape the Faculty.
The plans FCAT proposes for the next three years will support the Academic Plan as follows:
Theme 1: High Quality Student Experience
In Communication, we propose to improve student access to continuing line faculty. In
Contemporary Arts, we propose to expand teaching capacity and recruitment, and to focus
replacement teaching resources in the new area of Public Sculpture. In Interactive Arts and
Technology, we plan to redress the imbalance of computational sophistication among our
undergraduates through program revision and a shift in recruitment strategies.
• Communication has streamlined its course prerequisite chain, reduced its
dependence on temporary faculty, helped IRP conduct an access study and acted on
the results to reduce major bottlenecks.
•
Contemporary Arts
has increased its enrolment, made significant revisions in its
undergraduate curriculum to create a common first-year core, launched an ambitious
recruitment campaign, and
made a hire in the area of public sculpture.
•
Interactive Arts and Technology has renamed its Infomatics stream as Interactive
Systems to attract more students, added a new Games flavored computational
course, and is developing a new Games Concentration.
Theme 2: Teaching and Learning in a Research University
At the faculty level, we propose to improve teaching and learning through the expansion of a
first-year cohort program, the development of open access labs across our campuses, and the
development of programs in undergraduate research and in internships. We propose also to
explore the use of distance technologies for a multi-campus studio pilot.
•
A double minor major
was created in FCAT and we are exploring ways in which it
may be used to support a first-year cohort for FIC and for a 2+2 program with BCIT.
• Open access labs exist for FCAT students on all three campuses.
•
A new Undergraduate Research Fellowship program has been launched.
•
In fall 2012, we established the FCAT Mentorship program to match incoming FCAT
Mentors—students with a current upper-year student with similar academic interests
and career aspirations. The mentor acts as resource for new students as they move
through their first year in FCAT.
• We now host an annual Undergraduate Research Conference, now in its third year.
• A Career Advisor
has been temporarily in place in Woodwards to work with students
on internship and co-op placement.
21
• The first multi-campus class pilot is currently underway with new classroom linked
between the Vancouver and Surrey campuses.
•
FCAT TA Training has been established and is held annually.
Theme 3: Research Intensity
To create the networking infrastructure that will knit together the new faculty and take research
to the next level; we plan to create new networked meeting space, to provide awards to
incentivize cross-generational faculty mentoring, to hold retreats to develop faculty renewal
plans, and to establish a common meeting time to facilitate cross-school interactions.
• The first FCAT Residency whereby a faculty member from one FCAT unit takes up
residency
and teaching in another unit was successfully completed in spring 2012.
The second is scheduled for spring 2014.
•
The first round of Career Campaign Awards linking junior faculty with senior mentors
was awarded.
• FCAT Leadership Retreats bringing together the leadership of all five units have
been an annual occurrence for the last three years and will continue. The 5-year
plans were successfully developed in this context.
•
A new FCAT Research Centre has been established in Interaction Design.
Theme 4: The University's Role in the Community:
To strengthen our ties to the community, we expect to develop and refine all of our ideas
through a newly established FCAT Advisory Board.
•
The FCAT Advisory Group has been established and is helping us with our fund
raising efforts.
•
A working group has been established to develop a 2+2 degree with BCIT.
•
Our fund raising priorities have been established.
•
A new program in Creative Entrepreneurship is being developed with input from the
community.
Theme 5: Financial Sustainability and Institutional Strength
In addition to exercising normal fiscal responsibility, we intend to pursue a number of options for
premium fee programs in the Master's of Digital Media, in a Master's of Creative Economy
Administration, and in Visual Analytics.
•
The first class in the specialty fee double MA in Global Communication launches this
fall with the larger than expected class of outstanding students.
•
The Certificate Program in Visual Analytics was approved.
22
Faculty of Education • Report
In providing this report, we wish to acknowledge that it is very difficult to itemize all of the
progress made towards the goals indicated within the 5 themes, and that significant items may
indeed have been unintentionally omitted. We also acknowledge that some of the items could
easily
have been placed in different categories, as initiatives typically cut across two or more of
the themes. However, as a snapshot of general progress, please consider the following items in
addition to those reported earlier (note: unless otherwise stated, the initiatives reported on in the
previous update in "Appendix B" on the "2010-2013 Three Year Plans" web-page have been
maintained and/or enhanced).
Theme 1: High Quality Student Experience
• We instituted a formal, external review of the FAL program. The review is unique in
that it tracks FAL impact along several dimensions,
and explicitly links processes
(what is done within the class) with outcomes (what results were obtained) to better
understand the differential impact of course components. A draft report is expected
to be ready by the end of June 2013.
•
We initiated a planning task force to create Pathways to Educational opportunity
programs within
the BGS. Examples of these "pathways" include Educational
Technology, Indigenous Education, Adult Education and International Education.
The goal is to develop pathways that lead to employment opportunities in
educational practice outside of the K-12 sector.
•
We started a pilot program within Field Programs that harnesses blended delivery
models to provide
access to our Diploma program for students not able to join a
traditional site-based cohort. We are also evaluating the impact of the delivery
model.
• We have commissioned, and are awaiting SFU construction processes to be
activated, a complete redesign of room 8620. The redesign will see the building of
two technology-enabled classrooms, a collaborative workspace, and meeting and
interaction space for students. The space will enable demonstration and promotion of
21st century learning strategies. We hope to complete construction in time for a fall
2013 course delivery.
Theme 2: Teaching and Learning in a Research University
•
We initiated 2 significant projects within and/or related to our Professional Programs:
o A curriculum mapping exercise to specify where and how core content is
handled within the cohort and problem-based learning model employed by PDP.
This also entailed a recasting of the core dispositions and competencies for
initial teacher preparation,
o The Teacher Education for the 21st Century (TEF 21) Task Force. The task force
was provided 4 core questions:
23
1. What will learning look like in 10 years?
2. Ifthat is what learning looks like, what willteaching look like?
3. Ifthat is what teaching looks like, what will teacher preparation need to look
like?
4. If that is what teacher preparation looks like, what do we have to start doing
now within our program?
•
A member of the Faculty has been seconded to work within the Semester in Dialogue
program.
•
We continue to deepen our relationships with the Teaching and Learning Centre, and
have co-hosted a series of pedagogically themed events focusing on technology
integration.
•
New undergraduate specializations have been developed and offered with strong
results.
Theme 3: Research Intensity
• We achieved excellent results in the most recent (2012) SSHRC competitions. The
national success rate in SSHRC applications was just under 33%, and SFU overall
had a success rate of just over 40%. The Faculty of Education success rate was
60%.
• Average faculty member productivity in scholarship, as measured by refereed
papers, conference presentations and invited keynote presentations, has risen in
each of the last 2 years.
Theme 4: The University's Role in the Community
•
In addition to the preparation of their response to the guiding questions that were
posed, the TEF 21 Task Force engaged in a process of community consultation. In
November of 2012, SFU's Faculty of Education hosted a symposium exploring
issues in teacher preparation, and engaged over 100 representative stakeholders
from across the province in discussions related to the preliminary findings of the task
force.
• We have reached a tentative agreement to host 2 (or more) sections of our PDP in a
community setting (Centennial High School, Coquitlam School District).
•
We have been instrumental in forging effective working relationships with the new
Teacher Regulation Branch, and have assisted with the initial review of certification
standards for initialteacher preparation.
Theme 5: Financial Sustainability and Institutional Strength
•
We have been implementing Strategic Enrolment Management Strategies and
modifying student intakes in response to shifting application pattern. However, recent
changes to the University Budget Allocation Model may render such efforts
redundant.
24
We continue to refine our internal budget allocation and reporting systems. Each
budget unit now develops value-add proposals for any carry-forward funds.
Our 5-year projections for our internal budget analysis indicate that we are in a
sustainable financial position for at least the next 3 years.
We are unable to sustain our current complement of faculty and staff due to
insufficient space allocation. We have sufficient budget to hire an additional faculty
member, but we have neither research nor office space for additional hires. We also
have (by far) the most cramped and overcrowded space of any faculty at our Surrey
campus, and several faculty members who do not have regulation faculty office
spaces. The continuous deterioration of the Burnaby campus facilities also poses on
going health
and operational issues. At the time of this writing, 3 Faculty offices are
out of commission because of mold rehabilitation. We have no designated space at
the Vancouver campus, despite complementarity of programming (e.g., Fine Arts) and
repeated offerings of cohort-based graduate programs (such as the EdD in
Transformative Change and the EdD in French Language Leadership).
25
Faculty of Environment - Report
Several innovative projects are complete and/or underway as part of the Collaborative Teaching
Fellows Program including (but not limited to):
• Change Lab initiative - a collaborative venture in the design and implementation of
sustainability projects using SFU as a living lab.
•
Environmental Controversy - using problem based learning to inform thinking about
socio-scientific environmental issues.
• A hands-on Ecological Resilience course offered at the Hakai Institute on the Central
Coast of BC.
Theme 1: High Quality Student Experience
New academic programming to better address student demand.
•
Bachelor of Environment (BENV) - an interdisciplinary program combining natural,
policy and social sciences three to four streams.
•
Environment One (Surrey) - introductory courses for entrance into either a BA or
BSc.
BBA/BEnv joint major in Sustainable Business with Business Administration.
Certificate in Environmental Literacy aimed at non-FENV students at SFU.
The development of professional master's programs in
Sustainability
and
Ecological
Restoration.
Theme 2: Teaching and Learning in a Research University
• We have begun consultations and discussion across FENV on learning outcomes
assessments from a program and course perspective. These will be disciplinary
specific.
•
In conjunction with our Hakai Research Network, we are offering summer courses for
undergraduate students at the Hakai Beach Institute on Calvert Island on the Central
Coast.
• The redesigned Environmental Science program has a new field-based course on
Burnaby Mountain that exposes students to the fundamentals of ENV Science.
Theme 3: Research Intensity
•
Two new LT positions have been filled in Archaeology in the fields of geo-
archaeology and enviro-archaeology.
•
The Liber Ero Chair has provided important research bridges between Science and
Environment.
•
REM is exploring two NSERC Industrial Chair positions in Avalanche Safety and
Ocean Sustainability.
26
•
Numerous faculty are working toward developing a Chair in Aboriginal Sovereignty,
Governance and Stewardship.
•
The Human Evolutionary Studies Program, funded by CTEF, is making important
contributions to expanding research intensity/networks with and
beyond SFU.
Theme 4: The University's Role in the Community
• We are maintaining strong connections with our research institutes such as Hakai
Network to collaborate with indigenous groups in
the development of local courses
such as the Ethno-history course in Tla'amin First Nations traditional territory.
•
Centre for Coastal Science and Management Speaker Series on 7 Billion in
conjunction with Human Evolutionary
Studies Program.
• FENV'swork with China Council, Chinese Government and the Chinese Academies
of Science and Social Science is promoting internationalization initiatives at SFU.
Theme 5: Financial Sustainability
•
We are currently in the process of reviewing instructional delivery, curriculum
offerings, faculty teaching load, etc. to find ways to promote growth in priority areas
through reassignment of existing fiscal resources.
•
We are exploring ways to expand our share of VISA students.
•
Development of premium fee programs has become a priority.
•
Geography is preparing to offer GIS/SIS courses for REM and Archaeology to avoid
duplication.
27
Faculty of Health Sciences - Report
Theme 1: High Quality Student Experience
1. Encourage and support value of teaching in academic career development for all
faculty
members consistent with the recommendations in the Task Force on
Teaching and Learning.
2. Strengthen and support a comprehensive strategy to encourage student enrolment.
3. Strengthen
the continued development of a unique comprehensive, relevant and
interdisciplinary learning environment for undergraduate and graduate students.
4. Increase transparency of student expectations.
5. Develop external partnerships with the health and human service sector that ensure
students have meaningful opportunities for learning and research.
Progress:
•
Health Sciences continues to demonstrate an effective response to meet enrolment
targets in all program streams. Though exceeding targets or fallingjust below targets
in particular
categories varies, overall our enrolments are healthy. Domestic
undergraduate enrolment felljust short of targets in 2011-2012 (905/917) but
domestic intake exceeded targets in 2011-2012 (174/147); international
undergraduate enrolment exceeded targets (61/55) but international intake felljust
short of targets (16/23). Nonetheless, we continue our admission standards at about
86%.
•
Revisions to our BSc program and refinements to our other programs and their
streams are ongoing.
•
Streamlining of our undergraduate curriculum and enhancing our graduate
curriculum resulted in relevant course offerings of 73 undergraduate and 36 graduate
courses in 2011-2012. Discussions with other campus units to rationalize cross
listing and teaching of courses are ongoing.
Theme 2: Teaching and Learning in a Research University
1. Undertake enrolment management and planning exercises to ensure that we have
resources and capacity to fully support both programs given anticipated stability after
several years of rapid growth.
2. Ensure adequate training infrastructure for undergraduates.
3. Continue to improve the practicum experience of the Master of Public Health (MPH)
students.
4. Complete the development of the MPH concentrations in Global Health,
Environmental and Occupational Health and Social Inequities and Health.
5.
Review coherence of undergraduate and graduate curriculum in the context of
internal and external resources at SFU.
28
Progress:
Completed the annual report to the Council for Education in Public Health
accreditation (December 2012) for our accredited MPH, BA and BSc public health
programs for the
academic year 2011-2012.
Commenced admissions to a research-oriented PhD program. This program,
previously available only by special arrangement (SAR), completes the fullroll-out
of
our programs and builds on the pre-existing MSC program.
International
exchange programs have been established with Deakin University
(Australia), National Taiwan University (Taiwan) and Chinese University of Hong
Kong (China), which enable SFU undergraduate and graduate students to take
courses for degree completion in these internationally recognized institutions with
strong population health
and health sciences programs.
For the period 2010-2012, we have had 48 graduate student trainees workingin
developing countries.
Continued to enhance partnerships with Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser
Health Authorities to develop and sustain practicum opportunities for our MPH
program.
Theme 3: Research Intensity
1. Encourage and support interdisciplinary health research.
2. Encourage collaborative development of
research centres and institutes involving
researchers from across all Faculties at SFU and in the BC region.
3. Provide additional administrative and grant-application support to assist faculty and
graduates seeking external research funding.
Progress:
Research income from all sources has grown from $6.9 million in 2010 to over $8
million for each of 2011 and 2012.
FHS continues to have success with the highly competitive NIH system: FHS' J.
Scott was awarded a
$2.7 million NIH grant forher vaccine research, "Vaccines that
replicate the Neutralization-Competent structure
of the gp-41 MPER" and Kelley
Lee's highlyranked $2 million NIH application, "Tobacco Companies, PublicPolicy
and Global
Health" Is currently waiting state department clearance forapproval.
Completing certification and openingof the CL3 lab which will enable new types of
fundamental life sciences research at SFU.
Introduceda new bi-weekly "Research Seminar" series with combination of
opportunities forfaculty to present "work in progress."
Recent accomplishments include the creation of a shared Health Economistposition
with Fraser Health, and the filling of two endowed chairs, HIV Chairand the Cancer
Survivorship Chairs, which will strengthen ties with the HIV research community,
health economics and policyresearch communities, and the cancer research
community.
29
•
FHS' Brockman, Kaida, Snyder et al were awarded a five-year CIHR Team Grant:
HIV/AIDS Vaccine Discovery and Social Research (2012-2017); this involves seven
multidlsciplinary FHS faculty engaged with multiple research centres in Durban and
Soweto, South Africa.
•
Created a weekly research facilitation seminar series to address various topics for
improving grantsmanshlp and application success. Seminars expose FHS and other
SFU health researchers and trainees to new health research funding opportunities,
grant writing and preparation tips and support, and representative experts from CIHR
and other funding agencies.
Theme 4: The University's Role in the Community
1. Sponsor and promote forums, conferences and talks on topical issues on health-
related research and programming, aimed at representatives from key stakeholders'
groups (government, public health organizations, community organizations,
aboriginal representatives, addiction and mental health specialists).
2. Strengthen the Global Health program.
•
Identify potential partners in key developing nations and focus collaboration
interests on capacity-building through the MPH program.
•
Build partnerships with comparable Faculties,
Schools and Departments in
universities in
key developing nations.
• Develop structured opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to
undertake supervised learning in key developing nations.
3. Demonstrate importance of health-related research and education for current and
emerging population and public health issues.
•
Support and facilitate FHS graduates to work as members of interdisciplinary
health research teams operating on the local, provincial, national and
international stage.
Progress:
Supported the following conferences In 2012:
o
Affirming Equity Conference (student led)
o
Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research, BC Forum Conference
o
Shastri Indo-Canadian Institutional Conference
o
Canadian Global Health Initiative Conference
o Immuno Vancouver 2012
o The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
-
One Year Later Forum
o
Occupational and Environmental Medical Assoc, of Canada (OEMAC)
Conference
FHS successfully recruited Dr. Kelley Lee as FHS'new Director of Global Health;
she is an internationally recognized scholar on international relations, with specific
30
expertise on global health governance, the World Health Organization, and
international tobacco control policies with strong administrative experience from the
London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Britain'slargest school of public
health.
•
FHS has demonstrated the importance of supporting Aboriginal Health Research and
training by facilitating the re-location of the CIHR Institute for Aboriginal Peoples'
Health to SFU.
•
FHS' Charlotte Waddell Is leading a five-year (2011-2016) scientific evaluation of the
"Nurse-Family Partnership" a 30-year old public health program found to have lasting
benefits in preventing child maltreatment, reducing child antisocial behaviour, and
improving developmental outcomes for both children and mothers. BC will be the first
province
In Canada to implement and evaluate the landmark Nurse-Family
Partnership (NFP) program.
•
Health
Sciences researchers supported approximately 120 graduate student
research assistantships (RA's) in the amount of $773,650.
Theme 5: Financial Sustainability and Institutional Strength
1. Complete the faculty recruitment plan to ensure achievement of broad goals and
objectives.
2. Develop areas of continued innovation and collaboration across SFU.
•
Develop joint educational and research initiatives in health sciences with other
Faculties at SFU.
•
Explore opportunities for cross appointments for faculty and interdisciplinary
degrees for graduate students.
•
Explore opportunities for innovative health-related programming in collaboration
with community partners and all SFU campuses.
3. Strengthen a supportive internal culture that encourages participation, respects
diversity, and acknowledges limitations.
4. Develop a strategy to make strategic use of the proximity to Vancouver and our
position on the Pacific Rim.
5. Continue to develop an Advancement strategy that supports areas of research
excellence and support for faculty and student development.
6. Develop a public relations and communication strategy aimed to increase the FHS's
provincial, national and international reputation.
7. Develop innovative health professional education programming through
the Surrey
campus in partnership with regional health authorities.
Progress:
Successfully recruited:
o
Dr. Kelley Lee - Professor, Global Health
31
o
Dr. Meghan Winters- Assistant Professor, Spatial Perspectives and Risk in
Population and Public Health
o
Dr. Malcolm King - Professor, Aboriginal Health
o
Dr. David Whitehurst - Assistant Professor, Health Economics
o
Dr. Will Small
-
Assistant Professor, Vulnerable Populations and Addictions
o
Dr. Bohdan Nosyk - Associate Professor, Health Economics
o
Dr. John Challls
-
VisitingProfessor, Child Development
•
BC Cancer Foundation provided an additional $1 million to ensure the Endowed
Chair in Cancer Survivorship is sufficiently funded to attract a research leader (Total:
$4 million). Providence Health Care and St. Paul's Hospital Foundation have
completed funding of an Endowed Chair in HIV/AIDS.
•
International
exchange program MOUs have been established with:
o
Deakin University (Australia)
o
National Taiwan University (Taiwan)
o
Chinese University of Hong Kong (China)
These programs enable SFU undergraduate and graduate students to take courses
for degree completion in these internationally recognized institutions with strong
population health
and health sciences programs.
•
FHS successfully recruited Dr. Kelley Lee as FHS' new Director of Global Health;
she is an internationally recognized scholar on international relations, with specific
expertise on global health governance, the WorldHealth Organization, and
international tobacco control policies with strong administrative experience from the
London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Britain'slargest school ofpublic
health.
•
FHS has demonstrated the importance of supporting Aboriginal Health Research and
trainingby facilitating the re-location of the CIHR Institute for Aboriginal Peoples'
Health to SFU.
•
FHS' Chariotte Waddell is leading a five-year (2011-2016) scientific evaluation of the
"Nurse-FamilyPartnership" a 30 year old public health program found to have lasting
benefits in preventing child maltreatment, reducing child antisocial behaviour, and
Improving developmental outcomes for both children and mothers. BC willbe the first
province in Canada to implement and evaluate the landmark Nurse-Family
Partnership (NFP) program.
•
Provided leadership, organization and oversight forthe SFU Health Research Day.
This was a very well attended internal SFU conference that demonstrated
tremendous health research capacity at SFU.
•
Participated in the inaugural SFU/Fraser Health Research Day in partnership with
the Fraser Health Authority.
•
Earlydevelopmental discussions have occurred related to development of health
programs in the context of Phase 2 development of the Surrey campus.
32
Faculty of Science - Report
Theme 1: High Quality Student Experience
Science has concentrated its efforts on student retention and success by (i) participation in the
Student Success Semester managed by Student Services, (ii) instituting "early intervention"
programs in our first-year Calculus and Physics courses, (iii) offering cohort options to students
entering from grade 12 (fall 2010). Science allows direct admission to programs, and students
who select this option are directed to departmental advisors well in advance of registration for
help in selecting their courses. We have also tried universal mentorship programs for first-year
students and are continuing to refine these.
• The KIP-funded renovations to Podium 2 on the Surrey campus have allowed
Science to offer first- and second-year lab courses to students in the Science Year 1
and Life Science Year 2 cohort programs, greatly reducing the need for students to
shuttle between Surrey and Burnaby.
•
On
the Burnaby campus, we have invested budget carry-forwards in improving
teaching lab space, purchasing up-to-date equipment for lab courses, and replacing
aging vehicles used in field courses.
•
Continuous infrastructure improvement has been built into our budget planning
process.
• Our Development team has initiated a series of career-focused, alumni-led events for
undergraduate students.
Theme 2: Teaching and Learning in a Research University
The vast majority of tenure track faculty in Science offer research opportunities to
undergraduate
students either on a paid or volunteer basis. Most departments also have an
undergraduate thesis option worth between five and fifteen credit hours. The streams in the
various Bachelor of Science programs reflect the research strengths of the individual
departments, so research quite naturally informs the Faculty's teaching. Finally, Science has a
multitude of cross-disciplinary programs,
the latest being an innovative Bachelor of Science
program in Genomics, involving Biological Sciences, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology,
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and the Faculty of Health Sciences.
•
The Faculty launched the $2 million INSPIRE initiative in 2012 with the goals of:
o Providing resources to enable faculty members and departments to carry out
intensive re-examination and re-structuring of undergraduate and graduate
courses and curricula;
o Teaching science the way we do science (research-centred);
•
In collaboration with VPA, the Faculty has appointed 4 Faculty Teaching Fellows and
hired a limited-term staff member to facilitate curriculum change; the TLC has
assigned the Faculty an additional Consultant;
33
•
Our Development team has successfully initiated a fund-raising effort to increase the
number of students carrying out undergraduate research.
Theme 3: Research Intensity
If the Canada Research Chair, CIHR, MSFHR and Heart and Stroke salary income were
counted, the Faculty of Science would have well over 50% of the University's external research
income. Even without this, the ratio of research dollars to tenure track faculty members in
Science is more than a factor of two higher than that of our closest competitor. The success rate
of Science faculty in NSERC and CIHR grant competitions is well above the national average.
• All departments have formed internal peer review panels for NSERC and (where
appropriate) CIHR grants, to enhance the quality of grant applications and thereby
improve success rates;
•
In conjunction with the Vice-President of Research, the Faculty has put in place a
bridging fund to allow researchers to maintain their productivity and continue to
support graduate students for up to a year in the event that they lose their grants;
• The budget planning process now includes the use of funds from the Indirect Costs
of Research program;
•
Procedures for tracking and timely disbursement of contract overheads to
departments have been implemented;
• The Faculty continues to support two major Research Institutes, IRMACS and 4D
Labs; The Faculty has appointed its first Associate Dean, Research and Graduate
Studies.
Theme 4: The University's Role in the Community
Science has a number of outreach and public education programs.
Science in Action
targets K-
12 students throughout the Province.
Starry Nights
brings primarily grade school students and
their parents to campus for Astronomy evenings; over 1000 students visited during 2009. The
series of public lectures
Darwin and You
was a Science initiative. The series of workshops and
public information sessions on the missing Fraser River salmon, organized by the Centre for
Coastal Studies, has always had significant Science participation. One of our faculty members
was recently named to the national panel to assess the health of Canada's oceans.
•
Donor funding of the Observatory and Science in Action facilities is complete, and
construction is planned for this year;
•
The Cafe Scientifique program has entered its second year, expanding from one
department to three, and from the original Surrey location to downtown Vancouver;
•
Two Science faculty ran the inaugural President's Dream Colloquium in fall 2012;
• The Associate Dean, Academic enhanced SFU's involvement in the youth-oriented
lmpossible2Possible program.
34
Theme 5: Financial Sustainability and Institutional Strength
Science has been fiscally responsible without negatively impacting its ability to offer services to
students. Even in a time of shrinking budgets, we have increased course offerings and TA
budgets. We have increased our efforts in Advancement and prioritized fund raising that would
reduce pressures on the Operating budget, such as an endowment for the "early intervention"
programs in Calculus and Physics that are highly TA-laden.
•
The Faculty has completely overhauled its budget and financial management
systems to assure accountability and transparency, and to allocate to units the
funding they need to optimize their teaching, research and administrative functions.
35
Graduate Studies • Report
Theme 1: High Quality Student Experience
We now host a new Graduate Studies Awards Reception to honour faculty, staff and students
involved in the graduate student enterprise. At the ceremony, the recipients of the newly created
Dean of Graduate Studies Awards for Excellence are recognized as well as graduate students
who have received awards valued at $15,000 or more.
We now coordinate a grad student photo contest and social event to celebrate International
Week in collaboration with the Graduate Student Society and International Services for
Students, run special events to build community such as the showing ofthe "PhD Movie" and
created a residence orientation for graduate students offering them early move-in and support
services. We have formed partnerships with Career Services, the Library Research Commons
and GSS to development a Graduate Professional Skills program. We continue to be the lead
on Graduate Student Orientation and participate in the International Graduate Student
Orientation. We have developed a hand-out entitled "First Things First" on how to start graduate
training effectively. In collaboration with Lifelong Learning, we have developed an "Intensive
English and Graduate Bridge Program" for international students whose English language
competency is slightly below our admission requirements. We have created a position,
Indigenous Graduate Student Support coordinator (funded by the Dean of Graduate Studies
and the Office of Aboriginal Peoples), to provide support for graduate indigenous activities and
mentorship to indigenous students.
Our office has been instrumental in launching the President's Dream Colloquium and continues
to run workshops for graduate students and postdoctoral students applying to tri-councils and
other agencies. Recently, we completed the Graduate Student Supervision Survey and the
Dean of Graduate Studies developed and implemented the first Exit Survey for graduate
students.
As a result of these surveys, the Dean of Graduate Studies is further developing plans
for Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellows professional skills training, and exploring career
training opportunities for our students. We have established with Institutional Research and
Planning a regular schedule for graduate student surveys that should provide ongoing
institutional knowledge for improving our programs and the student experience.
Theme 2: Teaching and Learning in a Research University
A number of general graduate regulations, policies and practices have been updated ensuring
that
they are fair and transparent, student-centred, departmentally responsive, and meet
academic standards. These include admission requirements, supervisory requirements, and
progress evaluations, formation of supervisory committees, supervisory practices, and
examination practices. We have also attempted to be proactive in creating new programming
options at SFU including direct-entry graduate certificates, concurrent bachelor's and master's
36
programs, concurrent programs, and second degree options including frameworks for them, and
new general graduate regulations related to admission into these specific programs. We have
developed frameworks for co-tutelles (individualized joint programs) and joint programs (dual or
double degree), many of which are international.
Theme 3: Research Intensity
For a number of reasons including fiscal, the President's Research Stipend program was
phased out and replaced with the President's Scholarship award. The Provost Prize of
Distinction (domestic) and Provost International Fellowships were created, the CD Nelson major
entrance awards were made into multi-year awards, and Aboriginal Entrance awards were
created. During the provincially mandated graduate student growth period, Special Graduate
Entrance Scholarships and Targeted Graduate Fellowships were created to sustain support for
students recruited to SFU by the one-year provincial awards associated with this program, and
to
assist us in meeting the provincial demands of this targeted growth. Collectively these
changes have allowed SFU to manage the Graduate Scholarship Bursary Awards budget
better, to attract more tri-council scholarship winners to SFU, to make it easier for academic
units to put together good admission offers for top students, to support existing students and to
meet our provincially mandated growth. We have worked with Financial Aid & Awards,
Ceremonies & Events and Records & Enrolment to streamline the process for the Convocation
Medals
and created a process for determining the number of DGS convocation medals to be
awarded within Faculties, thereby increasing the numbers of medals in some Faculties to
address inequities in graduate student numbers across the Faculties.
To assist academic units in making informed decisions on admission financial offers to students,
we created a database, which is shared annually with the GPC Chairs, that tracks the past three
years of funding paid to graduate
students in each department in terms of RAs, TAs, CODE,
internal scholarships, external scholarships and sessional appointments. We instituted
processes and practices aimed at making students aware of more scholarship opportunities,
identifying top candidates for awards, as well as instituting practices aimed at improving
the
applications or nominations at all levels of our organization. A large change was the decision to
allocate
"bulk" funding packages to the academic units to be used for Graduate Fellowships,
Special Graduate Entrance Scholarships, and Travel and Minor Research Support. Academic
units must still adhere to the terms of reference for all awards and the actual distribution of
awards is managed by Graduate Studies. This switch to a bulk funding model has been
received most appreciatively by the academic units as it allows for them to be more effective
and creative in meeting the financial support
needs of their students and program. In addition to
graduate student funding, Graduate Studies has always managed the NSERC Undergraduate
Student Research Award (USRA) program and recently has taken on the additional
responsibility of managing the Vice-President Research (VPR) USRA program. This program
supports students in social sciences and humanities, as well as health, natural and engineering
sciences.
37
Theme 4: University's Role in the Community
We created new Graduate Entrance Awards for Aboriginal Master's and PhD students and we
have initiated with faculty and students from First Nations Studies a plan for an Aboriginal
Special Arrangements Cohort
MA. Student profiles are developed for our website and written
with "engagement"
themes in mind. All students are asked about their research as it relates to
their communities and to their professional goals. Where possible, the profiles are written so
that it shows a clear link between the research and its potential impact on the community.
We created an International Coordinator position allowing coordinated support of international
student activities, and support for international students and academic units. This position has
allowed us to review the International Teaching Assistant (ITA) program and recommend
changes to that program: update both country and institutional admission information for
academic units, communicate immigration and visa changes quickly to academic units and
students, enhance engagement of international students, and better serve our international
students. To support admissions staff and graduate programs, we have invested in a variety of
online resources (e.g., OURA International Admissions Database and UK Naric) and actively
promote participation in World Education Services webinars to keep updated on best practices
in foreign credential evaluation.
Theme 5: Financial Sustainability and Institutional Strength
About 24 months ago, we initiated a detailed consultation process across all academic units
principally related to award programs. As this consultation was ending, we also held a SGSC
retreat to explore graduate issues at SFU and the future of graduate education. A number of
operational changes resulted including: a shift to one cycle of private awards; the transferring of
tri-council award distributions from payroll to student accounts; improved international admission
processes by researching and updating academic equivalency information and evaluating
international institutions and the development of a multi-stage improvement strategy for
admission processes. The first part of that strategy was the development and implementation of
a 'fast-track'admissions procedure and the creation of an Admissions and Funding Handbook.
Records and awards clerks were cross-trained and an expectation of assisting during each
other during busy periods was implemented. Redundancy in positions and knowledge was
implemented and we were fortunate to obtain a second awards clerk and an admissions
coordinator position. We also changed the job descriptions of three managers' positions to
create broader knowledge of the operations within the Office of Graduate Studies. An area
identified in need of attention was communications from our office. A full-time communications
manager position was added, which was supported by the VPA. We also repositioned our
receptionist position into an assistant communications position with greater web-based
responsibilities in addition to front desk duties. We developed and implemented a
communications strategy including: a
new website (launched August 2011); ongoing
improvement and optimization using
tags to connect blog posts and main website content;
monthly
updates from the communications manager and awards manager to all graduate
38
programs; an administrative blog for students; an electronic letter and merging system for
communicating with academic programs related to student awards and admissions; monthly
updates for all major projects undertaken in our office.
All job descriptions were re-written as we hired new or replacement personnel to embed IT
knowledge in their positions, and IT knowledge is critical in our employment decisions. This
change is most readily evident in the level of IT knowledge now residing in our awards clerk(s),
finance clerk, former receptionist position, assistant admissions coordinator and two directors
positions. Internally we have used this knowledge to redesign our awards disbursement and
award
processes to be much more efficient. Externally, we have been successful in obtaining
support to develop an online admission and adjudication project that is managed centrally, with
phase one currently being implemented (October 2012). We have initiated a major online
annual
progress report system that is intended to capture in a standardized format students'
progress within SIMS, allowing for appropriate constructive feedback for students and
evaluation by academic units and the Office of Graduate Studies. This will address a concern
raised by the external review of graduate studies. In addition, the system is being designed in
such a way as to capture output data on the scholarly activity of our graduate students that
should help in external reviews, accreditation, benchmarking, and advancement initiatives
(expected completion summer 2013). We have also recently been approved for the creation of
an online award application and adjudication system to be built on the platform used for the
admission project.
39
Lifelong Learning (formerly Continuing Studies) - Report
What follows is a report on the progress made by Continuing Studies, now Lifelong Learning,
towards meeting
the goals set out in Appendix B as attached to the Vice President, Academic's
Three Year Academic Plan 2010-2013, in 2012.
In September 2010, the Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) was moved into the Unit. Once a
partial reconfiguration of the Centre and the search for a continuing Director was completed in
August, 2011,
the TLC began reporting directly to the Vice President, Academic. Thus, this
progress report will not comment on the ongoing and substantial activities of the Centre.
Theme 1: High Quality Student Experience
• The Unit continues to ensure that the range of non-credit programs and activities
respond to the changing needs of learners of all ages, including groups traditionally
under-represented in a research university. For example, the Aboriginal Bridge
Program
grows from strength to strength: in 2012, a majority of students who
completed the program were offered admission to Simon Fraser University. A
possible additional track for
the Program is being investigated with the Faculties of
Science and Environment. The Unit received ongoing funding from the Canadian
federal government to support English language and job readiness training for new
immigrants in both the areas of public relations and digital media. "Ladies Learning
Code" was a non-credit offering supported by VanCity to teach computer coding
skills to
unemployed single mothers. In order to meet the educational and
professional requirements of learners in the Lower Mainland, Lifelong Learning
revised and/or developed several new non-credit certificates: Career Counseling,
Professional Counseling, Digital Media, New Media Journalism, and Public
Relations. A creative writing program called Southbank was launched at the Surrey
City
Centre Library, where Lifelong Learning, in conjunction with the social service
agency, DiverseCity, and the SFU Surrey campus, rents classrooms. Additional
program growth included non-credit Liberal Arts
courses for adults of all ages. The
University is currently not interested in a quick admit program for adult students who
seek to return to complete their higher educational credential. However, Lifelong
Learning
stands ready to design such a program in the future.
• SFU NOW (Nights or Weekends) continues to expand its degree completion options
in co-operation with the Faculties. The popularity of the courses with both NOW
students and the general student body indicates that SFU students seek flexible
degree completion pathways.
• The Unit has partnered with the Office of Graduate Studies to develop an Academic
English and Pre-Graduate Training Program that will provide a conditional admission
pathway for academically talented international students whose IELTS score does
not meet the requisite 7.0 for direct admission to graduate study.
40
Theme 2: Teaching and Learning in a Research University
•
Through the Centre for Online and Distance Education, the Unit continues to provide
online learning opportunities for students at SFU and elsewhere. Online course
enrolments through CODE were over 13,000 in 2012. A new university-wide
learning
management system (LMS), Canvas, was selected; CODE played an
essential part in
the selection process. The Centre is leading the way in adapting
Canvas for institutional deployment including the migration of over 200 courses from
the WebCT platform (the former institutional LMS) to Canvas.
• CODE also partnered with the Beedie School of Business to develop a non-credit,
online, English language skills tutorial course which was piloted in fall 2012. The
course is designed to assist students who need to improve their academic and
business writing.
• Throughout 2012, the Dean of Lifelong Learning chaired an Online Education
Working Group that investigated best practices across the University and elsewhere
with regards to online learning and online course delivery modes. The Group's
report, complete with recommendations and implementation plans, will be made
available to the University community in 2013.
Theme 3: Research Intensity
•
Traditionally, units like Lifelong Learning are not expected to contribute to the
research mission of a university. However, SFU Lifelong Learning staff, former staff,
and certificate/diploma alumni actively contribute to the advancement of knowledge
and the development of creative works. For example, Wayde Compton, Director,
The Writer's Studio, received a Silver Medal in the fiction category as part of the
National Magazine Awards for his short story "The Instrument" in Event. Dr. Tom
Nesbit, now retired and former dean pro-tern, received several awards, including the
Distinguished Researcher award, from the Canadian Association of University
Continuing Education. CODE frequently assists university teaching staff who
conduct research on online learning.
Theme 4: The University's Role in the Community
•
In its original contribution to the VPA's Academic Plan in 2010, the Unit indicated that
it hoped to develop a Centre for Community Education. Although Lifelong Learning
did not develop a centre, its work in the community inspired the new Toronto
Dominion Centre for Community Engagement, run out of the VP External Relations'
office and located in the Surrey City Centre Library.
•
Lifelong Learning has decided not to offer language and cultural bridging programs
for youth of ethnic communities. This type of programming will be taken on by the
TD Centre for Community Engagement (see point above). Several social service
agencies across
the Lower Mainland receive government funding in order to provide
41
youth programs. Since Lifelong Learning must cover its costs, we cannot compete
with free programming for children.
•
Michael Filimowicz, Program Director of Interdisciplinary Programs, accepted the
World Universities Forum 2012 Award for Best Practice in Higher Education on
behalf of Simon Fraser University. The award was given in recognition of Lifelong
Learning's Philosophers' Cafes, moderated public conversations held in public
venues across the Lower Mainland. The high regard with which the Philosopher's
Cafes are held is evident in the number of Cafe programs proliferating in the
Vancouver area and across North America.
Theme 5: Financial Stability and Institutional Strength
•
Lifelong Learning now has dynamic, active, and strategic financial and budget
planning and assessment strategies in place. The required development of goals
and objectives, along with performance metrics by
each part of the Unit, now
provides a consistent means by which both programmatic and fiscal performance
can be measured and for which staff can be held accountable.
The Unit's marketing activities are designed by talented and hard-working staff who
have helped to effect annual marketing plans for all non-credit offerings. The
marketing staff are experts in Google Analytics, Google advertising, web-based
advertising, and measuring marketing dollars spent against non-credit revenue
gained. The Unit will continue to work on developing methods to increase client
management and tracking marketing effectiveness.
The Lifelong Learning website is now clean, efficient, and client-focused. The
enrolment management system, SERA, communicates directly with the website and
online registrations are simple. The various financial, informational and registration
systems in Lifelong Learning now "talk"to one another, and the Unit is looking
forward to employing a
business data management system to improve our data
access and storage practices.
42
Student Services - Report
Student Services will contribute, as described below, to the indicated Academic Plan Themes.
In several instances, Student Services and related programs overlap several of the Academic
Plan themes.
Theme 1: High Quality Student Experience
Student Services defines the high quality student experience as:
The overall feelings a student
has regarding their time at the institution. Itrelates to both classroom and non-classroom based
experiences, the sense of value they have, and the connectedness they feel to the institution. It
has clear implications for student recruitment and retention, institutional reputation, and alumni
support.
Our goals in Student Services to contribute to Theme 1 in four broad ways are:
a. Academic Advising and Support:
The provision of academic advising and support given directly to all non-declared
undergraduate students (roughly 11,000 unique headcount students) and through
coordination of the following programs: Blueprints (academic advising for prospective
students), Student Success (advising and learning skills development for students
that have been formally required to withdraw from the university), Back on Track
(academic advising and learning skills development for students on academic
probation) and Highroads (a pilot designed to improve the student experience for
high achieving students, which
will be continued depending on the outcomes of the
pilot, which are still under review).
a. Experiential Learning:
The provision of supporting services and implementation arrangements for
experiential learning, including Work Integrated Learning and international learning
experiences (field schools, international student exchanges, international co
operative education, and international volunteer opportunities), are provided by
Student Services.
b. Student Engagement and Support:
Student Services engages and supports students, academically and socially,
beginning with student recruitment, new student orientation, associated transition
programs, and the development and delivery of an increased range of opportunities
for community social interaction.
c. Campus Community Development:
The creation of a supportive campus community from a student perspective is
approached by Student Services in several disparate ways, including:
Enriched programming in Residence and Housing;
Student Learning Communities in Residence and Housing;
in. Leadership development programs; and
iv. Recreation and Athletics.
43
During the past year, we have responded to this goal by:
• Continuing to successfully operate the programs noted above.
• Continuing the Back on Track program, which has resulted in overwhelming success
in returning students to Good Academic Standing at the University that would have
otherwise been required to withdraw.
• Strengthening the academic focus for varsity athletics through targeted educational
and support programming.
•
Enhancing the Co-operative education programming for Engineering Science as well
as additional support for Career Services and Co-op in the Faculty of
Communication, Art and Technology at the Vancouver Campus.
• Reorganizing Student Success programming along with opening the Thelma
Finlayson Centre for Student Engagement.
• Continuing to operate an outstanding Residence Life program.
• Adding additional Peer Support programs focusing on student engagement
•
Increasing health promotion programs, with particular emphasis on healthy
campuses for all members of the campus community, not just those who may be ill
(physically or mentally).
•
Increasing access to recreational programming
Theme 2: Teaching and Learning in a Research University
Many areas of Student Services provide critical teaching and learning support and delivery at
SFU. Indirectly, important functions
such as class and exam scheduling, academic integrity,
academic advising, withdrawals under extenuating circumstances, and retention intervention
programs
such as SSP to name a few, significantly contribute to student academic success.
More directly, programs such as co-operative education, field schools and exchanges, peer
education and LEAD provide unique experiential learning opportunities for thousands of
students each year. Specialized advising and academic support is also provided to identify "at
risk" groups, including students with disabilities, international and First Nation students. The
importance of these programs to the community goes beyond learning opportunities for
students. The SFU Co-op Program and our Field School initiatives, in particular, have been
lauded nationally and internationally as innovative, quality programs that significantly contribute
to SFU's reputation as a leader and innovator.
During the past year we have responded to this goal by:
•
Continuing partnerships with academic units in support of teaching and learning.
•
Collaboration with the Teaching and Learning Centre on a pilot project linking healthy
campuses with in-class teaching.
•
Increasing professional development offerings on inter-cultural communication and
indigenous cultural competence.
•
Strengthening focus on Strategic Enrolment Management in support of teaching and
learning goals of the University.
44
Theme 4: The University Role in the Community:
While Student Services primary goals are in relation to student success, external community
engagement is an important secondary aspect of our work.
During the past year we have responded to this goal by:
•
Student Services programs continue to contribute significantly to SFU's profile in the
community, locally, nationally and internationally. SFU Athletics provides the greatest
single source of institutional recognition in the traditional media through coverage of
its hundreds of games, events and contests both in the Canadian and US leagues of
play. Several teams in particular (Men's Soccer, Football, Men's and Women's
Wrestling and Women's Basketball) have garnered much attention in print and TV
media in the past few years. In September 2012, SFU became the first school
outside the USA to become a full member of the NCAA, which resulted in coverage
in the New York Times, on TSN, MSNBC and many other news outlets. Student
athletes also regularly contribute to community causes such as working at soup
kitchens and raising money for charities.
• Recreation at the Burnaby Mountain campus continues to serve the broader
community surrounding the University. In particular, the SFU Summer Camps/Mini
University programs bring hundreds of students from the local communities to our
campus each year.
•
Each year, between 2000 and 3000 SFU co-op students spend 4, 8 or 12 months
working full time in workplaces around the province, country and the world. These
students personally extend the University into its communities on a daily basis
through authentic contributions to initiatives in
the business, industry and not-for-
profit sectors. Additionally
the Career Services unit interfaces with thousands of
employers, bringing them to our campuses for special events, and bringing our
campuses to them through outreach, marketing and promotions. Similarly, volunteer
experiences in the community are also coordinated and promoted through Student
Services, and these students join hundreds of other SFU students on practica
through service learning and programs such
as LEAD—all representing SFU in the
community.
•
Student Services delivers many campus tours to individuals and groups from the
community. Italso offers many programs for targeted groups to come to campus,
e.g., What Youth Can Do symposium, Super Tours for gifted students, etc. Several
hundred SFU students may also be found in countries around
the world as they
engage in field school and student exchange experiences administered through SFU
International.
•
Finally, multiple events related to student recruitment, including a partnership
agreement with Douglas College, special initiatives (e.g., Counselor's Day) and
general outreach to high schools, have SFU actively engaged in local, national and
international educational communities. Whether this is through student to student
interactions, staff visits, staff mobilityexchanges, or agents and partners of the
45
University, Student Services recruitment and professional development related
programs ensure substantial outreach to the educational community at large.
46
Back to top
