Report of the Planning Committee to University Council Sept. 20, 2001

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1 Report of the Planning Committee to University Council Sept. 20, 2001 Items for Action 1. Affiliation with Briercrest College (attached) The Planning Committee recommends that Council approve the following motion: That Council approve the affiliation of Briercrest Bible College and Biblical Seminary with the University of Saskatchewan. The report of the Joint Subcommittee which reviewed the Briercrest College application for affiliation is attached. This report and the affiliation with Briercrest has been approved by the Planning Committee, the Academic Programs Committee and the Budget Committee. The Budget Committee recommended that approval be for a five-year period, as was established by the Senate affiliation policies under the old University Act. The time period for affiliations will be addressed this fall, when the Bylaws Committee brings forward the revisions to the old Senate Statutes. Items for Information The Planning Committee is reviewing the Operations Forecast draft and expects to report on this at the next meeting of Council. Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Committee, Jene Porter, Chair Committee members: G. Feltham (Commerce) L. Ferguson (Nursing) G. Khachatourians (Agriculture) F. Leighton (Veterinary Medicine) L. Sackney (Educational Administration) W.W.E. Slights (English) J. Thompson (Sociology STM) E.B. Waygood (Coordinator of Health Research) K. Coates (Dean, Arts & Science) J. Wallace (USSU academic vicepresident) J. Bobyn (GSA president) Ruth Thompson (Sessional Lecturer) M. Atkinson, Vice-President Academic and Provost A.J. Whitworth, Vice-President (Finance and Resources) M. Corcoran, Vice-President (Research) R.P. MacKinnon, President B.L. Dubray, University Studies Group P.M. Melis, Office of the Vice-President Academic

2 C. Fornssler, Committee Coordinator, Office of the University Secretary

3 REPORT OF THE JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE OF COUNCIL TO REVIEW THE BRIERCREST BIBLE COLLEGE APPLICATION FOR AFFILIATION Background In October 2000, Briercrest Bible College made a formal request to enter into discussions towards establishing Affiliate College status with the University of Saskatchewan. Under Section 61 (e) (iii) of the University of Saskatchewan Act, 1995, responsibility for authorizing affiliation or federation with any educational institution rests with the University Council. President MacKinnon referred the Briercrest request to Council, noting that he had met with President Magnus of the Briercrest College, and had visited the College s facilities, and could see no impediment to consideration of the request on its academic merits. At its meeting on January 25, 2001, Council decided that a Joint Subcommittee comprised of members from the Planning Committee, the Academic Programs Committee and the Budget Committee should be struck to examine the request, and to prepare jointly a report for Council addressing the implications of the proposed affiliation with respect to matters falling within the jurisdiction of Council. The members of the Joint Subcommittee to Review the Briercrest Application are: Jene Porter, Planning Committee, Chair Bill Slights, Planning Committee Geoff Hughes, Academic Programs Committee Lal Kushwaha, Academic Programs Committee Bob Gander, Budget Committee Joan Llewellyn, Budget Committee Gordon Barnhart, University Secretary Maureen Gammell, Secretar Ken Coates, Dean of the College of Arts and Science was subsequently invited to join the Subcommittee Approach and Process The Joint Subcommittee met three times to develop an approach, consider background material, plan to meet with a delegation from Briercrest, arrange to visit the Briercrest campus and to assess what had been seen and learnt. Extensive material on existing affiliation relationships was considered; details of Briercrest s history and accreditations, calendars and academic offerings were collated, and statistical abstracts relating to faculty, students, library holdings and the like, examined. A Briercrest team visited the University of Saskatchewan to meet with the Joint Subcommittee on April 25, 2001, and the Joint Subcommittee visited the Briercrest campus to tour the facility and meet with faculty, staff and students on June 18, Consultations were held with the Deans of Commerce and Education in addition to the Dean of Arts and Science. The Registrar s

4 Office provided important information and insights into existing affiliation relationships and advice. The President of the University of Saskatchewan Students Union was approached to ensure that student issues were considered. The Joint Subcommitte reviewed the terms of affiliation required by the University Senate, which, prior to the 1995 University Act, had responsibility for approving affiliations. The Joint Subcommittee decided to be cognizant of these previous requirements, but wanted to consider the Briercrest application on an ad hoc basis, unfettered, and in relation to existing University standards. Members of the Academic Programs Committee suggested that they would draft skeletal guidelines for reference, specific to their Committee s mandate. The Subcommittee felt it important to determine the exact nature of what Briercrest expected of affiliation, and also sought clarification of the College s confession of faith requirement. Briercrest Expectations Briercrest elaborated that the request for affiliate status with the University of Saskatchewan would establish an articulated agreement and define a process for relationship between the two institutions. The objective would be to facilitate the negotiation of credit transfer in accordance with an agreed protocol. Briercrest, as accredited by the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges (AABC), enjoys a defined relationship with Waterloo University whereby admission and transfer credit policies specific to Bible College applicants have been developed. The Bible College would like a comparable relationship with the University of Saskatchewan to provide its students pursuing further education with the option of staying in the province. It was also acknowledged that affiliate status with the University of Saskatchewan gives the College additional profile and respected credentials. Confession of Faith Briercrest is an interdenominational Christian college with over 60 denominations represented in its student body. As a confessional college, like any such body - Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, etc.- its institutional mission and purpose are formed within the framework of its religious confession. All candidates for faculty or administrative positions, and students enrolling are fully informed of the confessional stance and voluntarily enter the community. The College was open and very willing to discuss its stance, and provide its Statement of Policy regarding academic freedom. In essence, the Statement defines academic freedom as, the freedom of professionally qualified persons to inquire, teach, present and publish the truth as they see it within their field of competence, without extrinsic compulsion or control. The College also provided a summary of its Faculty Hiring Policy.

5 The Joint Subcommittee was pleased with the tenor and substance of discussions on both of the above subjects. The Joint Subcommittee suggests that affiliation with Briercrest would provide a worthwhile recruitment source. Mechanisms exist to examine, approve or reject courses offered, and guidelines exist to determine the acceptable number of transfer credits. This has primarily been the responsibility of the College of Arts and Science in other affiliation relationships, and the College has volunteered to continue to be the point of contact to affect these requirements. (See attached Memo from Dean Coates to Academic Programs Committee). The Joint Subcommittee was also satisfied that academic freedom and faculty hiring practices are appropriately addressed and that any transgressions would be properly dealt with under Human Rights legislation. Examination of Facilities at Caronport The Joint Subcommittee visiting the Briercrest campus was impressed with the physical facilities of the College. The College was founded in The present campus incorporates the Caronport Airforce Training base, using a former hangar as its gym. A new and impressive chapelcum-auditorium with a seating capacity of 2000, adjoins an open and very large multipurpose area suitable for a variety of functions. Most classrooms are built to accommodate approximately 30 students, with the College priding itself on the intimacy and interactive nature of its lectures and discourse. The College is fully wired for computers with freestanding internet hookups in several locations. The Library has recently been expanded and houses approximately 61,450 catalogued volumes, and 384 periodical subscriptions. Materials embraced wide-ranging points of view and academic substance did not appear in any way circumscribed. The Library networks with the Saskatchewan Provincial Library, Saskatchewan Union Catalogue and interlibrary loan system, Saskatchewan Provincial Database Licensing Project and EBSCO host. Faculty Briercrest has: 31 Full time Instructors 37% with earned Doctorates 17% with Doctorates ABD 47% with Masters Degrees 70 Part-time Instructors

6 Students The College has 273 new admissions entering as first-time freshmen and 40 entering seminary. Geographical Origins: British Columbia 15.2% Alberta 13.2% Saskatchewan 33.6% Manitoba 8.9% Ontario 13.9% Other 3.2% The University of Saskatchewan may process approximately 50 applications from Briercrest in a year. Students are primarily interested in entering Arts and Science or in pursuing a teaching career. There is also some interest in Commerce and Kinesiology. Tracking of these students or statistical evidence of outcomes has not been readily available, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the Briercrest students who enter the University of Saskatchewan do very well. Waterloo University reports similar experience. The Joint Subcommittee met with a number of Briercrest students and found them to be open, articulate, enthusiastic and most engaging. In subsequent discussion specific affirmative comment was made on the attitude and general demeanor of the students. Course Evaluation Calendars have been examined, and additional guidelines proposed for course credit transfer. The process of evaluating individual courses will include: 1. Provision of course outline or syllabus, which describes in reasonable detail: course objectives; reading, writing and other study requirements, including main text(s) used; and testing and grading procedures. 2. A complete resume of the instructor s academic credentials, and 3. Such additional documentation as the reviewing department may consider necessary to form a reasonable evaluation of the academic merits of the course. Other considerations The Joint Subcommittee is aware of the social, financial and political forces at work promoting opportunities for post-secondary education in rural centres of the province. Briercrest provides the opportunity for local students to stay in their home area for the first few years of a post-secondary education. In addition, the attraction of small classes in a known environment brings students of a particular nature from a wide catchment area, and addresses many retention issues. The College also provides a readymade recruitment centre for the University. The University of Saskatchewan is aware that it is in competition for students with all other Universities, and recognizes the value of tapping into a niche market.

7 While attendance at Briercrest for the first couple of years towards a degree gives students advantages of economy and diversity, affiliation with the University of Saskatchewan facilitates the educational aspirations of students and further expands their opportunities. The University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina are the only two degreegranting institutions in the province, apart from the granting of religious degrees. As colleges such as Briecrest grow the pressure on government to allow additional degreegranting institutions is inevitable. The first President of the University of Saskatchewan viewed such proliferation as undesirable. Strong arguments relating to limited provincial resources suggest Walter Murray s position remains valid. Committee Deliberations and Recommendations The Joint Subcommittee supports the request for affiliation. Individual members undertook to report to their home committees for further discussion and recommendations. The Joint Subcommittee invited Briercrest to submit a letter, presenting the nature of the College s expectations and providing relevant information on the College that could be taken to the constituent committees for discussion. The Budget Committee determined that the budget implications attached to the Briercrest affiliation request were minimal and that these related essentially to some administrative time. It was voiced that affiliation would provide a service to students. The Budget Committee felt that the issues to be resolved could be dealt with by the Academic Programs Committee and the College of Arts and Science. The Budget Committee recommended that the relationship be facilitated, and that it should be subject to review in five years. The Planning Committee examined the request and was satisfied that relevant issues had been appropriately addressed, and that the range of consultations ensured adequate consideration by those most involved in its implementation. The Planning Committee recommended that the Report be referred to Council for approval of the Briercrest request for affiliation. The Academic Programs Committee examined the proposal and felt that the review was most thorough and it too recommends that Council accept the request of the Briercrest Bible College for affiliation.