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Board of Governors / Meeting Agendas, Minutes + Reports / Archive / 2003 / May 29, 2003 Meeting Summary

May 29, 2003 Meeting Summary

OPEN SESSION

A. Finance and Administration

  1. Donations: the Board approved terms of reference and accepted donations to new funds, and accepted donations to existing funds, as follows:
    MONTH NEW FUNDS EXISTING FUNDS
    December 2002(Supplementary)   $53,750
    March 2003 $118,750 $6,611,811
    April 2003   $1,177,580
  2. The Board approved a letter of appreciation to Dr. Joseph Segal and family for their generous donation to SFU of the former Bank of Montreal Building at Pender and Granville Streets, which will be known as the Segal Graduate School of Business.
  3. The Board approved the establishment of a task force to develop ethical procurement guidelines for the University and report to the September Board meeting with its recommendations. The task force will be chaired by the VP Finance & Administration and will include members of the NoSweat Campaign.
  4. The Board approved the revised Investment Governance Policy, B 10.09. The policy documents the governance structure established for the University’s Endowment, Operating and Special Purpose Funds, and provides for an Investment Management Operating Procedures document, AD 3-15, which sets out the requirements for proper investment of the funds under this policy.
  5. The Board approved the proposed Chancellor’s Gymnasium expansion. The Board heard that surveys and analyses conducted to determine user preferences, needs and patterns of usage indicated a significant shortfall in capacity and high levels of user dissatisfaction. There has been no addition to athletics and recreation capacity since 1976, and student numbers have doubled since then. SFU has fallen to last place in provision of Athletics & Recreation facilities relative to student numbers.
  6. The Board approved an increase to parking rates of 5%, effective September 2003. An in-depth Transportation Development Management and Parking plan within the context of future campus development will proceed after the implementation of the U-Pass in the fall of 2003.
  7. The Board approved the revised Graduate Fee regulations. Under the new regulations the per-semester distinction between full and part-time is eliminated, and all academic units will have to decide between two options for tuition fee calculation, the flat fee-per-semester option or a fee-per-credit hour option.
  8. The Board approved the new terms of reference for the SFUCC Community Advisory Committee. The changes give the community broader representation on the committee and establish a formal liaison with the Student Society.
  9. The Board heard concerns from the Burnaby Mountain Development Working Group that the Community Character and Social Composition plan approved by the Board in January 2002 does not contain measures sufficient to ensure that an adequate level of affordable housing is built in the new UniverCity development. The Board was asked to strike a Task Force to investigate strategies for affordable housing in UniverCity. The Board advised that because the SFU Community Trust was set up as an independent body, it would be inappropriate for the Board to direct the Trust to take action in a particular area. However, the Board agreed to send a memo to the Trust, with the document submitted by the Working Group attached, stating that this is an important area that merits the Trust’s significant attention.
  10. The Board approved a revision to the composition of the Board of Directors of the SFU Community Corporation to replace the Director of Facilities Management with the Director of Campus Planning and Development in an ex officio, non-voting role.
  11. The Board approved the 2003/04 Non-Recurring Budget.
  12. The Board heard that that the BC Auditor General has decided that by 2005, the financial statements of all the universities must be incorporated into the government reporting entity to comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
  13. The Board approved the 2003/2003 Financial Statements.
  14. The Board received the Internal Audit Report for information. The University continued to maintain sufficient and adequate systems of control throughout the fiscal year.
  15. The Board received the Annual Insurance Report for information. The University continues to have adequate insurance coverage.
  16. The Board received for information the SFSS Student Fee Notice of Collection.

B. Academic Operations

  1. The Board approved the establishment of the Centre for Global Political Economy, and a Joint Major in Molecular Biology and Computing Science.
  2. The Board approved that, subject to the provision of adequate capital and operating funding by the Provincial Government, SFU should have a continuing presence in Surrey.
  3. The Board approved the establishment of the School of Interactive Arts and Technology within the Faculty of Applied Sciences, effective May 30, 2003.
  4. The Board received a mid-term report on Faculty Renewal and Retention. The Board heard that the rate of attrition has significantly declined, with only 4 faculty resignations over the reporting period. The University has also been very successful in hiring female faculty, with the overall proportion of female hires expected to be approximately 40% over the full academic year.

C. Other

  1. The Board heard a report on a successful SFU Day in Victoria on May 27, 2003. Members of the senior administration took the opportunity to advocate for SFU’s interests as one of the major institutions in the province, and to inform MLA’s of the very serious ongoing constraints that challenge the University’s capacity to deliver a high quality education.
  2. The Board heard a report on the reorganization within the office of the Vice-President Finance and Administration. A search will be conducted for a new Associate Vice-President, Financial Planning following the retirement of R. Johnson, Associate Vice-President Administration at the end of June.
  3. The Board heard a report on the allocation of the Federal funds received by SFU in support of indirect costs of research. Funds have been allocated to transform the office of strategic research planning to a Major Research Projects office, and there will be full funding of Research Grants Facilitators in Faculties through this program. Applications have also been submitted to CFI for $50M worth of infrastructure projects.
  4. The Board heard an update on the UniverCity development on Burnaby Mountain from M. Geller, President, SFU Community Corporation. Infrastructure and site construction has begun; construction on the Mixed Use Building and Town and Gown Square is scheduled to begin in July, along with a park and trails system; three reputable developers, Millennium University Homes Ltd., Polygon Homes Ltd., and Intergulf Development Group have been selected to develop the first 450 condominium units; and $4M of the $4.8M advanced by the University to fund infrastructure has been repaid. A non-profit environmental demonstration project with a variety of unique features is in discussion stages. Occupation of the first condominium units and the mixed-use building should occur next summer and fall, while the demonstration project and townhouses will be ready in 2005.

    The SFUCC will be trying to raise awareness of the value of flexible housing, and will be encouraging the developers to incorporate secondary suites in their designs. The Board of the SFUCC will also be exploring more ways to produce affordable student housing.

CLOSED SESSION

A. Finance and Administration

  1. The Board approved the award of the Residence Construction Contract to Dominion Fairmile Construction.
  2. The Board approved the award of the contract for architectural services for the Segal Graduate School of Business to Paul Merrick Architects Ltd.
  3. The Board received a report on the PC Purchasing Program. This preferred supplier program is intended to encourage the purchase of standardized computer equipment across the University in an effort to address the escalating cost of managing PCs on campus.

B. Academic Operations

  1. Faculty Appointments

    The following academic appointments were approved and have been accepted:

    Mr. Mirza Beg Instructor Engineering Science 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Dr. Derek Bingham Assistant Professor & CRC Chair Statistics & Actuarial Science 01/Jul/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Mr. Garth Davies Instructor Criminology 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Dr. Jeffrey Derksen Assistant Professor English 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Mr. Dov Fischer Instructor Business Administration 01/Aug/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Mr. Alexander Karaivanov Instructor Economics 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Dr. Jonathan Kesselman Professor & CRC Chair Masters of Public Policy Program 01/Jan/04
    Mr. Thomas Kuhn Instructor History 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Dr. Zoia Leonenko Assistant Professor & NSERC UFA Chemistry 01/May/04 – 31/Aug/08
    Dr. Eugene McCann Assistant Professor Geography 01/Aug/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Dr. Denise Oleksijczuk Assistant Professor Contemporary Arts 01/Jul/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Dr. Christophe Perignon Assistant Professor Business Administration 01/Jul/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Mr. Amir Rubin Instructor Business Administration 01/Jul/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Dr. John Stockie Associate Professor Mathematics 01/Aug/03 – 31/Aug/08
    Dr. Glen Tibbitts CRC Chair Kinesiology 01/Oct/03
    Mr. Peter Tingling Instructor Business Administration 01/Jul/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Dr. Yue Wang Assistant Professor Linguistics 01/Aug/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Mr. Simon Woodcock Instructor Economics 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/07
    Dr. Steve Wright Associate Professor with Tenure Psychology 01/Jul/03
    Mr. Sean Zwagerman Instructor English 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/07
  2. Administrative Appointments
    Dr. Tom Grieve Chair English 01/Sept/04 – 31/Aug/07
    Dr. Jane Pulkingham Chair Sociology and Anthropology 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/06
    Dr. David Boal Chair Physics 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/08
    Dr. Marjorie Cohen Chair Women's Studies 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/06
    Dr. Rob Gordon Director Criminology 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/06
    Dr. Steve Duguid Chair Humanities 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/05
    Dr. Betty Schellenberg Interim Chair English 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/04
    Dr. Tony Williams Chair Biology 01/Sept/03 – 31/Aug/06
    Dr. Mike Plischke Acting Dean Science 01/June/03 – 31/Aug/04
  3. Other

    (i)The Board approved the early retirements of Professor Santa Aloi, Contemporary Arts, Dr. Mary Ann Stouck, Humanities/English, and Ms. Heather-Ann Tingley, Library, all effective 31/Aug/03.

    (ii)The Board approved the award of professor emerita to Dr. Sue Wendell, Women’s Studies, effective 01/Sept/03.

C. Employee Relations Committee

  1. The Board heard that that both the CUPE and PolyParty unions had ratified their respective agreements.

D. OTHER

  1. The Board heard that that fundraising activity over the last 12 months under President Stevenson’s leadership was one of the best years ever, despite being a transitional year.
  2. The Board acknowledged the contributions of outgoing members D. Chen, J. Silveira, and J. Kowarsky and thanked them for their participation. J. Kowarsky, a former Chair and Deputy Chair of the Board and a Board representative on the SFU Community Corporation Board of Directors, will be awarded an Honorary Degree at the June 6th Convocation ceremony.

The next Board of Governors Meeting will be held at 3 p.m. in Room 126 of the Halpern Centre, Burnaby Mountain Campus on July 24, 2003.

In the place where innovative education, cutting-edge research and community outreach intersect, you'll find Simon Fraser University. Our vision? To be Canada's leading engaged university.

Born in 1965, SFU has become Canada's leading comprehensive university with vibrant campuses in British Columbia's largest municipalities — Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey — and deep roots in partner communities throughout the province and around the world.