Welcome to Graduate Studies at SFU!

I respectfully acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen peoples on whose unceded traditional territories our three campuses reside. 

Graduate Studies is committed to collaborating with students, faculty, staff and community partners to uphold the principles of truth and reconciliation by going beyond reciting land acknowledgements. We are working to decolonize and Indigenize the work of Graduate Studies. Some of that work includes facilitated office participation in workshops on Indigenous-specific racism, implementing a new Indigenous Welcoming Procedure and a forthcoming examination of and revisions to Graduate Studies policies to ensure that they support Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing. 

As I enter my second year as Vice-Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies, I am grateful for the work being done by our over 125 graduate programs, specifically by our graduate program assistants, graduate program chairs and supervisors. They collaborate to provide high-quality graduate teaching, support excellence in research, and encourage students to share their work with academic and non-academic audiences. 

SFU’s more than 4,200 graduate students from over 110 countries undertake studies across an array of research and professional programs that will prepare them for future careers in a range of employment sectors. They play a central role in the development of new knowledge and discoveries, to advance What’s Next: The SFU Strategy and “create and connect knowledge, learning and community for deeper understanding and meaningful impact.” 

As I noted in my welcome message last year, a key goal in my first year was to listen and learn about how to best serve Graduate Studies. Within our office, we reflected on where we are and also the role we play and want to work toward at SFU. The result was the development and adoption of clear vision and mission statements.

Vision: To be the hub of support for inclusive excellence and equity in graduate education and research.  

Mission: We support and connect the SFU graduate community. Using an equitable approach to enhancing the graduate student journey, we honour each person's unique gifts as they pursue and share new skills and knowledge.   

These, along with our values (resourceful, community-minded, collaborative, transparent and respectful), guide the work we do in Graduate Studies every day. 

After determining who we are, we began the next phase in our strategic development. We gathered feedback from faculty, staff, students and other key partners across SFU, with the ultimate goal of developing a strategic plan and a set of priorities. This is the roadmap that will guide our work from 2024 until 2028.

It has been a pleasure getting to know and serve SFU’s graduate students, faculty and staff, along with members of the broader community throughout my first year. I look forward to continuing on this inspiring journey with you. Please reach out to gradstudies@sfu.ca if you’d like to share your feedback on the work we’re doing or your ideas for how we might do things differently.