Understanding Your Role

Enrolling or Applying for Leave of Absence

It is your responsibility to enroll or apply for a leave of absence before the start of the term. It is your responsibility to ensure that Student Services has the proper information regarding courses in which you should be enrolled (in your Student Service Centre in GoSFU). You may only receive credit for courses in which you are officially enrolled according to Student Service’s records. If you are not enrolled or not on an approved for a leave of absence by the end of the 6th week of classes within a term, you will be discontinued from your program.

If you enroll for a course and subsequently need to withdraw from that course or all courses, you may do so yourself until week 9 in GoSFU. It is essential that you understand the applicable deadlines, transcript notations and refund policies. See Enrollment under Managing Your Program for more details. 

Time Limits for Program Completion

Time limits for completion are intended to encourage you to complete your program and not unnecessarily protract your graduate education. They are not intended to be the normal times for completion and incorporate a wide variety of extenuating circumstances and events that may delay completion. The time limit in a graduate certificate, diploma, or master’s program is nine terms from the start of the program. The time limit for a doctoral program is 18 terms. Individual programs may specify their expectations of normal credential completion times as a guide to determining whether your progress is satisfactory.

If you have reached your time limit, you may be able to apply for an extension. Each program has their own conditions and guidelines.

Student Conduct

The S.1.50 Academic Integrity and Good Conduct Policy defines your basic responsibilities as an academic community member, defines non-academic student misconduct, and provides procedures and outcomes to be invoked if you engage in such behaviour. You are responsible for your conduct which affects the University community. The code shall not be construed to unreasonably prohibit peaceful assemblies, demonstrations or free speech.

Academic Integrity

Simon Fraser University is committed to creating a scholarly community characterized by honesty, civility, diversity, free inquiry, mutual respect, individual safety, and freedom from harassment and discrimination.

Academic dishonesty, like other forms of dishonesty, includes misrepresentation with intent to deceive or without regard to the source or the accuracy of statements or findings. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University; it is furthermore unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University.

Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. You have a responsibility to ensure you are familiar with the standards and requirements of academic honesty. Ignorance of these standards will not preclude the imposition of penalties for academic dishonesty.

You are responsible for understanding what constitutes plagiarism and ensuring you do not commit any acts of plagiarism.

Teaching Assistants

Teaching Assistants play a crucial role in maintaining a culture of academic integrity. The dual role that comes from belonging to the teaching community and the student community can raise questions related to academic integrity. Review the relevant policy information and suggestions for practice.

Supervisors

Students should be proactive in coming to an agreement on expectations between themselves and their supervisors.

All graduate students at SFU have some form of faculty supervisor. In some programs, the program director assumes supervisory responsibilities for the students. In research-based programs students will have a supervisor and supervisory committee. Unless otherwise stated, the graduate program chair will act as a newly admitted student’s faculty advisor until a supervisor (if appropriate) is appointed. Supervisors should be appointed as soon as possible, but, no later than the beginning of the second term. For those programs requiring students to have a supervisor, we advise students to consider available supervisors during the application process to SFU.

Distributing & Witholding Research Results

In most graduate programs, the student completes original scholarly research as part of the graduate program. The generation of new knowledge through scholarly research is one of a university's main functions in society. In most cases, the research is reported in a thesis which is presented and defended at the end of the program.

In some Master's programs, the research component is more limited in scope and the work constitutes a project or two extended essays, which are presented and examined, either through a formal defence or a review of the written work, at the end of the program. In some other Master's programs, a research component is contained in the course work and there is a final Field Examination based on the areas covered by the coursework.

Students have an obligation to make the results of their research accessible (above and beyond distribution of the thesis) to an appropriate audience through publication. The form of publication will vary according to the discipline and level of the program but may include books, journal articles and conference presentations.

In exceptional circumstances, the results of the research may be withheld temporarily because of pending patents or licences or because of financially sensitive information. In no case may the results be withheld indefinitely.