Provost and Vice-President Academic Report to Senate—September 2023

SFU’s executive team and our Board of Governors are committed to increased communication about topics discussed at each Board and Senate meeting, and it is my pleasure to present a summary of key initiatives discussed at Senate on Sept. 11 and Board of Governors on Sept. 28, 2023.

You can also read SFU President Joy Johnson’s message from the Sept. 28, 2023 Board of Governor’s meeting here.

And Board Chair Angie Lamarsh’s report here.

1. Key moments and reflections of my first two months at SFU

With the launch of The SFU Strategy earlier this year, many initiatives underway hold the promise of taking this university to the next level, including the SFU Medical School and our ongoing work to uphold Truth and Reconciliation. I have taken on a co-sponsor role for The SFU Strategy and look forward to sharing more about this work as it progresses.

We have a strong team within the Provost and VPA portfolio, from eight faculties, to Graduate Studies to Student Services, Learning and Teaching, the Library and Lifelong Learning, our faculty and staff are of fundamental importance to the university. Our work is to centre the academic mission in everything we do and provide the best in teaching and research.

To ensure this happens, one administrative change we made recently is to have the budget office jointly report to the Provost and VPA as well as to the VP, Finance and Administration. We have begun planning for the development of the 2024-25 budget. This change ensures budget planning is closely aligned with university priorities. Teams will be engaging in consultations this fall to understand the opportunities and the challenges experienced by faculties and other units at the university. These inputs will be used to develop a budget that delivers on SFU’s vision and priorities.

2. SFU Medical School

• The revised business case was submitted at the end of August. Between the draft submission May 31 and the formal submission August 31, the team revised workforce, capital construction, interim space options and related costs. A series of “deep-dives” into aspects of the business case with officials from both ministries have begun, and the business case will be presented to Treasury Board in late October.
• Confidential presentations on the core elements of the business case were provided to the Senate Committee on University Priorities (SCUP), the Board of Governors and Deans’ Council in September and early October.
• The team worked on transitioning from a set of working groups creating a business case to setting the foundation for what will become a school of medicine. An implementation plan, focusing on the period between business case submission and first student admission (Fall 2026) is being developed.
• While the founding dean search continues, the SFUMS welcomed Dr. David J. Price in September as its acting dean and special advisor. Dr. Price is a practicing family physician and professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University and a nationally recognized leader in family medicine and primary care.
• Also starting in September was Dr. Evan Adams in the role of acting associate dean Indigenous health and senior advisor to the Provost and VP Academic. Dr. Adams served on the Admissions and Learner Experience Working Group, providing input to the SFU Medical School’s business case, and is a visiting professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences. A proud community member of Coast Salish Tla’amin Nation, Dr. Adams is a past Chief Medical Officer of the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA).

3. Enrollments

• The fall semester looks to be similar to the summer semester, with overall enrollment (AFTEs) 3% above target, but with some continued downward pressure on international undergraduate student enrollments.
• Overall undergraduate enrollments remain mixed, with domestic (7,545 AFTEs) at 5% above target and international (1,551 AFTEs) at 5% below target.

4. Student Services

• SFU’s Fall 2023 Week of Welcome included four events to welcome incoming and returning students. Notable this year, there were significant efforts to improve accessibility, inclusivity, and sustainability.
• Welcome Day, introduced around 4,000 new students to their campus, faculty, and peers.
• Other highlights include SFUReady, which connects students with university resources and an SFU Vendor Expo to showcase student discounts on products and services.
• The week concluded with a First Friday celebration.
• Find more information here.

5. Leadership Renewal

• Mary O’Brien, Vice-Provost and Dean, Graduate Studies started August 1, 2023.
• Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Academic, Dr. Peter Hall started September 1, 2023
• Dean of Education, Dr. Dan Laitsch started September 1, 2023
• Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Learning & Teaching search is on pause, Dr. Kris Magnusson, Senior Advisor is Acting Vice-Provost and AVPLT until December 31, 2023.
• Dean of Medicine, search is launched, open forum was on September 21, 2023.
• Dean of Environment Naomi Krogman agreed to extend her term for one year, so her term now ends on June 30, 2025.
• For more information about searches: http://www.sfu.ca/vpacademic/faculty_openings.html

I look forward to meeting more of you this fall, in the meantime, I thank you for all your work in making this a vibrant university community.

Dilson Etcheverry Rassier
Provost and Vice-President Academic