Academic Planning Office

The position of Director of Academic Planning (also referred to as the Academic Planner) was created by President McTaggart-Cowan in 1963 in order to help plan, organize, and formulate policies on the academic activities of the University. Duties of the director included providing assistance to the President, the Senate, and the Board of Governors in making decisions as to the format of the academic year to be adopted by SFU (e.g., a semester system versus a term year system); the organization of University faculties (including making decisions as to which faculties were to be included in the University); the planning of University academic priorities in relation to programs offered by other universities in the community; the setting of admissions policies; the establishment of student study formats (such as sizes of lectures and tutorials, and grading standards); the formulation of policies regarding academic staff; and the formulation of expansion plans for the University. The Academic Planner reported to the Vice-President, Academic, until the position of Academic Planner was eliminated in 1974.

On November 14, 1963, the University hired its first Director of Academic Planning, Ronald James Baker, who assumed his duties on January 1, 1964. On December 10 of that year he also became the head of SFU's English department. He served in these positions until 1969, when he left SFU to become President of the University of Prince Edward Island. At that time, John Chase took over duties as Academic Planner. Chase left the position in 1974 to become Director of Institutional Studies (now Analytical Studies) for SFU.