The Management Skills in Advanced Technology Program (MSAT) was established in 1986 after a series of development seminars with employers, managers, and engineers in science and technology-based industries identified the need for a management skills training program. The President's Fund provided a loan to the Applied Sciences Continuing Studies program in order to get to the program started and soon after its inception, it was recognized as an innovative program in professional development education winning a Canadian Association for University Continuing Education Distinctive Program Award in 1989. The design of the program has changed little since the development of core courses in the late 1980's that include Managing Technology, Engineering Economics and Financial Planning, and Project Management. Students - comprised mainly of engineers, software developers, technologists and scientists seeking to develop their management skills - receive twenty-four days of instruction over a six month period in two three-day modules. Resource persons from the community are brought in as guest speakers. Through lectures, exercises, and group assignments students cover topics including human and organizational behaviour, resource allocation, demand forecasting, economic and financial analysis, project management, sales and marketing, production, operations, business planning, writing and public speaking. The program culminates with a team business planning project using a local technology company as a case example. As of 2005, the program consists of eight integrated core courses and includes new topics relevant to modern industry demands such as eBusiness.
Sub-series consists of records relating to the development and administration of the Management Skills in Advanced Technology Program. Activities, events and topics documented include program planning and general administration, instructors workshops and meetings, course and instructor evaluations, and graduation ceremonies. Records also include those relating to core courses of the program such as Communications Skills; Economic and Financial Planning; Implementing Management Concepts in Advanced Technology; Managing Creative Technically-Oriented People; Project Management; and feasibility planning for MSAT II courses. Records include correspondence, working papers, minutes, course outlines, student binders, budget and financial working papers, pamphlets, photographs and contact sheets.
In August 1988 the British Columbia Telephone Company entered into agreement with SFU for the delivery of a Certificate Program in Telecommunications Engineering. The specialized program, developed to upgrade the technical knowledge of BC Tel professional engineers in telecommunications technologies, was jointly run by SFU and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and managed by the Applied Sciences Program in Continuing Studies. Working in collaboration with the BC Tel Engineering Training Committee, Continuing Studies developed a series of eight, one-week extensive courses that covered topics such as communication systems, digital concepts, voice networks, communication standards and ISDN. Courses were made up of a combination of lectures, technical presentations, laboratories, and group activities. Each course had a coordinator rather than a single instructor and industry experts were brought in to give presentations. At the end of each session, courses were evaluated by participants and individuals outside of the BC Tel/SFU-UCLA group to ensure that participants acquired an in-depth understanding of changing technology and communication systems.
Sub-series consists of records relating to the development and administration of the BC Tel Convergence course program. Activities, events and topics documented include BC Tel's initial request for proposal, course development, progress reports, instructors contracts and promotional materials sent out to BC Tel staff. Records include correspondence, working papers, reports, course outlines and evaluations, contracts, budgets and financial working papers, and pamphlets.
The Applied Science Continuing Education program has offered a series of non-credit certificate programs in the areas of Communication, Computing Science, Engineering, Kinesiology and Resource and Environmental Management since 1989. Courses, seminars, workshops, and conferences are developed as a result of faculty support and industry demand with changing technological needs often dictating course content. In the 1990s an autonomous Faculty of Applied Sciences Continuing Education Unit was created that reported directly to the Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences. However, the unit proved to be financially unsustainable so in 2002 it was downsized and its administrative control was returned to the Dean of Continuing Studies.
Sub-series consists of records relating to the development and administration of the Applied Sciences Continuing Education program. Activities, events and topics documented include general programs offered in the Applied Science Continuing Education Program (including specifically designed in-house programs), computer programming and Internet courses; international programs on management techniques and cultural orientation; project management; and risk assessment and decision analysis for management of natural resources. Also documented are external programs sponsored by Applied Science Continuing Education such as The Institute for Government Informatics Professionals and The Technology Industries Association (TIA) Business Program. Records include correspondence, working papers, minutes, course outlines, program evaluations, contracts, and pamphlets.
The Certificate Program in Health and Fitness Studies was established in 1978 drawing largely upon the resources of the Department of Kinesiology. Developed for sport coaches, those supervising training and/or fitness programs, and the general public, the program provides an opportunity to complete a coordinated program of university study on a full or part time basis in the areas of health, fitness, and nutrition. In the program's early years, students could earn a certificate by completing a series of credit courses from Kinesiology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Fine and Performing Arts along with a series of scheduled non-credit activities organized to allow students to meet with faculty and professionals in the field. Credit from these courses could also be used towards a Bachelor's degree. The program has evolved with an emphasis on Kinesiology courses and as of 2005, continues to be offered as an undergraduate certificate by the School of Kinesiology in the Faculty of Applied Sciences.
Sub-series consists of records relating to the administration of the Health and Fitness Studies Certificate program. Activities, events and topics documented include program and course development, correspondence with students, enrollment statistics, and program guidelines. Records include correspondence, working papers, program brochures, and statistics.
Sub-series consists of records relating to the administration of the SFU/Secwepemc Cultural Education Society Program. Activities, events and topics documented include program development, the SFU/SCES Joint Committee, and planning for the 10-year program anniversary in 1998. Records include correspondence, minutes, working papers, contracts, course outlines, budget and financial working papers, questionnaires, and publications.
Secwepemc Cultural Education SocietySFU launched the Prison Education Program (PEP) on April 1, 1984 after negotiating a three-year contract with the Federal Government to deliver a university program for male inmates at four penitentiaries - Kent, Mountain Head, Matsqui, and William Head/Metchosin. Assuming responsibility from the University of Victoria who had run the program for twelve years, PEP staff worked quickly to ensure a smooth administrative transition of the program and re-registration of the inmates as SFU students. The new program was assigned a dual home at SFU where all academic affairs of the program were administered through the Office of the Dean of Arts and a Steering Committee, and all administrative affairs of the program - including appointment of its Director, Stephen Duguid and its Program Coordinator, Henry Hoekema - were run under the guise of the Office of Continuing Studies.
Teaching staff for Kent, Mountain Head and Matsqui institutions were recruited from SFU while faculty at William Head were drawn extensively from UVic. In the course of its duration, the Prison Education Program established a library program at each institution, administered GED (grade 12 equivalency) courses, and offered courses in the Liberal Arts leading to certificate, diploma and degree completion. The program also sponsored courses and workshops in Writing and the Fine and Performing Arts and had a transition program for paroled inmates who chose to complete their education at SFU's Burnaby campus. After a few short years, the program grew to be very successful, garnering support from other SFU departments, developing a network of contacts in the field of prison education, initiating a series of seminars and Occasional Papers, and regularly publishing the Prison Journal. Despite the program being cancelled in the early 1990's due to government cutbacks, SFU continues today to be recognized as a leader in the field of prison education.
Sub-series consists of records relating to the administration and development of the Prison Education Program. Activities, events and topics documented include liaison with the federal government and SFU departments, library proposals, course scheduling, Library Technician meetings, recognition and awards ceremonies, the SFU Prison Education Newsletter, and copies of the serial Prison Journal. Records include agendas and minutes, annual reports, correspondence, working papers, contracts, course proposals and outlines, reports, statistics, budgets and financial reports, reference materials, and publications.
The Interior and Non-Metropolitan program began in 1975 as a response to government concern that residents in interior regions of BC were excluded from university education. After a year of offering credit courses at non-metropolitan colleges, SFU began to formally develop a distance education program and initiated a three-year experimental program in Kelowna offering degree completion programs in Psychology and Biological Sciences. SFU's goal was to design a distance education program that would provide an opportunity for all persons in BC to complete a degree without the usual attendance at UBC, UVic or SFU. By this time UBC and UVic were also offering interior programs and together with SFU ensured that the courses offered by each institution did not overlap each other. SFU interior courses were developed by university faculty and delivered with the assistance of the Office of Continuing Studies. Under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, the Interior University Programs Board approved courses and provided program funding from the provincial government.
In 1978 the the Interior Universities Programs Board was disbanded and replaced by the Open Learning Institute. The Open Learning Institute took responsibility for offering a bachelor of Arts and Science Program in cooperation with colleges, while universities remained responsible for offering professional programs. Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s SFU initiated a number of programs that were delivered out of university centres in Kamloops, Kelowna, Prince George and Fort St. John. The Faculty of Education offered a variety of credit and non-credit programs and other departments developed courses in response to school district requests. Courses were taught through a combination of face-to-face instruction, directed independent study courses and via Knowledge Network telecourse programming.
In 1984, the provincial government established the University Consortium to increase access to post-secondary distance education courses. The Open Learning Agency (formerly the Open Learning Institute) was selected to be the central administrative headquarters for the University Consortium. SFU, UBC and UVic were integrated into the new program as consortium partners, delivering courses and programs in cooperation with various educational institutions, professional associations, workplaces, and community organizations. As of 2005 SFU's relationship with the Open Learning Agency remains in place. Through the British Columbia Open University (BCOU), a division of the Open Learning Agency, students can register and take distance education courses delivered by SFU without having to be admitted to the university.
Sub-series consists of records relating to the development and administration of the Interior and Non-Metropolitan Programs offered by SFU. Activities, events and topics documented include program development, the Interior University Program Board, SFU's Planning Committee on Interior Programming, administration of the Kelowna and Fraser Valley programs and budget planning. Records include agendas and minutes, program and course proposals, budget and financial working papers, correspondence, reports and working papers.
The Gerontology Program was developed in 1982 with the establishment of the SSHRC funded Gerontolgy Research Centre (GRC). That same year the post-baccalaureate diploma in Gerontology was introduced and in 1983 the Department of Gerontology was formed to serve as the focal point for research, education and information on individual and population aging. Courses offered through the program address aging and the built environment, health promotion, and population health and aging. Students are trained in the critical analysis of the health care system and in the planning, design, research, and evaluation of working, living, and recreational environments for older persons. As of 2005, the program also offers a minor, masters and Ph.D. degree in Gerontology.
Sub-series consists of records relating to the development, funding and administration of the Gerontology program. Activities, events and topics documented include history of the program, proposal for a post-baccalaureate Diploma in Gerontology, liaison with the Universities Council of British Columbia, workshop planning and conference proposals, SSHRC funding, and the opening of the Gerontology Centre in 1982. Records include correspondence, minutes, reports, contracts, course proposals, draft budgets and working papers.
The Extension Credit Program began in 1973 as a result of a Senate motion delegating all responsibility for off-campus programs to Continuing Studies. The program provided educational opportunities for persons who could not attend day classes, but through evening, Intersession, or Summer Session courses could complete a degree, upgrade existing education or enhance personal academic interests. Professional programs were also offered to teachers through evening and summer classes. The opening of the downtown campus at Harbour Centre in 1989 enhanced the visibility of the Extension Credit Program as it offered courses aimed towards the advanced recurring educational needs of the business, professional and cultural communities in Vancouver's urban core. The Extension Credit Program remains active as of 2005 and allows students to obtain graduate degrees, post baccalaureate diplomas, and selected undergraduate certificates on a part time basis by day or evening study.
Sub-series consists of records relating to the administration and development of the Extension Credit Program. Activities, events and topics documented include guidelines for developing an off-campus program, planning for courses offered at Britannia Community Centre, annual program reports, student questionnaires, policies and procedures development, and reports by the Senate Committee on Continuing Studies. Records include agendas and minutes, correspondence, working papers, statistics, reports, and course proposals.
SFU's Downtown Campus Program had a modest beginning on February 22, 1980 with a small storefront location and a couple of rented classrooms at 822 Howe Street. Developed as an extension of the Burnaby campus evening programs, the downtown program was established to help SFU strengthen its community identity and recruit new students. A selection of extension credit courses and non-credit community education programs were offered to adult students who sought to complete or upgrade their existing university education. By 1981 growing enrollment numbers forced the program to move to a larger site at 849 Howe Street. Known as the Downtown Education Centre (DEC), the space was shared with BCIT who managed and coordinated the Centre through their Division of Continuing Education and Industry Services.
Faculty from the Burnaby campus traveled downtown to teach at the Centre and brought in community professionals to assist them. In 1983 the Downtown Campus Planning Committee was struck by Senate to survey the downtown community and assist in the planning of proposed sites for a downtown campus. Downtown enrollment continued to grow and each year new programs were tested as administrators worked towards developing a curriculum that would be unique to a downtown campus. During this time a number of programs were created including the School for Liberal and Professional Studies, the City Program, the Fine Arts Program, the Writing Program and the Professional Management Studies Program.
In 1989 the new downtown campus was opened in the remodeled historic Spencer Building on West Hastings Street. Since then, SFU at Harbour Centre has continued to expand its curriculum to the needs of the downtown community, offering courses in sciences, liberal arts, and applied, professional and interdisciplinary fields of study leading to certificates, diplomas, and undergraduate and graduate degrees. In addition, SFU at Harbour Centre hosts professional development seminars, short courses, conferences and lectures.
Sub-series consists of records relating to the planning, development, and administration of the Downtown Campus Program and its successor, SFU at Harbour Centre. Activities, events and topics documented include downtown program proposals, budget development, student information packages, an invitation to the opening of the Downtown Program in 1980, student questionnaires, course schedules, Downtown Planning Committee meetings, and an engraved paperweight from SFU Harbour Center. Records include correspondence and working papers, minutes, statistics, reports, news releases, and financial working papers.
The Distance Education Program at SFU began in 1975 and has since grown to be one of the largest distance education programs in Canada. Working in partnership with academic departments, the Centre for Distance Education administers the program. Through directed independent study (correspondence) or online study students can complete courses leading to majors, minors, certificates, diplomas, and in the case of the Bachelor of General Studies, a full degree. As of 2005, more than one hundred university credit courses are offered per year.
Sub-series consists of records relating to the administration and delivery of the Distance Education Program. Activities, events and topics documented include the operation of the Centre for Distance Education, liaison with departments regarding the Directed Independent Study program and correspondence courses, Knowledge Network telecourses, and administration of the South Pacific Nutrition Project. Records include correspondence, minutes, policies and procedures, student handbooks, budget and financial working papers, reports, and Knowledge Network telecourse guides and curriculum posters.