‘Bold recommendations’: KPU senate braces for provincial post-secondary report, approves new English proficiency test option

Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s senate discussed a pending independent assessment of B.C.’s public post-secondary system during a meeting on March 30.

A review of the system was launched by the provincial government in November and overseen by former B.C. deputy education minister Don Avison. The report was originally scheduled to be sent to the B.C. Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills on March 15, but the province granted Avison a two-week extension.

“Some bold recommendations will be made,” President and Vice-Chancellor Pro Tem Diane Purvey said.

“[There’s] thinking that the report will focus on tuition, governance, and shared services. The real question is when the report will be released. I think the government’s under a lot of pressure to release some of it soon, so we are anticipating that we’ll hear some of the recommendations.”

Senate also approved a list of graduates as well as a list of new, revised, and discontinued courses, effective Sept. 1. CRIM 2400: Intimate Partner Violence was introduced, and eight geography courses were discontinued. Thirteen courses were revised: eight in criminology, two in math, and one each in psychology, brewing, and design.

Members of senate approved ACCUPLACER as an English language placement test option to satisfy KPU’s English proficiency requirements.

“It’s been piloted, and [the] Office of Planning and Accountability, under [Lori] McElroy has done some statistical analysis, and it’s been determined that it makes a positive option for students,” Senate Vice-Chair Catherine Schwichtenberg said.

Senate approved a two-year extension to a current pilot allowing the use of Canadian Language Benchmark scores as an English prerequisite for the pathway to undergraduate studies and English language studies courses.

“The proposal is to continue it to gather more data,” Schwichtenberg said.

Senate also revised KPU’s AR2 Admission Procedure and the English proficiency requirements in the university calendar, which goes into effect Sept. 1.

“The Access applicant category in [the procedure] is being proposed for revisions to remove existing barriers for students with intellectual, developmental, and/or learning disabilities, so that the students can be considered for admission to select programs at KPU through the Including All Citizens Pathway,” the meeting’s agenda read.

“Applicants who apply under the Access applicant category will be evaluated by a newly established Access Admissions Committee using the principles of Universal Design for Learning and inclusion.”

Senate approved revisions to the certificate in education assistant (EDAS) program, effective Sept. 1.

Schwichtenberg said a few changes were needed for the program to remain current, including creating a curriculum map and developing a new course: EDAS 1240.

Senate also approved revisions to the bachelor of arts, major in applied geography program

and its associated new and revised courses, effective Sept. 1.

The changes aim to “provide more flexible thematic/regional geography program requirements and enhance physical/environmental geography content,” the agenda read.

The program will drop to a total of 46 credits, a decrease of six credits. Five courses were introduced and 17 were revised.

Members of senate also voted to revise the associate of arts in geography and the minor in geography program, effective Sept. 1, to make the programs’ requirements more flexible, according to the agenda.

Senate appointed Melville School of Business instructors Carol Stewart and Yanny Yeung to the senate standing committees on the university budget and program review respectively.

It also appointed student Joe Reimer and instructors to the search advisory committee for the reappointment of a Faculty of Arts associate dean: criminology faculty members Shereen Hassan, Ali Yusuf, and Stef Ashton, as well as English department chair Heather Cyr, music department chair Gordon Cobb, and French instructor Nicole Beaulieu.

Associate Vice-President Enrolment Services and Registrar Nadia Henwood presented the March 24 senate election results. Michael Mann is representing the Faculty of Trades and Technology, with Landon Kleis and Ulrich Paschen representing the Melville School of Business and Jessica Bayntun representing the Wilson School of Design. Students Rajbir Gahir, Navnoor Singh, and Rishi Taneja were also elected.

There is still one student seat vacancy remaining, as well as two vacant positions for the Faculty of Academic and Career Preparation, one for the Faculty of Trades and Technology, and one for the Faculty of Health.

The next KPU senate meeting is scheduled for April 27 at 4:00 pm online via Microsoft Teams. For more information, visit www.kpu.ca/senate.