KPU senate removes some course prerequisites, discusses Surrey daycare groundbreaking

The Kwantlen Polytechnic University senate removed some prerequisite course requirements for health science and education assistant programs during a meeting on Oct. 27. 

Level D1 math requirements were removed as a prerequisite for the HSCI 1115: Introduction to Health Science course, effective Jan. 1, 2026.

The math requirements included are either foundations of mathematics 11 or 12 in high school, or KPU courses MATQ 1094: Foundations of Mathematics or MATQ 1099: Qualifying Studies Math.

Senate standing committee on curriculum chair Catherine Schwichtenberg said the purpose of the motion is to remove barriers to student registration caused in the prerequisite and there is no math involved in the course.

Schwichtenberg added the requirement was disadvantageous to international students and mature learners. 

“Prerequisites have been a fairly common part of our university and continue to be so,” Schwichtenberg said. “However, there is a move afoot to look more carefully at prerequisites to ensure they are not just there for possibly the wrong reasons and creating barriers to access.”

All prerequisite course requirements were removed for EDAS 1240, EDAS 1282, EDAS 1305, and EDAS 2121. 

The changes include removing four prerequisite courses for EDAS 1240 and removing EDAS 1281 for EDAS 1282. Nine credits from courses in the education assistant program at the 1100 level or higher are no longer required for EDAS 1305 and EDAS 2121.

EDAS 2121 is the highest level course offered by the education assistant program.

Schwichtenberg said the removal will create equitable access to the education assistant program for students. The program, which has cohort-based enrolment, has seen a demand for students to be able to enrol on a part-time basis.

“They would like to maybe stop halfway through or go down to change the sequencing of courses. Some of them just want to start at any particular point and they’re finding that because there’s been this strict beginning deadline and these prerequisites, they’re not able to do that,” Schwichtenberg said. 

Senate also approved removing a portfolio requirement for admission into the certificate in foundation in entertainment arts, effective Sept. 1, 2026. 

“The portfolio requirements make things difficult. People aren’t as likely to apply when they’re actually very good candidates and they’re not using the portfolios as much as they thought they would be,” Schwichtenberg said.

At the Surrey campus, KPU’s 61-space daycare broke ground. Provost and Vice-President Academic Diane Purvey said construction for the facility will present an opportunity for KPU trades students and graduates to work and do walk-throughs on the site.  

The daycare was announced in 2023, with funding from Métis Nation British Columbia. The facility will have 36 spaces for infants and toddlers and 25 for children between the ages of two-and-a-half to kindergarten age. Métis children will have priority access to some spaces.

KPU President and Vice-Chancellor Bruce Choy gave his report from Ottawa, where he is lobbying Parliament with other university presidents. He has also been meeting presidents from Simon Fraser University and Vancouver Community College to discuss challenges for local post-secondary institutions.

Two KPU instructors, Lisa Monchalin and Cayley Velazquez, have been named Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs in wrongful convictions and race, food, and health, respectively.

A Tier 2 Chair is for emerging researchers, who are acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field.

Choy said the designations would help bring more than $1 million in research funds to the university. For each Tier 2 Chair, the institution receives $100,000 every year for five years, and new chairs receive $20,000 to support their research.

“As members of the academy, we should all be very, immensely proud of our peers for being nationally recognized and the potential benefits of the research in this particular way.”

Choy also said a search process is underway for two positions: a university librarian after Todd Mundle, who holds the position, announced he will be retiring in May next year, and a chancellor.

The search committee for KPU’s next chancellor will aim to endorse a candidate to senate in early 2026 — in time for them to attend June convocation ceremonies, Choy said. 

KPU also signed an agreement with Alexander College to provide pathways from the college to enter KPU’s bachelor of science in health sciences, bachelor of arts in psychology, or bachelor of psychiatric nursing programs, Choy wrote in his report. 

Governance and nominating committee chair Sharmen Lee said the committee will be focusing on reviewing student representation and voting rights of designates on senate standing committees.

“Currently, there are 17 designated individuals, meaning the holder of the seat has designated it to another individual,” Lee said. “There has been inconsistent practice when the original seat holder attends the meeting as well as the designate, and who actually gets to vote on some of these very important issues.”

The committee also added a representative from the Faculty of Health: Laura Del Rio Torres.

Other committee updates included the dissolution of the senate standing committee on academic title awards, after the draft policy was not approved by the board of governors earlier this year. 

Senate also approved nine nominations to standing committees for October and a list of graduates from arts, health, science, business, design, and trades and technology.

The last senate meeting for this calendar year is scheduled for Nov. 24 at 4:00 pm via Microsoft Teams. For more information, visit www.kpu.ca/senate.