> Community Consultations on Graduate Education at York

Recommencement of Community Consultations on Graduate Education. February 18, 2009

The Community Consultations on Graduate Education at York, suspended during the CUPE 3903 strike, are recommencing. Professor Fallis will continue his consultations with students, staff, and faculty members in the Faculty of Graduate Studies and all the Faculties. All are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with Professor Fallis or to make a written submission. Professor Fallis may be contacted at gfallis@yorku.ca, or at 1048 Vari Hall, Department of Economics.

Please note the Environmental Scan prepared by Professor Fallis as background to the consultations, presented as Appendix 1 and Appendix 2, is available on the FGS (see links at the bottom of this page) and VPA&P websites.

Communiqué from Lorna Wright, Chair, Faculty of Graduate Studies' Council

In April 2008, the report “Realigning Graduate Education at York University” was released and circulated within the York community. This report had been prepared for President Shoukri by the Dean and Associate Vice-President Graduate, Douglas Peers. In light of the intense discussions of the issues raised by the report, President Shoukri has requested that Vice-President Embleton and Dean Peers initiate consultations within the York community to consider this report within the context of the University Academic Plan’s (UAP) priorities of improving graduate education, enhancing research, and ensuring that our administrative structures and processes support the realization of UAP objectives.

To this end, Professor George Fallis has agreed to conduct consultations within the community. Professor Fallis has just completed two years as Chair of the Senate Academic Policy and Planning Committee and four years as York’s Academic Colleague in the Council of Ontario Universities, and is a published scholar in the field of higher education. Professor Fallis will be arranging to meet with faculty and students, administrators and staff, over the course of the fall semester (details to follow). The intention of these consultations is to engage members of the community in thinking about how best to improve the administration and support for graduate education at York University and build upon earlier initiatives such as those identified in the December 2004 Faculty of Graduate Studies self-study report ‘Fundamental Values and Emerging Expectations.’
‘Realigning Graduate Education at York University’ had been prompted in part by the widely expressed wish for improved integration and coordination of academic planning for graduate and undergraduate education. It was also informed by the desire to rethink whether we have the best systems in place to (a) encourage a closer alignment between research and teaching at the graduate level, (b) ensure faculty hiring priorities and space planning address the needs of graduate education and research, and (c) best serve the needs of disciplinary and interdisciplinary activity.

We encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with Professor Fallis or to forward a written submission. These consultations will enable him to produce a report that will not only assist in reaching any decisions on graduate alignment but also contribute to the development of a longer-term plan for supporting graduate education at York.

Consultation Background: Environmental Scan
Appendix 1 Context: Graduate Studies at York University and in Canada
Appendix 2 Academic Planning, University Finances, and Budgeting

Professor George Fallis may be contacted at gfallis@yorku.ca , or at 1048 Vari Hall, Department of Economics.