By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer
On May 19, the SFU Senate convened for their monthly meeting. The Peak attended for more information on new and existing policies and proposals regarding the university.
Discussions of note during May’s assembly included SFU’s strategy in the wake of the recent Canvas cyberattack, statistics surrounding the candidates for the university’s newly minted School of Medicine, and controversy regarding a BC Cancer Foundation and SFU health sciences endowment.
Chief information officer Brian Stewart and chief information security officer Jastej Singh Aujla addressed senators’ questions around the hack, which impacted close to 9,000 institutions. Senator Colin Percival inquired about the possibility for students with privacy concerns to use pseudonyms on Canvas, with the hope of providing extra security. Officers were receptive of the idea, noting potential interest in the idea moving forward. No specific plans of action were noted during this meeting.
On the agenda was also discussion regarding SFU’s incoming inaugural School of Medicine class, with a cohort set to begin in August of this year. The university received 1,864 applications, while ultimately offering interviews to 205 candidates, and is set to admit 48 students. Currently, all spots are being filled by accepted or waitlisted students.
Senator Dr. David Price, founding dean of Medicine, spoke about the Indigenous stream, a portal designed for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis applicants of the School of Medicine. Price shared he believed that the number of applications from Indigenous students “indicated endorsement of the work that Simon Fraser University has been doing in the Truth and Reconciliation process.”
“Every Canadian medical school in this country does have an Indigenous admittance pathway”
— Senator David Price
“That in part is how we as a medical education community are responding to the TRC number 23,” he said, in reference to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. The 23rd call urges the Canadian government to “increase the number of Aboriginal professionals working in the health-care field, ensure the retention of Aboriginal health care providers in Aboriginal communities, [and] provide cultural competency training for all health care professionals.”
Senators also discussed the terms of reference for the Leslie Diamond Chair in Cancer Survivorship. The endowment is designed to support a chair member and recently a professor as well, in their mission to “enhance the development, execution and translation of cancer survivorship research at regional, national and international levels.”
As it stands, the endowment terms of reference state that “it is the wish of the Diamond Foundation that holders of the professorship are aware of its values.” These values include “a commitment to the pursuit of justice (tzedakah), repairing the world (tikkun olam), acts of loving kindness (chessed), and ensuring the Jewish Community and Israel, the Jewish Homeland is secure, prosperous, and healthy (Ahavat Yisrael).”
Senator David Bangsberg clarified that “there is no expectation that the recipient of the chair holds these values, but simply be aware of the Diamond’s values.” In response, questions were brought up by various members of Senate about the need of making these values clear, what inclusion of such values indicates regarding SFU’s own moral standing, and more. Ultimately, the Senate sought greater clarification from the donor before continuing with a motion.
The Senate will meet next on July 6, as the June 8 meeting has been cancelled.
