Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science Three Year Academic Plan 2004-2006 Approved by Department on 27 June 2006

Chronology of Department Planning A. Achievement of Previous and Evaluation: Objectives and Recommendations: • May 2001: Formation of Department • Nov 2003: First Three-Year Plan (2003-6) The Department has achieved most of the • Mar 2005: External Review of Department objectives set out in its previous three-year • Mar 2006: Senate Approval of Recommen- plan, and has made a solid start at dations implementing the recommendations stemming • Jun 2006: Second Three-Year Plan (2007- from the 2005 external review. 9) Full, point-by-point assessments are Since its inception, the Department has provided in Appendices A and B. Of particular grown from 9 faculty positions to 20. Of these note, are the following: positions, 7 come with external or endowed New positions: The three-year plan called for funding. All faculty members are active in several academic appointments. As planned, research, and their collective record of we were able to hire two additional actuaries, external awards and funding is very strong. but the other target areas (a theoretician and a Over the last few years, the Department has lecturer) were not addressed. Instead, we took emerged as a leading Canadian center for advantage of our recognizable strengths to statistical teaching and research. A recruit very strong applicants for externally comparative analysis of NSERC grant funded and endowed positions. funding conducted for the recent external The plan also called for further half-positions in review ranked the Department very close to the general office and in the Statistical the best in the country. Consulting Service. The half-position in the The rapid growth has also allowed the general office has been authorized and filled, Department to reduce its dependence on and we have just completed negotiations for sessional teaching appointments to an hiring a part time (one-sixth) position in the acceptable level. We now have an Consulting Service. appropriate mix of research faculty, Undergraduate Education: We are permanent lecturers, visiting faculty, external progressing on recruiting higher-quality professionals, and senior graduate students students to our undergraduate program in teaching undergraduate courses at all levels. statistics, developing our potential at SFU At the graduate level, all courses are taught Surrey, contributing more fully to the general by permanent and visiting faculty. Important undergraduate curriculum reforms, and recent initiatives include the expansion in obtaining formal national accreditation for our actuarial science, the development of close undergraduate major in statistics. We have ties to the Faculty of Health Sciences, and made a good start, but need to continue to the hiring of our first faculty member at SFU focus on these areas. Surrey. Graduate Education: We have succeeded both in expanding our graduate enrolment,

1 particularly at the Ph. D. level, and in announcement of the Statistical Society of beginning to develop an M. Sc. program in Canada’s program for accrediting Actuarial Science. We are particularly undergraduate education for their professional pleased with the quality of the students in our certification system. We envisage a joint effort graduate programs. We have met involving department faculty, John Simms and recommendations for expanded course other support staff, and current undergraduate offerings in key areas with the notable students. We would also like to pursue the exception of probability. In addition, we aim to School of Computing Science’s strategy of have a proposal for a new stream in hiring co-op education students to interact with biostatistics ready for academic assessment high school students, and to collaborate, where by the end of the summer of 2006. This will appropriate, with the Department of be coordinated with new graduate Mathematics in their events for high school programming in the Faculty of Health students. Sciences. 2. Surrey Campus (1.2 & 1.3): We are Research: We have achieved our goals for committed to working with our newly hired expansion of cross-disciplinary research Surrey coordinator, Tom Loughin to develop activities. Of particular note, are our heavy our role at the Surrey Campus. Top initial involvements in the Faculty of Health priorities will be to focus on Sciences, IRMACS, and the National a. The Management and Systems Science Program for Complex Data Structures. and Operations Research programs, and Computing Support: The Dean of Science b. Providing a top-quality learning has funded a systems support position experiences for the students taking our (shared with Mathematics) for two years. A courses there. joint committee with Mathematics is developing a longer-term plan for computing This will require the hiring of at least one junior support. person as soon as possible to work with Tom Loughin. We envision that this would be either B. Objectives for 2007-2009: a lecturer or an assistant professor. Although a The following objectives are strongly related lecturer could handle more of the teaching, we to the March, 2006 Senate recommendations would not want to dismiss other possibilities, associated with the 2005 external review. including, e.g., remarkably strong persons with References to specific recommendations highly relevant research expertise (who might appear in parentheses at the end of each also be eligible for an externally funded heading. position). They have also been prepared with careful The department is also interested in pursuing attention to the SFU Statement of Purpose. other opportunities for collaboration in further Contributions of our proposed objectives to Science and Health Science programming at this statement are outlined at the end of this Surrey. section. 3. Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth 1. Undergraduate Recruiting (1.1): In Requirements (1.4): The inaugural offering of response to the external review, the our upper-level designated writing course will department has implemented a modest be in the fall of 2006. Since English is not the program to encourage appropriately skilled native language of many of our statistics students already at Simon Fraser University majors, we anticipate that it will take to major in statistics. Our next step will be to considerable time to hone this course. This will develop a high-school recruitment strategy. be a priority over the coming three years. The We are currently awaiting imminent department also currently offers one

2 designated breadth course (STAT 100), and student workstations, and for a place for its Rick Routledge has been teaching a second, undergraduate students to congregate. EVSC 200. We would like to develop a 9. Computing Support (3.3): The Department further designated breadth course, focused will work with Mathematics to develop a long- on a major theme of widespread interest term plan for computing support. We concur (e.g., how humans handle uncertainty and with the recommendation in the recent external risk). We see this as an important way to review report for the Department of begin to “highlight the value of a general Mathematics that this will require a substantial education in statistical literacy for all increase in support personnel. undergraduates” as recommended by the University Senate. Relation to Simon Fraser University 4. Courses in Probability and Graduate Statement of Purpose: The Department Statistical Theory (2.1): The Department will already contributes solidly to the university’s review available undergraduate and graduate Statement of Purpose. For example, we course offerings in probability. In consultation collectively generate considerable external with Mathematics, we shall develop recognition and support, maintain active and improvements with the goal of optimizing successful undergraduate and graduate co-op student learning opportunities. The education programmes, develop critical and department will also assess the long-term analytical thinking skills in our students, and role of a new graduate statistical theory are committed to collaborative research. We course being piloted this fall. also maintain a strong tradition of recognizing and supporting the achievements of our 5. M. Sc. Option in Biostatistics (2.3): The employees, students, and alumni. department will develop an M. Sc. option in biostatistics. This will be closely coordinated The objectives in this plan will enhance these with new graduate programming in the contributions. Of particular note are the Faculty of Health Sciences. We anticipate contribution of (i) the proposed new breadth that these new programs will require the course to a well-informed citizenry and (ii) the equivalent of at least one additional new graduate programming to the breadth of appointment in each of these units. graduate programmes, opportunities for workplace experiences, and interdisciplinary 6. M. Sc. in Actuarial Science (2.4): The experiences. A more complete, itemized department is also moving towards an M. Sc. assessment is provided in Appendix C. program in actuarial science. We intend to work toward the goal set by the University C. Teaching Programmes: Senate of full implementation within three to The Department offers a full suite of teaching four years. This will require further academic programmes from introductory service courses appointments. A proposal for a post- through to the Ph. D. level. Thanks to very baccalaureate program in actuarial science is welcome support for faculty hiring and success also currently being refined. in recruiting remarkably strong individuals with 7. Statistical Consulting Service (3.1): The support from external sources, we are now Department will work towards increasing able to staff all but an appropriate few of our faculty involvement in the Consulting Service, offerings with permanent faculty. We pay and will explore ways to extend the Service’s particular attention to our introductory and availability to the Surrey campus. applied courses which are typically assigned to 8. Student Space (3.2): The Department will faculty with special talent at communicating continue to press for more adequate, both their knowledge and enthusiasm to such permanent, contiguous space for graduate students. Indeed much of the more applied research conducted by our faculty provides valuable motivational and practical material for

3 our classes. We fully integrate the use of but believe that we are not achieving our computers into all relevant courses, and, potential in statistics. We therefore plan a where feasible, engage the students in concerted recruitment effort as outlined in Item actively designing and implementing their 1 of Section B above. own randomized experiments and sample surveys. We continuously monitor and modify E. Research: our curriculum to respond to theoretical As described above, the Department has developments and evolving trends in emerged as a leading center for statistical applications. In addition, our actuarial research in the country. We have recognized courses were recently revised extensively to strengths in many areas of statistics from adapt to new accreditation rules developed Bayesian foundations and statistical education by the Society of Actuaries. We are also to applications in spotted owl conservation and poised to apply for accreditation for our disease mapping. In addition to individual statistics courses once the Statistical Society strengths, we have groups in biostatistics of Canada formally approves procedures for (including health sciences, statistical genetics, doing so. Indeed a member of our and population biology), industrial statistics, department, Carl Schwarz, is incoming Chair and goodness-of-fit testing that generate of the Accreditation Committee. considerable synergism. Department In keeping with our emerging status as a researchers have garnered considerable leading centre for statistical research in the attention for their work, both through country with a strong international reputation, prestigious awards and through media we have recently greatly expanded our Ph. D. coverage. Much of our research involves programme, and are about to create new M. collaboration, both with researchers in other Sc. options in biostatistics and actuarial disciplines and research institutions, and with science. The latter, though just evolving, has public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. achieved remarkable success in attracting We also make substantive contributions to two NSERC CGSM scholarship winners in its Simon Fraser University’s newly created very first year of informal operation! Strategic Research Plan. We have recently made contributions to the following Priority D. Students: Areas for Strategic Investment: We are attracting top-quality students to our First Nations Studies: Estimating aboriginal graduate programmes. In addition, our population size in Vancouver and Richmond graduates have been very successful in (Schwarz), South Okanagan fire history in pre- obtaining employment. The particularly strong European era (Routledge). employment market for students with graduate training in biostatistics has Public Policy: Estimation of sizes of cryptic motivated the plan for a new M. Sc. stream in populations (Routledge, Schwarz, and this area, and we anticipate similar Thompson), environmental and fish and wildlife employment success for M. Sc. graduates in policy (same individuals), health policy (Dean), actuarial science. Current enrolments are a energy policy (Sitter), confidentiality in publicly healthy mix of Canadian and international released health data (Sitter), voting systems students. We anticipate that the post-degree (Swartz). diploma in actuarial science will be Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems: particularly attractive to international Population estimation, dynamics, and students. ecosystem interactions (Routledge, Schwarz, At the undergraduate level, we have been and Thompson). equally successful in attracting top-quality students to the actuarial science programme,

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Forestry and Terrestrial Ecosystems: ƒ Computers: An ongoing replacement budget Spotted owls (Schwarz), spatial analyses for computers and other electronic (Dean), fire history (Routledge). equipment used for support staff and Local Impacts of Human and Natural undergraduate teaching, with ¼ of the Disturbances: Most of the above projects. equipment to be replaced annually. Chronic and Infectious Diseases: Arthritis ƒ Space: The Department’s critical shortage (Dean), Multiple sclerosis (Altman), HIV/AIDS of space is outlined in Appendix D. The (Hu), statistical genetics (Graham, McNeney), Department urgently needs the following: disease propagation (Sitter). ♦ Office accommodation for the Population and Public Health and Health biostatistician that we have been Services: Disease Mapping (Dean), authorized to hire in the coming academic Optometry (Zeng), cancer epidemiology year, (Spinelli), and genetic epidemiology ♦ Office accommodation for the third office (McNeney, Graham, and Spinelli). support worker, ♦ Similar accommodation for other faculty F: Resources: and staff expansion, Following is an itemized list of resources that ♦ A visitors’ and sessional instructors’ office, are needed to meet these objectives. ♦ A small meeting room, ♦ A permanent solution to the chronic ƒ Faculty: shortage of graduate student workstation ♦ Two additional actuaries to sustain the space, and undergraduate, graduate, and post- ♦ A restoration of the undergraduate diploma programmes, gathering place. ♦ One immediate appointment at Surrey G. Communication: plus more contingent upon programming developments, Since the Department went through an ♦ One further biostatistician to implement extensive internal and external assessment the new M. Sc. option in biostatistics, during the 2006 external review, the ♦ One further theoretician to address the preparation of the current three year plan recommendation in the external report required relatively little further discussion. The for further expertise in this area and to Department concurs with virtually all the meet recommendations to expand our Senate recommendations stemming from this offerings in probability and graduate review, and our three-year plan is focused on statistical theory, and implementing these recommendations. A draft ♦ Support for breadth, quantitative and plan was prepared by R. Routledge and writing courses commensurate with the circulated electronically to Department faculty, increase in teaching requirements. staff, and graduate students on May 1, 2006. There being suggestions for only minor ƒ Support Staff: revisions to the draft, adoption of the amended ♦ One further position in the General version was put to an electronic vote of the Office, faculty complement on June 13, 2006. ♦ Further support for expanding the Seventeen of the nineteen individuals eligible Consulting Service activity at the Surrey to vote did so. Of these, all were in favour. Campus, and ♦ Ongoing funding for 1.5 computing support personnel (to be combined with similar support for the Department of Mathematics).

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Appendix A Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science Progress on Three Year Academic Plan 2004-2006 Approved by Department on November 27 2003 (Progress Updates as of June 13 2006)

Initiatives for next academic cycle (not in stochastic processes) to complement our priority order): lone faculty member in this area. (a) Hiring of additional faculty members in Progress: The Department found other, Actuarial Science. This will enable us to meet valuable opportunities to develop its faculty student demands for our current programme expertise in areas of existing strength, largely and to contemplate offering a graduate through externally funded positions. These programme in this area. We will place specifically include: Drs. Joan Hu (NSERC substantial effort to work with the UFA, 2003), Boxin Tang (2003), Derek Advancement Office to obtain funding for an Bingham (Tier II CRC, 2003), Rachel Altman endowed position and/or an NSERC (NSERC UFA, 2004), Steve Thompson Industrial Chair. (Shrum Chair, 2005), Tom Loughin (Surrey Progress: We have hired one returning and Campus, 2006), and Leilei Zeng (NSERC two new faculty in this area, Drs. Gary Parker UFA, joint with Health Sciences, 2006). The (2003), Cary Tsai (2004) and Yi Lu (2005). Department has also been authorized to fill a further position in 2006-7 in biostatistics to (b) Hiring of a second Lecturer. This will help support new graduate programming in a foremost, allow us to reduce our teaching coordinated initiative with the Faculty of load to three courses/research faculty Health Sciences. member. This is required in order to be competitive with other Departments across (d) Participation in IHRE programmes. The Canada and to successfully compete for IHRE has identified a graduate programme in research funding. The Lecturer position will Population Health as one of the first complement our existing Lecturer position. programmes it plans to offer. Such a This will provide support for the StatLab when programme will require a substantial one of the Lecturers takes their 1/9 component in Biostatistics. Our Department semesters and/or study leave. We do not has the faculty expertise to offer such envisage that our Lecturer will be used solely courses. However, we cannot undertake to teach our lower division courses – we these additional duties without additional expect them to teach upper division courses resources – we are pleased to see that the as well and potentially some of our graduate IHRE proposal envisages the hiring of courses. additional faculty with expertise in biostatistics and epidemiology. In conjunction Progress: The Department found other with the new graduate programme of IHRE, opportunities to reduce the teaching load to a we propose to establish a graduate stream in more competitive level. Please see Biostatistics – this will be the sole programme comments following item (c) below. in this area west of Alberta. (c) Hiring of a faculty member specializing in Progress: A proposal for an M. Sc. focus on mathematical statistics and/or probability biostatistics is to be generated over the theory. We hope that the next research summer for formal academic appraisal in the position will be in the area of mathematical coming academic year. Concurrently, a linked statistics or probability theory (e.g. applied proposal for a graduate programme in

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population health will be developed in the (f) Develop a new model for our computer Faculty of Health Sciences. environment and network support. We plan to firstly move from a SUN-workstation model to

a desktop-computing environment with a (e) Expand lower division offerings to UNIX backbone for computationally intensive support the Undergraduate Curriculum tasks and networking. This is becoming the Reform – in particular the Q-requirement. The norm in mathematical sciences departments. Chair of the Department had planned to The funding of support for the network needs serve as the chair of the Q-working group, to be moved away from research grants to a but because of a lack-of-time, was forced to more centrally funded operation. relinquish this position. The pedagogy of teaching introductory statistics has changed Progress: The Department has essentially dramatically in the last decade with the completed the conversion process, and has introduction of widespread, easy-to-use also received, jointly with Mathematics, two computing packages and a sober look at years of temporary funding for systems which topics should be taught and how they support. Both departments are committed to should be taught. We fear that these developing a plan for long-term computing advances will not be incorporated in statistics support. courses offered by other departments – much (g) Develop programmes for SFU- Surrey. A to the detriment of students taking these natural programme for this campus would be other courses. We have recently introduced a a programme in data-mining which would be new introductory course Stat100, that an interdisciplinary programme involving incorporates these revisions. We expect that Computing Science and Business. A our Stat100 course would be an ideal lower proposal for a Certificate Programme in Data division course to meet the Q-requirement for Mining was developed earlier by our “stat-phobic” students. We would like to Department. This has not been implemented develop a second, follow-up course at the because of a lack-of-time needed to move upper division level. The forecasted this initiative through the various levels of increased demand for Q-requirement and the approval and a lack of faculty resources to mounting of this upper division course will implement. It could be reasonably expanded require an additional faculty member. These into a full major/honors programme if additional faculty resources above will also sufficient resources were allocated both for enable us to implement the W-requirement in the administrative details and for the actual our major/honors offerings. programme implementation. Progress: The Department has obtained Progress: The Department has hired Dr. formal designation for STAT 100 as a Tom Loughin to coordinate its Surrey designated breadth and quantitative course, Campus contingent. He will begin work in the and Rick Routledge is currently teaching summer of 2006. EVSC 200, which is also designated as a (h) Increase participation in cross- breadth course. The Department has also disciplinary research. There are several created STAT 300 as a designated upper groups on campus and off campus doing division writing course for statistics majors research directly related to our Department and honours students. The Department who are proposing to mount large scale envisages the creation of at least one further initiatives. For example, REM has recently breadth course. applied for CFI funding to monitor fish population; IRMACS will be coming on line;

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the National Centre for Complex Data With additional space we also hope to Structures (NCPDS) has substantial funding increase the size of our graduate programme across Canada. Our groups involvement has in Statistics. been limited because of a lack-of-time, due in Progress: The Department has both large part to our heavy teaching load increased its student complement and begun compared to researchers in the other developing and offering courses leading to a Departments and Universities that have formal graduate program in Actuarial mounted these programmes. Science. Progress: The Department is now actively involved in both IRMACS (Drs. Bingham, Dean, Graham, McNeney, Routledge, (k) Change part-time clerk/receptionist Schwarz, and Sitter) and NPCDS (Drs. position to full time. With the increase in Bingham, Dean, Sitter, and Routledge) faculty complement, additional support is administration and programming. needed to avoid overburdening existing staff. (i) Accredit our undergraduate programme. Progress: The Department received funding The Statistical Society of Canada is rapidly for this conversion, and the position was filled moving to an accreditation system for in November, 2004. professional statisticians. As part of this, (l) Increase the size of the Statistical graduates of accredited undergraduate Consulting Service. We are at the limit of programmes will automatically receive the personnel resources in our Service and if we first level of accreditation (A.Stat). This will wish to increase the amount of consulting, require some administrative time (e.g. course will need to hire an additional 0.5 person. release) to review our programme, to mount the application, and to maintain our Progress: The Department has now hired accreditation status. If space is available, we Ms. Marie Loughin in a part-time capacity to would also like to have our senior work in the Consulting Service. undergraduate students interact with our graduate students to increase the transfer rate to our graduate programme and to increase their sense of belonging to the Department. Progress: Revised accreditation standards are now being reviewed by the Statistical Society of Canada. Since Carl Schwarz is the lead author of the standards document, we are well aware of the current contents. We anticipate that our courses will require at most only minor changes to qualify for accreditation, and intend to proceed with alacrity when a final version of the standards is approved. (j) Increase graduate student complement. If additional faculty resources are available for Actuarial Science, we plan to implement a graduate programme in Actuarial Science.

A3 Appendix B Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science Progress on Priority Items in Senate Motion Regarding the 2005 External Review Date of Motion: March 6, 2006 (Progress Reported as of June 13, 2006)

1. Undergraduate Program Campus contingent. He will begin work in the 1.1 Develop and implement an summer of 2006. undergraduate recruitment plan. 1.4 The Department should continue to develop plans to contribute to the new Progress: The Department has focused its curriculum requirements. Similarly, the initial efforts on our major pool of potential Department and the Faculty of Science recruits – talented students in major feeder should consider how best to highlight the courses such as STAT 270. Tim Swartz has value of a general education in statistical developed lunchtime recruiting sessions that literacy for all undergraduates. are now run in the fall and spring semesters. We also participate in high school recruiting Progress: The Department has obtained initiatives within the Faculty of Science, and formal designation for STAT 100 as a intend to develop a more pro-active role. The designated breadth and quantitative course, Statistical Society of Canada is honing a and Rick Routledge is currently teaching proposal for accrediting undergraduate EVSC 200, which is also designated as a programs. Our courses are in line with the breadth course. The Department has also current proposal. We shall give top priority to created STAT 300 as a designated upper obtaining formal accreditation, and to division writing course for statistics majors developing associated promotional programs and honours students. The Department as soon as the formal mechanisms are in envisages the creation of at least one further place. breadth course. 1.2 The Departments of Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, Mathematics, and the 2. Graduate Program Faculty of Business should consider appointing a Director of the MSSC program 2.1 The Department should review its for a four or five year term. graduate offerings in the theory of statistics with a view to adding at least one additional Progress: Negotiations are underway to course at the Ph.D. level in this area. The incorporate the MSSC program into the high- Department should also discuss with profile programming developments in Mathematics how best to provide some operations research at the Surrey Campus. course availability in advanced probability 1.3 The Department should consider what theory. offerings are best placed at Surrey, for Progress: The Department is scheduled to example data mining, operations research, offer the additional course described above and the MSSC program. for the first time this fall, and plans to begin a Progress: The Department has hired Dr. review of graduate and undergraduate Tom Loughin to coordinate its Surrey probability course offerings in the fall of 2007.

B1 This will be conducted in consultation with students’ opportunities to complete their Mathematics with the goal of optimizing course requirements without delay. student learning opportunities. 2.3 The Department should proceed with 2.2 The Department should review its plans to develop a Masters option in requirements for the Masters degree and in Biostatistics and consider extending this particular the expectations for the Masters option to the Ph.D. level. thesis to be sure that they are realistic and Progress: A proposal is to be generated over facilitate timely completion of degrees. The the summer for formal academic appraisal in Department may also wish to consider an the coming academic year. Concurrently, a option for a course based Masters degree. linked proposal for a graduate programme in Progress: The Department is committed to population health will be developed in the keeping completion times low. A case by Faculty of Health Sciences. case re-evaluation of completion times 2.4 The Department and the Actuarial summarized in the self-study document Science group should consider mounting a shows that after discounting semesters on Masters Program in Actuarial Sciences in leave and co-op semesters, the mean three or four years time, with more immediate completion time drops to 6.5 semesters with consideration of an additional appointment, 19 of 35 completing in 6 or fewer semesters. course offerings, and a post degree diploma Among the remaining students, all but 3 took in this area. 8 or fewer. Factors leading to longer stays in the program include part-time status, taking Progress: The actuaries have begun to many courses in a second discipline while teach special-topics courses to serve the pursuing our degree, and informal work needs of newly admitted graduate students terms. and advanced undergraduates. The Department is very fortunate in having We intend to take steps to ensure that M. Sc. recruited Ms. Natalia Lysenko, winner of the projects are kept manageable. In particular, 2005 Dean of Science Convocation Medal, we shall review the scope of completed into this new, currently informal program. She projects each year to ensure that we are not and another student both have prestigious making excessive demands on the students. NSERC CGSM scholarships. We aim to set projects for students that they should be able to complete in one semester. A proposal for converting the current Certificate Program to a post-degree diploma We regard the projects as very important has also been forwarded from the components of our program since they focus Department for review in the academic on communication skills, both written and approval process. oral. We therefore believe that a course- work-only option would weaken the preparation of our graduates for the work 3. Planning and Departmental Resources force and are reluctant to move in that direction. We note, however, that for students 3.1 There should be discussion of the with English as a second language, the allocation of additional resources to the process of project writing can take more time, Consulting Service to increase faculty potentially delaying graduation. involvement in the area, and to make the service more accessible to researchers in all We also anticipate that planned expansion of areas. our graduate course offerings will enhance

B2 Progress: The Department has now hired pressed to the limit for faculty offices, and Ms. Marie Loughin in a part-time capacity have no space available to locate a with a mandate to work towards these workstation for the further secretarial position objectives. The statistical geneticists are also that the committee has recommended. investigating the use of funds flowing from Nonetheless, we recognize the chronic space the Michael Smith Foundation Career shortage at the Burnaby campus, and greatly Investigator Award to J. Graham to support a appreciate the efforts of the Dean of Science major new component to the Consulting to help to alleviate this problem. We look Service to support statistical genetics forward to whatever improvements can be research at St. Paul’s Hospital. provided. 3.2 The Department should review and 3.3 The Department, in consultation with renovate student space to make it more Mathematics, should develop a plan for long functional and hospitable. term computing support and consider appropriate funding models to support it. Progress: We agree. Indeed during the site visit, the room was in particular turmoil in that Progress: The Dean of Science has an alarm system was being installed in extended funding for a further year to the two preparation for the delivery of new departments to continue the appointment of computers. We have replaced the oldest the systems administrator, and a joint chairs, and, at the request of the students, committee between the departments is are investigating replacing the rest of the developing a proposal for long-term support. chairs and purchasing a round table for holding discussions, reference books, and other amenities. The computers are also now in place, though not at individual student desks as recommended by the Review Committee. These desks are too small to support even a flat screen monitor while still leaving enough usable workspace for other tasks. We have asked Facilities Management to provide us with an estimate of the number of workstations that could be installed in this room with sufficient workspace to accommodate a computer, and the cost of the associated renovations. We estimate that this would likely result in a net loss of four workstations. If this is indeed the case, then we shall not be able to make these substantive improvements until we obtain access to further space. Indeed, even without these desirable renovations, we have a chronic space shortage for housing graduate students. Furthermore, although it is particularly acute for our graduate students, we are now

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Appendix C SFU Statement of Purpose (Department-Specific Contributions added June 13, 2006)

Simon Fraser University is:

I. An internationally renowned research institution with the capacity to create, apply and disseminate knowledge as demonstrated through faculty and student activities, and external recognition and support.

Department Contribution: Department researchers have been recognized through major prestigious awards and high levels of research funding from a broad range of sources. The department has recently emerged as one of the strongest centers for statistical research in the country.

II. An institution that recognizes the importance of ensuring all students have opportunities to maximize their learning experience through relevant curricula, creative programming, interaction with innovative thinkers, interdisciplinary experiences, and effective and innovative instruction employing a variety of teaching methods.

Department Contribution: In addition to ongoing focus on maintaining relevance in its curricula, the Department plans to develop a further designated breadth course which will also promote the value of general statistical literacy for undergraduate students.

III. An institution that values and supports graduate studies by offering a breadth of graduate programs and making available to its graduate students a variety of research and learning opportunities, adequate financial and academic support, and opportunities for workplace experiences.

Department Contribution: New M. Sc. programming in biostatistics and actuarial science will broaden the base of graduate programs. We shall also continue our emphasis on graduate (and undergraduate) co-op education, NSERC Industrial Post-Graduate Scholarships, and other opportunities for workplace experiences.

IV. An institution whose graduates are creative, contributing and well-informed citizens and leaders as defined by their comprehensive academic specializations, co-operative education experiences, involvement in community activities, participation in advanced research activities, and their ability to think critically and analytically and communicate effectively.

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Department Contribution: A major focus of the Department’s teaching is on improving students’ capacity to think critically and analytically. Indeed, this is the primary purpose of statistical methodology and thinking. In addition, many of our alumni have assumed leadership roles in (i) government agencies (such as Statistics Canada, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, and the British Columbia Ministry of Health), (ii) private sector companies (including actuarial and environmental consulting companies), and (iii) academic institutions (including the universities of Calgary, Victoria, and Waterloo).

V. An institution which responds with innovation and flexibility to the needs of its many communities as demonstrated by a trimester system, unique interdisciplinary opportunities, Harbour Centre and its programs, distance education, a commitment to life-long learning, the use of educational technology, and student support.

Department Contribution: We are committed to a substantive role at SFU Surrey, including innovative ways of teaching undergraduate statistics. Furthermore, new graduate programming in biostatistics will create interdisciplinary opportunities with the Faculty of Health Sciences.

VI. An institution that facilitates the development and transfer of knowledge and ideas by strengthening and further developing a comprehensive support system that includes an extensive technological infrastructure, advanced research and teaching facilities and equipment, and direct access to information and knowledge.

Department Contribution: Department faculty and graduate students are major contributors to research activity in the innovative IRMACS facility. Department faculty and support staff have developed a sophisticated network of research computers, and the Department’s Statistics Workshop provides lower-division statistics undergraduates with access to an up-to-date computer network with current statistical software. Plans call for ongoing upgrading of this facility to keep pace with the rapidly evolving technology.

VII. An institution committed to collaboration with other educational institutions, the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors and the communities in which it resides through partnerships that bring mutual benefits, opportunities to share expertise and exchange information, and participation in community activities.

Department Contribution: Departmental researchers have established strong collaborative relationships with researchers at other institutions and in other disciplines, and with end-users in public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Of particular note are an extensive series of workshops for employees of the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment, productive relationships with British Columbia hospitals, and statistical consulting and research contracts with Environment Canada and the Canada Food Inspection Agency. Proposed new

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M. Sc. programs in biostatistics and actuarial science and the Department’s expanded contributions to SFU Surrey will incorporate further opportunities for collaboration through co-op education, student internships, and expanded statistical consulting activities.

VIII. An institution committed to maintaining a strong international presence through involvement in international activities, providing opportunities for international students to study in Canada, and providing international experiences for students.

Department Contribution: The Department anticipates that the new post- degree diploma in actuarial science will attract students from developing countries such as China and India.

IX. An open and accessible institution that values and supports diversity, provides opportunities for participation, and recognizes and supports the achievements of its employees, students and alumni.

Department Contribution: The Department has a strong tradition of supporting the achievements of its employees, students and alumni – a tradition which we shall continue to promote.

C3 Appendix D Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science Space Requirements June 13, 2006

Physical space is beyond doubt the most the spirit of NSERC policy, and must be serious limiting factor for the Department. viewed as a stop-gap arrangement only. Following is a list of our current needs. Furthermore, the clear disparity between the work environment for these students (along 1. Graduate Student Office Space: When with those housed in the research lab for our the former Department of Mathematics and CRC Tier II professor) vs. those in K9501 is a Statistics first moved into the K10,000 potential source of tension. We are currently corridor, we were able to intermingle faculty making improvements to the layout in K9501, and graduate student offices along the but are severely constrained by the lack of hallway. Graduate students occupied small physical space. In addition, there are inherent offices in groups of at most three students. limits to what can be done in a relatively Students with similar interests could be large, converted classroom. It would be far placed together where they could learn from better were we able to disperse students to each other. Faculty members were just a few several smaller offices, and to intermingle steps away. In the intervening 24 years, we these offices with those of the faculty. have increasingly had to find other accommodation for graduate students in a mix of converted classrooms, windowless 2. Faculty Offices: We have had to convert seminar rooms, and other facilities as far our visitor office into an office for the Shrum afield as the East Academic Annex, Chair. Although we are delighted to have Discovery Park, and the West Mall Complex. recruited Steve Thompson to SFU, we are Once-natural encounters between students severely constrained by the loss of our visitor and faculty members just down the hall must office. Furthermore, when we fill the now be orchestrated. Productive discussions biostatistics position for which we have been amongst students dispersed in small offices authorized to search in the coming academic now become problematic distractions in year, we shall have no place to rooms containing far too many student work accommodate the new faculty member. stations. 3. Staff Offices: We currently have no place We currently house most of our graduate to house the further support staff person students in a converted classroom, K9501. recommended by the external review This space was described by the recent committee. External Review Committee as the worst that they had seen. In addition, to alleviate the 4. Undergraduate Common Room: Both crowding in this room, we also accommodate our department and the Department of increasing numbers of our students in the Mathematics regret very strongly the loss of IRMACS facility. Although this is remarkably the shared common room for undergraduate high-quality space, departmental researchers students. We believe that it is very important, need to subsidize the cost through their especially for a suburban, commuter research grants, primarily NSERC Discovery university like SFU, for undergraduate Grants. This arrangement is clearly not within students to have a place where they can

D1 meet informally with other students in their currently meet this need through renting discipline. space in the IRMACS facility. However, even though the cost of this space is heavily 5. Office for Holding TA Office Hours: We subsidized, we must still pay a portion of the currently use the Statistics Workshop, cost from our research grants. Nor does this designed to serve our lower-level courses, facility provide the same degree of certainty also for holding TA office hours for more that accompanies normal laboratory facilities advanced undergraduate statistics courses. in the experimental sciences. This arrangement, though manageable to date, is far from desirable. In one case, such collaborative projects have actually drawn a faculty member into field 6. Committee/Marking Room: We currently and laboratory work. To carry this out, he have no room in our department that we can must rely on the generosity of researchers in use for small, confidential committee other departments and government research meetings. We count on the generosity of agencies for bench space in properly other units, most notably Mathematics and equipped laboratories. In addition, he relies IRMACS, for holding such meetings. In increasingly on his own office – and now his addition, with the conversion of K10542/4 into house – for storing equipment and samples. a lounge, both our department and the Department of Mathematics have lost a key Although several SFU researchers and facility for marking papers for large classes others have been remarkably generous in taught through the workshops. Such a room offering temporary bench space, reliance on is frequently needed when papers must be such ad hoc arrangements is not conducive marked at times when the workshops need to to productivity. Otherwise routine matters like remain open for students in other classes. keeping track of supplies and helping students deal with minor glitches become 7. Further Special-Purpose Space: complicated. Statistics has been evolving into an increasingly interactive discipline, with It seems impossible to meet all these research statisticians collaborating on concerns without a major restructuring of the projects involving experimental scientists. physical space allocated to the two This is particularly notable in our department departments. The only viable, long-term in the field of biostatistics, with strong solution appears to be a complete move of interactions developing between our faculty one or both of the departments currently and health scientists, geneticists, and sharing the K10,000 level to a new location. biologists. It is valuable to be able to house Converted classrooms could then revert back groups of students working on such projects to their original purpose, undergraduate in a room together, as happens automatically students could once again have a place to in experimental science labs. For example, meet, and graduate students and faculty Charmaine Dean’s research group benefit could interact more naturally. substantially from her efforts to bring them together regularly for informal seminars and group discussions – discussions that would also arise naturally were they housed together. We believe that informal interactions in a laboratory-like setting provide an important source of graduate student learning. To some extent, we can

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