Document Tools

As high school seniors contemplate what to do following graduation, Simon Fraser University is hosting the national First Year in Focus conference May 12-14 at its Burnaby and Surrey campuses. The conference brings together North America’s leading thinkers on how to make the transition to university a success.

Environmentalist David Suzuki will give the conference’s keynote address on May 13 at 8:30 a.m. in Images Theatre at the Burnaby campus.

Jane Fee, conference chair and director of student recruitment, enrollment and retention for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, is one of those leading the charge for a more student-focused university at SFU.

“As increasing numbers of students enter Canada’s universities, as a system we need to respond by building a stronger culture of success,” says Fee, adding that institutions in Canada have graduation rates as low as 50 per cent. The First Year in Focus conference is bringing together nearly 400 faculty, university staff and students to share best practices in hopes of solving the problem.

Says Fee: “Universities are now serving a larger cross-section of the public.  Serving only elite students isn’t relevant any longer.  This conference helps us instill a culture of success at universities like SFU.  We need to excel at making good students great.”

The conference begins on Tuesday, May 12 at SFU’s Surrey campus and continues at SFU’s Burnaby Campus on Wednesday, May 13-14.

The Suzuki keynote and others will be available via webcast to the general public at: www.lidc.sfu.ca/broadcast/217

Comments