9/11, French immersion, higher education
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Remember 9/11
French immersion’s rosy picture
Transition to higher education
Acclimatizing to higher education
Remembering 9/11
September 11 is a day of mourning and remembering in New York and around the world; it is also a stark reminder that terrorism remains a global threat. SFU historian André Gerolymatos can look at the impact of that threat and the state of the war on terrorism. Political scientist Doug Ross can also examine a post 9/11 world and address security issues. Economist Don DeVoretz specializes in immigration and can look at the effect of tighter U.S. security on everything from border crossing to the immigration of skilled professionals and students.
André Gerolymatos, 604.291.5597, andre_gerolymatos@sfu.ca
Doug Ross, 604.291.4782; douglasr@sfu.ca
Don DeVoretz, 604.291.4660; don_devoretz@sfu.ca
French immersion’s rosy picture
Researchers at SFU’s Office of Francophone and Francophile Affairs say French immersion is not declining, as some reports suggest. Director Yolande Grisé says recent events — including SFU’s doubling of the number of French immersion public school teachers it trains — prove that French immersion is alive and thriving in B.C. Grisé says French immersion high school students in B.C. are outperforming their counterparts nationally in French speaking competitions. She can also talk about the tripling of students in SFU’s BA program in public administration and community services, delivered mostly in French. Many of its students don’t speak English as their first language, and come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
Yoland Grisé, 604.268.6645, ygrise@sfu.ca
Claire Trepanier, 604.268.6981, trepanie@sfu.ca
Transition to higher education
More than two-thirds of B.C. high school graduates in 2001/02 went on to public post-secondary education in B.C. within three years of graduation, according to a new study on the transition rate of high school graduates to higher education. It shows how gender, grades, geography and primary speaking language influence those making the transition. Student Transitions Project (STP) Highlights was prepared for a collaboration of B.C. ministries by Joanne Heslop, SFU's acting director of analytical studies. Heslop can also elaborate on research revealing the destinations of graduates who did not attend public post-secondary education.
Joanne Heslop, 604.291.4525, joanne@sfu.ca
Acclimatizing to higher education
Insufficient writing skills are often the Achilles heel of high school graduates denied access to university. A new course at SFU — Foundations of Academic Literacy (FAL) — can change that. Designed by SFU education professor Carolyn Mamchur, the course prepares students who would not qualify normally for university entry to study at SFU. Mamchur can talk about her creative approach to helping students develop literacy skills, using film, story-telling and personal narrative as key tools.
See: http://www.educ.sfu.ca/fal
Carolyn Mamchur, 604.291.3661, mamchur@sfu.ca