Terms of Reference

1. The Simon Fraser University Alumni Association Graduate Entrance Scholarship is currently valued at up to $12,000. One scholarship is awarded each year subject to the availability of funding.
   
2. To be eligible, a student must be planning to enter a Master's or Doctoral program at Simon Fraser University. New students who began their graduate program in the current Spring term (January 1) are also eligible for consideration.
   
3. The criteria for this award are:
   
   1. demonstrated academic excellence at the undergraduate level and, if applicable, at the graduate level;
      
   2. evidence of outstanding achievement at the graduate level, with particular emphasis on intellectual ability, originality and ability in research.
      
4. Tenure of the award is for one year (three consecutive academic terms) commencing in the following Summer, Fall, or Spring semester.
   
5. The recipient of the SFU Alumni Association Scholarship is eligible to hold other scholarships funded from SFU sources.
   
6. During tenure of the award, the recipient must be registered full-time in a graduate program at Simon Fraser University. In programs where fees are assessed on a per-credit basis, students must be taking at least six credits to be eligible to hold the award. If a recipient wishes to register “on-leave” during tenure of this award, a deferment of the scholarship must be requested in writing to the Dean of Graduate Studies. Permission will be granted in exceptional circumstances only.
   
7. The SFU Alumni Association Scholarship recipient may accept scholarship support from other sources including SFU’s ‘private’ awards (derived from annual and endowed funds) provided they are consistent with SFU’s general funding policies. Recipients should be aware that some external awards may restrict students from holding a scholarship at the same time as the external award.
8. There is no restriction on SFU Alumni Association Scholarship recipients receiving income for work performed during tenure of the scholarship.
9. Entering students who meet the eligibility criteria are eligible for consideration for the SFU Alumni Association Scholarship. Students must be nominated for the award by the Graduate Program Chair of the academic unit to which the student will be admitted.
   
10. Nominations from the Graduate Program Chair must be submitted to the Office of the Dean of Graduate Studies by February 15.
    
11. The award is made by the Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee after a University-wide competition in which departmental nominations are considered. The Committee will take into account whether nominees are admitted to Master’s or Doctoral Programs, and the expectations of different academic disciplines concerning publication of research work by students.

Revised: January 2012/ GESR015