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Student Pathways
The Journey To and Through SFU
čɛčɛgatawɬ, it means helping one another, he said in a soft voice, that is our way,
we support each other and lift each other up
- First Voices: čɛčɛgatawɬ (Tla’amin) means to help one another
We are committed to providing essential pathways that support Indigenous students throughout their university experience, from admission to graduation and beyond.
Inequities in educational outcomes for Indigenous people, resulting from the residential school system, still exist today. As recently as 2013, only about 10% of Indigenous Census respondents had completed a university degree, compared to about 27% for the general population (Statistics Canada, 2013).
To better understand Indigenous students’ needs and opportunities, the university commissioned the "Looking Forward – Indigenous Pathways to and through Simon Fraser University" report. A culmination of two years of research, the report offers 20 recommendations for supporting the educational vision and needs of Indigenous students and communities.
This report responds to Call to Action 15 of the Walk this Path With Us report and offers a road map for implementation at SFU in the years to come.
Read our roadmap
Looking Forward - Indigenous Pathways To and Through Simon Fraser University (PDF)
Current Pathways
Measures to support Indigenous students’ admission, access, transition and retention at SFU include:
- Aboriginal Undergraduate Admission Policy (AUAP): Guides admission process for eligible applicants. Takes into consideration an applicant’s educational history, cultural knowledge, work experience, educational goals and other achievements.
- Indigenous University Preparation Program (IUPP): Helps learners prepare for a successful transition to undergraduate studies through first-year academic credit courses that integrate humanities and social sciences with Indigenous perspectives.
- SFU-Langara Indigenous Transfer Pathway: This collaboration between SFU and Langara College offers support for Indigenous students currently attending Langara. Specified admission requirements and entrance awards lead to an undergraduate degree at SFU.
- Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT): NVIT offers an Associate of Arts Degree in Criminology that enables students to transfer directly to SFU's Criminology program to complete the final two years of a Bachelor of Arts Degree.
- Native Education College (NEC): NEC offers an Indigenous Justice Studies Certificate that is transferable to SFU with 25 credits, and an Indigenous Land Stewardship (ILS) program that can be counted toward degrees at SFU.
Other supports available to Indigenous students
These supports provide improved access to essential services and resources for Indigenous students throughout their educational journey:
Indigenous Student Centre: Support centre with locations in Burnaby and Surrey, and one planned for Vancouver
Student Experience: Stories and experiences of Indigenous students, alumni, faculty and staff, and other supports to help you get to know the SFU community better and make decisions about your future
Self-Identification: Declaring Indigenous identity on your application enables us to provide any additional support you might need, such as financial assistance and access to programs and services unique to your cultural and holistic worldview as an Indigenous student.