To take part in discussions on talkSFU, please apply for membership (SFU email id required).
SFU Human Rights Policy Public Review
funny how they always say they want feedback from the 'university community' but then never bother to tell most of the 'university community'.The SFU Human Rights Policy (GP18) was last revised April 4, 2003. Following Section 15 of the Policy, which directs that “this Policy will be formally reviewed at least every five years”, the Human Rights Policy Board (HRPB) is seeking comment about the Policy from the SFU community.
In general, the HRPB believes that GP 18 has worked well since its last revision. The HRPB suggests the revisions outlined in the attached table to update and clarify sections of the current Policy, particularly in areas where provincial legislation informs the application of the Policy.
If you have any difficulty opening the attachment, please contact me directly at [email]efairey@sfu.ca[/email].
The current Policy can be viewed at http://www.sfu.ca/policies/general/gp18.htm
Please send comments, suggestions or questions to the HRPB at [email]hrp-review@sfu.ca[/email] by Friday December 12, 2008.
Elaine Fairey
Chair, Human Rights Policy Board
--
Elaine Fairey
Associate University Librarian, Public Services
& Director, Student Learning Commons
W.A.C. Bennett Library
anyways here's the attachment:
Comments
What annoys me is that people think ALL international students can't speak English. However, there are international students out there that can speak more fluent English than me. There are international students out there that have participated and won first place in English essay writing contests, poetry readings, and gone on summer exchange to English speaking countries. They can probably write better than the new guys up here fresh out of high school. If you take class with them and see them participate in tutorial and seminars, you probably can't even tell they are an international student.
Jaydub, you are studying to become an officer in the Canadian Forces, right? Therefore, you should be able to speak French. How would you feel if you decided to continue your education in France and the French force you to take their version of TOFEL? Well, your TA definitely stinks.
One final point. Who are fuc* run the TOFEL test anyway? What gives them the right to decide rather you are proficient in English or not? Some of the assholes teaching TOFEL course probably couldn't even respond coherently if I point an Star Model B Pistol toward their head and ask them, "ENGLISH MOTHERFUCKER, DO YOU SPEAK IT?"
All my schooling from Quebec was in French, and I had to pass a proficiency test before getting accepted even at Kwantlen (thanfully, SFU recognized Kwantlen's test and I also took an English W course there).
If you come from an English school anywhere in the world that meets the SFU standards, you don't have to do a test. See the Admission Requirements. This is not discrimination against International students.
Obviously, to come to an English University, you need to demonstrate that you can communicate in English at a University level. I don't think that's too much to ask.
Phil
I wouldn't mind if they required every student to do a written and verbal English test. If it meant that classes would be full of students and TA's who can effectively communicate their ideas, the school would be better for it.
That is much more expensive than UBC's LPI scam. They already did, with the FAL and FAL crap.
Ideally, instead of discriminating against international students with these TOFEL requirement, we should just accept them and let their first and second year sort them out.
The professors and TA's experience will suck because they'll have to mark papers full of bad writing.
Besides, a lot of students with poor English manage to slip through the cracks by just studying and cramming for exams. There's no guarantee that some 100 and 200 level courses will weed them out.
Edit: I'm in CompSci, where I imagine it's much easier for someone to get by without English than in Arts.
I agree with you that TOEFL may not be the best test of language.
Personally, I think SFU should conduct its own written exams and do an in-person interview before accepting students.
For profs: They get paid to do this, so suck it up. Everyone know that SFU is the ass end of post-secondary education and if they don't like it, go to teach somewhere else with a better reputation. It'll definitely look better on your resume too. With our "brilliantly" conceived WQB crap, we will get them sooner or later. Besides, isn't international students the ones keeping this university from going bankrupt? We need them and this is another reason why I don't think we should piss them off with TOFEL or other crap. Thankyou! I always questioned TOFEL and all these externally administered test because I don't know who the fuc* operated them.
Like Hong Kong, my home town
I dont think those exchange /international students have to be proficient in Cantonese, or they may even not have to learn that language
If you're already paying so much as international student, the fee for the english test wouldnt hurt.
I don't think it's discrimination, i don't like discussing topics with people who can't speak the language. Just as much as i don't like discussing topics with people who can't think. Being fluent or not.