Simon Fraser University

Major Campus > Mountain Campus (Main)

  • 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6view map
  • (778) 782-3111
  • April 30, 2010
  • February 28, 2010
  • www.sfu.ca

Fact Sheet

  • 1965
  • University
  • Comprehensive
  • English
  • 10,599
  • 3,207
  • $342 Million
  • $78 Million
  • 2,784,647

What the Students Say

Five Things:

  1. Friendly, unpretentious
  2. Diverse, multicultural population
  3. Isolated, mountain-top location (main Burnaby campus)
  4. Love-it-or-hate-it concrete campus by Arthur Erickson
  5. "We're not UBC" sense of identity

Courses With Kudos

Criminology, Business, Kinesiology, Communications, Interactive Arts and Technology, Education

Student Sound Offs

"The quality of education at SFU is not known to many Canadians, specially those who live in the East."

"All of the buildings are inter-connected, so you can go from one building to another without being drenched by the rain/snow."

"SFU's trimester system and the class system as a whole is much more flexible than those of other universities."

"It's absolutely gorgeous in the summer. Although people bash the campus for looking like a jail (which, on a dismal fall day, I tend to agree), the mountaintop view with clear blue skies is like no other."

"Take courses at SFU Surrey! The campus is great, and it has more of a sense of community than Burnaby."

"Most large lectures also have tutorials. It makes the experience more personal, and solidifies my knowledge.""SFU provides a wonderful coupling of classical education and progressive teaching. Most of the faculty members are top-notch."

"Some faculty and teaching assistants are simply bad at teaching, often because they don't speak English very well or they are only there for the research money and obviously don't like teaching."

"Recreational and athletic programs: lots of variety, lots of involvement, lots of people willing to volunteer."

"Our co-op program is one of the best in Canada."


Student survey results and additional indicators

For: Simon Fraser University - Mountain Campus (Main)
Institution size classification: Medium   (see the methodology)

    Notes
  1. Latest survey update: October 2009
  2. Other data sources: latest available data shown

Legend

Canadian University Report - Student Survey
Third Party Data - additonal indicators

Refine your results by selecting a field of study (the default is all fields of study combined).

Tuition

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Tuition and Ancillary Fees $5,154 $4,842

Overall Student Satisfaction

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Overall Satisfaction B A-

Quality of Teaching

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Satisfaction with Overall Quality of Education B+ A-
Satisfaction with Teaching Quality B+ B+
Satisfaction with Faculty Availability to Students B+ A-
Satisfaction with Faculty Members Knowledge of Subject A A
Satisfaction with Level of Interaction with Faculty B- B
Satisfaction with Usefulness of Faculty Feedback B B
Satisfaction with Quality of Academic Advising B- B-
Teaching Awards (3M Teaching Awards) N/A 1

Academic Resources

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Satisfaction with Convenience of Class Scheduling C B-
Satisfaction with Ease of Course Registration Process B- B
Satisfaction with Number of Courses to Choose from B- B
Satisfaction with Space to Register in Courses Necessary to Complete Your Degree C- B-
Satisfaction with Co-Op/ Internship Opportunities B- B-

Campus Atmosphere

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Satisfaction with Overall University Atmosphere B- A-
Satisfaction with Sense of Community on Campus C B
Satisfaction with Diversity of Extracurricular Activities B B+
Satisfaction with Sense of Personal Safety and Security A A
Satisfaction with Tolerance for Diverse Opinions and Ideas B+ A-
Satisfaction with Helpfulness of Administrative Staff B- B

Class Size

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Satisfaction with Class Size B- B+
Average # of Students in 1st year Class 178 210
Percentage of All First Year Classes with < 30 Students 9% 9%
Percentage of All First Year Classes with 30-100 students 31% 39%
Percentage of All First Year Classes with 100+ Students 60% 52%
Percentage of All Fourth Year Classes with < 30 Students 27% 29%
Percentage of All Fourth Year Classes with 30-100 students 57% 59%
Percentage of All Fourth Year Classes with 100+ Students 17% 13%

Technology

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Satisfaction with Overall Quality and Availability of Technology On-Campus B+ B+
Satisfaction with On-Campus Network B B+
Satisfaction with Computer Accessibility On-Campus B+ B+
Satisfaction with Availability of Up-To-Date Technology in Classrooms B B
Satisfaction with Availability of Up-To-Date Computer Equipment On-Campus B+ A-
Satisfaction with Access to Course/ Teaching Materials On-Line B+ A-
Satisfaction with Labs and Research Equipment B+ B+

Physical Infrastructure

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Satisfaction with Overall Quality of On-Campus Buildings and Facilities C+ B
Satisfaction with Classrooms and Lecture Halls C+ B
Satisfaction with Student Residences C- C+
Satisfaction with the Attractiveness of Campus C B+
Satisfaction with Physical Fitness, Sports and Recreational Facilities B+ A-

Libraries

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Overall Library Satisfaction B+ A-
Satisfaction with Availability of Study Space B- B
Satisfaction with Library Hours of Operation A- A-
Satisfaction with Total Library Holdings B+ B+
Satisfaction with Online Library Resources A- A-
Satisfaction with Library Staff B+ A-
Library Expenditures per Student $1,826 $1,150
Library holdings per Student 263 319

Campus Activity

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
How Often Attended Campus Social Events Rarely Sometimes
How Often Attended Home Games of University Athletic Teams Never Rarely
How Often Participated in Student Clubs Rarely Rarely
How Often Participated in Recreational and Sports Programs Rarely Rarely
How Often Attended Campus Cultural Events Rarely Rarely
How Often Participated in Community Service / Volunteer Activities Rarely Rarely

Student Academic Experience

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
How Often Sought Advice from Professors About Marks or Assignments Sometimes Often
How Often Worked in Groups to Complete Assignments or Readings Often Often
Number of Required Textbooks, Novels, Books or Course Packs Read 3 to 5 6 to 10
How Often Presented in Class Often Sometimes
Number of Books or Novels Read for Personal Satisfaction 1 or 2 1 or 2
Number of Written Papers or Reports - Less than 5 pages 3 to 5 3 to 5
Number of Written Papers or Reports - 5 to 10 pages 1 or 2 3 to 5
Number of Written Papers or Reports - 11 to 19 pages None 1 or 2
Number of Written Papers or Reports - 20 pages or More None None

Athletics

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Satisfaction with Recreational and Athletic Programs and Services B B+
Percentage of Students Using Campus Recreation and Athletic Programs and Services 58% 67%
Athletic Scholarship Amounts per Athlete $1,832 $691
CIS Top Three Finishes 2 2

Student Services

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Overall Quality of Student Services B- B
Satisfaction with Academic Support and Counseling B- B-
Percentage of Students Using Academic Support and Counseling 64% 55%
Satisfaction with Campus Bookstore B- B
Percentage of Students Using Campus Bookstore 98% 98%
Satisfaction with Food Services D C
Percentage of Students Using Food Services 90% 90%
Satisfaction with Campus Medical Services B B
Percentage of Students Using Campus Medical Services 29% 44%
Satisfaction with Services for Aboriginal Students C+ C+
Percentage of Students Using Services for Aboriginal Students 3% 3%
Satisfaction with Services for International Students B- B-
Percentage of Students Using Services for International Students 11% 6%
Satisfaction with Services for Students with Disabilities C+ B-
Percentage of Students Using Services for Students with Disabilities 5% 6%

Costs

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Tuition and Ancillary Fees $5,154 $4,842
Tuition and Ancillary Fees Min $5,154 $4,842
Tuition and Ancillary Fees Max N/A $5,525
Room and Board Min $6,970 $6,874
Room and Board Max $8,232 $8,751
Off-Campus Housing Min $6,040 $4,527
Off-Campus Housing Max $7,480 $5,670

Student Financial Assistance

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Satisfaction with the Overall Availability of Financial Assistance C C
Satisfaction with the Availability of Need-Based Scholarships and/ or Bursaries C- C
Satisfaction with the Availability of Merit Scholarships C C+

Employment

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Satisfaction with the Degree to Which University Experience Will Prepare you for Employment B B
Satisfaction with Reputation of your University Among Employers B+ B
Satisfaction with Overall Quality of Career Preparation B- B-
Satisfaction with Opportunities to Acquire Work Related Knowledge C+ B-
Satisfaction with On-Campus Employment Opportunities C- C+

Student Enrolment

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
% Male - Full-Time, Undergraduate 42% 42%
% Female - Full-Time, Undergraduate 58% 58%
Percentage of International Students 9% 6%

Research Performance

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Number of Publications 874 707
International Collaborations 391 272
Total Research ($ Millions) $78 $80
Total research per faculty $95,138 $104,080
Federal Funding ($ Millions) $30 $25
Granting Council dollars per faculty $36,584 $31,529

Faculty

Results for: All fields of study Results Average
Total Faculty, Full-Time 819 727
% Faculty Male 68% 66%
% Faculty Female 32% 34%