Fonds F-142 - John F. Ellis fonds

John Ellis came to SFU as a charter faculty member in the Faculty of Education. He received his Ed.D degree from the University of California at Berkeley and had a twenty-year career in public education before joining the University to direct the Professional Foundations Program. He served as temporary acting president of SFU for four days following the resignation of Patrick McTaggart-Cowan in May 1968.

In November of that year, a series of protests against Simon Fraser University's admissions policies and inconsistent accreditation for courses taken at other institutions culminated in a 65 hour "sit-in" in the University Administration Offices. The University Senate responded by charging Professor Ellis with the responsibility of "the development of a definitive and comprehensive admissions and standings policy in consultation with an advisory committee..." (Simon Fraser University Senate. Minutes of Meeting held November 20, 1968. Although there was an "advisory committee" named by Senate, the final report is the product of Dr. Ellis' research, reflection and writing. Admissions and Standards: A Suggested Policy was released late March 1969. In June 1969, Senate adopted the recommendations of the report with only minor revisions. The admissions controversy was effectively defused.

The Ellis Report as it was re-titled by the university community, was widely applauded in post-secondary education circles in British Columbia, and played an important role in the development of Simon Fraser University.