Sub-series consists of records relating to the Vice-President, Academic's interactions with the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT). Activities and topics documented include CAUT's 1971 censure of SFU relating to the dispute in the university's Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology (PSA) Department, university governance, faculty benefits, and development of research ethics policies. Records include correspondence, reports, news releases and other CAUT printed material.

Records include correspondence, press releases, newspapers, and other materials.

As Director of the University News Service, Dennis Roberts purchased a cassette recorder, which he took with him to meetings, interviews, and newsworthy events. Over the years, he captured the voices of students, staff, faculty and administrators. Although there are no transcripts for the recordings, many of them served as the basis for articles in Comment magazine, which contain additional information on the topic or individual interviewed. Topics include student protests; the dispute over the Political Science, Sociology and Anthopology (PSA) Department; interviews, speeches and news conferences with university Presidents, adminstrative officers, faculty members, staff and students.

This series consists of records relating to the activities and deliberations of the APC. The files were originally created by the Vice-President, Academic as a member of the committee. At some point in the early 1990s, the records were transferred to and integrated into the record-keeping system of Academic Planning Services. Activities and topics documented in the files include planning retreats at Harrison Hots Springs (May 31 - June 2 1972) and Westminster Abbey, Mission (December 11 - 13 1972); consideration of program proposals in the Fine Arts and in Communication; and the activities of an APC sub-committee relating to disputes in the Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology (PSA) department. Records include meeting agendas and minutes, correspondence, reports, and program proposals.

Series consists of records relating to a number of issues, activities, and areas of interest to the Student Society. Includes correspondence, reports, publications, and ephemera on a wide range of topics such as Amnesty International, Drugs, Library Services and Parking. For a list of names that appear in file titles, see Access Points.

The Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology (PSA) Department was established in 1965 as one of the original departments at SFU. It marked a significant academic innovation in that it united three separate disciplines under one head—the distinguished Marxist scholar Tom Bottomore. By the late 1960s, Bottomore had returned to England, and the department entered a period of scholarly and administrative turmoil. The crisis culminated in the Department being placed under trusteeship by the University administration and eight faculty members going on strike.

The collection consists of various files collected over the years by the staff of the University Archives to assist history students and other researchers. Includes press releases, reports, publications and other documents.

Norman Swartz joined the Department of Philosophy at SFU in 1967 and retired as Professor Emeritus in 1998.

During Swartz's early years at SFU, the Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology Department was in academic and administrative turmoil, which culminated in the Department being placed under trusteeship by the University administration and eight faculty members going on strike.

Various faculty members, administrators and students produced documents to support their points of view during the PSA crisis. As he explained in his autobiographical notes, Swartz collected all of the PSA material that circulated around the University and that reached his desk from 1969 to 1970. Collection includes correspondence, memoranda, newspaper clippings and other documents related to the ongoing events in the PSA Department at this time.