Letters

Letters to the Editor

Field House Controversy

Readers of your issue last Thursday will have noted a let- ter by Mr. Charles Cavanagh of Cornwall in which he strongly criticised the decision to use the University of Prince Edward Is- land as the location of the Ath- letes’ Village in February 1991. He is of course right in recog- nizing that during the period of the Canada Winter Games, and for a week before and a week af- ter most of the students in the residence will have to find other quarters. Moreover, during that same period most lectures will be cancelled. In order to make up for this extended break, Convoca- tion will be held two weeks later than usual , a one-time solution for a set of circumstances that is unique.

I do not contest Mr. Ca- vanagh’s right to his view that the concerns of education should be placed before those of enter- tainment, and normally I would be derelict in the exercise of my office as President if I did not make education my abiding pri- ority. But under the special cir- cumstances of the Province host- ing the Winter Games — the last province to do so in the current cycle -, I think it reasonable for the University to offer what help it can, even to the extent that

it has. But this is not an opin- ion I want to belabour in this let-

ter. Rather, I want to make it clear to your readers, particularly

those who may agree with Mr. :

Cavanagh, that the decision to provide housing for the athletes at the University had nothing to do with the Hon. Paul Connolly, Minister of Education. It was an offer made to the Canada Win- ter Games Host Society by the Senate and Board of Governors of the University almost 4 years ago. If there is public criticism of the University’s action, it should be directed to me, not Mr. Connolly. One last point - I am very much aware, more so today than when we made the offer, that our decision will indeed lead to in- conveniences to students. faculty and staff, some of a major nature which we will try to minimize, others we will have to accept. In my ledger, however, I count many more advantages coming to the Island than disadvantages through the hosting of the Win- ter Games, and I am proud that the University was one of the first to choose to be a partner in sup- port of the Province’s initiative.

Your sincerely, C.W.J. Eliot President

Sports as Important as Education

I would like to respond to the letter published last issue by Charles Cavanagh. He makes the winter games sound trivial in comparison to education and a nuisance to students. The Canada games is a_prepara- tion for the athletes who will compete internationally. These young people are the future of Canada’s success in international sports and they must have inter- provincial competitions and ex- perience.

The athletes must be. housed on the UPEI campus because the feild house is here. Imagine try- ing to bus all the athletes to UPEI from all over Charlotte- town everyday! Students from UPEI are working on their ca- reers, but is it not true that these young athletes are working on their careers as international competitors as well?

As to the issue of tacking on 2-3 weeks of school at the end of the year: think of it, 2-3 weeks is not a long time compared to the rest of their lives to work on their careers and I for one do not mind staying a couple of weeks to watch the games.

I do, however, share Mr. Ca- vanagh’s concern about paying for moving to and from resi- dence. School is very expensive and some arrangements must be made with the provincial govern- ments to help finance moving the

students back home, or to suit-

able accomodations in Charlotte- town.

Let’s give these young ath- letes a chance to grow and ex- perience real competition. The Canada Games is a once in a !ife time opportunity for these ath- letes, and sports is just as impor- tant as a University education.

Yours,

Allan Scott

UPEI Education improving

I regret that I missed the Gem of February 15, and so did not see your Editorial on professors as teachers until recently. I agree with the thrust of your argument, that more emphasis should be placed on good teaching in the academic profession. I want to point out that the UPEI Senate has established a committee con- sisting of both professors and stu- dents, precisely to address this question. The Senate Committee on the Enhancement of Teach- ing is still in its infancy, but it is engaged in a multitude of activities: workshops, discussion groups, sponsoring professors to conferences on teaching, putting out a newsletter, buying books, cooperating with Audio—Visual Services on an instruction book joining comparable networks, set- ting up an orientation program for new faculty, and more. We

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even have a part-time employee, Mr. Reginald Porter, an experi- enced teacher and lecturer, who looks after most of the above, and who is also available to visit classrooms and to counsel faculty. (He has already visited mine and given me some good tips.) Mr Porter is establishing a “Teaching Centre” on the third floor of Dal- ton, from which these and other activities will be coordinated in future.

Given this activity, and also the high level of interest shown by the faculty so far, I think I can say that UPEI is going some dis- tance towards meeting the “rea- sonable concern” that your edito- rial raised.

T.K. Pratt Associate Professor of English Chair, Scent

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