Professor
      Profile:
      Terry
      Pratt-
     
     
      Committed
      to
      teaching,
      Committed
      to
      learning
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      SHANNON
      YOUNKER
     
    

    
     
      |
      ONCE
      HAD
      A
      TEACHER
      WHO
     
     
      said
      the
      greatest
      compliment
      he
      could
     
     
      give
      a
      young
      person
      in
      his
      class
      was
      to
     
     
      call
      her
      a
      student.
      If
      the
      highest
     
     
      compliment
      one
      can
      give
      an
      instructor
     
     
      is
      “teacher”,
      then
      Terry
      Pratt
      is
      indeed
     
     
      ateacher.
      Dr.
      Pratt
      has
      been
      a
      part
      of
     
     
      UPEI’s
      English
      department
      since
      1972,
     
     
      and
      has
      helped
      the
      University
      through
     
     
      many
      of
      its
      growing
      pains
      during
      the
     
     
      past
      twenty
      years.
      When
      Pratt
      signed
     
     
      on
      to
      UPEI,
      the
      university
      community
     
     
      had
      many
      of
      the
      problems
      and
      benefits
     
     
      of
      working
      in
      a
      family.
      It
      was
      easy
      to
     
     
      know
      every
      faculty
      member,
      and
      you
     
     
      knew
      who
      to
      pick
      for
      your
      touch
     
     
      football
      team.
      As
      the
      School
      of
      Business
     
     
      became
      independent
      and
      the
      Atlantic
     
     
      Veterinary
      College
      and
      the
      School
      of
     
     
      Nursing
      came
      on
      line,
      UPEl
      may
      have
     
     
      lost
      some
      of
      its
      homey
      feeling,
      but
      we
     
     
      became
      more
      professional.
     
    

    
     
      Terry
      Pratt
      has
      played
      no
      small
      part
     
     
      in
      UPEI’s
      growth.
      He
      was
      amember
      of
     
     
      the
      committee
      that
      chose
      C.
      W.
      J.
      Eliot
     
     
      as
      president
      -a
      decision
      that
      has
      done
     
     
      much
      for
      UPEl.
      UPEI’s
      policy
      of
     
     
      requiring
      two
      English
      courses
      for
     
     
      graduation
      is
      also
      Dr.
      Pratt’s
      brainchild.
     
     
      While
      he
      believes
      that
      the
      university
     
     
      often
      sells
      Island
      students
      short
      by
     
     
      making
      too
      many
      introductory
      courses
     
     
      required,
      there
      has
      been
      a
      need
      for
      a
     
     
      remedial
      English
      course
      (the
      much
     
     
      maligned
      English
      101)
      since
      in
      was
     
     
      instituted.
      Also
      a
      source
      of
      pride
      for
     
     
      Prof.
      Pratt
      is
      the
      fact
      he
      is
      the
      founding
     
     
      chair
      of
      the
      Teaching
      Centre.
      Professor
     
     
      Pratt
      told
      me
      that
      the
      focus
      of
      this
     
     
      university
      has
      shifted
      more
      towards
     
     
      the
      quality
      of
      teaching
      in
      the
      past
      few
     
    
   
   
    
     
      years.
      As
      a
      student,
      |
      find
      this
      very
     
    
   
   
    
     
      encouraging.
     
    

    
     
      When
      |
      mentioned
      the
      recent
      cuts
     
     
      Dalhousie
      University
      was
      forced
      to
     
     
      make
      to
      its
      theatre
      and
      fine
      arts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      departments,
      Dr.
      Pratt
      said
      the
      idea
     
     
      was
      “criminal”.
      When
      |
      asked
      if
      the
     
     
      current
      economic
      climate
      might
      push
     
     
      UPE]
      into
      making
      the
      same
      sort
      of
      cuts,
     
     
      Dr.
      Pratt
      said
      “Yes”.
      The
      effect
      on
     
     
      theatre
      won't
      be
      the
      same
      here
      because
     
     
      the
      budget
      for
      theatre
      at
      UPEI
      is
     
     
      practically
      nothing
      now.
      There
      is
      no
     
     
      “Theatre
      Department”
      as
      there
      is
      (or
     
     
      was)
      at
      some
      other
      schools.
     
    

    
     
      Some
      may
      think
      that
      UPEI
      is
      lacking,
     
     
      but
      UPEI
      has
      the
      beauty
      of
      a
      small
     
     
      institution.
      One
      of
      the
      advantages
      Dr.
     
     
      Pratt
      likes
      about
      UPEI
      is
      the
      relative
     
     
      freedom
      to
      teach
      different
      subjects.
     
     
      Professor
      Pratt’s
      major
      academic
     
     
      interest
      when
      he
      started
      teaching
      was
     
     
      18th
      century
      literature--
      now
      he
     
     
      specializes
      in
      linguistics.
     
    

    
     
      In
      1978
      two
      enterprising
      students
     
     
      came
      to
      Dr.
      Pratt
      looking
      for
      a
      summer
     
     
      job.
      Ten
      summers
      and
      a
      lot
      of
      work
     
     
      later,
      the
      Dictionary
      of
      Island
      English
     
     
      by
      T.K.
      Pratt
      was
      published.
      A
      second
     
     
      volume,
      dealing
      with
      sayings
      and
     
     
      proverbs
      endemic
      to
      PEI
      is
      in
      the
     
     
      works.
      Dr.
      Pratt
      goes
      on
      sabbatical
      in
     
     
      1994
      -
      1995
      with
      the
      hopes
      of
      bringing
     
     
      this
      book
      to
      publication.
      Professor
     
     
      Pratt’s
      involvement
      with
      this
      project
     
     
      has
      made
      him
      an
      expert
      on
      lexicography
     
     
      and
      he
      now
      is
      a
      consultant
      for
      Gage,
     
     
      Oxford
      University
      Press
      and
      other
     
     
      dictionary
      publishing
      companies.
     
     
      Professor
      Pratt
      speculated
      his
      future
     
     
      might
      contain
      a
      consulting
      firm
      of
      his
     
     
      own
      where
      people
      wanting
      to
      write
     
     
      specialist
      dictionaries
      could
      hire
      the
     
     
      services
      of
      an
      expert
      lexicographer
      or
     
     
      two.
     
    

    
     
      Throughout
      my
      interview
      with
     
     
      Terry
      Pratt
      two
      things
      were
      evident:
      a
     
     
      love
      of
      learning
      and
      a
      love
      of
      teaching.
     
     
      Professor
      Pratt
      puts
      forth
      a
      feeling
      that
     
     
      students
      are
      important,
      and
      it
      will
      be
      a
     
     
      great
      loss
      to
      UPEI
      if
      Professor
      Terry
     
     
      Pratt
      ever
      decides
      to
      move
      on.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Give
      us
      your
      deepest
      thoughts!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      E-Mail
      until
      your
      heart
      is
      content.
      Our
      mailing
      address
      is:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      xpress
      @
      stul
      .upei
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “
      yuST
      THINK,
      THIS
      TIME
      NEXT
      YEAR,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      HOW
      WOULD
      YOU
      LIKE
     
     
      TO
      EXCHANGE
      THESE
     
     
      SUB-ZERO
      TEMPERATURES
     
     
      FOR
      WARMER
      ONES?
     
     
      Its
      as
      easy
      as
      picking
      up
      an
     
     
      exchange
      application
      at
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Student
      Services,
      completing,
     
     
      and
      submitting
      it
      by
      Feb.
      15.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      You
      can
      study
     
     
      internationally
      for
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      same
      cost
      as
      studying
     
     
      locally.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘COULD
      BE
      IN
      AUSTRALIA