Prod.
      Editor's
      Note:
     
    

    
     
      Due
      toacomplicated
      computer
      thingy,
      last
      week's
      letter
      ‘from
     
     
      Phil
      Ferraro
      came
      out
      in
      a
      foreign
      language.
      Here
      is
      Mr.
     
     
      Ferraro's
      letter
      as
      it
      should
      have
      appeared.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      To
      the
      Editor:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Your
      response
      to
      the
      Maclean’s
      magazine
      rating
      of
      universities
     
     
      said
      nothing
      to
      convince
      me
      that
      the
      survey
      was
      inaccurate.
      The
     
     
      point
      made
      that
      the
      value
      ofan
      institution
      cannot
      be
      measured
     
     
      by
      a
      their
      party
      is
      valid.
      However,
      it
      cannot
      be
      successfully
     
     
      defended
      on
      the
      notions
      of
      hometown
      pride.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rather
      than
      trying
      to
      convince
      readers
      that
      they
      are
      not
      swim-
     
     
      ming
      in
      the
      bottom
      of
      the
      barrel,
      the
      campus
      press
      should
      argue
     
     
      from
      the
      viewpoint
      of
      creativity
      and
      uniqueness,
      standards
     
     
      which
      set
      UPEI
      programs
      on
      the
      leading
      edge
      of
      a
      curriculum
     
     
      that
      is
      relevant
      to
      the
      90s.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “‘To
      integrate
      your
      traditional
      values
      with
      the
      evolving
      trends
     
     
      fora
      global
      society.”’
      This
      is
      the
      memory
      engraved
      in
      granite
     
     
      on
      campus
      by
      the
      class
      of
      1969.
      Did
      Maclean’s
      miss
      this
      aspect
     
     
      of
      the
      university
      or
      did
      the
      contemporary
      nature
      of
      this
      school’s
     
     
      programs
      extinguish
      with
      the
      idealism
      of
      the
      60s?
      Maclean’s
     
     
      may
      be
      misrepresenting
      the
      university
      due
      to
      its
      selection
      of
     
     
      criteria
      with
      which
      to
      evaluate
      education.
      However,
      if
      there
      is
     
     
      any
      Credibility
      to
      its
      claim
      then
      the
      student
      body
      should
      use
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Survey
      as
      partial
      evidence
      for
      the
      need
      to
      restructure
      the
     
     
      curriculum.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      a
      world
      on
      the
      verge
      of
      ecological
      calamity
      with
      virtually
     
     
      every
      issue
      one
      could
      list,
      relevant
      education
      means
      that
      eco-
     
     
      logical
      consciousness
      must
      be
      present
      in
      every
      program.
      Envi-
     
     
      ronmental
      conservation
      in
      the
      1990s
      is
      as
      essential
      for
      prepa-
     
     
      ration
      in
      life
      as
      the
      Three
      R’s.
      Any
      subject
      presented
      without
     
     
      regard
      to
      its
      ecological
      consequences
      should
      be
      reevaluated.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      traditions
      of
      PEI
      are
      founded
      upon
      a
      determination
      to
     
     
      created
      a
      self-reliant/sustainable
      culture.
      This
      history,
      as
      well
     
     
      as
      the
      Island’s
      contemporary
      issues,
      make
      it
      an
      ideal
      location
     
     
      for
      learning
      to
      harmonize
      with
      nature.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Institute
      for
      Island
      Studies,
      located
      on
      the
      UPEI
      campus,
     
     
      is
      one
      example
      of
      this
      institutions’
      link
      to
      environmental
     
     
      concerns.
      Hosting
      a
      recent
      international
      conference
      on
      Island
     
     
      self-reliance
      is
      only
      one
      of
      the
      many
      notable
      accomplishments
     
     
      of
      the
      Institute.
      In
      1
      987,
      these
      Island
      Studies
      people
      commis-
     
     
      sioned
      George
      McRobie,
      author
      of
      Small
      is
      Possible,
      to
      tour
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Island
      in
      order
      to
      observe
      that
      environmental
      education
      ip.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      formal
      education
      sector
      was
      ‘‘in
      obvious
      need’’.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Although,
      McRobie
      witnessed
      a
      Strong
      infrastructure
      with
      {
     
     
      potential
      for
      Sustainability,
      he
      noted
      that
      the
      education
      ,
     
     
      training
      designed
      to
      motivate
      and
      equip
      people
      for
      self-relian
     
     
      has
      been
      neglected
      for
      several
      generations
      and
      is
      now
      in
      ne
     
     
      ofhigh
      priority.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      These
      qualities,
      according
      to
      McRobie,
      are
      gained
      throu;
     
     
      student
      directed
      problem
      solving
      where
      students
      learn
      €conor
     
     
      ics
      and
      sociology
      by
      doing
      projects
      in
      a
      community.
      T
     
     
      Students’
      role
      is
      to
      unfold
      environmental
      options
      for
      communi
     
     
      development.
      Business
      organizations
      and
      workers
      Study
      ne
     
     
      forms
      of
      relationships
      and
      on
      farm
      research
      of
      sustainab|
     
     
      technologies
      assists
      regional
      agriculture.
      A
      Sustainable
      educ;
     
     
      tion
      program
      enhances
      local
      economic
      development
      throug
     
     
      apprenticeship
      programs.
      Energy
      resources
      (in
      our
      case
      wing
     
     
      solar
      and
      water)
      are
      studied
      fro
      their
      potential.
      In
      som
     
     
      instances
      money
      for
      local
      enterprises
      can
      be
      raised
      through
      th
     
     
      development
      of
      ethical
      investment
      funds.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Concerns
      for
      the
      ecological
      and
      social
      relevance
      of
      moder
     
     
      education
      is
      the
      mo
      St
      serious
      evaluation
      today’s
      students
      shoul:
     
     
      be
      concerned
      with.
      The
      incorporation
      of
      these
      aspects
      o|
     
     
      education
      into
      the
      formal
      Program
      is
      a
      claim
      most
      universitie;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “are
      ill
      prepared
      to
      make.
      The
      Institute
      for
      Island
      Studies
      is
      an
     
    
   
   
    
     
      inspiring
      beginning
      to
      this
      Process.
      How
      far
      its
      ideals
      have
      been
     
     
      able
      to
      permeate
      the
      university
      curriculum
      is
      the
      real
      Standard
     
     
      by
      which
      to
      evaluate
      the
      institution.
      ,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Phil
      Ferraro
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CORRECTION
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      last
      week’s
      story
      ‘
      ‘Tops
      off
      to
      talking
      about
      breasts,’’
      the
     
     
      second
      last
      paragraph
      should
      have
      read:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “‘This
      lack
      of
      connection
      between
      issues
      is
      an
      obvious
      flaw
      in
      |
     
     
      what
      Gwen
      Jacob
      calls
      ‘‘the
      third
      wave
      of
      capital
      F
      Feminism’’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Yikes.
      If
      this
      is
      third
      wave
      feminism
      then
      I
      ain’t
      goin’
      to
      no
     
     
      beach).”’