Dear Ms. Patterson,
I have been following the debate over the downtown colleges with interest, being an alumnus of Trent, and (during my stay at Trent) a resident of Trail college. Even if all your claims about funding, etc. are true, the big question still remains: Why can't you build the new building(s) downtown? Having the university exist soley on the outskirts of town will alienate both student s and townspeople.
I was extremely glad to be able to live downtown when I went to Trent, since I did not have access to a car, and it was much more convenient to be able to walk where I needed to go. I also developed such an appreciation for the city I was living in that I decided to stay here. I am convinced that if I had only had access to facilities on main campus that I would have felt isolated from the city and its residents.
As well, my appreciation for the downtown colleges had nothing to do with sentimentality while I was at Trent. They had a completely different feel to them than main campus did. The classes that were taught there (e.g. cultural studies, ethics and Canadian studies courses) were more suited to the downtown college setting - smaller classes, more intimate tutorials, more contact with the local community, less rigid and formal settings.
I truly hope that the decision-makers in this process seriously reconsider their determination to build only on main campus.
Sincerely,
Tanah Haney
Graduate of the ERS program ('95)
(received January 17th, 2000)