page 6 - March 10, 1976 - North Shore News L Capilano College, of which he is principal, is . Still undergoing expansion at its. Lynnmour site, but government cutbacks have meant a tightening of the college’s budget. There was a student strike last fall over the dropping» Of. . courses. Spratt himself, along with other heads of community colleges and universities, has been. under fire -from .some_ sections of ~ the media—notably Doug Collins’ Page Six of the Vancouver Sun—for allegedly exorbitant salary increases. And now Spratt is preparing for salary B Jeter” Spratt has had a tough year. of. it. “ chooses his words. carefully, almost dictating, his sentences as if he were writing a letter. He wants the interviewer to get it straight. He will not voice. opinions on matters not directly concerning the college, and is wary of speaking on contentious issues within the college. , Spratt was born in Toronto 39 years. ago, and dropped: out of school in Grade 9. After 15 years in the labor force he returned to school as a married man of 27. “Iti is ; not too: ‘surprising, ‘then, to find that Spratt 7 negotiations with his staff. NSN: You’ve received a fair amount of flack, as have other heads of post-secon- dary institutions, about your - salary, especially from Doug . Collins and Jack Webster. How have you reacted to — that? - 2 SPRATT: I was on Webster’s . show, and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it-~would be I think it was fairly constructive. The public has a-right to hold its institutions accountable. NSN: What is your calary? SPRATT: It’s frozen at : $41,000 a year. , NSN: Has the publicity hurt you? SPRATT: I think the more ‘important question is did ‘it. hurt the college—that’s what: we’re ali here to serve. -1 think the public tive salaries, but about. costs © overaii. , The process was one of: zeroing in on a problem area. While it perhaps emphasized the concern over costs, it did . nothing to emphasize the positive services of the college. For the college system as a whole, I would. ~ have preferred a little more emphasis to ‘the. Positive. side. NSN: How will budget cutbacks affect Capilano College in the coming year? SPRATT: We're. entering negotiations with faculty at. ’ the present time, but I don’t want. to comment. on that. - This year will bring consol- - idation and a look at planning processes within the -instit-. ution, particularly as they pertain to setting priorities. _ With the’ state of . than they've been’ mad: ins the past. NSN: Can a ‘name some specific problems? . SPRATT: It's more a a. general problem throughout “the © institution. We're: Jooking ‘at -a.five-year plan for develop: | ment of the Lynnmour: site’ “and the. whole — physical, presence of the college in’ ‘féspect to the community. . The coming years will see a. continuation of, the - thrust - Anto community education. NSN: How high | are readomic standanle ere? Some people have sald that a lot o here are not too demanding courses.’ ay SPRATT: People 7 should . keep in mind that. we. offer... * two ) kinds of courses at: the: is . not. ' . concerned about administra- ° “the | economy we have to” make: decisions in. different areas | the courses offered’: “collége: First there are credit. “courses, with ‘the cost borne - by the taxpayer and student ‘fees. “All of the academic cour- ses offered by the college under “that “grouping are articulated with the univer- — sities and~ students receive ‘credit when they go to the ‘universities, so I don’t see any: reason for concern. We have. another type of course, ‘which we call comm- "unity education. In reference: . to ‘direct instructional cost’ ‘and supplies, they’re self- funded, except that there is an overhead—the cost of maintaining the buildings, and so: on—borne by the. taxpayer. . - Here 1 guess you - come down. to your philosophy of education. “ ‘lL believe ‘that if . the participant is paying a‘ fee and. sees a need. for a course, we have an obliga- -tion to provide the service | and not fit him into artificial Programs. ; The community College i is - a teaching institution, not a: . research. -. institution. It: should. be ‘directed to what | the. community. - wants to learn, what its. needs are. NSN: How: is the ‘college's relationship with the comm- unity?" : : SPRATT: 1 think : it ‘has | a good relationship with the - people who know the college - —~ people who have used its. ': services, sat on’ ‘council and | -so'on. I don’t think we do everything. we can to Keep ‘people: informed. . “This, is going to be a major concern ‘for colleges and all. public. institutions. The’ tax." payer is going to.be lookin at priorities,.and how muc of its money should be going °: ee facility. “Principal” ‘to education, health,- high’ “ways et cetera. a “NSN: Do you think of yo your. self, as ‘being’ ‘more’ ‘an’ ‘educator. than au: cadininies © - trator,’ ‘or the,’ other, wy : around? — what we neod to call rete f « 2 oe a ‘ * SPRATT: If 1 have ¢ to make that distinction, I'd say I: was. ‘more an educator than’ an: _Sdmintstrator. . . “Instead of a den in NSN: Do you still teach any 7 Classes? _ ‘SPRATT: No. 1 don’t 4 NSN: Do you miss that? - ° SPRATT: Yes 1 do. | _which everyone would . be SPRATT: it isn’t. an ‘area in happy. There are. terrific. demands placed on. teachers, ~ but I still think that teachers | have ‘one ‘of. the highest, . callings, if one ‘can still use , that term. We. entrust tow _ them our future. ee NSN: is there any one area of the college in which you have a ‘special interest? SPRATT: No, ‘I -like “the comprehensive. nature of colleges. They provide a very “special: education. for . stu- dents.. We. orientate our- selves. toward the student as a. person. NSN: How? SPRATT: Smaller class sizes. ' and a faculty who do not have the same demands placed on them for research and. publications. as do university faculties. : NSN: Do facalties and ‘boards at universities . ever. look’: down ‘at colleges. be- | cause they. don’t: emphasize - ‘research ani’ publication? SPRATT: 1 haven't. run ‘into. this. Our standards are very. _ high. Our students who go on to university . work: do very. - well. It isn’t. Pollyanna, but: there's a: lot of support from the universities. me “NSN: By ‘the WY): why, are, ‘you called: a,” ore SPRATT: You mean: instead president?. That's they it’s: de ned in. the: Public Se ols “Act. In‘ part it, reflects what: 1 “said, -about.;. this. being: © Ea conjures up ‘‘teacher”’ ‘more . .. than “president,” ve _NSN: Vin. otlll | young enou bi ‘that: md cual: ‘it “conures: ap: abe -achioaly, t detentions, and a dliles “SPRATT ‘Yoo, ‘that ‘is drawback, to: ‘the term.’ _ NSN: What ailvice would you. “give: ta: young} pepe ‘come. * Maoring Agneht peal 2) career? idea. behind | learning: your: ;prinelpal, ria, With ‘the decline of other social institutions,: with .res- : pect to inculcating © ‘values © : and attitudes in our young people, teachers. are even. more important now.: than: . they were 1S or 20 years, ago. NSN: But what moral values _ does our society - have” “wo teach?” Years. ago; . when education wes ‘the. respon. . sibility of the church, at least: you knew what you. were: working with—the - whole. Latin and © arithmetic. history was: to. make “good Christian. The school had a ‘set ‘of moral values _ behind it. uo Somewhere along: the. Ine . _we decided to. separate the church and the’ state, ‘and it. - was also decided that educa-— tion was the stato’s respon-. _ Sibility. Bot | what does British ‘Columbia believe: in? What does North Vancouver a West Vantouver belteve SPRATT: You're © “about a problem ; that: con- cerns all of: us, | both as: parents ‘and: as: ‘educators, The Jesuits: used’to. have a” saying: ‘‘Give ‘me. the’ child. “until he is’ six or, seven,"? In the’ final. analysis, 1. think it’s: what. the . child. learns at home; The shape of | the’ sapling determines: the ” tree, or something like: that, : se éthing: wrong! wth IG ove; : compassion, standing, vt for self und others, 7 PeRaBAMEREMY + talking, . onstrations galore, but. no ave, ‘been, proyen in'time: toe a ‘ most valuable: Thése: | mol ete, values dan’t: depend — on any church: tolerance, Under.” ' ye : * ne anes He received his B. A. sin political s science eat York. - University, and his: Masters :at the University. of ‘Toronto. After working as. assistant. chairman, o then chairman of Applied Arts and Liberal: Studies a oe at Seneca Coliege, he became the E Executive Dean : at Humber ' College. He has: “Spratt” has ‘been th principal “of. Capilano . College since September of 1974,:L spoke-to him in | his small, uncluttered “office at the college’ Ss North, ; : ; 7 Campus. a “By Shane McCune ne 7 there’ s ‘nothing 0 on: 5 that list late sixties were not terribly 7 ‘that ‘anyone, would: debate. (NSN: Pm ‘not so. ‘gure . ‘that any: of. those values ‘are . _ getting through. The. imp- . “pression: 1 get is that- most. . students, from Grade 10s” ‘through to’ mature students’ who are returning to campus NSN: You say, _ after years in the work force, * arily.”” Do you: think: ‘they'll . _are aftér.moriey. ‘At recent: return?» eaxeers day” at one of our — “Jecal “schools, ¥ noticed «a “heavy - upsurge of interest among’ students. in trades to assume it. ‘won't ' ind skilled labor, rather than: back. - . - social services and “‘glamor”. = are — professions. They seem tobe | NSN:. What’ are "your 8 interested in the fastest way ‘sonal. . ambitions,’ Teyond a make 'a good living. . Capilano College? ’ ‘SPRATT: If that is so, then SPRATT: Right now my-eff- *m sad to hear it. Our young | orts are concentrated on the - people are. trying . to. tell us: college. The challenge facing - a expected to get. ‘The methods of Sonfronta: ition and violence are. cfemp- : ~orarily bankrupt: a ee ’ SPRATT: I don’t know, but it. 3 : “come. ow: “well we’ re listening. time. a ae ‘I think: what some of them: |; * ave. grasped: the ring. that -fepresents. ‘our society, but — -others'- have gone. to—for - want. -of a. better term—the. iritual I gide of life. - aeeet : .. write, “But ‘education, as ; far as. something that. was. sci-fi, oe ‘I'm concerned, is the only futuristic, about where v we "res -known investment we have in going. " human capital. NSN: That’s ‘government provincially « affected the college? “se beacee “SPRATT: | don’t want to: | comment on that. : But I do think the educational system faces - some major changes. A lot.of people are asking the ques- _.tions. Education ‘today ‘has. undergone a lot of changes. even in the last 20 yeats. The’ ‘Jockstep ‘approach where. a’ student goes in at age. four. -and comes out — with a ua ‘baccalaureate will not. con-. _ Hinue to the. extent it has... |. The: housewife, ‘home. : ‘maker, . the “person. ‘ who. “i ‘decides to change careers —" ° ’ these are the people that are 2 really making the greatest |; eee on the Post-secondary, education scene. wie NSN: Why Is tt 80 quiet - on Campuses now? In the sixties “there were sit-ine and den: most students seom conser. ‘ ‘vative | or fuat apathetle, - yee ‘ , ‘SPRATT: It is quieter than in : _ the 1960s, I think ‘in part it. reflects. the composition of. our students. The amount of - =. Students over 25 is very high, ; , ‘and I thitik this'is trae as well’. : ‘in the. ‘alverniten: a don'ts (NSN: Hew: abot, your alll Le Nenow. ‘time: favorito mn le? ce Pmt “aM Faully."* eae “Leinimk we . would be foolish: : $e) ‘fo assume that students are Necessarily," apathetic, . They've, ‘elected | to. express |. | pernagives in ‘different ways, The campus turmolls of. the. aie. ie cat hat. cn me gothing Of pure Gacapism éd:bent the. “wnluglcals of, the tate. fortles ‘and carly fifties. pgs , 1 be . + : . an ° : tos r a M4 o wes -; functional. I don’t know that’. “they. -got the results - they” “Stémpor-’ fo ' would be walking a thin limb. . ‘something, and I don’t know =me is more than enough-for |.” . ‘one person to think about at: ao -aré: telling us is .that they - NSN: If you were to. write: ao -what.-would ‘it be—a -mon-fiction, - a schol- Mes arly treatise, or. what? « Town ‘SPRATT: I If I was, going to. ° ee _ Vd probably . write © . "interesting, we NSN: How has the change of Most. science. “fiction: writers . - = - are optimists or ‘moralists, or.