From the Editor
December 9, 2005
Matthew Jenkins
During this holiday season Trinity Western University will say goodbye to one of its most accomplished professors. Dr. Norm Klassen, a professor in the English Department, will be moving on to a new position at the University of Waterloo.
Dr. Klassen taught Chaucer, Fantasy Literature and a number of other classes, including IDIS 102 (he was the one without the German accent). In addition to co-writing a book for IDIS that will be published in the new year, Dr. Klassen made a huge impact on his students. Amalia Nickel, an Honours English student, said “taking his fantasy lit class brought me to a new level in my Christian beliefs. He taught in a way that was not just about literature, but about life.” His departure will leave behind a big gap at TWU.
Dr. Klassen is typical of many professors here. The vast majority bring to TWU an impressive set of academic credentials - Dr. Klassen got his
doctorate from Oxford. In addition to their accomplishments in the academic world, these professors also spend an extraordinary amount of time investing in the lives of their students. Such efforts have not gone unnoticed. In a recent satisfaction survey, 73% of the TWU students surveyed agreed with the statement “I feel free to turn to some of my professors for advice on personal matters.” This is in comparison to the national average of 38%.
Though students recognize and appreciate the active role that professors play in this university, this recognition does not seem to extend to the administration. While professors are far above national averages when it comes to academic prowess and building personal relationships, they receive salaries that are significantly below market value. According to a report issued by Statistics Canada, The average full professor at TWU made $78,498 in the 2004-2005 academic year. At UBC, this average was over $50,000 more, at $130,434.
The common explanation given for such a large discrepancy is that TWU is a privately funded institution, receives no money from the government, and is, as such, unable to pay professors what they are worth. What this explanation neglects to mention, however, is that even with government subsidies, the cost per student of public education is still less than at TWU. A recent issue of Maclean’s suggests that the average undergraduate cost per student in Canada is $12,000 - $14,000. A full semester at TWU is $14,500, and tuition is said to cover roughly 90% of the operating cost per student. This puts our cost per student at around the $16,000 mark, thousands of dollars more than the Canadian average.
When the exorbitant cost of attending this university is placed alongside the meager wages paid to the people that we are supposed to be receiving our education from, it becomes clear that a more sufficient explanation is needed. Why are we as students paying so much? And why is the faculty being paid so little?
The current draft of TWU’s Vision 2012 statement begins in this way: “Trinity Western University will be one of the world’s great Christian universities, leading through academic excellence, faculty and student research, and commitment to Christian thought in every area of learning.”
Without competitive salaries, we will continue to lose professors like Dr. Klassen, professors who love what they teach and the students they teach it to. If TWU really desires to become one of the world’s great Christian universities, it must pay its professors what they deserve.
Now you go...
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