The ties that bind

Posted by admin on Apr 13, 2010 in Issues & Ideas | 0 comments

“Any student who has taken a class with professor Calvin Townsend – or hasn’t but seems to end up in his office anyways – knows that he is much more than a professor. To many, he is a mentor, adviser, counselor, life coach and friend. A beautiful soul.”

Many students share Leah Cummins’s sentiment, not just of professor Townsend, but of all professors that have chosen to enlighten the very essences of every student here at Trinity.

Professors are paid to impart information to the students; they speak for their allotted time and in many universities that is where the interaction between professor and student would end. However, at TWU that interaction continues long after the class has ended.
The professors reach within their vast experiences to convey the knowledge needed not only to succeed but also to enhance the working environment students will find themselves in upon graduation.

Greg Reinhart commented on these qualities when he said, “[My] business teachers are professionals of their professions. They are at the top of their industries because of their knowledge, experiences and morals.”

James Huang continued this conviction with his comment about another professor. “Gordon Chutter, he’s great at teaching us by sharing his experiences in the Human Services that relate to our practicum.”

Each student has different stories that could expound upon why Trinity professors go beyond being just another Ph.D. amongst the vast waves of intellectualism; these professors actually reach out to connect with students where they are at in life.

“I can’t pick the best [class] but one of my favourites…was Backgrounds to English Lit (Greek mythology) with Sarah Pearson,” explained Leah Gunter. “She introduced a card game similar to ‘Go Fish’ except it was with names of gods that needed to be matched to their attributes. It was very fun and I later adapted that to studying for other subjects.”

Many professors at TWU are masters at intermingling a humorous personality with a prolific amount of information, making their class something to look forward to during the day.

Nicole Douglas gives an example of her experience: “Any class with Ned Vankevich is going to be an exciting class. He has a sense of humour to go only with his broad range of knowledge on [countless subjects].”

As Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” With countless professors standing together, freely giving of themselves day in and day out, it is little wonder we are given an education that is one of the best in North America, if not the world. See you next year!