In the flurry of worrying about career paths, partnerships with industry, tuition and fees, we might completely forget the four years at university are supposed to be important formative years in young person’s life. (“Make sure debate about tuition costs is rooted in reality,” Western News, Sept. 18) There was a related article by columnist David Brooks published in National Post and New York Times International, University should be a place for soul-searching, not just money-grubbing.
Some professors pay more attention to this than others, but it seems to be just because of their personality and not because shaping students as individuals is officially related to our mission. I don’t think one should go as far as putting anything on that into the Senate handbook, but at least having some public discussion about it might be worth the effort.
Tatyana Barron
Associate professor
Department of Mathematics