Spratt defends faculty
Originally published in the Courier’s pages on Sept. 2, 1975 // Photo of Principal Peter Spratt from the Capilano University Archives
Principal Peter Spratt defended the faculty of Capilano College before College Council during the summer, in response to charges that Cap College
is a “spawning ground for Communist propaganda.”
Laying the charges was Endla Rhetlande of West Vancouver, who said, “Maoists were teaching that capitalism is corrupt and that communism was for the people.”
She claimed that reading lists were slanted “against our way of life,” and gave as an example a book claiming to be an inside look at the workings of the RCMP.
Spratt sprang to the defense, pointing out that in “the social sciences, you can not deal with it without touching on Marx. It is the ethics of our profession to give the balanced view.”
He said he would not be in favour of a College Council advisory committee on course content.
He pointed out that teacher evaluation forms are handed out to each student allowing students to judge the faculty.