I would like to thank you for running the opinion piece by Sabrina Singh (“Recovering the Satellites,” June 20) but also to point out what I consider to be some fairly glaring errors and assumptions made in the article. Specifically, I’d like to address the assumption that it’s somehow the job of students at UTSC and UTM to take more initiative in terms of integrating themselves with the whole of U of T.

The geographic distance between the various campuses dictates that it makes more sense for most students to study at the campus in which they are enrolled. I don’t see this as somehow detrimental to the identity of U of T as a whole. How often do a student of history and a student of engineering cross paths in the average year on St. George campus anyway? The problem is not that we have satellite campuses; the problem is simply that U of T is big.

The most insightful comment in the entire article came from the anonymous student at UTM, who noted that deadlines to enroll in courses at St. George, which are later for UTSC and UTM students, prevent some students from finding space in courses downtown. Now there’s a problem that could be addressed. Rather than putting the onus to study downtown on the generally content majority that has no wish to go to St. George anyway, how about removing the barriers for the minority who do wish to access a greater range of courses?

We are not in danger of evolving similarly to the University of California because we are constituted on an entirely different basis. We do not simply share a brand name, we share a common faculty. Our professors are your professors, cross-appointed to the appropriate departments downtown. This connection is what maintains parity between campuses in terms of the quality of education, and what also cements a permanent bond between them. Even more than students and administrators, the faculty would never allow or endorse a separation between campuses.

I’d like to stress that it is on absolutely no one’s agenda that UTSC or UTM should become separate institutions. Recently I’ve had the awkward task of explaining that to several students who took this article as a call to action against a non-existent threat. I really can’t understand the need to rant against the folly of doing something that no one wants or intends to do.

Jeff Rybak is Vice-President of Academics, Scarborough Campus Students’ Union