such a responsibility and rose so magnificently to it to get the new institution on its feet.""‘ In an era of university protest and unrest, the ability just to get along was a noteworthy, and quite Canadian, sort of accomplishment. ¢X<>

In a spring 1970 note to Dean ofArts John Smith, President Baker admitted, “I had been prepared for a very bad year leading to a year or two of depression before we began the real job of building the new University. In fact, however, I think we have avoided the bad beginning...“ But the next few years would be considerably more difficult than the first year had been. UPEI came into existence just as federal funding for higher education was drying up. Yet it was committed to continuing the capital development needed to handle the students it had.“ Also, the runaway inflation of the early and mid-19705 meant the university had to pay much more for wages, fuel, and everything else. Staff positions were cut, and student ser- vices trimmed. Rising costs led to rising tuition, and so enrollment sputtered, as it did in many universities across Canada. Whereas UPEI had once been expected to have 3,000 students by 1975, its numbers actually dipped below 1,400 — fewer than in its first year, fewer than the combined total of St. Dunstan’s and Prince ofWales in 1968]“

But as rocky as these early years were, they might well have been fatal if not for the great strides made at the university's founding. By setting up the charter, curriculum, organizations, and governance

so quickly — and by making these not just makeshift affairs, but

structures with real permanence the university was able to with-

oo Baker convocation remarks, May [3, 1070, “Speeches V lll’l‘il Presidents" vertical tile, folder 1, l’l‘il Collection.

()1 Baker to Smith. :\pril 1, 1970, President's Correspondencc. folder ;, l’l‘il Collection.

()2 See Charlottetown JIM/Mr, December ;, mfg, "Lll’l‘il ~ l‘linances" \‘ertical file. item no. 10, l’l‘il collection.

4;; See Baker to 1‘1. l5. Shefiield, Chair, Commission on l’os’trhccondai'y Education. ()ctohcr g1, rum), President‘s Correspiindence, folder ‘,, l’l‘il Collection; and Leslie ll;tl’l‘is.“l'l)l':l: Ten Years later," 1o.\'1,p, 18, Pl‘il Collection.

46 —-t"r(‘vi>1.\xu