Editorial
Volume 2, Issue 2
Website: www.uwi.edu
“One UWI, One Alumni Family”
December 2006
Editorial
Potential has no Boundaries I am delighted to welcome you to this issue of the second year of Alumni@UWI. I hope that you are a loyal reader but if this is your first time, welcome! Our aim is to give alumni, parents and friends of The University of the West Indies an idea of what is happening amongst alumni, as well as at the University, where developments are constant and human potential is immense. In addition, we hope to give you a flavour of how our regional institution impacts the Caribbean and indeed the world, through our graduate population. Editor: Celia Davidson Francis Director of Alumni Relations Office of the Vice Chancellor Articles: Campus Communications and Public Relations Offices, Facilities Departments,
As a graduate of this University, this is your magazine, so I encourage you to give your input, comments and suggestions. Feel free to share it with others as well. To subscribe for issues, simply e-mail your contact details to our Alumni Relations Officer at iad@uwimona.edu.jm. Contribute articles and news that you think will be of interest, regionally and globally to your fellow alumni. Visit our website at www.uwi.edu and view past issues online or download the complete magazine or required pages.
SPOTLIGHT New Senior Appointments at UWI Appointment of Cave Hill Campus Principal Renewed
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HONOURS AND AWARDS Four Presented with Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence
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GRADUATION HIGHLIGHTS Sir Colville Young Urges Graduates to Stay and Serve the Caribbean
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PHILANTHROPY An AFUWI Volunteer’s Story
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All the best for the Christmas season and 2007. Happy reading!
VERY IMPORTANT PELICAN Doctoral Candidate Recognized for Excellence in Teaching Irvine Hall Honours Wayne Chen
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Campus Newsletters and various contributors.
NEW PROGRAMMES UWI to Train More Teachers by Distance Learning UWI Launches First Microsoft IT Academy
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Photography: Nathaniel Stewart - 2nd year UWI student, Faculty of Pure & Applied Sciences, Campus photographers
Members of the Vice Chancellor’s Presidents Club UWIAA - Presidents
UWIMAA - Presidents
Ms. Maxine McClean - Barbados Dr. Lisa Johnson - Belize Dr. Marcia Potter - British Virgin Islands Ms. Deborah Ann Lee - Cayman Mr. Ronald White - Florida Mrs. Nadine Marriott - Jamaica Ms. Sheree Jemmotte - Montserrat Dr. Hazel Carter - New York Dr. Cameron Wilkinson - St. Kitts & Nevis Mr. Nkrumah Lucien - St. Lucia Ms. Maud Fuller - Toronto Mr. Jerry Medford - Trinidad & Tobago Mr. Vernon Barrett - United Kingdom Ms. Sha-Shana Crichton - Washington DC
Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.
Homer Bloomfield - Bahamas Mike Hoyos - Barbados Karl Massiah - Canada Victor Boodhoo - Florida (Central) Anna Matthews - Jamaica Deo Singh - Trinidad & Tobago Gerry Groves - USA Tri-State
UWIMAA - Past Presidents
Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. UWIAA- Past Presidents Dr. Prof. Frank Alleyne - Barbados Dr. Dr. Kedrick Pickering - British Virgin Islands Dr. Mrs. Beverley Pereira - Jamaica Dr. Mrs. Brenda Skeffrey - Jamaica Dr. Mrs. Patricia Sutherland - Jamaica Dr. Mr. Frederick Bowen - Trinidad & Tobago Dr. Mr. Ulric Warner - Trinidad & Tobago Dr. Prof. Franklin Knight - Washington DC
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Contents
Robin Roberts - Bahamas Jeff Massay - Barbados Cecil Aird - Florida (Central) Novelle Kirwan - Florida (Central) Peter Fletcher - Jamaica Sonia Henry-Heywood - Jamaica Aileen Standard-Goldson - Jamaica Richard Whitelocke - Jamaica Nadia Williams - Jamaica Vijay Naraynsingh - Trinidad & Tobago Godfrey Rajkuma - Trinidad & Tobago Winston Mitchell - USA Tri-State Hardat Sukhdeo - USA Tri-State Kathleen Watson - USA Tri-State
RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE AFUWI Awards Three Scholarships Ann Marie Grant Appointed Executive Director AFUWI
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COLLABORATION UWI Librarian Assists in Implementing E-library Disaster System UWI Professor Participates in TEDS-M International Expert Panel Meeting
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MONA CAMPUS EVENT Tallawah Drama Festival
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CAMPUS REPORTS Champion Debater is Cave Hill’s Inaugural Ambassador New UWI STAT Ambassadors Appointed St. Augustine Graduation Luncheon
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THE FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE
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CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS Caribbean Child Research 2006 21 UWI Lecturer Participates in Education Forum 21 UWIAA CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS Dr. Cameron Wilkinson, President, UWIAA St. Kitts and Nevis Chapter
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BELIZE CHAPTER AWARDS CEREMONY
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ALUMNI RELATIONS UWI Alumni Month at Cave Hill
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VIEWPOINT UWI: A Place for Students to Acquire an Education Rather than just a Degree...
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CARIBBEAN FOCUS UWI Hoping to Score in Cricket Exhibition
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Cover photo: Graduation Highlight L-R: Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal, UWI St. Augustine Campus, Bhoendradatt Tewari; UWI Chancellor, Sir George Alleyne; Ms. Jamaica Kincaid, a recipient of the honorary Doctor of Laws degree (LLD) and UWI Vice Chancellor, Professor E. Nigel Harris.
Spotlight
New Senior Appointments at UWI A major changing of the guards is anticipated next year at The University of the West Indies when no less than four senior managers will proceed on retirement, necessitating the appointment of suitable persons to replace them. The University Council, meeting in Extraordinary session on Thursday, November 9th at the Mona Campus, agreed on replacements for three of the four positions: Principal of the Mona Campus, Pro Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies, and Pro Vice Chancellor for the Outreach Sector. The fourth position – that of University Registrar – is still to be decided.
Professor Gordon Shirley won the approval of the University Council to become Principal of the Mona Campus, effective August 1, 2007 on the retirement of current Principal, Pro Vice Chancellor Elsa Leo-Rhynie; Professor Alvin Wint, current Head of the Department of Management Studies, will take up the position of Pro Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Studies upon the retirement of Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Marlene Hamilton, and Professor Gordon Shirley Professor Hazel Simmons-McDonald, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education at Cave Hill, will take on responsibility for the Non-Campus Countries and Distance Education as Pro Vice Chancellor upon the retirement next year of Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Lawrence Carrington. Professor Shirley started his professional career with Alcan Jamaica Company Limited as a Mechanical Engineer in the mid 1970s after completing his BSc. in Engineering at the St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad. On completing his doctorate in Business Administration and Operations Management at Harvard University, he took an assignment as Assistant Professor at the University of California from 1987 to 1991. He then returned to Jamaica and was appointed as the Carlton Alexander Professor of Management at the UWI Mona Campus, serving as Head of the Department of Management Studies and as Executive Director of the Mona School of Business. He also served concurrently as Executive Chairman of the Jamaica Public Service from 1997 to 2001.
Professor Alvin Wint is an intellectually gifted academic. He did his undergraduate education at the UWI, Mona Campus before completing an MBA (in Finance) at Northeastern University in Boston and his Doctorate in International Business at Harvard
University. He then took up an appointment at Northeastern University as Associate Professor of Management and had responsibilities, inter alia, for faculty policy, graduate programmes, complaints resolution and student life quality. He joined the staff at Mona Campus in 1993 and served as Head of the Department of Management Studies Professor Alvin Wint from 1997 to 2003. Professor Wint has received numerous awards, including the Vice Chancellor’s Award in 2003 for all-round Excellence in Teaching, Public Service and University Service. Professor Wint chairs the Strategic Planning Task Force at the Mona Campus. He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Statistical Institute of Jamaica and serves on the Boards of the National Commercial Bank and NCB Insurance Company, JAMPRO and Jamaica Producers Group Ltd.
Professor Hazel Simmons-McDonald is Professor of Applied Linguistics and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education at the UWI Cave Hill Campus. She has considerable experience in and understanding of, the educational needs of the Eastern Caribbean countries. Her professional experience began in 1970 in the UWI School of Continuing Studies in St. Lucia as Part-time Instructor of English Language and Professor Hazel Simmons-McDonald Literature. She was Acting Resident Tutor from 1973-1974 and served at the Mona Campus as Temporary Lecturer from 1977-1979. Professor Simmons-McDonald has been a faculty member at Cave Hill since 1991. Since 1993, she has provided leadership as Deputy Dean (Outreach), as Head of Department and as of 2003, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education.
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Spotlight
Appointment of Cave Hill Campus Principal Renewed The Council of The University of the West Indies, meeting in Extraordinary session on Thursday, November 9 at the Mona Campus, agreed to renew the appointment of Professor Hilary Beckles as Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Cave Hill Campus for a further five-year period, when his current term ends on July 31, 2007.
Professor Hilary Beckles
In putting forward the recommendation to Council, the Vice Chancellor, Professor E. Nigel Harris, pointed to Professor Beckles’ visionary leadership and his ability to forge
mutually beneficial partnerships with the private sector in Barbados as well as with the Government. His successful efforts in advancing the position of The University of the West Indies in the region and beyond, through the promotion of cricket and the arts, have been exemplary. Council had no hesitation in acceding to the Vice Chancellor’s recommendation to have the appointment renewed. Professor Beckles will therefore continue as Principal of the Cave Hill Campus until July 31, 2012.
Four presented with Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence The Vice Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence for 2006 were presented to Dr. Kim Mallalieu - Teaching, St. Augustine (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering); Professor Rose-Marie Antoine - Research, Cave Hill (Faculty of Law); Professor Helen Jacobs - Research, Mona (Department of Chemistry) and Mr. Cordel Nelson for Service to the University Community, Mona (the Registry, Examinations Section). The awardees were described by Professor Antoine in her reply on their behalf, as individuals who share certain common characteristics, which include commitment, sense of pride in their work, creativity and loyalty to the University. Their commitment, she said, is not just to their various subjects but to the University, to their communities, their countries, and their region. With this commitment, comes hard work, perseverance, determination and perhaps, a little toughness, which is often needed in the face of adversity and sacrifice and requires going far beyond the call of duty. The sense of pride that the awardees experience comes from the love of their work; their loyalty to a University of which they are proud, the opportunity to shape the leaders of tomorrow, and from the fact that their work helps to set policy and shape development. The UWI helps to inculcate this sense of pride which is
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essential for excellence. “Unless we in the region understand that we have the capacity not just to follow, but to LEAD, including taking a lead in the formulation of new ideas, concepts and methods, we will not attain real development”, Professor Antoine indicated. “For us to excel, and for Left to right: Mr. Cordel Nelson, Professor Helen Jacobs, our University to SOAR, Professor Rose-Marie Antoine and Dr. Kim Mallalieu. They are also for the institution, for the communities which we serve and indeed, the entire region. They represent a recognition of the capacity of our peoples to excel, to shine, even against the odds”.
Professor Rose-Marie Antoine replies on behalf of the awardees.
we must develop a more aggressive pioneering spirit, we must inculcate attitudes and values of creativity and innovation grounded in our belief as a confident people that we are not only just as good as, but often better than”, she continued. Professor Antoine said that, “These awards are not just for the awardees.
“It is our duty to let Caribbean peoples know what we can do and what we have done - so that we can be mentors and role models, can help to instill a sense of pride and self worth in the region. And so, when the labourer from Dominica picks up a tomato in the supermarket, he must know that that tomato was invented in a lab in St. Augustine. These awards give a face to the excellent work of the UWI and permit the awardees to share in the great tradition of excellence of the UWI”, she concluded.
Graduation Highlights
Opportunity Brings Responsibility “Knowledge for its own sake is a luxury which we cannot afford,” cautioned President of the Republic of Trinidad and To b a g o , H i s Excellency Professor the H o n o u r a b l e George Maxwell Richards. He was speaking as one of four recipients of honorary Doctor of Laws degrees (LLD) at The University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus 2006 graduation ceremonies. Referring specifically to the recent introduction of free tertiary education by the government of Trinidad and Tobago, Professor Richards warned that with opportunity would come great responsibility. “The University must be the centre of the development process. Graduates of this University must have a clear understanding, therefore, of the truth that nothing is really free. Everything comes with a price, which somebody pays,” he said. Professor Richards, a former Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal of the St. Augustine Campus, was recently appointed Chancellor of the University of Trinidad and Tobago.
Ms. Jamaica Kincaid receives the honorary Doctor of Laws degree (LLD) from Sir George Alleyne, Chancellor, UWI.
“We like to believe that our conferring an honorary degree on you adds lustre to us who give and to you who receive, and I trust that as an alumnus of our University you will undertake those responsibilities that fall on all alumni,” stated Sir George Alleyne, Chancellor of The University of the West Indies.
Speculating that he was the oldest living member of the University’s Faculty of Social Sciences, the septuagenarian, whose health has been wavering of late, said, “I have been ill for the last so many years and one of the gratifications of being ill is that I have been able to listen to the nation speak to itself.
Rather than deliver a traditional acceptance address however, a visibly moved Kincaid chose to read a powerful passage from her first short story, Girl.
UWI Vice Chancellor, Professor E. Nigel Harris, was also on hand to offer his “warmest congratulations” to this year’s graduating class.
George Price, who became Belize’s first Premier in 1961, received the honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree. Price, who is now retired from active representational politics, was honoured in 2000 for the prominent role he played in leading Belize to independence in 1981.
The fourth honorary doctorate was conferred on Trinidadian economist Lloyd Best who was recognized by CARICOM in 2002 for his sterling contribution to the region’s intellectual advancement. He delivered the feature address from his wheelchair in the audience.
In order to accommodate its growing student population, the University separated the graduation event into four ceremonies. This year, valedictory speeches were delivered by Aziza Farrah Javed, Khaleel Mohammed, Shelly Ann O’Neil and Shivana Beharry.
The Rt. Honourable George Price and Mr. Lloyd Best also received the LLD Honoris Causa, while Miss Jamaica Kincaid received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree.
_____________________________ The graduation ceremonies could be viewed on Intranet (on the campuses) as well as on the Internet.
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Graduation Highlights
Sir Colville Young Urges Graduates to Stay and Serve the Caribbean said. “You have knowledge; use it wisely and use it well,” Sir Colville added. Colonel Collin L. G. Harris of the Moore Town Maroons also received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the UWI. Colonel Harris has had a distinguished career as a leader of a traditional Maroon community. In 1972 he was instrumental in getting the Jamaican Government to recognize and elevate Nanny to the rank of National Heroine.
Sandra Powell Mangaroo being congratulated on her achievement by Sir George Alleyne, UWI Chancellor.
Sir Colville Young
Sir Colville Young, Governor-General of Belize, has urged graduates of The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, to remain in the region and contribute to its development. “Stay and serve for Caribbean lives and people,” Sir Colville said shortly after receiving the honorary Doctor of Laws degree at the UWI graduation ceremony, held at the National Indoor Sports Centre (NISC), St. Andrew. Sir Colville told graduates that while salaries and conditions were more attractive in other countries, they represented the best talents and brains the Caribbean has. “Without you and your dedicated service, we are indeed `Children of Sisyphus’ ... trapped in despair and poverty,” he
Sir George Alleyne encourages Stacie Miller to continue to excel. PhD graduates
Roman Catholic priest, Father Richard Ho Lung, Justice Dr. L. Dolliver Nelson, a Grenadian national and former judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and anthropologist Professor Sidney Mintz also received honorary Doctor of Laws degrees at the graduation ceremony.
A graduate and her family share the spotlight at the Mona Campus graduation ceremony.
Cave Hill Campus Graduation Ceremony caught on camera Sir George Alleyne, Chancellor of the University presents Sir Roy Trotman with his award.
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Graduates at the Cave Hill Campus graduation cerem ony.
Philanthropy
An AFUWI Volunteer’s Story Most Fortune 500 companies in the US have volunteer incentive programs, perhaps not as generous as Verizon, but programs which would allow The University of the West Indies to benefit. The time is right for a campaign to encourage alumni and friends of UWI across the United States, to make an annual, fully tax-deductible contribution to the University through the American Foundation for The University of the West Indies (AFUWI), so that the University can benefit from the matching gift. Alumni who are in positions of influence may wish to consider using their influence along with the Verizon model to affect change in their companies, whereby the UWI can receive the benefits. More detailed information on the Verizon Volunteers Program taken from foundation.verizon.com follows: "The Verizon Foundation offers a variety of volunteerism programs on behalf of our employees in the United States and abroad. Verizon employees volunteer their time each year to worthwhile community-based organizations where we live and work. Through these programs, we donate millions of dollars to charitable organizations. At Verizon, we are committed to donating time and resources to our local communities". Some of the programs which Verizon offers are: The Verizon Matching Incentive Prog r a m ( M I P ) p r o v i d e s a n opportunity for all eligible active employees and retirees to have their contributions matched in one or more categories of giving, including education, arts and culture, health and human services, and the environment The Verizon Team Incentive Program (TIP) encourages employees to form teams of ten or more to collectively raise funds for nonprofit organizations across the country through annual organized "pledge-a-thon" events, such as walk-a-thons or bike-a-thons, hosted by qualified nonprofit organizations.
The Verizon Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) recognizes employees' contribution of time and talent to nonprofit organizations where they live and work. Under the program, employees apply for a grant for the qualified organization where they volunteered at least 50 hours during the year. The Verizon Disaster Relief Incentive Program (DRIP) provides eligible employees with the opportunity to earn up President of Verizon Foundation, Mr. Patrick R. to a maximum of $2,000 per Gaston, hands over a cheque to Ambassador Laurine Fenton (former OECS Ambassador to Canada), year in matching funds, Manager - Verizon Network Operations. matched 1:1, to qualifying disaster relief organizations for From 1998 to 2005, through VIP, natural disasters that include Verizon has made a contribution of floods, hurricanes, fires and other $500 to each of two organizations extraordinary human disaster events. (including UWI) for which Ms. Fenton has volunteered. In 2006, Verizon's Ambassador Laurine donation for her annual volunteer time of 50 hours or more, will increase to Fenton's story $750. Since 1998, Ambassador Laurine Fenton has utilized three of the Verizon When AFUWI conducted its first Volunteers Programs, Matching Radio-Thon, Ambassador Fenton Incentive Program (MIP), Volunteer sought 10 employees who were of Incentive Program (VIP), and the Team Caribbean origin, asked them to be a Incentive Program (TIP) to make part of a Verizon team, assured them contributions to The University of the that all they had to do was make a West Indies, through its tax-exempt donation, and she would do the rest of arm, the American Foundation for The the work. The Verizon team raised University of the West Indies (AFUWI), $5,365, and Verizon through TIP, based in New York. matched it 1:1, thereby raising $10,730, more than one-third of the Earlier this year when she was total Radio-Thon proceeds. honoured at the AFUWI 2006 Gala, she solicited contributions of Verizon Foundation's contribution to $100 from friends, co-workers, AFUWI over the years has surpassed family members, former students, three hundred thousand dollars Montserratians, UWI alumni and (US$300,000). Ambassador Fenton church. To date over $18,000 has hopes that by sharing her story, other been collected, and of that amount, alumni, especially those employed in approximately $4,000 came from the United States will be inspired to Verizon though MIP as the match for use their company's matching gifts donations from employees. Verizon program to make tax-deductible Foundation also supported the 2006 contributions to The University of the Gala with a contribution of $70,000. In West Indies. addition, Verizon has matched all of Ambassador Laurine Fenton Ambassador Fenton's donations to ____________________________________ AFUWI. For example, through MIP, a $500 donation would be matched with Editor’s note: The word “program” is written in the American English format to maintain the a cheque for $750, because the first correct name of the Verizon projects and for $250 was matched 2:1, and any consistency throughout the article. donation above that was matched 1:1.
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Recognizing Excellence
AFUWI Awards Three Scholarships The Chairman of the Board of the American Foundation for The University of the West Indies (AFUWI), Michael Flanigan is pleased that the Gordon Harris scholarship has been presented for the 2006/2007 academic year to three students at the Mona Campus: Kayan Kamala James, Andre A. Henry, and Dane Salmon.
Kayan Kamala James
Andre A. Henry
Dane Salmon
All three say that this financial assistance has encouraged them and added zeal for them to strive for excellence in their chosen field. Kayan summed it up when she stated that, "The scholarship will serve to remind me that hard work and success complement each other. I am grateful that there are persons who deem it a pleasure to promote hard work and excellence through financial assistance for students‌.. You have ignited a candle of hope in my life that will never go out. I will allow this light to shine through my life by being an exemplary individual". The Gordon and Daniella Harris Foundation donated US$5,700 to w a r d s scholarships for undergraduate students enrolled in Computer Science at The University of the West Indies through the American Foundation for The University of the West Indies (AFUWI) in 2003 and the first scholarships were granted in 2004.
Ann Marie Grant Appointed Executive Director AFUWI The Board of the American Foundation for The University of the West Indies is pleased to announce the appointment of Ann Marie Grant to the position of Executive Director of the Foundation located in New York City. She will be responsible for the marketing of, and fund-raising for The University of the West Indies in the United States. She currently holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Studies from The University of the West Indies and a Master of Business Administration degree from Nova Southeastern University. Grant comes to the Foundation from the private sector with a wealth of experience garnered from her previous employment at Grace Kennedy Remittance Services in New York, where she held the position of Business Development Manager, and prior employment at Cable and Wireless Jamaica Limited in the capacity of Vice President of Business Services.
Graduation Highlights - Mona UWI Chancellor, Sir George Alleyne speaks with Dr. Ruth Potopsingh, Group Managing Director, Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica. She graduated with a PhD in Environmental Strategy.
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Dr. Christine Marrett qualified for a PhD in Social Policy and is congratulated by Sir George Alleyne.
Recognizing Excellence
Very Important Pelican (VIP) Consultant Dermatologist, Dr. Michael Fitz-Henley graduated from The University of the West Indies in 1979 and has since blazed a career trail in the Jamaican private and public sectors as well at the St. Johns Hospital for Diseases of the Skin in London. While at the UWI, he received the “Memorial Prize” in Microbiology and was an honours student in Pharmacology. He was also the very first graduate of Family Medicine at UWI. His postgraduate achievements include a Diploma in Dermatology (with distinction) and the award of the Chesterfield Medal for being first in class from the Institute of Dermatology, St. Johns Hospital for Diseases of the Skin. His studies at Institute were facilitated by a Commonwealth Scholarship. In addition to operating a private practice at Dermatology Associates, he contributes to his alma mater as an Associate Lecturer and part-time Consultant Dermatologist at the University Hospital of the West Indies. In the area of disaster management, Dr. Fitz-Henley has been responsible for preparing the Disaster Preparedness and Management curriculum for medical students. He was also a member of the team, which prepared the core course in Disaster Management for Health Professionals. Dr. Fitz-Henley has special interests in Dermatological surgery which includes excision of keloids and skin cancers with flap and graft surgery; sclerotherapy of Telangiectasias and varicose veins; laser therapy of small vascular and pigmented lesions (first dermatologist in the English-speaking Caribbean);
chemical peels of face and body and contact dermatitis and patch testing. Publications he has written include: a series of CME “Cases for diagnoses” in the West Indian Medical Journal. He is a sought after lecturer in his field of specialization and is often interviewed by the media. He has attended many conferences and training programmes including Caribbean Collage of Family Physicians “Guide to the Management of Clinical Challenges in Dermatology; the Dr. Ena Thomas 32nd Memorial Symposium on “Infections” and a leprosy workshop at The University of the West Indies where he presented papers on various aspects of leprosy. In 2000 he received a long service award for twenty years of service to the University Hospital of the West Indies. He also received the Professor H. Dr. Michael Fitz-Henley Williams award for Presentation Most Relevant to Caribbean (since 2002) and a member of the Dermatology at a meeting of the International Society of Dermatology. Caribbean Dermatology Association in Cayman. Despite his busy schedule, he finds time for hobbies in music and sport. Dr. Fitz-Henley is a Past President of He plays the piano, keyboard, the Dermatology Association of trumpet and guitar and enjoys lawn Jamaica, the current President of the and table tennis as well as Caribbean Dermatology Association badminton and chess.
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Recognizing Excellence
National Honours Conferred Congratulations to Professor Owen Morgan on his appointment as Member of the Order of Jamaica ‘for distinguished contribution to Medicine and Medical Education in Jamaica and internationally, and to Ms. Marva Phillips, Member of the Order of Distinction in the rank of Commander (CD) ‘for outstanding service in the field of Trade Union Education both locally and regionally.
Doctoral Candidate Recognized for Excellence in Teaching Adian McFarlane graduated from The University of the West Indies in 2001 with a First Class Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Accounts. Subsequently, he joined the staff of the University as a lecturer in the Department of Economics and as a research assistant for the West Indies Group of University Teachers. Mr. McFarlane is now a doctoral candidate in Economics at the University of Manitoba and has been recognized for his excellence in teaching Principles of Economics and Microeconomic Theory and its Applications. One letter of support states ". . . in only his first year of teaching in our Department, Adian has clearly become one of our top instructors in what are perhaps our most difficult courses to teach . . .” Teaching evaluations attest to Mr. McFarlane’s skill and diligence as a communicator. He invites open and respectful communication at every opportunity to promote an environment conducive to learning. He introduces new topics with a motivating factor that draws on everyday experiences and/or current affairs. . . he provides a clear and simple exposition of concepts, cognizant that many students do not have English as their first language." The Graduate Student Teaching Excellence Awards is open to all graduate students in the Faculty of Arts who have responsibility for teaching a course. Two winners are selected each academic year from among the nominees by the Faculty of Arts Teaching Excellence Committee, based on their letters of support, results of the standardized teaching evaluation survey, and their teaching dossier.
PhD Student Chosen by CAS to Represent UWI Mona Nadale Downer-Riley, a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences was chosen by the Caribbean Academy of Sciences (CAS) to represent the UWI Mona Campus at the 56th meeting of Nobel Laureates, held in Lindau, Germany earlier this year. This is the 18th assembly in
Chemistry and featured eighteen laureates in Chemistry, three in Physics and two in Physiology/Medicine among over five hundred scientists from forty-eight countries. The opportunity was made possible with the support of the CAS and UNESCO.
Caribbean Quarterly Nominated for Inclusion in Premium Research Database Caribbean Quarterly has been nominated by EBSCO Publishing for inclusion in their premium subscription-based research database: Humanities International Complete, giving the journal an alternative means of exposure as well as earning royalties as a participating publisher. The journal was established
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in 1949 as one of the University’s flagship publications. EBSCO Publishing is a leading producer and distributor of research databases for libraries and educational institutions worldwide. It can be found in close to 90% of public and academic libraries in the
United States and Canada. It has excellent penetration in Western Europe, and, due to an exclusive arrangement with a philanthropic organization, their products are installed in every college, university and public library in over forty developing countries including eleven African nations.
Recognizing Excellence
Eric Williams Memorial Collection Selected Scholarly Activities
"The Florida International University Eric E. Williams Memorial Lecture - now in its eighth consecutive year, continues to present distinguished individuals speaking on a variety of topics of interest to the Diaspora: John Hope Franklin; former President of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda; Hilary Beckles, Principal and Pro Vice Chancellor of The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus; the Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Eric Williams of The Bahamas - Cynthia Pratt; the Attorney General of Barbados - Mia Mottley; Beverley Anderson-Manley, former First Lady of Jamaica and renowned radio broadcaster; a celebrated civil and women's rights activist, Angela Davis; University of Virginia political scientist Robert Fatton, Jr., and prize-winning author Edwige Danticat; Dr. Hollis Liverpool, also known as the calypsonian, "Chalkdust", University of the Virgin Islands; and Colin A. Palmer, Dodge Professor of History, Princeton University. "Williams' most famous work, Capitalism and Slavery is being translated this year for the first time into Korean its eighth foreign language.
The Williams Family
"Howard University Law Professor, Harold McDougall, has recently completed a legal brief on the issue of 'reparations' using Capitalism and Slavery as its basis.
The Eric Williams Memorial Collection
"Dodge Professor of History at Princeton University, Colin Palmer, has just published his brilliant biography of Williams up to 1970 entitled: Eric Williams and the Making of the Modern Caribbean - University of North Carolina Press. "A total of three other scholarly biographies of Williams either have been published or are in process, in the seven years since the inception of the Eric Williams Memorial Collection (EWMC). "University of Sheffield, UK / The University of the West Indies will hold the annual one-day seminar for the former's Caribbean postgraduate teachers on January 9, 2007. This will focus on Eric Williams' Education and the British West Indies and will be combined with a visit to the EWMC.
Oxford University Doctorate in 1938
Comments on the Collection "As a model for similar archival collections in the Caribbean…I remain very impressed by its breadth…..[it] is a national treasure." Colin Palmer, Dodge Professor of History, Princeton University, 2003
"[The Eric Williams Memorial Collection at The University of the West Indies] is the most important development in scholarship in the Caribbean in recent years. It is a wonderful collection."
"[Those] who labored in the organizational, financial and other vineyards to create the Collection, have provided a unique intellectual gift, not just to Trinidad and Tobago, but to the entire region. One only hopes that folks in Trinidad and in the rest of the region and its diaspora, treat it as such." Ivelaw Griffith, Dean, Florida International University, Honors College, 2005
"An excellent presentation of material of great significance."
"…[T]he Eric Williams Memorial Collection…must be encouraged…for the sake of the younger generation and their successors…the flame must be kept alive by support, tangible and otherwise…Without an understanding of our beginnings, the way ahead could be fraught with…missteps."
John Rowett, Rhodes Trust, Oxford University, UK, 2002
George Maxwell Richards, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Tony Martin, Professor, Africana Studies, Wellesley College, Mass., 2005
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Recognizing Excellence
Irvine Hall Honours Wayne Chen The administrators and students of Irvine Hall on The University of the West Indies Mona Campus took time out to celebrate with a grand reunion weekend of activities, the highlight of which was the staging of their annual Homecoming Dinner and Dance at the University’s Assembly Hall. The occasion also offered the perfect opportunity for the Irvinites, both old and new, to honour Wayne Chen, CEO of Super Plus Food Stores and a former Irvinite, with the inaugural Distinguished To r c h b e a r e r A w a r d f o r outstanding contribution to the hall and the University. Mr. Chen, who lived on Irvine Hall for three years (1976-79), said that he felt honoured and grateful.
His Excellency Cedric Harper, Commissioner of St. Kitts and Nevis (second left), Her Excellency Yvonne Josephs-Gittens, High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago, Carlton Lowrie, Student Services Manager (left) and Wayne Chen, Awardee and CEO of Super Plus Food Stores at the Irvine Hall Homecoming Dinner.
“It makes me very proud to think that a hall where I lived for three years, right-out of high school, and which contributed significantly to my development, should 30 years later seek to honour me in this way. It makes me feel extremely proud and humbled,” Chen said. Over the years, Chen has been associated with several research projects at the UWI and has sponsored several students to pursue degree programmes at the institution. The Distinguished Torchbearer Award was established to pay tribute to former Irvinites who have excelled in their respective professional fields and who continue to contribute to the growth and development of the hall. Founded in 1950, Irvine Hall was the first hall of residence
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established on the Mona Campus and bears the name of the late Sir James Irvine, who was chairman of the UWI’s founding committee. Today, the hall is home to approximately 280 students from over 15 Caribbean countries.
Wayne Chen, CEO of Super Plus Food Stores, is the inaugural recipient of the Irvine Hall Distinguished Torch Bearer Award, presented to him for his contribution to the hall, University, Jamaica and the Caribbean.
New Programmes
UWI to Train More Teachers by Distance Learning The University of The West Indies is planning to train more teachers to the degree level through its distance learning programmes across the region, according to Deputy Principal of the Mona Campus, Joseph Pereira. “This decision is in response to a series of consultations in the various territories where the institution’s distance programmes are offered, which showed the need for upgrading of teachers throughout the region,” Mr. Pereira said. The consultations were done by Vice Chancellor, Professor E. Nigel Harris and his team in the UWI 12 countries of the English-speaking Caribbean which do not have UWI campuses, and in which courses are delivered remotely. The Deputy Principal was speaking at a luncheon in honour of the first batch of sixty-five teachers to complete the Bachelor in Education (Distance) Programme at Mona. “The Faculty of Humanities and Education sees immediately that this project can be expanded. The more students you have in a particular programme, the lower the per capita cost. It makes it more viable economically, while at the same time
we are answering the clearly expressed needs of these other countries”, Mr. Periera said. The Deputy Principal commended the group for completing their degrees in three and half years, and for the low dropout rate from the programme, which he said was below the campus average. This, he said, was the case even though the dropout rate for distance learning programmes was generally high. He also noted that fourteen of the students achieved first-class honours - which was again above the campus average. Assistant Chief Education Officer, Tertiary Unit, Ministry of Education and Youth, Philbert Dhyll, urged the graduates to at least serve their threeyear bonds in the public school system. The graduating class had eight teachers specializing in computer science, nine in history, one in physics, thirteen in mathematics, twenty-six in language/literature, two in biology and five in Spanish. Source: The Jamaica Observer, October 31, 2006
Public Lecture Fifth Biennial Lucille Mathurin Mair Public Lecture The Centre for Gender and Development Studies, Mona Unit, hosted its Fifth Biennial Lucille Mathurin Mair Public Lecture, in commemoration of The International Day Against Violence Against Women 2006. The Honourable Madame Justice Desiree Bernard O.R., C.C.H., the first female judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice delivered the Lecture entitled ‘Confronting Gender-Based Violence in the Caribbean’. She is the recipient of Guyana’s Cacique Crown of Honour and the Order of Roraima, and was the first female High Court Judge in the Supreme Court in Guyana, the first female Chief Justice, the first female Chancellor of the Judiciary and of the Commonwealth and has served as the first and only female President of the Organisation of Commonwealth Caribbean Bar Association (OCCBA). Chief Justice Bernard has also made valuable contributions to women and development. She was a founding member of the Caribbean Women’s Association (CARIWA), and was commissioned by the government in the early 1980s to head the Commission on the Status of Women which led to significant legal reform in Guyana. The Public Lecture honours Dr. Lucille Mathurin Mair, a distinguished Jamaican diplomat, historian and women’s activist.
UWI Degree in Disaster Reduction The Centre for Disaster Risk Reduction Management at The University of the West Indies is to begin offering degree programmes in disaster risk reduction next year. According to Professor Wayne Hunte, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research at the institution, several persons across the region have responsibility for risk reduction but have little training in that area. The centre was established because of the devastating impact that Hurricane Ivan had on Grenada and Jamaica in 2004. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) conducted a consultation in 2002, which examined whether tertiary level institutions were adequately looking at training in disaster management. Professor Hunte noted that it was found that while some sort of training existed, it was poorly co-ordinated. Jeremy Collymore, co-ordinator for CDERA, said the aim is to have a co-ordinated effort to ensure that the delivery of teaching and research at the institutions meet the priority needs of the region. A two-day consultation held on the Mona Campus of the University decided that UWI will lead the process of a stakeholder dialogue on risk reduction issues in the education sector across the region. The meeting examined the number of i n i t i a t i v e s ta k i n g p l a c e i n t h e institutions and a draft framework driven by four, priority outcomes was developed. These are: • A regional disaster risk reduction outcome to lead the knowledge management, • Standardisation of disaster teaching materials and products across the region, • The need for solution driven research, and • A strategy and curriculum for building a culture of safety for the region.
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New Programmes
Mona School of Business Climbing the corporate or professional ladder? Chances are there will be greater responsibilities coming your way. Equip yourself with the tools to carry out the most complex assignment in a timely manner and save money while doing so. Empower yourself with the skills to prioritize and manage your workload successfully. Prepare yourself for the next level by sharpening those ‘soft’ skills.
Welcome to the MSB Executive Suite A package of short courses designed to provide those critical, often overlooked finishing touches. Course Name
Number of hours
Dates
The Executive Speaking Edge
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Oct 21, 28 and Nov 4, 2006
Creating High Impact Presentations
7
Nov 11, 2006
Social, Business and Professional Etiquette
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Nov. 18, 25 and Dec. 9, 2006
Strategies for Media Relations
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February 2007
A one-time investment equips you for the road ahead with a Certificate in Advanced Personal Development plus an attractive MSB Executive Suite lapel pin - your quiet statement to the world that you’re ready for the next level.
Short Certificate Course in Project Management The Mona School of Business continues to offer short certificate courses in Project Management which are designed for professionals who wish to expand or acquire skills to succeed in today's competitive business environment. Participants in the thirty-six hour course will be equipped to: - Clearly define projects - aligning the results of the project to the organisation’s goals and objectives. - Manage project resources to ensure project success. - Use basic project management tools. - Create and maintain a comprehensive project plan with the assistance of project application software. - Use project execution techniques to successfully complete projects. This project management training course provides an introduction to the Principles of Project Management. No prior knowledge of Project Management is assumed. However, participants are expected to have a lap top computer for use during the course. For further information please contact:
Ingrid Bennett or Serephena Emanuel 977- 7174, 6035, 6976; Ext 2103, 2104 ingrid.bennett@uwimona.edu.jm or serephena.emanuel@uwimona.edu.jm http://msb.uwimona.edu.jm:1104/short_courses
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UWI Launches First Microsoft IT Academy The University of the West Indies in collaboration with the Microsoft IT Academy launched the first Microsoft IT Academy of this kind in the Caribbean at UWI St. Augustine on Thursday, 21st September 2006. The campus successfully applied for and gained approval to become a Microsoft IT Academy, which makes UWI St. Augustine the first IT Academy in the English-speaking Caribbean. Presently, eleven staff members have been trained and are Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certified including one Microsoft Master Instructor. These staff members will form the initial core pool of lecturers to support the Microsoft IT Academy, which will offer MOS Certification to the University community as well as the Education Sector. namely primary and secondary school teachers and students. There are several benefits to be derived by those who participate in this programme, including providing individuals with credentials indicating a mastery of desktop programmes Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook. Campus Principal, Pro Vice Chancellor Bhoendradatt Tewarie gave the opening remarks at the launch at a luncheon at the Office of the Principal in September, while Mr. Angel Dubon, Academic Programmes Manager, Microsoft, presented the feature address. This Microsoft IT Academy at UWI is one of several modern initiatives that have been launched recently, including the establishment of the largest wireless network on the campus, the on-line registration system and the enhancement of distance education programmes. An international university with a unique Caribbean focus, UWI is committed to the development of the region and now serves over 15 West Indian countries and has links to over 60 international universities.
Collaboration
UWI Librarian Assists in Implementing E-library Disaster System
FirstCaribbean, UWI Collaborate
Beverley Lashley, Librarian/Co-ordinator of the Caribbean Disaster Information Network (CARDIN) at the UWI Science Library assisted the Secretariat of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Environmental and Sustainable Development Unit, St. Lucia in setting up their e-Library Disaster System.
The University of the West Indies and FirstCaribbean International Bank have signed a new three-year memorandum of understanding to endorse academic programmes and initiatives being undertaken by the University.
Ms. Lashley’s visit is part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the OECS co-operative effort to provide technical assistance to its member states in the design and implementation of the OECS Disaster Response and Risk Reduction Programme.
UWI and University of Saskatchewan Promote Healthy Weights Among School-Aged Children A team of researchers from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, met with representatives of The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, to collaborate on a joint project entitled “Promoting Healthy Weights Among School-Aged Children”, from August 21-23, 2006 in Trinidad. The meeting between the two Universities sought to: address childhood obesity and potential strategies for strengthening public nutrition and health policies; and develop programmes for school-aged children. The team also aimed to identify activities that are critical to reducing obesity and encouraging healthy behaviour among school-aged populations in both Trinidad and Canada. The project included field-based research, as well as practitioner, faculty, undergraduate and graduate student exchanges. As part of the three-day visit, the Business Development Office and the Department of Pre-clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences at UWI, hosted a presentation by Professor Susan Whiting of the University of Saskatchewan, which focused on ‘Nutritional Aspect of Osteoporosis’.
Peer Support Providers - Students Helping Each Other The University Counselling Services recruits students at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels to be trained as Peer Support Providers (formerly known as Peer Counselors). Peer Support Providers are students who after receiving training in basic helping skills are expected to make themselves available to other students to assist them with social, educational or personal concerns. They also assist in promoting good mental health on the campus by doing presentations on topics to do with wellness and coping with campus life. Students who are recruited need to meet the following criteria: have at least two years left at UWI, have a genuine desire to help others, be approachable and confidential as well as possess the ability to solve problems and show sound judgment.
The new agreement was signed by UWI Vice Chancellor, Professor E. Nigel Harris, and FirstCaribbean International Bank Chairman, Michael Mansoor. During the signing ceremony in Bridgetown Barbados, the Vice Chancellor commended the bank for its move to continue the work started in 2003. “We are excited that the bank has again come on board to partner with us”, he said. Mr. Mansoor noted that the second accord is a testament to the partnership between the two institutions. Since 2003, the bank has awarded 12 scholarships to University students across a range of disciplines, and provided funds to establish the Cave Hill Student Services website that was launched earlier this year.
UWI PROFESSOR PARTICIPATES IN TEDS-M INTERNATIONAL EXPERT PANEL MEETING Professor Hyacinth Evans, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education and Director of the Institute of Education, at The University of the West Indies, Mona was invited to participate in the Teacher Education Study of Mathematics (TEDS-M) International Expert Panel meeting in September. TEDS-M 2008 is a comparative study of teacher education with a focus on the preparation of teachers of mathematics at the primary and lower secondary levels. It is carried out under the aegis of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement.
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Mona Campus Event
Tallawah Drama Festival The 2006 Tallawah Drama Festival took place at the Phillip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts on the Mona Campus in November. Many of the intriguing pieces portrayed various degrees of mental instability and included plays, monologues, poetry and story telling.
and Seacole Halls combined) and the Independent Actors Movement (IAM). Tallawah is a dramatic festival for tertiary level students and institutions. The performances ranged from the fantastic to the mundane, as this festival always encourages experimental work.
Participants included Ruff Draft (Taylor Hall), Chansea (Chancellor
Scenes from the festival are shown below.
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Campus Reports Cave Hill News Highlights
Champion Debater is Cave Hill's Inaugural Ambassador
O’Neil Simpson
Cave Hill Campus has named O'Neil Simpson its 2006 Ambassador to represent the campus in a number of regional and international meetings and fora. The award, given for the first time in the campus' history, recognizes Simpson's stellar achievements as a student leader and in becoming the 2006 World's Individual Public Speaking Champion at the World's Universities and Colleges Debating Championships in Dublin, Ireland earlier this year.
Principal of Cave Hill, Professor Hilary Beckles, said establishment of the ambassadorship continues Cave Hill's fine tradition of celebrating and rewarding excellence and hoped it serves to inspire other students to excel similarly on the international stage. "Cave Hill has earned deserving recognition as the domicile campus of a professor whose penmanship topped that of other Commonwealth authors and a student whose oratory skills eclipsed those of leading student debaters from universities worldwide, all in the same academic year; certainly no mean feat," he said. In announcing the award recently, Deputy Principal of Cave Hill Campus Professor Leo Moseley declared Simpson a fitting ambassador for the University to deliver the message of Cave Hill's tradition of excellence and leadership and encourage stakeholders in other parts of the region to embrace a vision of Cave Hill's future as a first class, modern university which continues to produce world class graduates. "Mr. O'Neil Simpson has brought great honour to this
campus, and to the University and the region as a whole," he noted. "In recognition of his achievement, Cave Hill Campus has named Mr. Simpson its Ambassador for the year 2006-7. He will present the Cave Hill point-of-view, say what we have to offer and encourage persons in other countries to come to Cave Hill. He will be a living example of what we mean when we say excellence." The ambassadorial posting elevates Simpson's profile as an exemplar of the UWI Cave Hill's enviable academic tradition and underscores the opportunities and activities available to nurture excellence and leadership among students and graduates of the campus. During his tenure, Simpson, a native of Jamaica, will be an official representative for the campus in regional and international conferences, other fora, and meetings, particularly those in the UWI 12 countries - a grouping soon to be renamed - to encourage their collective and continued buy-in in the campus's vision of development and competitive excellence. Simpson's ambassadorial tenure will also present an opportunity to reveal a more intimate portrait to stakeholders, of the distinctive experience that the Cave Hill Campus offers to its students and potential opportunities and contributions that its students and academics have been able to make internationally. Simpson expressed delight in his new role and has resolved to execute it with grace and to articulate Cave Hill's vision to stakeholders. "It is an absolute honour and privilege to be awarded the 2006 Inaugural Ambassadorial Award," said Simpson in response to the announcement. "It is an opportunity for me, and for all Cave Hill students to go out and continue to achieve greatness in the tradition of the UWI." The Vice Chancellor has endorsed this initiative and looks forward to active support of Simpson’s visits to other campuses and UWI 12 countries, by all constituents of the UWI family.
UWI STAT Cave Hill
Student th the Director of or Corps along wi ad the ss d ba an Am ht) AT rig UWI ST d second Yearwood (seate McClean Services, Harriett Chapter, Maxine os ad rb Ba A IA UW the of nt Preside t). (seated second lef
Garth Wilkin, Pres ide STAT Cave Hill Ca nt, UWI mpus receives his letter of appo intment from the Director of Studen t Services, Harriett Yearwood
B. Waite Prince Neto D. C. letter of his receives appointment.
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Campus Reports Mona News Highlights
New UWI STAT Ambassadors Appointed
Seated from left: Celia Davidson-Francis, University Director of Alumni Relations, Professor E. Nigel Harris, UWI Vice Chancellor and Dr. Thelora Reynolds, Director of Students Services (Mona). Standing: UWI STAT Ambassadors (Mona) with Allison Fung, Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor (right).
September 28, 2006 was a very significant day on the UWI STAT calendar as the three UWI campuses celebrated the appointment of new Ambassadors. Forty-eight new UWI STAT Ambassadors received letters of appointment and were encouraged by Celia Davidson-Francis, Director of Alumni Relations, who developed the programme, to employ new ideas and initiatives, to launch bold new projects and to create a better world for their generation and those following. The UWI STAT Ambassador Corps will assist with critical areas being undertaken to promote sustained development of the region and promote Caribbean unity and preparedness. They will encourage the prevention of HIV AIDS in the Caribbean. Additionally, they will be leaders in CSME advocacy and Caribbean integration and will be arranging for Caribbean Heads of State to visit the campuses to allow for interaction and the discussion of the role of youth in accelerating success and development in our region. According to Vice Chancellor, Professor E. Nigel Harris, the UWI STAT initiative brings young people together to benefit
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our University and the Caribbean region as a whole. He is confident that the Ambassadors will make sound and enduring contributions and make the entire University proud. Like other UWI STAT Ambassadors, Garth Wilkin, President of the Cave Hill Campus group, anticipates that the Corps will fulfill its objectives to help to make the region one of the most economically sound, powerful and respected in the world. The Corps has pledged to act as resource persons to the Vice Chancellor, provide him with feedback on student life and topical issues, work with the alumni chapters of their respective campuses and encourage volunteerism. They will also be responsible for promoting Caribbean unity, culture and pride as hallmarks for successful regional development. Their commitment to remain loyal to their alma mater is paramount.
Membership; Lacey-Ann Bartley, Carl Brown, Jamar Davis, Sharryn Dawson, Oshane McKnight, Georgette Meade and Carlos Michel, attended Sunday morning service at Saxthorpe Methodist Church in Jamaica on November 12, to bring UWI STAT’s message to the wider community as advocates of the CSME, HIV AIDS prevention in the Caribbean and volunteerism.
Nine members of the UWI STAT A m b a s s a d o r C o r ps ( M o n a ) , A n d r e Gordon - Vice President, Alumni Programming; Yolande Andre Gordon, Vice President, Alumni Programming (Mona), reads a scripture lesson at the Sunday H y l t o n - V i c e P r e s i d e n t , morning service at Saxthorpe Methodist Church.
Campus Reports St. Augustine News Highlights
Graduation 2006 (Luncheon at the Principal’s Office) It’s not every weekend that The University of the West Indies invites one founding father of an independent state, one acclaimed novelist, one luminary intellectual and the President of the Republic over for lunch. But then again, it’s not every weekend that the UWI holds a Graduation Luncheon. As for this year’s four honorary graduands - the Right Honourable George Price, Ms. Jamaica Kincaid, Mr. Lloyd Best and His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards one would imagine that the only question to trouble their brilliant minds at this year’s gala event was whether to dabble in the Trini-style venison, the prawns in wine sauce, or the grilled Left to right: UWI Vice Chancellor, Professor E. Nigel Harris; UWI Chancellor, Professor the king fish. (The breadfruit croquettes, Honourable Sir George Alleyne; His Excellency Professor the Honourable George Maxwell melongene casserole and cinnamon Richards; and Pro Vice Chancellor and St. Augustine Campus Principal, Bhoendradatt Tewarie. plantain were all open game.) The quartet of honorees were the centre of attention at the Office of the Campus Principal on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th November, surrounded by the UWI Chancellor, Sir George Alleyne; UWI Vice Chancellor, Professor E. Nigel Harris; Chairman of the St. Augustine Campus Council, Mr. Chancellor, Sir George Alleyne (left) Michael Mansoor; UWI and Dr. David Picou. Campus Principal, Pro Vice Chancellor, Bhoendradatt Tewarie and the St. Augustine Campus Management. Also in attendance were His Excellency Sir Cuthbert Montraville Sebastian, Governor-General of St. Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis; Trade and Industry Minister, Ken Valley; Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Christine Sahadeo; St. Augustine MP, Winston Dookeran; Valedictory Speakers, Aziza Farrah Javed, Khaleel Mohammed, Shelly Ann O’Neil and Shivana Beharry; and representatives of UWI faculty, staff, alumni and the Guild of Students.
His Excellency Sir Cuthbert Montraville Sebastian, GovernorGeneral of St. Christopher (Kitts) and Nevis (left), his daughter, Ermelin, and Pro Vice Chancellor, Bhoendradatt Tewarie, UWI St. Augustine Campus Principal.
UWI Centre for Creative and Festival Arts Lecturer, Yao Ramesar (left) and PVC Bhoendradatt Tewarie.
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Innovative Programme
The First Year Experience The main objective of the FYE is to transform students so that they understand that they need: a new approach to personal development the importance of involvement the development of leadership skills the ability to interact with persons of different social and economic backgrounds and cultures the importance of civic responsibility.
Students in the FYE programme
First year students at the Mona Campus can have confidence in the UWI’s commitment to their wellbeing. They can participate in two First Year Experience (FYE) programmes, one for students in residence and one for commuting students. This initiative is the brainchild of Dr. Thelora Reynolds, Director of Students Services, Mona. Students who reside in any of the six halls on the Mona Campus benefit from special seminars, based on their specific needs, such as “Emotional Maturity - the Transition from High School to University Life”, “Computer Science for Mature Students” and “The Corporate World’s Expectation of Graduates”. They also have to register in a co-curricular activity and attend cultural activities in order to ensure that they learn the vital life lesson of always having balance in their daily lives. They also learn about the importance of “giving back” through volunteer service. FYE, which is a holistic approach, offers students specialized core seminars as well. Exposure to culture is emphasized, for example, they are taken to the theatre to see a play and then asked to give an oral or written appreciation, or they are taken to tour heritage sites.
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This is the first year that this programme has been made mandatory for ALL resident students at the Mona Campus, with the support of the Deputy Principal, Mr. Joseph Pereira, and it is hoped that it will be the first phase in a “transformed campus”, one which has “transformed students” who will positively impact the communities to which they return, in myriad ways. In keeping with the Vice Chancellor’s vision, that UWI students must play a key part in Caribbean integration and CSME, last summer Dr. Reynolds was able to take 50 students (30 commuting and 20 “in residence”) to the other two campus countries, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados, in order for them to see and learn about life in their sister Caribbean islands and about the culture, economic activities, history and geography. It is hoped that additional funding can be found so that this programme can be expanded and that every student “in residence” will have this opportunity. Participants’ Feedback “FYE was a really wonderful programme. It made my first year at UWI easier, since there was always someone with a lot of experience available for me to ask about the various problems that came along. It helped me to meet people that I might not have met otherwise, and taught me a lot of life skills that I would never learn in a classroom.” Lesley Anne Wilson
“It was excellent. It was instrumental in the development of my interpersonal skills and has in more ways than one, helped to shape the person I am today. My responsibility to Jamaica and by extension, the region has now been fully recognized.” Kadiesh Jarrett “It was an exceptional, interesting and educational experience. The eastern Caribbean trip exposed me to different cultures and individuals, which contributed to the development of my interpersonal skills.” Analee Clarke “As someone with a keen interest in issues affecting the CSME, the chance to interact and learn about those with whom I share the regional space that is the Caribbean was not one that I could give up. More trips of this nature are definitely needed to break down insular passions and foment a regional identity.” Jeffrey Foreman
Unfortunately FYE is not yet mandatory among all commuting students, who form over 90% of the student population. Professor Yvette Jackson, assists Dr. Reynolds and is in charge of the fledgling commuting students programme. She is confident that FYE can help them adjust responsibly to the challenges of university life and enhance their potential for personal and academic success through the combination of social and educational activities that are planned throughout the year. Dr. Reynolds is excited that students are also now being shown a self assessment tool as part of FYE, which teaches them to match subject choice, personality and career choice, so that by the time they graduate they have mastered cover letter and resume writing, have a “Career Portfolio” and are ready to be interviewed. The FYE programme at the Mona Campus is considered a model for the other campuses and it is planned to start a similar, fully integrated programme on the other main campuses soon. “My hope is that UWI will offer FYE as a compulsory 3-credit course in the not too distant future”, says Dr. Reynolds.
Conference Highlights
The Third Annual CANQATE Conference The Caribbean Area Network for Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education (CANQATE) held its Third Annual Conference form November 21 to 23, 2006 at the Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa and Beach Resort. The theme of the conference, which was hosted by the Ministry of Education, Human Resource Development, Youth and Sports, St. Lucia, was “Strengthening Tertiary Education in Response to Global Integration Trends.” The presentations included papers on the theme which included topics such as “Regional and International Standards in Tertiary Education,” “Quality Assurance and Accreditation,” “Qualifications and Equivalency,” “Distance and Transnational Education,” “Economic Imperatives for Tertiary Education” and “Instructional and Assessment Issues.”
Medical Sciences 15th Annual Research Conference The Faculty of Medical Sciences hosted its 15th Annual Research Conference in November at the Main Medical Library Lecture Theatre, UWI, Mona under the theme: “Drug Development from Natural Products: Past, Present and Future.” The Conference aimed at showcasing the research of the Medical Faculty and providing a forum to share and explore developments in health research with members of the medical community, decision-making bodies and the wider communities. The guest speaker at the Sir Kenneth Standard Distinguished Lecture was Dr. Gordon Cragg, retired Chief of the Natural Products Branch Developmental Therapeutics Programme. The opening ceremony took place on November 15.
Caribbean Child Research Conference 2006 The Caribbean Child Research Conference was held in October at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. The conference was organized by Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) and the Caribbean Child Development Centre (CCDC), in association with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), along with the Early Childhood Commission, the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), the Child Development Research Group and the Ministries of Education and Youth, and Health. The conference represented an inter-disciplinary approach covering a range of child-related themes and aimed to share research on children, strengthen the network of researchers on children’s issues, and encourage research in areas where gaps have been identified.
“Let’s Talk Garifuna” The Belize Students’ Association and Vincentian Students’ Association in collaboration with the Department of Language, Linguistics and Philosophy and the Institute of Caribbean Studies, invited the University community to a presentation entitled “Let’s Talk Garifuna: Our Story, Not His-Story” an examination of the Garifuna journey of exile from St. Vincent to Belize. The presentation took place on Saturday, November 18 as part of Settlement Day which is officially celebrated on Sunday, November 19. “Let’s Talk Garifuna” was held at the Undercroft, Mona Campus.
Sustainable Economics Development Unit Conference The Sustainable Economics Development Unit (SEDU) at UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago held its annual conference in October. The conference theme was: “Rising to the Challenge of Sustainable Development in Small and Island Developing States: Retrospect and Prospect”. There was also the inauguration of the John Cropper Memorial Lecture.
UWI Lecturer Participates in Education Forum Professor Zellynne Jennings of the Department of Educational Studies, UWI, Mona, delivered the keynote address at a conference organised by the University of St. Maarten in October. The theme of the conference was “Re-thinking Education in the Caribbean: yesterday, today and tomorrow: A Local Imperative in a Global Context”. It focused on issues such as history, curriculum development, teacher training, innovation in education and the development of alternative educational models of management for school improvement. Prior to the conference, Professor Jennings delivered a public lecture on “Educating our teachers in the Caribbean for the 21st century”. Her keynote address was on ‘Three decades of innovations in Caribbean education systems: why some succeed and others don’t’.
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UWIAA Chapter Highlights
Dr. Cameron Wilkinson, President UWIAA St. Kitts and Nevis Chapter Dr. Cameron A. Wilkinson is the President of UWIAA St. Kitts and Nevis Chapter. He was born in Basseterre, St. Kitts and in 1982 he obtained the best A’ Level results in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis to win the coveted States Scholarship. He entered the Faculty of Natural Sciences at The University of The West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, in September 1983 and after one year transferred to the Faculty of Medicine on the Mona Campus. In 1989, he graduated with an MBBS degree after completing his final two years of medical school at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Bridgetown, Barbados. He was awarded the Dr. Lionel Stuart Prize presented to the best student in surgery at that hospital. He also received the Dr. and Mr. Will Kerr prize presented to the top student in Medicine and Therapeutics. He completed his internship at the Princess Margaret Hospital, Nassau, Bahamas and was accepted into the surgical residency at Harlem Hospital New York in 1991. He completed the five-year surgical residency programme in 1996 and was awarded the Programme Director’s prize for The Most Outstanding Chief Resident. Dr. Wilkinson also obtained a Citation for Outstanding Service in recognition of five years of training in general surgery and providing quality care to the Greater Harlem Community, New York. He did a one year residency in critical care and surgical endoscopy at Harlem Hospital from 1996 to 1997. In 1997 he wrote and passed his surgical board exams to become a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery.
Dr. Cameron Wilkinson
He returned to his native land St. Kitts to serve his people in September 1997. In 2002 he was inducted as a Fellow of The American College of Surgeons. He is also a Fellow of the Caribbean College of Surgeons and a Council member of the Caribbean College of Surgeons. He is presently the Chief Surgeon at the Joseph N. France Hospital, St. Kitts and the Medical Chief of Staff of the Health Institutes in St. Kitts. Dr. Wilkinson is also the Immediate Past President of the Rotary Club of Liamigua, St. Kitts and Vice President of the St. Kitts and Nevis Medical Association.
TMRI Director Honoured Professor Terrence Forrester, Director of the Tropical Medicine Research Institute (TMRI) at The University of the West Indies, Mona was among the honorees at the first Anthony N. Sabga ‘Caribbean Awards for Excellence’ launched by the Ansa McAl Foundation with the aim of encouraging the pursuit of excellence by Caribbean people for the benefit of the region. The gala award ceremony took place recently at the Hilton Trinidad Hotel in Port-of-Spain. TMRI was established on October 1, 1999 with the merging of four pre-existing UWI research units – the Tropical Metabolism Research Unit (TMRU), the Sickle Cell Unit (SCU), the Epidemiology Research Unit (ERU), all located on the Mona Campus and the Chronic Disease Research Unit (CDRU) at the Cave Hill Campus. As Director of TMRI Professor Forrester has the main responsibilities of coordinating research on priority health issues in the Caribbean and facilitating the uptake of research findings into policy and programmes. The Institute is also involved in providing training at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and operates a postdoctoral fellowship programme.
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Professor Terrence Forrester
UWIAA Chapter Highlights
Belize Chapter Awards Ceremony
Mr. Clarence Peters (centre) receives a plaque from the UWIAA Belize Chapter for services rendered to Belizeans in Jamaica, at the annual awards ceremony. Dr. Greg Arana makes the presentation while Dr. Lisa Johnson, President of the UWIAA Belize Chapter looks on.
gement Studies ien, B.Sc. Mana Ms. Maylin O’Br Belize Chapter A IA UW a of ipient student (left), rec . bursary of BZ$500
of in the Bachelor tt (left), student e mm ra og pr n) Ms. Winnie Gille tio tra cational Adminis Education (Edu Alumni bursary. an of t en ipi rec Belize, is the
Mr. Frederick Sa ndiford, Treasurer , UWIAA, Belize receives a donatio Chapter, n of BZ$1,500 fro m Mrs. Theo Po Sagicor (Belize) lonia of towards the Stud ents Assistance Fund.
Dr. Greg Arana presents Mrs. Hele na Bell (centre) with a plaque from the UWIAA Belize Chapter for services rendered to Belizean students at UWI, Mona. Dr. Lisa Johnson is at right .
Ms. Angie Rumirez , A.Sc. Public Se ctor Administratio n student, Belize (left), recipi ent of a UWIAA bursary.
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Alumni Relations
UWI Alumni Month at Cave Hill Campus UWI Alumni Month is an annual celebration which takes place during the month of October at the Cave Hill Campus. This month is significant because it was on October 12, 1963 that the campus was founded at the Bridgetown Harbour site. The celebrations provide an opportunity for alumni to reconnect with each other and the University; to celebrate the contribution of UWI to West Indian society; and to honour the achievements of alumni. This tradition was started in 1999 by then President of UWIAA Barbados Chapter, Miss Cheryl Williams. The events were organised and hosted by the Cave Hill Campus Office of Alumni Relations, the UWIAA Barbados Chapter and the Campus UWI STAT group. This year’s celebrations commenced with a Church Service on October 1st, followed by a Family Fun Day at the campus which comprised a
From left: Ms. Maxine McClean, President - UWIAA Barbados Chapter; Ms. Lisa Greaves, Ex-officio - UWIAA Barbados Chapter; Mr. Jefferson Cumberbatch, Awardee and Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law; Mrs. Cynthia Layne, Administrative Assistant, Faculty of Social Sciences and Awardee); Ms. Gloria Grant, Vice President - UWIAA Barbados Chapter and Mr. Garth Wilkin, President of UWI STAT Cave Hill Campus at the Alumni Lunch held on Sunday, October 8, 2006 in the Staff Common Room, Cave Hill Campus.
The Inaugural Lecture in the Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series, was presented by Sir Roy Trotman of the Class of 1968, renowned trade unionist, on October 19 on the topic: “The Concept of ‘Decent Work’ and its Implications for the Modern Workplace”. The Lecture Series honours the exceptional contributions of alumni to a chosen career or professional field and provides an opportunity for such alumni to share their knowledge and expertise with the University community and the general public.
Sir Roy Trotman (left) speaking with attendees at the inaugural lecture in the Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series, entitled “The Concept of ‘Decent Work’ and its Implications for the Modern Workplace” held on October 19, 2006 in the Staff Common Room, Cave HIll Campus.
Staff of Sandy Lane Hotel, facilitators at the Career Development Workshop held on October 25, 2006 in the Shell Suite, UWI Cave Hill Campus (left to right): Mr. Lester Headley, Certified Retail Manager; Ms. Kelly-Ann Mayers, Training Administrator; Dr. Kerry Hall, Director of People Development and Training; Ms. Patricia Taylor, Service Management Consultant and Mr. Philip Chandler, Learning and Development Officer.
Lunch and Treasure Hunt on October 8th. Guests of honour at the Lunch were Mr. Jefferson Cumberbatch, Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Law and Mrs. Cynthia Layne, Administrative Assistant in the Social Sciences Faculty Office, who were presented with the first awards and citations in recognition of their outstanding “Student Centredness”.
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The month of activities culminated with a Career Development Workshop designed and presented by a volunteer group of alumni, who work in the Human Resources Division of the prestigious Sandy Lane Hotel. The workshop attracted thirty final year students and recent graduates and provided them with practical guidelines on how to effectively transition into the job market. From all indications, the events were well received and have provided much impetus for next year’s celebrations.
Kelly-Ann Mayers, Training Administrator, Sandy Lane Hotel (left) and Patricia Taylor, Service Management Consultant (far right) observing as participants in the Career Development Workshop engage in an activity relating to Customer Service Quality.
Viewpoint
UWI: A Place for Students to Acquire an Education Rather Than Just a Degree Certificate First: Be Curious! There are many, many things to be curious about and we expect students to have active questioning minds. We do not expect nor do we want students to be sponges – soaking up knowledge fed to them by lecturers; rather we expect them to be seeking answers to questions, questions which arise as they engage with the material presented in lectures and material they are reading on their own. This is an exciting time of intellectual growth and development, which will be greatly enhanced by students’ openness and receptivity to new information, their critical thinking and their ability to use the information creatively and effectively to address complex and seemingly insoluble issues and concerns.
which is the basis for critical thinking, the development and practice of analytical and evaluative skills, which allow for an understanding of general principles which can be used to address and provide solutions for problems, whether these problems be in Jamaica, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Barbados or Antigua, or even further in South Africa, China or Australia.
This is a major demand from employers who desire our graduates to have strong theoretical knowledge and to be able to apply theoretical
Second: Be Involved! It is tempting to cling to the “known” when students enter a new environment. Curiosity about their new environment, about the people in it, about new groupings such as those associated with Hall attachment will lead them away from their comfort zone into stimulating new experiences. Commuting students especially are encouraged to sign up to be part of the First Year Experience which is a special programme designed to involve them in interesting and enriching activities during the initial year of their University education. Broadening their experience and building new friendships and loyalties as well as exploring opportunities for living and studying on another campus for a semester or a year can enhance their experience to make it a truly UWI one. UWI wants students to develop relationships with fellow students, with faculty, staff and the entire community, which will make them form an attachment to their University and which will result in their becoming satisfied graduates and involved alumni.
Curiosity has led to the creation of new forms of knowledge, new theories, new products, innovative services which can advance the development of the human race. Curiosity is a major factor in our students achieving the goal of acquiring an education rather than just a degree during their stay at UWI.
Professor Elsa Leo-Rhynie
The University has recently been engaged in a process of strategic planning. The leadership of the UWI is concerned about the best way we can prepare ourselves to prepare students, not only for coping with an uncertain, and possibly unfriendly future, but also for contributing maximally to the development and advancement of the countries of the Caribbean, of the region as a whole and the world. We have been considering and seeking opinions from a wide range of persons, as to the sort of university we need to be and the nature of the graduate the University needs to produce, if the leadership of the Caribbean of the future is to be secure. From the responses received so far the message is a simple one but one which we want all students to think about and take heed of as they pursue their University experience. That message is that their goal while at UWI must be to acquire an education rather than just a degree certificate. The UWI is a community in which there are many opportunities for learning, and in the pursuit of their education, rather than just a degree, UWI is urging students to do three things: To be curious, to be involved, and to be ready.
Curiosity has led to the creation of new forms of knowledge, new theories, new products, innovative services which can advance the development of the human race. Curiosity is a major factor in our students achieving the goal of acquiring an education rather than just a degree during their stay at UWI. concepts to practical problems and situations. Curiosity will help students question these theories and concepts; examine their development; the reasoning behind them and their applicability in practical situations. Curiosity will force students to question and evaluate the material they hear and read as they hear and read it. Employers have told us that being effective problem solvers is a must for our graduates. They will need to use several skills in order to arrive at acceptable solutions. Of primary importance, however, is the development of a questioning mind,
Employers want educated graduates who can work as part of a team – who are knowledgeable and who recognise their own worth but who understand the worth of
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Viewpoint
UWI: A Place for Students to Acquire an Education...
(cont’d)
their colleagues and the value institutions, to highlight the level of opportunities available. To be ready, of cooperation and teamwork, participation and quality of a student’s our students will have to commit to continuous learning throughout life who can be leaders in one setting involvement in co-curricular activities. so as to ensure that they are multiyet followers in another, who skilled and marketable, and also understand when competition Third: be Ready! is appropriate and when The future of each student and the sufficiently curious to have the collaboration is preferred, who can potential he displays now for that openness and flexibility to change deal with success and failure and future, are of great interest and careers if necessary. Their curiosity and involvement should be such learn from both, who know how to make informed decisions and The value which co-curricular as to make them ready to be when to take risks, who can experiences add to a UWI internationally competitive, as the world will be their marketplace. appreciate the importance of developing strategy, of planning education is such that it is now External migration as well as and implementing the plans, of possible to gain credits towards migration within the Caribbean will be an option for their future, dealing with confrontation, knowing when to compromise a degree for involvement in while those who remain must be ready and willing to work with and how to resolve disputes, some co-curricular activities. people of different cultures who who can work with persons who have different skills, interests and importance to the Caribbean, as our may migrate to the Caribbean. objectives and make the best use of students are the persons to whom we these to achieve overall goals. The have to entrust the leadership of our The work world of the future is theoretical basis of all these region during the twenty-first century. one where there is no guarantee activities can be learnt in the Their curiosity and involvement are of employment, and where selflecture room but it is on the sports expected to provide them with an employment and the creation of field, while working on the education which prepares them to employment are important and viable Executive of the Guild of Students, be ready: to anticipate, plan for, options. Curiosity will lead our while participating in clubs and students to question the most societies such as Debating, The CSM which is now in productive ways of being a Drama, Dance as well as in a existence and the CSME which participant in that working world, wide range of other group and to be ready to explore activities, that these skills will be a reality in 2008 will the real possibility of being and attributes are developed change the economic and social an entrepreneur, of using their through practice and landscape of the region and so creativity and other attributes interaction. Particularly developed through their valuable is involvement in bring new possibilities and make involvement, to generate new ideas some form of service learning new opportunities available. and use these productively. – opportunities exist here on Productivity must be the hallmark the campus through the Leadership respond to, cope with and manage an of UWI students if the Caribbean is to Programme but there are unpredictable future. It can be an succeed in the world of the future. also opportunities in students’ exciting prospect – technological communities, through their church or a Youth Club. Students’ education will be greatly enhanced if they recognize the value of becoming catalysts in their communities; using their knowledge and skills to encourage and empower persons who may not have had or may not have made use of the opportunities available to them. The value which co-curricular experiences add to a UWI education is such that it is now possible to gain credits towards a degree for involvement in some co-curricular activities. In addition, a co-curricular transcript can be obtained as an attachment to a student’s official academic transcript, and it documents for employers and other educational
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advances happen at such speed that it is difficult to keep pace with all that is now possible and will become possible in the future. The uncertain future also presents many other challenges: there are wars in other parts of the world which affect our economies and our lifestyles, large international companies go bankrupt, financial sectors collapse, jobs are no longer secure, once accepted standards of behaviour no longer seem to be relevant, and there is much uncertainty about the traditional features of our lives, as change creates new lifestyles. The CSM which is now in existence and the CSME which will be a reality in 2008 will change the economic and social landscape of the region and so bring new possibilities and make new
Each of our students, because of their unique personalities and experiences, will address change and the unknown differently. But they will not only have to adjust and adapt to change initiated by external forces, but as the planners, educators, politicians, managers, agriculturists, business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals and academics of the future, they will have the power to be the initiators, the agents and the implementers of change. It is our students who will build and shape the Caribbean of the future.
Caribbean Focus
UWI Hoping to Score with Cricket Exhibition Cresser, who gained his Ph.D. in cricket at the UWI, presents 14 panels that show the changing face of the Jamaican game. He also looks at the greats who helped put Jamaican, and West Indian cricket, on the map. These include batting le g e n d s G e o r g e Headley, Collie Smith West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul in action. and Lawrence Rowe, and bowlers Alfred There was a time in Jamaican history Valentine and Michael Holding. Dr. when the game of cricket was king. Cresser said that he called on The Senior Cup was the competition several sources for the exhibition’s of choice, while thousands rushed to pictorials, including The Gleaner, Sabina Park to watch the territorial clubs, the National Library and Shell Shield or Test matches. Largely schools which participated in the through North American cable long-running Sunlight Cup. He television, Jamaica’s youth are now himself played in the Sunlight Cup for more taken with the extravagant St. George’s College. The all-rounder slam dunks of the NBA, or NFL has also played at the Senior Cup touchdowns. But, for two months, an level for Boys’ Town. exhibition, titled ‘A History of Jamaican Cricket - 1870s to the Currently, he is a research fellow at Present’, at the National Library of the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica at East Street in Kingston, Jamaica, an affiliate of the National will revisit the glory days of the British Library. summer game. The exhibition organised by the Social History Project in the Department of History and Archaeology at The University of the West Indies, Mona, was also shown at other venues across the country, and is scheduled to close on December 27.
Upper Class Dr. Julian Cresser worked with the UWI on the exhibition, conducting research on over 100 years of cricket in Jamaica. “What I found in my research”, he said, “is that membership at most of the clubs were upper class and the players were either white or near-white. “The blacks who played the game did so in improvised places like cane fields.”
‘A History of Jamaican Cricket’ is the second exhibition by the Social History Project. In November 2004, it launched ‘The Jamaican Black Middle Class - Late 19th Century and Early 20th Century’ which was seen in Kingston, Morant Bay, Mandeville and Montego Bay. Kathleen Monteith, director of the Social History Project, said an expo on cricket in Jamaica is timely considering the country is one of eight territories that will host matches in next year’s World Cup. She said other exhibitions are being planned by the department. “The idea is to bring history to the wider public and not just to historians,” she said.
About our UWIAA Islands British Virgin Islands Capital: Road Town Currency: US Dollar Population: 21,730
The British Virgin Islands are a group of over 50 islands, forming the northwestern extremity of the Leeward Islands. Road Town, the capital is located on the southern side of Tortola, and is the business, administrative and yachting centre. The UWIAA Chapter may be contacted through the Resident Tutor, Dr. Marcia Potter at 284-494-6957. She is also the Acting UWIAA President.
Barbados Capital: Bridgetown Currency: Barbados Dollar Population: 277,264 Barbados is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands. It is surrounded by white sand beaches and is relatively flat. Bridgetown is the principal commercial centre and port. Attractions include golfing and the Andromeda Botanic Garden. The Bajan Cropover Festival highlights the old traditions of Barbados. Contact the UWIAA Barbados Chapter through the Campus Alumni Representative, Mrs. Roseanne Maxwell, at 246-417-4544. The current UWIAA President is Ms. Maxine McClean.
Source: The Gleaner
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The University of the West Indies One University, Three Main Campuses, Twelve UWI Centres
Florida
The University of the West Indies is producing the future professionals, leaders and academics of the Caribbean region. Make the UWI your first port of call for postgraduate education and recommend its undergraduate programmes to your family and friends.
Jamaica
MONA
UWIAA Chapters - 2006 Barbados Belize British Virgin Islands Cayman
Montserrat New York St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia Toronto Trinidad and Tobago United Kingdom Washington D.C.
Campus Alumni Representatives Barbados Mrs. Roseanne Maxwell Cave Hill Campus Tel: 1-246-417-4544 rmaxwell@uwichill.edu.bb Jamaica Mrs. Charmaine Wright Mona Campus Tel: 1-876-927-1583
Student Affairs (Admissions) Section Mona Campus Jamaica, W.I. Tel: 1-876-927-2779, 927-2271 Fax: 1-876-927-2272 admissns@uwimona.edu
CAVE HILL Student Affairs (Admissions) Section Cave Hill Campus Barbados, W.I. Tel: 1-246-417-4119/20 Fax: 1-246-424-7372 gdurrant@uwichill.edu.bb
ST. AUGUSTINE Student Affairs (Admissions) Section St. Augustine Campus Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. Tel: 1-868-663-1933 Fax: 1-868-663-9684 admis@admin.uwi.tt
UWI 12 Information on distance, face to face and mixed delivery courses may be accessed through:
uwialumni@kasnet.com
1. School of Continuing Studies lifelong@uwimona.edu.jm
Trinidad and Tobago
2. Board for Non-Campus Countries and Distance Education www.uwichill.edu.bb/bnccde
Ms. Charmain Subero St. Augustine Campus Tel: 1-868-662-2002, Ext: 2099 CSubero@ADMIN.UWI.TT
3. UWIDEC www.dec.uwi.edu
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