Open LetterThe e-newsletter of the Open Campus, UWI

An Accomplishment for UWI Open Campus Belize Student GuildUWI Open Campus Belize Student Guild launched its Student Centre on Saturday, February 14, 2009. This was the first of many initiatives that were planned for this academic year by the Student Guild. The upcoming semester will be trying for students as they prepare for registration in fully on-line programmes, so the Guild has designated a specific area where students can study undisturbed. The Guild has also formulated a network that will lend support during these difficult times. With the permission of the UWI Open Campus Belize Administration, the Guild was able to utilise the room behind the Auditorium for this purpose. Preliminary work has been done to enhance the room and make it more welcoming for the students. The Student Centre will be a place for student interaction and studying. The lounge is now functional and is equipped with a pay phone as well. Plans are in place for a snack area and additional improvement to the Student Centre.

The students who arrived at the Student Centre before the official launch assisted with the final preparations. The night of the launch was fun-filled. The students were engaged in playing games and other meaningful student interaction. Dominoes was the game of choice for many students fol-lowed by the game of Charades. Plenty of food was served, prizes were won and ideas were shared. The launch of the Student Centre was a step in the right direction for the Student Guild. Another accomplishment which the Guild can add to its list is the first publication of its News letter which will serve to keep students informed about future activities, notices and past events. It is appropriately called “The Link” as it is an important contact between the Guild, the students and UWI Open Cam-pus, Belize. This issue features articles on the launching of the student centre and introduces the members of the Guild Executive. The Open Campus family congratulates and acknowledges the UWI Open Campus Belize students on this accomplishment.

Open House at the UWI Open Campus DominicaThe UWI Open Campus, Dominica held another successful Annual Open House event on Monday, February 9, 2009. Although this event is traditionally held in November, a decision was taken this year to mount the event in early February instead, to coincide with the period when the University normally advertises its programmes. The day commenced with a formal opening ceremony at which

Open Campus Developments

Current News

Vol. 2 Issue 2 February - March 2009

Page 1

An Accomplishment for UWI Open Campus Belize Student Guild

Pages 1-2

Open House at the UWI Open Campus Dominica

Page 2

St. Lucia’s Annual Open Day

Pages 2-3

Students of The UWI Open Campus Dominica Win Coveted Titles for Carnival 2009

Page 3

UWI Open Campus Bahamas’ Successful Seminar

Open Campus - KAISER Promotion

Pages 3-4

PRE-UNIVERSITY SPORTS DAY

Page 4

Annual Independence Lecture at UWI Open Campus St. Vincent & The Grenadines

Open Campus People

New Appointment at the Open Campus

Your Feedback is Welcome

Students having a wonderful time at the official launch of the Student Centre.

2over 300 fifth and fourth formers from several secondary schools lis-tened to admission and Faculty representatives from Cave Hill, Mona and St. Augustine speak about the exciting range of programmes as well as the social and cultural life at UWI. Present were Mrs. Paula Jarvis (International Student Exchange, Cave Hill), Mrs. Marjorie Bolero-Haughton (Admissions, Mona), Dr. Paul Aiken (Pure & Ap-plied Sciences, Mona), Dr. Reynold Stone (Science & Agriculture, St. Augustine), Dr. Nicole Roberts (Humanities & Education, St. Augustine) and Mrs. Chandra Ragoonath (Admissions, St. Augustine).

Students in attendance at the Annual Open House event at the UWI Open Campus Dominica listen attentively to the presenters.

Head of Centre, Dr. Francis O. Severin welcomed the large gathering of students and encouraged them to pursue quality education at the UWI. He explained the concept of the Open Campus and the oppor-tunities it offered them for personal development. UWI alumnus, Mr. Ray Francis, Management Accountant at Dominica Electricity Services (DOMLEC) delivered a powerful and motivational feature address at the ceremony. He made the following important observation:

Why should UWI be the premier choice for a young Dominican student? The fact is simply this – UWI is a university built on excellence and has distin-guished itself as an August regional institution of unparalleled reputation and history. UWI has the highest and most rigorous standards. UWI expects a lot from you because the world expects a lot from us. People say UWI is hard. Well life is hard and UWI prepares you for the real world.

Following the opening ceremony, students interacted one-on-one with admissions and faculty representatives as they sought answers to their many burning questions.

Later, a forum was held for Principals and Guidance Counselors at the Open Campus Dominica. Via power point presentations, the admis-sions and faculty representatives presented in exciting format the wide range of programmes available at the UWI and responded to several questions.

On the following day, UWI visited two schools in rural Dominica (North East Comprehensive and the Castle Bruce Secondary School) where once again admissions and Faculty personnel brought the good news of the region’s premier institution of higher education to a large audience of students. Representatives spoke to the students at Assembly as well as in smaller groups based on their (students) intended careers. There were also opportunities for one-on-one ex-changes.

Students at Assembly are engrossed in the session as they hear the insightful messages conveyed by the presenters.

St. Lucia’s Annual Open DaySt. Lucia’s annual Open Day activities took place from January 26 to 28, 2009 and attracted even larger numbers than the previous year. The event was largely orchestrated by Mrs. Marjorie Bolero-Haughton (Mona Campus), Mrs. Patricia Brown (St. Augustine Campus),

Mrs. Paula Jarvis (Cave Hill Campus) and Ms. Eulampia Polius (Open Campus Saint Lucia). The Visiting faculty were Dr. Reynold Stone (Science & Agriculture) and Dr. Heather Cateau (Humanities) from UWI St. Augustine Campus, Dr. Novelette Saddler-McKnight (Pure and Applied Sciences) from UWI Mona Campus and Dr. April Bernard (Social Sciences) from UWI Cave Hill Campus. Ms. Tara Gaskin of the Cave Hill School of Business, and UWI Open Campus Marketing Officer Ms. Suzette Wolfe were also part of the team which took a two-pronged approach to the activity, ensuring that both outreach and in-house hosting took place over the three-day period.

The first two days were spent on the road, visiting schools in the south and west of the island so that schools which were geographi-cally far from the UWI Centre had as much interaction and informa-tion as those in closer proximity. The road trip also served to bring the presence of UWI directly into the communities and schools. A great sense of appreciation was showered upon the team who were warmly welcomed and enthusiastically received by the schools. Principals, some of whom were UWI graduates, welcomed the op-portunity to host the UWI team. Students were lively and immensely interested in the presentations. They were also very excited by the large display of attractive brochures, magazines and other promo-tional material.

Students at the Open Day eagerly perusing the literature on the courses and pro-grammes offered at UWI. They are care-fully considering the many options available at UWI.

The young men are out in their numbers. They too are examining literature on the courses and programmes offered at UWI.

On the third day, a special seminar for School Guidance Counsellors, Training Officers and Human Resource Managers was held. The UWI Regional Endowment Scholarship was introduced to the participants and representatives of the Bank of St. Lucia explained procedures and requirements for student loans and other types of loans that were available for persons wishing to pursue further studies at the UWI. Feedback from the alumni praised the unified approach to marketing used by the University and exhorted the UWI to maintain a unified front in the face of increasing competition from international providers.

Students of The UWI Open Campus Dominica Win Coveted Titles for Carnival 2009Two students of The UWI Open Campus Dominica emerged as big winners in the recent Carnival Celebrations 2009 in the Common-wealth of Dominica. They are B.Sc. Management Studies student, Mr.

Gregory Riviere (Lord Karessah) and B.Sc. Accounts student Ms. Kayan Toussaint.

Lord Karessah from the north east-ern village of Marigot defeated nine calypsonians at Dominica Carnival’s signature event, the Calypso Mon-arch Competition held on Saturday, February 21st at Carnival City in Pot-tersville Roseau. His song, a satirical commentary on what appeared to be a local pastor’s indiscretions entitled

3“Pastor’s Rod” did much to secure him Carnival’s most coveted title. His other song “Calypso doh want to leave Roseau” was also a strong one, in both lyrics and melody which might have been interpreted in several ways including the perception that the Calypso in Dominica was failing to move beyond the boundaries of Dominica. To be sure, he took the Monarch’s Crown out of Roseau in 2009, in retrospect, another interpretation of his powerful song.

The night before, Friday, February 20th, Ms. Kayan Toussaint from the village of Pointe Michel won the 2009 Carnival Queen Pageant from among a field of six other contestants. The rounds included talent, evening wear, swim wear, spectacular (costume) wear and question and answer. Ms Toussaint presented herself consistently in all rounds in order to earn the prestigious title. She will represent Dominica in a number of regional competitions throughout her year’s reign. The Head and staff of the UWI Open Campus Dominica wish our two students well as they continue to model positive behaviour to thousands of young people, demonstrating that it is possible to be culturally engaged while achieving success in one’s studies.

UWI Open Campus Bahamas’ Successful SeminarUWI Open Campus Bahamas commenced its 2008-9 Seminar Series with two workshops that were conducted by The Honourable Profes-sor Errol Miller on February 26th and 27th. The workshops were held in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of the Bahamas in an effort to empower practitioners and Ministry officials to deal with is-sues pertaining to keeping young men in schools.

On the first day, mainly School Principals and District Superinten-dents attended the workshop. On the second day, Guidance Officers and their Supervisors were in attendance. The exercise was held in the state of the art Conference Centre of the Public Health Authority in Nassau. The programme for each day was divided into two parts. The first segment dealt with findings on Masculinity and Society in the Caribbean and the second part was very interactive as the participants were exposed to skills and theories leading towards the development of appropriate intervention strategies, which ought to assist in keeping boys in the school system longer.

Mr. Earl Alfred, who represented the Campus, had received many favourable comments about the relevance and timeliness of the exercise from both sets of attendees. UWI Open Campus, Bahamas is very encouraged by the outcome of this exercise and is finalising arrangements for another workshop that will address issues of gen-der.

The event also provided an excellent opportunity for UWI Open Campus Bahamas to expose an important sector of the Bahamian education system to the offerings and concept of the University’s operations in the Bahamas. As such it was an excellent marketing-strategy for UWI.

Open Campus - KAISER PromotionOn February 28, 2009, UWI Open Campus, Jamaica Western Region, with input from Jamaica Eastern and Mona (Western Jamaica Cam-

pus), partnered with The Jamaica Police Co-operative Credit Union Limited to host a seminar to inform and educate an estimated 2,000 persons from the Jamaica Constabulary Force and their families, on the wide range of educational opportunities available through the Cpen campus. Hot 102 Radio covered the event and Mrs. Jerome Miller-Vaz, Head, Jamaica Western Region, promoted the Open Cam-pus and the UWI in a five-minute air-time segment.

The event was the first of four Seminars (Expo) and Family Fun Day held at the Kaiser Sports Club, St. Ann, Jamaica. It was held under the Theme: “Wealth, Health and Prosperity”. The objective was to sensitise and remind members, their families and the public at large of the importance of a holistic approach to prosperity. The seminar provided not just educational and financial counselling, but an array of products and services to improve physical, emotional, psychologi-cal, material wealth, health and prosperity. The Open Campus booth was classified by the radio announcer as the most lively and interesting booth that was frequently visited by patrons. The attractions were the demonstration of the registration process, while the audio giving instructions to apply on-line played continuously on the computer. The members of staff that attended the booth were: Jerome Miller-Vaz ( Head of Sites, Jamaica Western Region)Maurice Tomlinson ( Project Manager- WJC)Andrika Perkins (Assistant Site Coordinator (Acting)- Ocho Rios)Cecile Johnson (Assistant Site Coordinator- Brown’s Town)Donna Cohen-Scott (Administrative Assistant- Ocho Rios)Shirley-Ann Gooden (Clerical Assistant-Brown’s Town )Bryan Walcott (Lab Technician- Ocho Rios)

Mrs. Glean-Walker and Ms. Burgess of the Jamaica Eastern were very helpful in providing a wide array of promotional materials, and ensur-ing that the Hot 102 Radio Announcer, Richard Burgess (Richie B), at the event, appropriately recognised the Open Campus.

PRE-UNIVERSITY SPORTS DAYThe University centres of Trinidad and Tobago, under the Open Campus banner, collaborated to host their first annual sports day. The event took place on Friday 13th February 2009 at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in the southern community of Marabella. The three Centres: St. Augustine, San Fernando and Tobago participated. San Fernando dominated the day’s proceedings capturing the most points in both the March Past and the track and field events.

Richie B, the Radio Announcer of Hot 102 and Mrs. Jerome Miller-Vaz are having a great time promoting UWI on the microphone.

Andrika Perkins (left), Bryan Wacott (2nd from left), Shirley-Ann Gooden (2nd from right) and Cecile Johnson are all having a grand time repre-senting UWI.

UWI Open Campus Booth and its representatives.

The display of literature at UWI’s booth looks very colourful and appealing to the eye!

The Honourable Professor Errol Miller (extreme left) with School Principals at the end of the session on day one.

for the TRiO Upward Bound Programme at Florida State University. Later, she became a Director of the TRiO Student Support Services Programme at the University of San Diego where she worked with students from a variety of backgrounds: low income, first-generation to college and those with disabilities. The TRiO programmes funded by the U.S Department of Education were instrumental in honing Ms. Hickling’s student services and support skills. By applying these skills, she was given the opportunity to connect with a community and to implement innovative ways to facilitate, improve and enhance the educational experience of students, particularly for those at the tertiary level.

In July 2008, Ms. Hickling returned to Jamaica to contribute to the development of support services for students across the region. She truly believes that student-centeredness, advocacy and academic, cultural and personal support are key in allowing students to hone the skills necessary to achieve academic success, and to be able to effectively negotiate the processes of academic institutions. These not only allow students to enjoy their educational experience but also encourage the development of student relations and the retention and successful graduation of students.

New Appointment at the Open CampusAcademic Programming and Delivery (APAD)

Dr. Monica Masino has worked in the field of Educational Administration and Teaching and Learning Support Services at both the undergraduate and graduate levels since graduating from Argosy University, Orange County with a Doctorate in Educational Leadership-Higher Education in 2006. Dr. Masino also holds a Master of Arts in Technology Based Education, a Bachelor’s of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from California

State University, Dominguez Hills, and an Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies from Cerritos College, in California.

Dr. Masino began her career as a Student Worker and Counselor Aid for the Extended Opportunity Programs & Services (EOPS) program at Cerritos College. In her role as student worker and later counselor aid, she counseled First Generation College students with limited English speaking skills and whose family’s economic status was below the U.S. poverty line. During the same time, she also worked as an Administrative Assistant for California State University, Dominguez Hills, before leaving both positions to become a Deputy Municipal Court Clerk for Compton Superior Court in California. After spending several years in Civil Service, Dr. Masino returned to her roots in Education as a Programme Assistant at Cerritos College. She later was elected into key positions within California Teachers Association Student Program and served the association for 4-years in elected positions as: State Council Representative, executive Vice-President, and two elected terms as Student State President for California. The California Teachers Association (CTA) is California’s largest professional employee organisation, representing more than 340,000 public school teachers, counselors, psychologists, librarians, other non-supervisory certificated personnel, students, and Education Support Professionals. CTA is affiliated with the 3.2 million-member National Education Association. Dr. Masino has lobbied on behalf of equity in education and educational related issues and has testified in senate hearings on behalf of future educators regarding the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

In 2008, while serving as Associate Dean at a for-profit educationalinstitute, Dr. Masino accepted the position as Programme Coordinator with the University of West Indies, Open Campus to contribute to the growth of the newly developed campus while supporting students in their academic endeavours.

Your Feedback is Welcome We welcome your comments on the Open Campus, UWI, and encourage you to send your comments on the Open Letter to us via e-mail @ marketing@open.uwi.edu.

4St. Augustine was represented by a strong team but unfortunately, came second with rival Tobago coming third on the medal podium. The prizes included trophies, medals and hampers. Dr. Lennox Bernard, Head of Open Campus, Trinidad and Tobago lauded the student participants and the event’s committee, stating that, “the level of commitment displayed by both staff and students is commendable. This sports day exemplifies what we hope to achieve with the Open Campus; nurturing various skill levels that can now be merged to form an Open Campus Sports team to compete at UWI’s Inter-Campus Games.”

A sports committee was formed in the month of December 2008 to arrange the event. The committee comprised the following persons; Ms. Ingrid Prescod-Chairperson, Mr. Archie Leiba-Sportsmaster, Mrs. Natasha Rajack- Coordinator South Centre and the Student Council members of the South Centre. The next sports day for the University Centres is scheduled for January 29, 2010 in Tobago.

Annual Independence Lecture at UWI Open Campus St. Vincent & The Grenadines

UWI Open Campus, St. Vincent and the Grenadines held its 10th Annual Independence Lecture on October 21, 2008. The Guest Lecturer for the occasion was Professor Rex Nettleford, Vice Chancellor Emeritus. Professor Nettleford’s presentation was on “Education and Caribbean Society”. He spoke to a large and appreciative

audience and participated in a lively Open Forum following his presentation. The Annual Independence Lecture is one of the highlights of the anniversary of Independence activities and is usually well patronised. Professor Nettleford is well known to the Vincentian public and this gave an added spark to the proceedings. The lecture was carried live on radio and on the Internet where it was heard and viewed by many Vincentians in the Diaspora.

Open Campus People Ms. Daniella Hickling has worked in the fields of Education and Student Support at both the secondary and tertiary levels since graduating from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish in 1996. Ms. Hickling also holds a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree in Bilingual Education and a teaching credential in Spanish and French with Bilingual, Cross-

Cultural, Language and Academic Development (BCLAD) certification from the University of San Diego.

Ms. Hickling transitioned from a career as a high School Teacher in both Jamaica and Florida to that of Human Services Counsellor

1st Runner up- The St. Augustine Team 3rd place- Tobago Centre

The winners of the March Past.