Mr. Timothy Hodge
The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), with campuses in St Thomas and St Croix, is on a mission to attract more students from Anguilla and other neighbouring islands. As part of that effort, a three-member delegation visited Anguilla on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. The delegation was led by the President, Dr David Hall. He was accompanied by Dr Haldane Davies, his Special Assistant, and Linda Smith, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Affairs.
They held talks with Chief Minister, Hubert Hughes; Minister of Education, Jerome Roberts; other members of Government and Dr Delroy Louden, President of the Anguilla Community College.
Dr Hall outlined the purpose of the talks at a press conference arranged by Mr Timothy Hodge, Director of Social Security, and a graduate of the University of the Virgin Islands. The UVI President said the talks with local officials were aimed at developing a framework for an MOU with the Anguilla Government and the Community College to provide higher education for Anguillian students. He stated that a number of outstanding students from Anguilla had graduated from the UVI over the years, and the aim of the institution was now to solidify the access of future students to the university in a more systematic manner.
“The talks were about a framework for a relationship between the UVI, the Anguilla Government and the Community College,” he told the media. “It would be a three-way relationship…The framework includes some key components. The first component is to increase the number of students coming from Anguilla to the UVI. The second component is that we believe that when those students come they will need as much support as the Government can provide to them. Our experience has been, not necessarily with Anguilla, but that students in general coming from the Caribbean, when they do not have the financial support to assist them, it makes it harder for them to complete their course of study. Our mission is not just to admit students, but to make sure that they are able to finish.
“The third component is that we are looking at ways in which we can reduce our tuition for those students who can come through this MOU. A lot of that depends on numbers, so if we can increase the numbers, we will be able to reduce our tuition and so create a larger flow of students.
“Another component…is that we would like to have a closer working relationship with the College so that there is a more seamless transition from the College to the UVI. There are programmes that they have, especially in hospitality and business and other areas, where we think it is a natural connection between the university and the college.”
Dr Hall explained that his meeting with Dr Louden, and other personnel at the Community College, was to discuss whether the UVI officials could serve as educational consultants to the College. The aim is to assist the local institution in achieving its goals, to see if there can be some faculty exchanges, as well as the possibility for the UVI to have a physical presence in Anguilla.
Dr Hall noted that the Anguilla Community College provides studies leading to Associate degrees, and pointed out that the UVI would be able to assist in providing further studies, over a two-year period, leading to full Bachelor degrees for Anguillian students.
He told the media that the mission of the UVI was to partner with governments and educational institutions throughout the region to help to develop the Caribbean educationally and economically.
On Tuesday evening, Dr Hall and his team were pleased to have met with twenty graduates of the UVI at the Anguilla Community College and to commend them on their success. They also visited Quin Claxton of South Hill, a former UVI student who was seriously injured in an accident at the St Thomas campus and had to abandon his studies. Claxton was scheduled to graduate in May this year. He was presented with a Graduation Clock as a token of appreciation.
Dr Hall said he was impressed by the high level of care being given to Claxton by his mother and other members of the family, and the strong faith of his mother for his recovery and return to college to complete his education.
