With the Anguilla Community College, now celebrating its 10th Anniversary, its importance as a provider of tertiary education to the present and future development of the island, took centre stage at a formal event on Tuesday, June 18.
That event, in the Ballroom of Resorts & Residences by CuisinArt, was the well-attended 13th Walter G. Hodge Anguilla Day Memorial Lecture. It was jointly delivered by the former President of the Community College, Professor Delroy Louden, and his present successor, Dr. Karl Dawson.
Though his name was not otherwise mentioned during the event, the late Mr. Walter Hodge was a stalwart of the 1967 Anguilla Revolution who, among other responsibilities, served as the Chairman of a Peacekeeping Committee that oversaw the day-to-day running of the affairs of Anguilla in the early days of the Revolution. The lecture was a fitting tribute to his legacy and an important contribution to the education of the people of the island.
The lecture was sponsored by the Anguilla Social Security Board and the Anguilla Community College. The welcome remarks were fittingly delivered by Mr. Timothy Hodge, Director of Social Security, one of the children of the late Mr. Walter Hodge. He told his listeners: “The lecture series is intended to allow the community to interact with professionals and experts in their fields; engage intellectual stimulation; and address subjects related to nation-building, history and political development, etc.”
Mr. Hodge explained that there was a second lecture coming up in November. “It is the Social Security Week Lecture which is intended to deal more with socio-economic issues, fiscal and investment matters and pension fund development, etc,” he stated. “This coming November we are going to be hosting, right here, the Regional National Health Financing Initiatives Conference. The Social Security Board will be the host, and during that Social Security Week we will have a lecture on National Health Insurance which is being proposed for Anguilla.”
Tuesday’s Walter G. Hodge Memorial Lecture was entitled: “Tertiary Education in Anguilla: The case of, and for, the Anguilla Community College.” The audience heard the first part of the lecture from Professor Louden. Among other matters, he spoke on the establishment of the Anguilla Community College in 2009, the Government’s mandate for education; reasons why community colleges are successful at skills development; and what the Anguilla Community College can further do in the future.
Professor Louden advised that, going forward, the island’s Community College could enhance the adult learning experience; establish a Success Support Centre; address the need for developmental classes in areas where students are traditionally weak such as mathematics, writing and reading.
He advised that the purpose of these courses would be to build strong basic academic skills – enabling students to complete their educational goals. He further stated that there could be the introduction of a programme aimed at providing students with the literacy skills they need to function as workers, family and community members, while also providing them with the necessary skills for transition into college level courses.
For his part, Dr. Karl Dawson was of the view that, in the next decade, the Anguilla Community College “must find its soul” as an educational organisation. “By this I mean we must be clear about our core principles,” he explained. “What philosophies should we adopt and hold dear about the teaching and learning process? How should information be presented? What is the best use of time in the classroom? How much do we value feedback in the teaching and learning process? What role should technology play? How do we view and treat our students? These are some of the questions that must be answered for us to determine who we truly are as an educational institution. The process to obtain these answers must be authentic and not just another exercise.”
Dr. Dawson continued: “Undoubtedly, the main focus of the Anguilla Community College is teaching and learning, and that will remain as long as the institution exists. However, as the College grows, I believe that there will be other expectations of the institution with respect to the building of Anguilla. Notwithstanding the role and efforts of our regional university, the University of the West Indies, as the publicly supported national tertiary educational institution in Anguilla, we must play our role in nation building. We will do so by virtue of the training and education delivered. But I believe that the Anguilla Community College also has a role as a discussion forum on critical issues, as an incubator for ideas – and generally bringing together intellectual resources focused on the advancement of Anguilla.”
He added: “When in full bloom, the Anguilla Community College must also facilitate the development of culture and arts as well.”
Dr. Dawson took the opportunity to congratulate and thank Professor Louden for his work in the development of the Community College over the years. He also referred to a book written by Dr. Louden entitled: “Our Early Years: A Story to Tell, A Nation to Inform – A History of the Anguilla Community College”. He described the book as a key milestone which chronicled the legislative process relating to the development of the College; the individuals who were critical in its establishment – whether at the Government or Board level, as well as the faculty and staff level; and the key milestones as far as programmes and relationships were concerned.
A book-signing session, in connection with the above publication, concluded the Walter G. Hodge Anguilla Day Memorial Lecture.
