THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES - Open Campus - Uwi.edu

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIESOpen CampusDOMINICAP.O. Box 82, RoseauPhone: (767) 448-3182, (767) 448-3482; Fax: (767) 448-8706; e-mail: francis.severin@open.uwi.eduNEWS RELEASERECOGNITION OF GRADUATES CEREMONYTHURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2011FORT YOUNG HOTEL10:00 amRoseau, Dominica, April 28, 2011: The University of the West IndiesOpen Campus Dominica is pleased to announce the staging of itsRecognition of Graduates Ceremony for some fifty-four (54) graduates ofthe Class of 2010 of the UWI Open Campus who studied via online,mixed-modes, blended learning and face-to-face methods, as well asgraduates who read programmes from the Mona Campus and the CaveHill School of Business via the UWI Open Campus Dominica Site. Theceremony will take place on Thursday, April 28, 2011 commencing at10:00 am at the Ball Room, Fort Young Hotel.Deputy Principal of the University of the West Indies Open Campus,Professor Vivienne Roberts will preside at the ceremony while Head of theUWI Open Campus Dominica, Dr. Francis O. Severin will chair theformal procedure. A unique highlight at this year’s ceremony is that thefeature address will be delivered by the Open Campus’s Class of 2010Valedictorian, Mr. Daren Pinard. Mr. Pinard, a Dominican and employeeof the National Bank of Dominica Limited, emerged as the 2010 Classvaledictorian of the entire Open Campus, an extraordinary achievementand proud one for Dominica.At the ceremony, 54 graduates (13 males, 41 females) will be presentedas follows: the Master of Education; the Bachelor of Science (SocialSciences); the Bachelor in Education; the Bachelor of Science in NursingPage | 1

(Post RN); Executive Diploma in Management; and the Certificate inEarly Childhood Education (ECCE) for Administrators. Of special note isthe fact that the first cohort of the Certificate in Early ChildhoodEducation (ECCE) for Administrators (launched in the Academic Year2009/2010) will graduate, a deep source of pride for the Head, staff andtutors as it is a local programme approved by the UWI Board forUndergraduate Studies (BUS).The decision by the UWI Open Campus Dominica in 2007 to hold anannual local Recognition of Graduates Ceremony has provided graduateswho were unable to travel to the four major graduation ceremonies atCave Hill, Mona, St. Augustine, or Grenada in October 2010 (the locationof the formal Graduation Ceremony of the Open Campus), theopportunity and satisfaction of taking part in a recognition ceremony infull view of family and friends, and thanks to the media, the widerDominican public. The first of the annual local events was held in 2007when the Class of 2006 was presented. The graduates in the forthcomingevent – the fifth successive ceremony of its kind - are from the Class of2010.Among the highlights of the ceremony will be two musical interludeswhich will feature a former Calypso Monarch of Dominica, King Karessah(Mr. Gregory Riviere), and Ms. Tarina Simon, one of Dominica’srecognized talented musical artists. Mr. Daryl Bobb, Public RelationsOfficer of the UWI Alumni Association, will lead the National Anthem. MsMacina Bethel and Ms. Denise Riley, both first class honours’ graduates,will deliver the address on behalf of graduates and vote of thanksrespectively. Vice President of the UWI Alumni Association, Mr. NelsonPierre, will formally welcome the new alumni to the Alumni Associationand the Dominica Chapter.His Excellency the President Dr. Nicholas J. O. Liverpool and Mrs.Liverpool will be in attendance.Invited guests should be seated by 9:30 am.If you require any clarification or additional information, please do nothesitate to contact me at telephone 448-3182/3482 (at The UWI OpenCampus Dominica). You may also reach me on my mobile phone: 275-0048.A warm invitation is thus extended to you, our good and steadfastfriends of the media. We look forward to seeing you at the Ball Room,Fort Young Hotel as we celebrate this proud occasion with the Class of2010.Page | 2

About the Open Campus The newest campus of the 63-year-old University of the WestIndies (UWI) was formally launched in Antigua & Barbuda in June 2008. The UWI OpenCampus is an amalgamation of three former departments of the UWI - the Office of theBoard for Non-Campus Countries & Distance Education (BNNCDE), the School ofContinuing Studies (SCS), the UWI Distance Education Centre (UWIDEC), and the TertiaryLevel Institutions Unit (TLIU). The UWI Open Campus offers multi-mode teaching andlearning services through virtual and physical site locations across the Caribbean region.There are currently 42 site locations of the Open Campus in the English-speakingCaribbean. The UWI Open Campus offers an open and flexible learning environment for preuniversity,professional development, undergraduate and graduate courses and programmesand other services both online and in blended format. We offer a three-tiered registrationstructure to suit particular needs and educational backgrounds. The system allows ourstudents to move and transfer within the entire University system to reach the requiredstandard. All programmes and courses at the Open Campus have been designed in directresponse to a need for high quality continuing and professional development in many keyareas in the Caribbean and global markets.Francis O. Severin, Ph.D. (UWI)HeadThe UWI Open Campus DominicaApril 23, 2011Page | 3