usc president's newsletter 2014

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President Clinton Valley updates the USC community on the recent development and progress of the University of the Southern Caribbean.

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  • University of the Southern Caribbean Presidents Update March 2014

    Page 1

    As we approach the end of the 2013/2014

    academic school year, it gives me pleasure as

    University President to update our campus

    community, our Board of Trustees and our beloved

    alumni and friends on the progress of the University

    since our last update.

    First of all, let me reiterate the passionate

    commitment of the Universitys Administration to

    remain focused on USC's historic mission as a

    training center in preparing our young people for

    competent, compassionate and Christ-centered

    service to Church and Society. We also seek to

    prepare them for the imminent return of our Lord.

    This mission is reflected in our plans to rebrand the

    institution under the theme of Learn, Love, Live.

    The University voted a five-year strategic plan in

    2012 and we continue to work towards the

    accomplishment of the goals and objectives set

    forth there and as amended to account for emerging

    realities. Let me report on progress, challenges and

    opportunities under the five pillars as outlined in the

    strategic plan.

    CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT This remains our most critical pillar. We have

    reminded the student body of the quotation found in

    the book Education, page 57:

    "The greatest want of the world is the want of menmen

    who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost

    souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin

    by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to

    duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the

    right though the heavens fall.

    But such a character is not the result of accident; it is not

    due to special favors or endowments of Providence. A

    noble character is the result of self-discipline, of the

    subjection of the lower to the higher naturethe

    surrender of self for the service of love to God and man."

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    UNIVERSITY of the

    SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN

    Presidents Update

    Beyond Excellence

    March 2014

    Dr. Clinton A. Valley

    President

  • University of the Southern Caribbean Presidents Update March 2014

    Page 2

    Students engaged in a prayer session

    The University is re-emphasizing this and other

    similar quotations through repetitions in classrooms

    and assemblies and on public displays across the

    University.

    The location for the University Church has been

    identified as the area currently housing Cedar Hall,

    the men's dormitory. The conceptual layout shows

    that the church's footprint will also include our

    famed and historic "slab". The plan is to have a

    multi-purpose community center and basketball

    court on the lower level of the church building. This

    space will also provide additional accommodation

    for large events.

    Fund-raising for this project has begun with an

    estimated project cost of about $50 million TT. The

    higher organizations, alumni and philanthropists are

    all to be approached to support the campus family

    and other members in this drive to finally build a

    church on campus to the glory of God. We thank

    Dr. Faz Hosein for the energy and drive with which

    he is leading out on this project along with the

    members of the Church Building Committee.

    Pledge card for church building

    CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT The University is currently engaged in an academic

    audit process chaired by Dr. Sylvan Lashley, Dean

    of Graduate, Extensions, Continuing and

    Professional Studies. USC has to ensure that its

    maintains rigor and relevance in all of its academic

    offering across its main campus, satellite and

    extension sites and the wider community it seeks to

    serve. Beyond Excellence continues to be our

    watchwords.

    The following academic programmes were

    approved for offering by USC at the IAD Board of

    Education at its November 2013 meeting:

    Certificate in Criminology and Criminal Justice

    Post Graduate Diploma in Criminology and

    Criminal Justice

    Graduate Diploma in Intelligence and National

    Security Studies

    Bachelor of Arts in Music

    Masters of Science in National Security and

    Intelligence Studies

    Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education

    B.Ed. in Primary Education (modified B.S.

    Elementary Education

  • University of the Southern Caribbean Presidents Update March 2014

    Page 3

    Signing of the MOU with Andrews University for Ph.D Degree

    The University will seek Board approval for the

    phased roll-out of these programmes.

    The University was pleased to conclude

    arrangements and to sign MOUs with Andrews

    University for the offering of dual undergraduate

    and MBA degrees. We also had a historic first with

    the formal signing and launch of the PhD in

    Educational Psychology offered in collaboration with

    Andrews University. Students were awaiting this

    reality for over five years and 24 doctoral students

    have now completed the second module in their

    programme.

    An exciting new initiative that is currently engaging

    our attention is the development of our Online

    College. We have hundreds of courses that are

    offered on a blended basis and many that are

    already fully online. This coming summer we will be

    adding some more fully online courses to respond

    to requests for teacher certification in the Caribbean

    Union. The University also plans to use its

    developing online capabilities to reach out to meet

    the needs of children of North American alumni and

    others including those students in the US territories

    of our own Caribbean Union and those at our

    extension sites. Our online services will be

    supported by live streaming of courses to selected

    locations. The first experiment of this latter

    approach took place when USC students took a

    course in Anatomy and Physiology from a Professor

    at the Adventist University of Health Sciences while

    they were seated in a classroom in Maracas Valley.

  • University of the Southern Caribbean Presidents Update March 2014

    Page 4

    CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT The Residence Halls Project continue to be our s

    main focus in this area. The Timothy S. Greaves

    Residence Hall has now been completed and

    furnished and will first be used in mid-June to house

    ministers from the Caribbean Union attending the

    Pastoral Leadership and Evangelism Conference

    (PLEC 2014).

    The walls of the ladies residence hall are currently

    been erected and completion on this phase is

    anticipated for completion in December 2014.

    Hopefully by January 2015, both residence halls will

    be in full occupancy, each catering for 200

    residents.

    Construction of the ladies dorm has begun.

    Funding for the residence halls was largely

    supported from a $97 million grant from the Trinidad

    and Tobago Government voted in 2007. However,

    contractual changes, un-budgeted infrastructural

    development, inflation and unanticipated costs have

    led to a revised total project cost of $160 million.

    We are discussing additional funding from the

    Government and other sources to subsidize the

    cost. The University has already spent over $22

    million of its own resources to keep the project on

    stream. Donations for this project are welcome and

    I would like to again thank the USC North American

    Association, their Chapters and other alumni who

    have contributed generously towards our residence

    halls.

    Naming opportunities are available for individual

    rooms, a block of rooms in a wing, the worship

    rooms and the ladies residence hall. Interested

    donors are invited to contact VP for Advancement,

    Mr. Glenford Joseph at [email protected].

    Other campus development undertaken within

    recent times include the refurbishment of the

    President's House, the completion of the School of

    Business, the re-modeling of a facility for the Health

    and Wellness Centre and the replacement of the

    roof at La Realista. The aging infrastructure has

    also demanded major remedial works in our

    plumbing, electrical and air conditioning facilities.

    Business Block

  • University of the Southern Caribbean Presidents Update March 2014

    Page 5

    USC opened its South Centre last September. It

    operates now from two locations in San Fernando -

    a rented facility and at the upper floor of what used

    to be Southern Academy. Remodeling works were

    done at both locations to meet our needs. The

    University is deeply appreciative of the support

    given by the San Fernando Church and the South

    Caribbean Conference in facilitating our launch in

    the South.

    Opening of the South Centre

    Works are also set to begin on expansion of the

    Tobago Extension Campus - thanks to significant

    and ongoing support from the Tobago House of

    Assembly. USC has recently rented new facilities in

    Antigua in partnership with the South Leewards

    Mission. Our sites in Barbados, Guyana and St

    Lucia are all due for relocation.

    The University is currently in discussions with

    several entities regarding the development of the

    estate for housing, agriculture and eco-tourism and

    the development of the strip of land across the road

    from the University for the mixed development of a

    University Village incorporating shops, professional

    and University Offices and apartments. The Health

    and Wellness Centre is also to be re-located to this

    facility. Recent meetings with Government

    Ministers, Town and Country Planning Officials, a

    local Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank

    all seem encouraging.

    Space identified for the University Village

    At the technological level, the University has

    invested in a new central academic management

    system which we have named Azar. This new

    system went live this semester and we are still

    working through bugs in the system. Generally,

    however, there is a great level of staff and student

    satisfaction with this new system. USC has

    indicated in its strategic plan that it aims to be a

    technologically advanced campus and Azar is an

    important step towards this goal.

    Students utilize the USC shuttle service

  • University of the Southern Caribbean Presidents Update March 2014

    Page 6

    COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

    One of the objectives in this area as outlined in our

    strategic plan is to "strengthen faith identity and

    congregational belonging as part of the integral

    mission of the University". Several initiatives are

    being pursued to accomplish this objective. One of

    the most interesting recently is the Dare to Care

    Project coordinated by our University Chaplain,

    Pastor Lloyd Jacott. A duplex home is currently

    under construction by students, our Plant Services

    personnel and other volunteers to house two

    families in the Maracas Valley. The Caribbean

    Union has also contributed significantly to this

    project.

    Construction in process at the house in Maracas Valley

    Every summer period, students from USC engage

    in mission trips coordinated by the Inter American

    Division. Our students return refreshed and revived

    from these bonding and faith-building opportunities.

    Right on campus our weekly assemblies and termly

    weeks of prayer are also strong faith-building

    occasions and baptisms usually occur after every

    revival week.

    Pas. Lloyd Jacott baptizes a student after the Week of Prayer

    USC has been reaching out to its national and

    regional communities with programmes to meet

    their needs using University resources and

    expertise. Some of these programmes are as

    follows:

    Working with the Trinidad and Tobago Police

    Service on a promotional assessment process

    for first and second Division Officers.

    Working with the Ministry of Gender on a

    parenting programme along the East/West

    Corridor.

    Working with the Ministry of Diversity, UTT and

    UWI in jointly hosting a national diversity

    conference.

    Working with the Government of Antigua and

    Barbuda in hosting a Special Education Week

    and in the consequent training of selected

    teachers in that country towards the award of a

    Diploma in Special Education.

    Working with the Grenada Conference in para-

    professional counseling training for a group of

    workers.

    Working with the Education Department of the

    Caribbean Union in developing and delivering a

  • University of the Southern Caribbean Presidents Update March 2014

    Page 7

    fully online programme for the certification of all

    teachers in the Caribbean Union.

    Working with South Caribbean Conference in

    hosting a weekly national radio programme and

    in several other initiatives.

    CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

    Our people are our most valued asset and so

    strategies continue to be implemented to enhance

    student and staff satisfaction and motivation. At the

    student level, some of the strategies recently

    implemented include:

    The opening of the Student Advisement Centre.

    The launch of Azar, our new academic

    management system.

    Revamping of the admission and registration

    processes

    Changing the date for the start of late registration

    to reflect the financial realities facing particularly

    our regional students.

    New residence halls.

    Significantly increase bandwidth to facilitate

    easier internet access.

    Generous support for the library budget and

    initiatives to ensure easy access to relevant on

    site and online learning resources.

    At the employee level, the University has embarked

    on a salary review process since salaries have

    been frozen for over four years. This freeze

    amounted to a real loss of earnings in the region of

    at least15% given the rates of inflation over the

    period. At present USC salaries are far below that

    paid by the other Universities and while USC

    maintains the need for a sacrificial element, salaries

    need to be raised if the University is to continue to

    recruit and retain qualified faculty and staff.

    Class presentation with Professor Santrac in foreground

    The University also continues to support the

    professional development of its workers both in

    terms of short courses and in the acquisition of

    higher degrees. At least three terminally qualified

    employees are due to return in September 2014

    after completing their programmes of study.

    The University's strategic plan projects an

    enrollment of 5,000 students by 2017. Current

    projections suggest that the September 2014

    enrollment across the University including all

    satellite and extension sites should be around 4000

    students, up from 3694 for the current school year.

    The goal is to significantly increase the residential

    enrollment on campus and this would be facilitated

    with the coming on stream of the new residence

    halls. Cedar Hall will be kept in use for at least

    another year while fund-raising continues for the

    new church building. Thus, for 2014/2015 school

    year, four residence halls will become available with

    a total potential occupancy of over 750 students.

    This is great news for the holistic emphasis

    advocated in Seventh-day Adventist Education.

  • University of the Southern Caribbean Presidents Update March 2014

    Page 8

    CONCLUSION

    My wife and I count it both a joy and a privilege to

    be part of the USC experience at this time. This

    University has tremendous potential and it is

    blessed with a committed and hard-working cadre

    of faculty and staff, an understanding Board,

    grateful alumni, valued resources and goodwill in

    the communities it serves. Our students - whether

    they belong to the Seventh-day Adventist or not -

    are generally polite and well behaved and this

    comment is repeatedly shared with me by visitors to

    our campus. USC has a lot for which to be thankful.

    The green shoots symbolizing better days are

    sprouting in several places for which we are humbly

    thankful. The VP for Financial Administration and

    her team rejoiced recently upon the receipt of the

    first unqualified audit report from our auditors in

    over five years.

    Thanks to a supportive Board Chair and Board, the

    Union Officers and the Field Leaders for their

    leadership and guidance. Together we are working

    to make USC a citadel of hope and a vital training

    centre for the prosecution of the Seventh-day

    Adventist mission in the Caribbean Union and

    elsewhere.

    To God be the glory!

    Flag raising Ceremony

    Ribbon cutting ceremony --opening of Tim Greaves Residence

    Hall