On October 08, 2016, the Open Campus of The University of the West Indies (UWI) recognised the accomplishments of graduates for the 2015-2016 academic year at an official ceremony held at the St Kitts Marriott Resort in St. Kitts and Nevis. This year, 700 students officially graduated from The UWI Open Campus (593 undergraduates and 107 postgraduates) with degrees, certificates and diplomas in a wide range of subject areas. Of these, one hundred and nine (109) attended the official Graduation Ceremony, crossing the stage with pride towards Sir George Alleyne, Chancellor of The University of the West Indies, who graciously shook the hand of each graduate, in turn, while congratulating them on their success. The new graduates then received their scrolls from the Campus Registrar, Mrs. Karen Ford-Warner.
As in previous years, the ceremony was preceded by a prelude of music, this year by the St. Kitts and Nevis Defence Force Band. The ceremony was attended by a number of national and regional dignitaries, including the Governor General of St. Kitts and Nevis, H.E. Sir Samuel Weymouth Tapley Seaton QC, the Governor General’s Deputy of Antigua and Barbuda, H.E. Sir Clare Roberts, former Governors General of St. Kitts and Nevis, Sir Edmond Lawrence and Sir Cuthbert Sabastian, as well as Sir Probyn Innis, the former Governor of St. Christopher and Nevis.
Other dignitaries in attendance included the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education for St. Kitts and Nevis, Hon. Shawn Richards, accompanied by Permanent Secretaries, and several other highly placed government officials. The Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, members of the University’s Executive Management, other top level University officials, as well as family and friends of the graduates, were also in attendance.
This year, an Honorary Doctor of Science was conferred on a citizen from Antigua and Barbuda, Dr Sir Prince Ramsey. A family physician in private practice, Sir Prince has over the past 25 years lectured in over twenty Caribbean countries, the USA and Canada, mainly on the topics of family planning, STDs, sexual disorders and HIV/AIDS. His philanthropic contribution to health, especially in the field of HIV/AIDS, has been widely recognised with the award of many local, regional and international accolades.
An avid lover of the calypso art form, Sir Prince also has the distinction of having penned over 400 calypsoes – a number of them taking home the crown during annual carnival celebrations.
Following an eloquently delivered citation by the Campus’s Public Orator, Dr Francis Severin, Sir Prince delivered a speech with a difference. It was punctuated by a vivid pictorial presentation of his personal journey, with a live performance by Caribbean calypsonian, Keith Morson (also known as De Bear), belting out one of his winning calypsoes, much to the delight of all present. The audience responded with a standing ovation to Sir Prince’s presentation, and was further delighted by an equally enjoyable performance by the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College Choral Ensemble.
St Lucian national, Ms Rone Alexis was this year’s Valedictorian, graduating with First Class Honours from the Open Campus’s BEd Early Childhood Development and Family Studies programme. Radiating positivity, strength and determination, she delivered a powerful speech that was well received by her fellow graduates and guests alike. Emphasised by Rone, was the bond of friendship formed with fellow graduates across the region. She urged her former classmates to remember that as graduates of The UWI they had an obligation to: “…get up and start moving forward as victors who can confidently perform our responsibilities, not only professionally, but in every aspect of our lives, because we have been empowered by The University of the West Indies through the Open Campus”.
Following the Valedictorian’s speech and the award of postgraduate degrees, all the new graduates were led by the representative of the UWI Alumni Association (St. Kitts and Nevis Chapter), Mr. Craig Tuckett in the recitation of the UWI Alumni Pledge. The Chancellor then brought the formal proceedings to an end, amidst shouts of joy and loud bursts of applause from the Class of 2016 waving their individual scrolls – the tangible evidence of their individual academic achievements.
An official reception (complete with masquerade, moko jumbies, steel pan music and a local string band) hosted by the Government and People of St Kitts and Nevis for the graduates and their guests, brought the celebration to a close.
End
Photo Captions
Photo 1: Chancellor of The UWI, Sir George Alleyne, addresses the audience at the 2016 Open Campus Graduation in St. Kitts & Nevis on October 8, 2016
Photo 2: The UWI Open Campus' Honorary Graduate for 2016, Dr Sir Prince Ramsey, a citizen of Antigua & Barbuda and a UWI alumnus, addresses the audience after being conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Science degree by the Chancellor.
Photo 3: St Lucia national, Ms Rone Alexis, was chosen as the 2016 Valedictorian at the UWI Open Campus' Graduation Ceremony held in St. Kitts & Nevis on October 8, 2016.
Photo 4: Celebrating the conferral of the honorary Doctor of Science degree on Dr Sir Prince Ramsay (third left), are: Dr. Luz Longsworth, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Open Campus; Sir George Alleyne, Chancellor of The University of the West Indies; and Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies.
Photo 5: Graduates listen soberly to a speaker at the 2016 Open Campus Graduation Ceremony.
About The UWI
Since its inception in 1948, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a fully-fledged, regional University with over 50,000 students. Today, The UWI is the largest, most longstanding higher education provider in the Commonwealth Caribbean, with three physical campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and an Open Campus. The UWI serves 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, The British Virgin Islands, The Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos. The UWI’s faculty and students come from more than 40 countries and The University has collaborative links with 160 universities globally; it offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology and Social Sciences. The UWI’s seven priority focal areas are linked closely to the priorities identified by CARICOM and take into account such over-arching areas of concern to the region as environmental issues, health and wellness, gender equity and the critical importance of innovation.
(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)
Website: www.uwi.edu
About the Open Campus
The Open Campus has developed a unique approach in the Caribbean region to enhancing the student experience in innovative continuing and professional education, undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education study programmes and courses by distance, blended, online and face-to-face learning modes.
Website: www.open.uwi.edu
