Open Letter - Open Campus - Uwi.edu

together, knowing that the small wounds that they received fromeach other were worth it in the end. As social beings, we need thepeople around us. We need to accept that we have spikes as welland can be just as challenging to live with. Let’s learn to live with thesharp quills of others and hope and pray that those around us canlearn to live with ours. There is strength in unity but we mustremember that the unit is made of individuals with differences. Eachof us must therefore find our place and appreciate each other eventhough sometimes we don't like each other. Every one of us is goingto have to work together more, read more, train more, think more,and most importantly, apply that piece of paper more.The Certificate, Diploma or Degree you receive has actual humanvalue not just material pay off. As Prime Minister Tony Blair said, “inthis new economy, talent is the 21st century wealth. If you've got theskills, you've got the education and you have the opportunity toupgrade and improve both, you’ll be able to compete and winanywhere. If not, the fall will be further and harder than it ever wasbefore.”Right now, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, there are amazingpossibilities. All of that is possible but none of it will come easy.Some of us have to make the sacrifice to build our nation. But no oneis forcing you to care. You can take your Diploma, your Degree, yourCertificate and walk out of here, and go chasing after the big house,and the nice suits, and all the other things that our money culturesays that you should want, that you should aspire to and that youcan buy. If you want, it will be very easy for you to leave here todayand not give another thought to what happens to St. Vincent and theGrenadines and the challenges we face. But I hope you don’t walkaway from the challenge. Focusing your life solely on making a buckshows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Letus use our education to not only talk but to build St. Vincent and theGrenadines.”Open Campus St. Lucia LiteratureWorkshop a Resounding SuccessOn Tuesday, January 25, 2011 the University of the West Indies OpenCampus, St Lucia Site hosted a one-day workshop dubbed‘Discovering St. Lucian Literature’ as its contribution to the 2011Nobel Laureate Week activities organized by Her Excellency, DamePearlette Louisy.rivaled many an art gallery with its impressive display of the worksand personal biographies of over eighty St. Lucian authors.The afternoon’s activities were brought to a close with a vote ofthanks by Campus Head, Mrs. Veronica Simon who expressed theOpen Campus’ special gratitude to 1st National Bank St. LuciaLimited for their generous support of the day’s activity.Dr. Antonia McDonald and herExcellency, Dame PearletteLoiusyLLouisyLouisyThe late Roderick Walcott, O.B.E.In April of 2009, The University of the West Indies Open Campus,St. Lucia was the proud recipient of a “Collection of Works”produced by the late Roderick Walcott, O.B.E. A listing of theplaywright’s works includes seventeen dramas, eight musicals andtwo screenplays. In 1976, Roderick Walcott was awarded the Orderof the British Empire (OBE) for outstanding theatrical work in St.Lucia. Mr. Walcott was also awarded the Saint Lucia Medal of Honor(Gold) for eminent and outstanding contribution to the Literary andPerforming Arts.Thanks to the generosity of the National Commission for UNESCO,the UWI Open Campus, St. Lucia Site has been able to preserve andhouse Roderick Walcott’s 250 item collection for the purpose ofscholarly research.Formal recognition of this achievement and ofthe Open Campus’ role in preserving the collection was given duringthe launching of the “National Memory of the World Register”recently held at the National Archives Authority of St. Lucia as part ofNobel Laureate Week celebrations.Photo exhibition of St. Lucian writersOpen Campus St. LuciaPraised for PreservingRoderick Walcott’s LegacyThe aim of the workshop was to expose teachers of Literature,Theatre Arts and English Language – and also up and coming youngwriters - to the plethora of work produced by St. Lucian authors,playwrights, and poets and to ensure that locally produced literatureof all genres finds its rightful place within the classroom.Congratulations toDr. Luz LongsworthThe workshop, which was graced with the presence of HerExcellency, brought together a wonderful mix of youth andexperience. Of significance were a book and photo exhibition put onby Open Campus Library staff. The corridors of the Open CampusCongratulations to Dr. Luz Longsworth who has earned a Doctoratein Business Administration (DBA) specializing in Higher EducationManagement. Her thesis title was: Leadership in the Virtual HigherEducation Environment: Towards an Appropriate Model and

Framework. The Case Study was based on The UWI and the OpenCampus. “Many of our colleagues in leadership and managerial roleswere very cooperative and participated in the data-gathering stagethrough responding to surveys, being interviewed or participating infocus groups” said Dr. Longsworth. “I wish to thank them for theirsupport and willingness to be a part of this study.”An excerpt from the acknowledgements section of Dr. Longsworth’sThesis:“At home in the Caribbean, I have been blessed with a support basethat has been my fortress. I wish to thank sincerely and humbly mycolleagues all over the region who so gladly agreed to beinterviewed, surveyed, “focus grouped” and generally examinedunder the microscope of this thesis. I hope that I have done justiceto your words, views and ideas and that this work will help us togrow from strength to strength. Warmest thanks to Francis, Cheryland Anneshia for covering for me during my time away working onthe thesis and to Jennifer for fiercely protecting my time off as wellas doing a wonderful job of transcribing several of the interviewsalong with my daughter Marissa. To the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor,the Principals, the rest of the Executive Management team of theUWI and the Management Team of the Open Campus, I also say aspecial thank you for your constant encouragement and interest inmy progress. I hope that I will be able to share with all of the OpenCampus staff, some of my findings in due course.”responsibility for overseeing distance education when the Board forDistance Education was set up. Professor Brandon had, in fact, beenparticipating in distance education from the beginning of UWIDITE,by teaching a course in the Certificate in Education. When the Officeof Academic Affairs succumbed to the last major restructuring of theUniversity, it found itself reborn as the Office of the Board for Non-Campus Countries and Distance Education. When that Board wasitself transfigured and the Open Campus was born, he remained inthe Principal's Office, contributing to planning and theadministration of the new campus. Professor Brandon’s publicationshave, over the years, reflected his early engagement in the trainingof teachers. While many were concerned with what Philosophymight contribute to improving teachers’ performance in theclassroom, his main focus was on improving their grasp of goodreasoning and on getting a clearer picture of the nature of thesubject they were teaching. At Cave Hill, he was able to assist with anew Philosophy Major that began in 2000 and actually taught anumber of straight Philosophy courses that later led to his writing afew related publications. His interests in Philosophy have alwaysreflected the wide range pursued by his first teacher, the late JohnMackie, whose introductory courses at the University of York inEngland diverted Professor Brandon from the Linguistics he hadoriginally gone there to study.WOW! EVEN LOWER “FLASH FARES” FOR CRUISE!Congratulations toProfessor Ed BrandonPrincess Cruise lines have just published EVEN LOWER “flash fare”rates for our April 17-24, 2011 cruise. Unfortunately, these lastminutespecial fares are only available for NEW bookings, so those ofyou who have been on the fence, now is the time to jump! This isincredible value for money!Congratulations to Professor Ed Brandon who became a Professor inNovember 2010. Professor Brandon thinks of himself as a student ofPhilosophy more than anything else - and true to one of thefounding fathers of that discipline, Socrates, who is notorious forknowing only that he didn't know most of the important answers –could not claim to be able to say how he had ended up with aprofessorial title. One thing, however, that was very important wasthe opportunity provided by the internet to let the world, and inparticular Principal Hazel Simmons-McDonald, view his work overthe years. Professor Brandon is very grateful to her for suggestingthat his list might seem sufficient to the University, despite his lackof several normal ingredients.Professor Brandon’s current position within the Principal’s Officebegan many years ago (1992), when he left the then Faculty ofEducation at Mona to come to work in the Office of AcademicAffairs, headed by PVC Woodville Marshall. That Office was chargedwith advising on academic policies for the University and that didn'tseem too remote from general reflections on what education,teaching, and learning were all about, which was what he had beenpaid to do at Mona. The Office of Academic Affairs, was also givenDouble occupancy (US$) Single Occupancy (US$)Interior 399 Interior 798Ocean View(Obstructed)429Ocean View(Obstructed)858Ocean View 499 Ocean View Not AvailableBalcony 699 Balcony 1.398.00Mini Suite 1,798.00Plus Government Fees – US$54.20 per personPlease be reminded, however, that these “flash fare” rates:ARE SUBJECT TO CONFIRMATION AT THE TIME OF BOOKINGREQUIRE PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARDARE NON-REFUNDABLE IF YOU CANCEL FOR ANY REASONDO NOT ALLOW NAME CHANGESIt is not too late to consider a wonderful, unique Easter Getaway – sobook early via the Scholar Ship website:www.open.uwi.edu/adventures before you miss the boat!