The Tribune

THE University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus Bahamas has held its first open house at its new location on Village Road.

Under the theme “Explore the Possibilities”, the purpose of the event earlier this month was to introduce formally the public to the UWI Open Campus Bahamas while providing them with an opportunity to explore the opportunities available to earn their university degree at the click of a mouse, according to the Open Campus Country Head, Dr Barbara Rodgers-Newbold.

The Open House marked a milestone for the UWI Open Campus Bahamas, which recently relocated to its own premises for the first time in its seven-year operation in the Bahamas. It also marked the first time the UWI School of Clinical Medicine and Research Bahamas (SCMR) and the UWI Open Campus Bahamas collaborated in showcasing their programmes to the public under one roof. Currently, the UWI Open Campus, the UWI School of Clinical Medicine and Research Bahamas (SCMR) and the UWI Centre for Hotel and Tourism Management (CHTM) operate separate campuses in The Bahamas.

The Open Campus Bahamas began operating in The Bahamas in 2008, the same year that the UWI established the Open Campus in 12 English-speaking Caribbean countries “based on the idea that the high-quality university education, research and services available at our institution should be open and available to all people who wish to reach their full potential inside and outside of the Caribbean region”. Under the leadership of Dr Rodgers-Newbold, the Open Campus Bahamas continues to deepen its footprints throughout the Bahamas with a 300 per cent increase in student applications within the last three years and an increase in student enrollment in eight different Family Islands.

In addition to its online programmes, the UWI Open Campus Bahamas also caters to the local workforce training market with a suite of on-site, local, face-to-face professional development courses for those interested in continuing their education and professional development. The campus also serves as a liaison and intermediary/facilitator for the three other UWI on-site campuses in Barbados, Trinidad and Jamaica, an Examination Centre for UWI’s students and various external universities, as well as provides video-conferencing services to the public.

People who attended the Open House were given the opportunity to speak with the staff, lecturers, examiners, past and current students, tour the new facility, and get additional information on all of the online and professional development programmes as well as view demonstrations on the online classrooms. Attendees and prospective students also interacted with representatives from the Open Campus Student Guild Bahamas Chapter, the UWI Alumni Association Bahamas Chapter, and the Ministry of Education Science and Technology scholarship division.

For information on applying to the UWI Open Campus or the professional development programmes contact 323-6593 or 323-1175 or email bahamas@open.uwi.edu.