The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

A Bahamian woman, Raylene Shelly Gardiner, has the honour and privilege of serving as president of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus Post Graduate Regional Guild. She represents hundreds of people from throughout the Caribbean who have had the opportunity of improving their education through UWI Open Campus.

As UWI celebrates its 75th year under the theme “Rooted. Ready. Rising”, activities are taking place throughout the Caribbean, everywhere where UWI is represented. Recently, February 22 - 24, 2023, an intercampus debate competition was held at the UWI Cave Hill Campus, Barbados. There, Raylene successfully rallied her team to a third-place finish.

Debate topics covered issues such as the imperatives of e-governance; reducing a bloated public service; police approach to domestic violence; and the need to ameliorate economic circumstances as a tactic to fight crime.

Raylene organised her team, arranged their trip, and ensured their expenses were all paid in order to participate. The debate team included Carlene Perryman and Nicholas Worrell, with debate coach Dwayne Simon. They represented a good cross section of UWI Open Campus students from throughout the region. Worrel is a post graduate from Barbados, and Perryman is from Grenada.

The Mona, Jamaica campus won the debate competition. Cave Hill campus, Barbados placed second, and UWI Open Campuses placed third.

“It was a great networking and collaborating experience with brilliant minds,” Raylene said of the event.

Meantime, locally, UWI Open Campus Bahamas (UWIOCB) prepares to celebrate the 75th anniversary with the second annual 5K Run, Walk, Push and Souse-Out on Saturday, April 15. Proceeds will be in aid of scholarships towards the high school summer programme and a multipurpose community outreach centre. The event will include free health checks and will end with a Junkanoo rush-out, in which everyone is invited to join the parade. The walk will begin at 6.30am at UWIOCB’s campus on Tedder and Madeira Streets.

UWI Open Campus comprises students attending online classes from all over the Caribbean. Post-graduate students are masters and doctoral degree students.

Raylene explained her work as president of the Postgraduate Regional Guild: “I advocate, liaise, and assist with policies and concerns for postgraduate students, masters and doctoral students online in the region. It involves attending all graduate studies board meetings with Heads of Department at the graduate level. We also assist with students in need of scholarships in the region, and we recently presented scholarships to four deserving students.”

She became president of the Guild in 2022 and her tenure ends in July, 2023. Raylene holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Professional Master’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Industry. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at UWI Open Campus, specialising in Teaching and Learning. She holds a real estate licence from the Bahamas Real Estate Association, specialising in selling luxury real estate. Raylene resides in Grand Bahama.

As an active UWI Open Campus Guild member, Raylene wears several hats in the Bahamas Local Guild Chapter as the PG representative, Regional Guild Member as post-graduate representative, as well as the Open Campus regional president for the Doctor’s and Master’s degree students.

Her aims and objectives are to “direct, advocate, lead and empower young leaders in the Caribbean region”.

Raylene loves serving in her church, Freeport Bible Church, and she enjoys exercising, reading and travelling. Her motto is: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”