“This is my life’s work. This is my ministry. This is what I was meant to do, and this is what I am doing,” says Dr Jacqueline Huggins.
From attending a think tank on disability on campus many years ago to becoming the Manager of Student Life and Development Department (SLDD) within the Division of Student Services and Development (DSSD) at UWI St Augustine, she has been on quite the journey.
“Student services is great work. It is the engine room of the university,” notes Dr Huggins.
When asked about her work at SLDD, Dr Huggins admits, “I always wanted to be a teacher, and in this position, I’m a teacher, I’m a counsellor, and so much more.”
Entrusted with ‘Student Support. Student Development. Student Success.’ as their watchwords, SLDD provides a host of high-quality services for students. These include general academic support for all students, international and regional student support, disability and special needs student support, and postgraduate and mature student support.
Dr Huggins posits that the university and its administrative bodies exist because of its students. Within the mandate of DSSD, the focus is on being able to serve students every day.
The impact of this work is seen both in the reactions of students and Dr Huggins’ recent award. Inducted into the 2023 class of Diamond Honourees by the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Foundation, the award is the culmination of all the work that Dr Huggins has done in her field over the years.
Founded by the ACPA Foundation in 1999, the award serves to recognise colleagues who have made outstanding contributions to ACPA, student support services, and higher education. Nominated by a colleague and getting to the end of a rigorous decision process, Dr Huggins is among an esteemed cohort of recipients.
Of the award she says, “I’m still smiling about it. It is humbling. It makes you reflect on the work that you have done,” and for Dr Huggins, the list is long.
Dr Huggins urge to help others stemmed from the challenge of assisting her grandfather, who had gone blind. Wanting a better understanding of his issues and how she could help, she answered an advertisement from the Trinidad and Tobago Blind Welfare Association and was quickly introduced to the many challenges that blind and visually impaired people face.
“I have to be a part of the solution,” she explained.
Raised by a single mother after her father passed away when she was nine, Dr Huggins speaks of her mother’s unwavering support and encouragement that she could accomplish whatever she wanted to once she put her mind to it.
“My mother is my mentor. She has taught me everything. It has been her and God that have brought me through,” she said.
It is that sentiment that inspires her to be this person for others:
“My mother was always there. Everybody needs somebody to be there, and from that, I became the person that people would come to when they needed help.”
Shortly after becoming a tutor and then a research assistant upon the request of Dr Innette Cambridge, the position of Head of the Academic Support and Disabilities Liaison Unit (ASDLU) became available; she applied and was successful. A few years later, with the formation of the DSSD, the ASDLU was brought under its purview, and the name was changed to the Student Life and Development Department.
Serving as ACPA’s Assembly Coordinator, International Divisions and Members, Dr Huggins is also a part of the Caribbean Tertiary Level Personnel Association, and she also volunteers with the International Association of Student Affairs and Services (IASAS Global). Through these roles, she shares the Caribbean perspective, presents on the work she does at SLDD, advocates for student services at all levels, and focuses acutely on the inclusion of all persons.
However, SLDD is not without its challenges. With such a robust mixture of services available, there is need for more resources. Additional funding and specialised staff are at the top of the priority list for Dr Huggins.
Even so, she is continuously bolstered by the interactions with students who are at various stages of their journeys, be that dealing with an issue, having just overcome an issue, or being in the process of graduating.
She states, “I feel accomplished [when students graduate] because they came to get a degree, and I was able to participate in that journey.”
Under the leadership of Dr Jacqueline Huggins, SLDD fosters an environment of partnered growth and responsibility. Such an environment impacts positively on the students’ personal development which then translates to schoolwork and success.
Support, development, and success.
“Pride,” Dr Huggins smiles, “comes from seeing students start and being there to watch them graduate.”
For more information on the Student Life and Development Department and the services they offer, visit: https://sta.uwi.edu/dssd/student-life-and-development.
