“Student Centredness”. It’s one of The UWI’s five core values. And the university student experience goes beyond learning, exams and graduation. For many, higher education is an important part of their personal development. They form new relationships, learn life lessons, and grow as people. It’s an exhilarating and sometimes frightening time, especially for new students.
PHOTOS: ANEEL KARIM
The First Year Experience (FYE) was created by UWI St Augustine’s Division of Student Services and Development (DSSD) to help new undergraduates and postgraduates adjust to campus life and make the most of their time. It includes a host of events and activities - from sessions to familiarise them to their faculties, the library, and the technologies available to them, to sessions on health and wellness, career planning, and even volunteerism.
Students also receive enormous support from the Guild of Students, their official university representative body, that hosts a whole slew of events and activities to enrich campus life, including Guild Fest (see article in this issue).
For students with special needs, FYE also includes an orientation for students with disabilities to ensure they are aware of the resources in place for them.
The Matriculation Ceremony, highlighted here, is the event that formally recognises new students to UWI St Augustine. Their acceptance into the academic community is marked by the signing of the Matriculation Register. Formalities aside, it is a way of warmly welcoming new students to a new, and very important, chapter of their lives.
