Like the ending of a long and surreal Caribbean winter, Trinidad and Tobago is finally thawing from the pandemic. Public spaces are reopening, travel restrictions are loosening - life and work are returning to a somewhat familiar place. We aren’t completely free from COVID-19 – far from it – but we can coexist. Things haven’t returned to 100 per cent normalcy, but that is not a bad thing. It would be a terrible waste for us to attempt to dogmatically sprint backwards to how we lived before, a way of life that helped to get us into this crisis in the first place.
Winter is ending at The UWI St Augustine Campus as well. Academic Year 2022/2023 officially begins on August 28 (registration starts a little earlier on August 22). The campus will finally be open to students once more as we return to in-person classes. Campus life is an important part of the university experience, and it has been missed.
These moves to open the campus began months ago. In early June, staff officially returned. Later that month, UWI St Augustine held the “Postgraduate Experience”, a unique cocktail event where prospective graduate students could explore the opportunities available to them at the university. While the event took place at the Trinidad Hilton and Conference Centre, the venue on the outskirts of the capital made the campus and its offerings more accessible to the hundreds who attended.
In July, that kind of informational experience did actually take place on campus with The UWI Open Days. Prospective students and their families were invited on to the campus to explore the faculties, departments, facilities and vibes at UWI St Augustine. It was the first in-person campus event of its kind since COVID-19 closed down the country. In fact, it might have been the most people on the campus grounds in two years. The campus community worked very hard to host our guests over those three days (July 8 to 10), but it was fulfilling work and a truly significant moment.
That momentum continued on July 24 with UWI Fête Champêtre. Held on a warm Sunday at the Campus Principal’s Residence, this was a fundraising initiative created to provide scholarships and bursaries to deserving students. It filled the void left by UWI Fete, UWI St Augustine’s signature fundraising event, which normally takes place during the Carnival season and has been on hiatus because of the pandemic.
Fête Champêtre brought the joyous sounds, colour and life back to campus while also making the statement, “UWI St Augustine is back”. With tickets completely sold out, it succeeded in raising valuable funds for students.
Academic Year 2022/2023 feels like more than a new year. It has the potential to be a new era. One we look forward to with optimism and the determination to make the most of the opportunities it provides.
Normally, this space in UWI TODAY is preserved for the Campus Principal. However, there has been another hugely significant moment in this new era at UWI St Augustine. Professor Brian Copeland has completed his tenure as Principal. As Editor, I have had the privilege of working with Prof Copeland and sharing his messages with the society for over three years. He is a dynamic leader with a very strong and transformational vision for the campus and T&T itself. It was a pleasure working with him.
On August 1, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine officially assumed office as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of UWI St Augustine. She is a beloved educator, administrator and public intellectual, and a passionate leader in the fight for many social justice causes. We look forward to sharing her messages in UWI TODAY and, more importantly, the campus’ story under her leadership.
