UWI trying to return students to TT

Plans are being made to have university students return to TT, said Dale Webber, pro-vice chancellor and principal of the Mona campus of UWI.

In a UWI post-council virtual media briefing on Thursday, Webber said there are 124 students from TT accounted for on the Mona campus.

“There are students at the Mona campus who have expressed their desire to return home and plans are far on the way to have the students return home.

“The discussion between Prof Brian Copeland (principal of UWI St Augustine) and myself have started. We have been on this issue and have been trying to find out what the numbers of students we are dealing with, and how we can move forward.”

Webber said there are other UWI TT students who do not live on the Mona Campus. He said plans are being made to track those students down who live in private housing.

“There are also some other TT students who are not UWI students who have heard of the dialogue and are making contact with us trying to ensure they too are captured in the communication in order for them to return home,” Webber said.

Pro-vice chancellor Copeland said while the number living on hall at Mona is 124, he believes the number of TT students waiting to return home is much larger.

“I think the total might be approximately 300 students, because we do not know how many students are off-campus.

“I have been asked by the minister to give an update, but I am still waiting on the numbers from Mona.”

Asked if students and lecturers are coping with online courses during the covid19 restrictions, Copeland said the transition from the classroom to online is progressing “fairly well.”

“They are coping. From what I have seen there has been progress because it is an emergency remote work situation.

“Had students and staff known they were going to work online, many of them would have prepared themselves better. It was difficult for some because it was a new experience, while other students and lecturers were prepared by having their courses online already.”

Copeland said there are universities that are completely online and although the UWI started working towards online courses, the covid19 pandemic showed the university it has to continue its mission.