UWI Open Campus appoints new principal

The University of the West Indies (UWI) appointed the new principal of its Open Campus, Dr Francis O Severin, on Friday, during the university's council annual business meeting.

A release on Monday said Severin a past student, has held many roles at the university. His appointment will take effect on August 1.

He said, "When I joined the UWI in 1999 as a staff member, I could not have imagined or dreamed this distinction would one day be bestowed upon me."

He has a bachelor's degree in history and social studies with education, a master's in sociology specialising in social policy and administration and a doctorate in education.

Severin, from Dominica, was the Open Campus's interim principal after the retirement of former principal Dr Luz Longsworth last July. He was also deputy principal while serving as the director of the open campus country sites for seven years.

His first role at the university was programme officer in the administration and special initiatives of the UWI Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica but also held positions at other universities and campuses.

He returned to Dominica in 2005 where he held the position of resident tutor and head of the School of Continuing Studies and experienced the open-campus concept coming into play.