Northern Caribbean University Freeze Tuition Fee Of New Academic Year

Northern Caribbean University

The Northern Caribbean University (NCU) administration has decided to freeze tuition fees for the upcoming academic year to lighten the financial burden borne by students.

President Trevor Gardner made the disclosure in an address at yesterday's commencement service where a total of 1,058 students received certifications, including bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees.

Gardner said that in addition to foregoing the increase, "there will be further student payment options with a view to making fewer increases for the duration of studies across the disciplines..."

"...We thank our alumni, locally and overseas, who are playing a role in being part of the solution," he added.

In tandem with that, chairman of the university board Everett Brown said many of the graduates "owe a debt of gratitude" to persons who they have never met, but who are helping to further the cause of Christian education.

"Even as we fix our sight towards a brighter future with confidence, we are not oblivious to the plight of many, neither are we immune to the struggles of students and parents to meet registration requirements and payment deadlines," he said.

The Seventh-day Adventist institution, which opened its doors in 1907, this year conferred honorary degrees on three candidates -- Chairman of the Gleaner Company Oliver Clarke, former president of the Inter-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists Elder George W Brown and Seventh-day Adventist Pastor Wilton George McDonald.

Clarke, in his address at the first of two commencement services said he has always admired NCU for its "competent management" and suggested that a similar approach would be useful in building the country's economy.

Clarke said the poverty which manifests itself in violence in Jamaica and other countries "is the result of decades of consistently poor public management."

"Jamaica has no paucity of talent. The energy of our people is boundless. There are no limits to our creative endowments, but our country is overwhelmed by its challenges, particularly a systemic poverty, unhealthy levels of violence, a shameful intolerance of certain minority groups... and a notable deficiency in bold, enlightened, effective and creative leadership," he said.

Clarke added: "(It) is an indictment on leaders who enrich themselves on the backs of the powerless and ignore their plight by failing to create economic growth and job creation and improved educational opportunities."

He said that in this time and age it is "absolutely unacceptable" that children are disenfranchised by being allowed to leave the education system without achieving the requisite levels of literacy.

"Action is the antidote of apathy and cynicism," he told the graduands.

"The opportunity exists as never before for young leaders like you... who are the products of different experiences and time; and possessors of new ideas and conceptual visions to begin to control our nation's future...," said Clarke.