Marine science course to be offered on the Brac

(CNS): The UCCI Cayman Brac campus faculty is looking into offering a marine science course and hopes that, when launched, the course will not only attract local students but international students as well. However, Campus Director Martin Keeley noted that before that could happen, a science lab would have to be created, something which the campus currently lacks. He noted that the campus would need $50,000 in funds to make this a reality, for which they are seeking donations from corporations and individuals. While Keeley said details about the course are still under discussion, it is tentatively scheduled to start in January 2012 and would span two semesters.

A long time member of the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA), Keeley heads the association's Caribbean chapter and noted that while the campus attracts great local students, it is a goal for the Brac UCCI to attract both international students and professors that would not normally come to the island to study and work. He said that he, a trained marine science teacher, could assist in teaching the course, but the course would require international professors to teach it alongside him.

International students who came to the Brac for the course would stay in short term rental accommodation and rent cars, and may well also dive with local diver operators, thus helping the Brac economy, Keeley said.

The NMEA member also said that the campus, which offers courses for UCCI students on the Brac, Civil Service College students as well as continuing education courses, has recently received valuable donations in the form of four new state-of-the-art computers from local law firm Maples & Calder and new books from a Canadian professor (who wishes to remain anonymous).

The college has paid for video-link technology between the Brac and Grand Cayman UCCI campuses, which has been set up in two of the Brac classrooms and allows students and professors at both campuses to communicate with each other. Keeley admitted that some students had issues with video-link classes, noting that its effective use required the student to take more responsibility for their learning in the classroom.

According to Brac UCCI figures, there are about 130 students enrolled at the campus. On average for each academic year, 40 students study in the Brac UCCI's associate degree programme, 6 in certificationteacher training programmes and legal studies programmes, 25 in the Civil Service College and 60 in continuing education courses.

Keeley said that in 2010, there were 5 graduates from the teacher training programme and 3 graduates from the legal studies programme and that, if all student pass, 2011 will see two graduates from the teacher training programme, 3 graduates from the legal studies programme, and 4 graduates from the associate degree programme. Keeley did note that around 7 or 8 students transferred from the Cayman Brac UCCI to the Grand Cayman UCCI within the last year.

Keeley, who has been Campus Director since the Brac UCCI's January 2008 opening, said that the campus enjoyed a strong start until Hurricane Paloma, a major stumbling block, which led to some students dropping out and two classrooms having to be shared with the RCIPS, limiting classroom space. However, he assured CNS that the campus was now running better than ever, especially after the Brac UCCI's move from Stake Bay to West End last year, which saved the campus a considerable amount of money in rent.

He stressed that there was great potential for the campus. The faculty is exploring the possibility of expanding its offerings to include certification courses in plumbing, construction and urban planning, which he believed would benefit both Brac school leavers and more mature students.

He also said that it was a goal of the Brac UCCI to not only attract international students and professors, but also to encourage students who dropped out of their courses after Hurricane Paloma to enroll again.

Joshua Dilbert is a Year 11 student at the Layman E. Scott Sr. High School who is working with CNS as part of the school's Worklink programme.