THE NORTHERN Caribbean University (NCU) is moving to expand its campus facilities, following the university's acquisition of an additional six acre- property across from its main campus in Mandeville.
The six-acre property, which previously housed the Westico Foods complex which shut down operations a few years ago, was handed over to the university
by the West Indies Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The Union also owns the NCU.
Vice-president for Administration at NCU, Dr. Patrick Williams said the property, which has approximately 30,000 square feet of factory space, will be turned into a major industrial park for the institution. "It will house food labs, a mini-bakery which will not be a commercial entity but will provide bread and pastry for the university family, and it will also be a training ground for students doing Hospitality Management."
The institution's plant services. procurement and purchasing departments will also be relocated from the main campus to the new facilities.
"It provides the university with well-needed space, as it will free up existing space so that other activities can be done on the main campus," Dr. Williams said. "For example, the institution needs to do more archiving of its historical documents and the land acquired from Westico Foods will help."
He said the new complex should also see the employment of at least an additional 75 student workers, under the university's work/study programme, which sees students being employed in all departments on the campus.
The new property should be ready by the end of the 2005/2006 academic year in May next year.
