Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
Graduates from the University College of the Caribbean at a graduation ceremony, held at the Knutsford Court Hotel in St. Andrew on the afternoon of June 12, 2005.
The University College of the Caribbean (UCC) will be hosting a series of eight information sessions in Manchester, St. Ann, St. James and Clarendon beginning Wednesday, January 25. The university says this is in response to demand from prospective applicants island-wide for information about its Distance Education & Global Learning degree programme.
This was launched last November and is scheduled to commence in March of this year in Kingston and St. Andrew.
"We are looking to register upwards of 1,000 students for the March start-up for both the Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science degree programmes in business administration; and upwards of 5,000 over the 30-month period for both degrees," said UCC's director of Global Learning, Everton Pryce.
The UCC's distance delivered education degree programme via wireless satellite cable, free-to-air television and face-to-face inter-active mode offers a unique solution to rural-based residents wanting to achieve their educational goals but are stymied, Pryce says, by "the tyranny of distance".
Degrees will be granted by the UCC and each programme will consist of 21 modules, seven of which will be delivered through free-to-air television, and the remaining 14 delivered by wireless cable or in face-to-face sessions.
During the live broadcasts via wireless cable, students will be able to interact with lecturers via mobile or landline telephone, email or call centre assistance. There will be re-broadcasts of lectures previously aired on television and students will be able to record lectures for re-play as often as they need to. Tutorial sessions and examinations will be conducted at designated centres throughout the island.
CVM-TV and DC-Digital, have partnered with UCC to establish the first 24-hour educational channel in Jamaica to distribute the UCC modules and degree programmes by way of live broadcasts filmed at a UCC site and coordinated for delivery through local cable providers.
"There is very strong corporate support for our effort to broaden the scope of higher education opportunities in Jamaica," reports Mr. Pryce.
