By Simone Augustus & Peggy Guerrero

Wednesday, March 15, 2023, marked a special day for the FreeDOM Clinic as it received a visit from distinguished individuals, including Dr. the Honourable Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for St. Ann’s East; His Excellency Arthur H.W. Williams, High Commissioner for Jamaica; His Worship the Mayor Alderman, Joel Martinez, Mayor of the City of Port of Spain; the Honourable Esmond Forde, Member of Parliament for Tunapuna; the Honorable Corey Selvon, Councillor for Maracas/Santa Margarita, and Dr. Colwick Wilson, President of the University of the Southern Caribbean. Their presence highlighted the significance of this collaborative effort in addressing healthcare disparities.

Over the course of four days, the FreeDOM Clinic’s dedicated team provided services to an astonishing 1,225 individuals. This included addressing 214 medical cases, aiding 495 individuals with vision services, and providing dental care to 516 people. These numbers not only underscore the pressing need for affordable healthcare but also highlight the incredible dedication of the medical professionals and volunteers who made it all possible.

The success of the FreeDOM Clinic would not have been possible without the generous support of partners and sponsors. The Nursing Council of Trinidad & Tobago, Dental Council of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago Optometrists Association, Blue Waters, Caribbean Health Foods, Nestle Trinidad, USC’s Food Services and Nurse Education Departments, the Rotary Club of Port of Spain, MP Esmond Forde, Councillor Corey Selvon, the Community Hospital of Seventh-day Adventists, the South Caribbean Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, and the Caribbean Union Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists all played pivotal roles in making this mission a reality. Their contributions ensured that vital medical services reached those who needed them most.

The mission was graciously hosted by MP Esmond Forde, who, alongside other contributors, facilitated community transportation, promoted the clinic in various communities, and provided essential volunteer assistance. 

The Rotary Club of Port of Spain also made significant contributions to the mission, providing invaluable support in promotion within various communities, volunteer assistance, and corporate sponsorship. Their innovative suggestions, such as implementing a pre-registration drive to gauge prospective attendance were instrumental in the mission’s success.

The contributions from various donors, including providing daily meals for physicians and volunteers were pivotal in realizing the mission’s goals.

United Hands and Freedom Clinic didn’t stop at providing medical care; they extended their outreach through a week of prayer at the Caribbean Union College Secondary School, Maracas SDA Primary School, University of the Southern Caribbean (USC), and other outreach programs at various SDA schools in Trinidad. United Hands and Freedom Clinic also donated 14 laptop computers to the Maracas SDA Primary School, ensuring that the gift of education continues to uplift the community. These initiatives reinforced their commitment to holistic health and spiritual nourishment.

The impact of this mission is profound and enduring. United Hands has committed to returning in 2025 to continue providing invaluable service to the community. Their work, which seamlessly blends medical care, spiritual nourishment, and community upliftment, stands as a shining example of the profound impact of selfless service.

In the words of Ann Burnett, Executive Director of United Hands, “Helping those in need” is not just a motto; it’s a calling that has transformed countless lives. The unity of hands in service has woven a tapestry of hope, healing, and community care that transcends the present and inspires us all to continue working together for a better future. The USC and its partners are immensely proud of this impactful collaboration, and they look forward to future endeavors that will continue to transform lives.

USC Announces New Leadership Appointments

The University of the Southern Caribbean is pleased to announce the appointment of its new team of experienced leaders, following the decision made by the Board of Trustees on February 23, 2023:

• Len Archer (PhD), Provost
• Lena Caesar (EdD, PhD) Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies
• Barbara Reynolds (EdD), Vice President of Administration, Advancement, and Planning
• Samuel Sankar, Director of Strategic Partnerships and University Relations

USC is also delighted to announce additional key leadership appointments:

• Susan Chand (PhD), Dean, School of Social Sciences
• Sharon Ramkissoon De Freitas ( MSc. ), Director of Business Development
• Nordian C. Swaby Robinson (MBA), Director, Institutional Research

We are excited to welcome these new leaders and their families to our team and look forward to the contributions they will make to USC. These leaders bring a wealth of experience and expertise to our institution, and we are thrilled to have them join our team.

Len Archer (PhD), Provost, previously served and Interim Provost at USC. He  holds the title of Professor Emeritus since his retirement in 2020 from AdventHealth University where he served as the Vice-President for Academic Administration and Academic Dean for Undergraduate programs at AdventHealth University for 10 years.

Dr. Archer is a native of Trinidad and Tobago and received his undergraduate degree in Botany and Applied Botany at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad.

He completed a M.S. (Biology) at Andrews University and a PhD in Microbiology at Indiana State University. He joined the faculty at Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences, now AdventHealth University in 1993. He created the department of Health and Biomedical Sciences and served as the department chair from 2000 to 2011. He has published in the area of Microbiology and presented at national meetings in student retention and student advisement at the American Association of College Registrars and Academic Officers (AACRAO) where he was a member of AACRAO national committees.

Dr. Archer has been a nominee for several teaching awards and a recipient of the Zapara Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2020, Dr. Archer was the recipient of the AdventHealth University Distinguished Service Award. He remains active as a consultant in academic administration, faculty development, and accreditation.

Dr. Archer has been married to Nichole Archer (nee, Bovell) for 45 years – a 1978 graduate of Caribbean Union College (now USC). 

Lena G. Caesar, (PhD, EdD)  Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies, holds academic doctorates in Special Education and in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences/Speech-Language Pathology. Her experience in educational settings spans a range of levels and continents. Currently in her 12th year of teaching and administration at Loyola University in Maryland,  Caesar’s teaching and administrative experience includes six years of service as a fully-certified secondary school teacher in St. Lucia and Guyana, almost five years as Program Director of the Institute of Modern Languages, at Montemorelos University in Mexico, and 15 years as Faculty & Chair of the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at Andrews University in the USA. 

In addition to the scores of research articles which she has published, Caesar is also the recipient of multiple research grants, including a 2017 ASHA Foundation award that funded research on language acquisition in a Caribbean territory. Caesar is also nationally and internationally recognized for her partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). In recognition of her research exploits while at Loyola University Maryland, Caesar has been twice nominated for the Distinguished Scholar of the Year award.

Dr. Lena Caesar is a native of St. Lucia, and is happily married to Dr. Lael Caesar, a former professor of Hebrew Bible at Andrews University who recently retired from the General Conference after 11 years of service as Associate Editor of the Adventist Review & Adventist World magazines. 

She looks forward to giving back to her Alma Mater a portion of the wonderful legacy that she was privileged to receive as a student on this very campus several decades ago.

Barbara Reynolds (EdD), Vice President of Administration, Advancement, and Planning, is a native of the Guyana and has served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academics and Planning and International Engagement at the University of Guyana. Prior to this, Dr. Reynolds was Head of Education for Save the Children UK, having spent the previous two decades with UNICEF in education, child protection, women’s development/gender, and representation in emergency and non-emergency contexts. She currently serves as the Vice-Chairperson of the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and as the Co-Chair of the CARICOM Digital Skills Task Force. She is an active human rights professional, and an experienced Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR), human rights and gender mainstreaming facilitator. She holds a BA Education (Caribbean Union College), MA in Curriculum and Teaching (Howard University), the Post-Graduate Diploma in Distance Education (University of London), EdD in International Education Development/Curriculum and Instruction (Columbia University), and the MSt in International Human Rights Law (University of Oxford). Dr Reynolds’ second working language is Portuguese.

Samuel Sankar, Director of Strategic Partnerships and University Relations  is a native of Trinidad and Tobago and has over thirty-five (35) years of experience in marketing, selling and sales management, coupled with leadership training. In addition, he has experience in areas such as health care, leadership training, manufacturing textiles, printing, health foods manufacturing, agriculture, project management and industrial relations. He sits on a global round table representing Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean with over twenty-five (25) years as an executive and graduate of the IFEA. He is the founder of IFEA Caribbean, international award winner for the City Award for Trinidad and Tobago in 2012. He has served the Seventh-day Adventist Church managing protocol and diplomacy by enabling and supporting the hosting of events and celebrations since 1995. He has worked with foreign missions, embassies and Diplomatic corps. He has managed welcome receptions for representatives of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Inter-American Division, Caribbean Union Conference and South Caribbean Conference.

Susan Julia Chand, Dean, School of Social Sciences and professor of Anthropology has been working at USC since 2005. 

Dr. Chand has a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Botany (Major) and Mathematics (Minor) from Spicer Adventist University (formerly Spicer Memorial College, 1987), Master of Arts in Anthropology (1988) and a Doctoral degree (PhD, 1997) in Medical Anthropology, both from Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune (India).  

Dr. Chand is a Medical Anthropologist with over 22 years of teaching and research experience in the tertiary institutions in India, namely, Spicer Adventist University and Roorkee Adventist College, and University of the Southern Caribbean in Trinidad and Tobago. She supervises students’ theses at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels and serves as external examiner for national and international universities. She is passionate about conducting ethnographic studies and have studied the indigenous/ ethnic groups in India, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Belize. Based on her studies, she has presented papers in several national and international conferences in India, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Mexico, Belize, Ecuador, and Netherlands. Her research articles are also published in peer reviewed academic journals and as book chapters.

Dr. Chand is married to Mr. David Chand, Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education, School of Education and Humanities at the University of the Southern Caribbean.  

Ms. Nordian C. Swaby Robinson, Director of Institutional Research is an avid supporter of Adventist Education.  She has served the Seventh-day Adventist Tertiary Institution for over 20 years.  Nordian has held various positions at Northern Caribbean University and University of the Southern Caribbean in Assessment, Research Officer, Quality Assurance, Online Coordinator and Lecturer. 

Ms. Swaby Robinson holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing (USC, Trinidad), a Bachelor of Science in Management Studies, and an Associate Degree in Business Administration (NCU, Jamaica). She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education (EdD). 

Her accomplishment includes being a part of the team contributing to USC achieving its full accreditation status for both the Accreditation Council of Trinidad & Tobago (ACTT) and Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools (AAA) and the creation of the first student satisfaction survey for USC.  Nordian led out, coordinated and published  the USC Factbook 2022.

Ms. Swaby Robinson has a pleasant disposition and personality. She also enjoys interacting with and motivating individuals to meet their full potential. She strives for continuous improvement while propelling the University Beyond Excellence.

Sharon Ramkissoon De Freitas, Director of Business Development, is an Attorney at Law and a Business woman with over 26 years’ experience. She is an alumna of UWI, Staffordshire-UK and USC. 

Mrs. De Freitas  is the holder of a Master of  Science in International Relations from the University of the West Indies and a Bachelor of Law from the University of London, England.  Also has a Diploma of Law from the University of London and Diploma in Business from the Institute of Commercial Management, London.  She is a member of the Panel of Duty Counsel and Legal Aid Scheme.

Mrs. De Freitas was employed as an Administrative Assistant  from 1995-2005 at the South Caribbean Conference and then Secondary School Teacher for a seven year period.  She also served as a Lecturer (part time) at the University of London.  

Mrs De Freitas is married to Pastor Brian De Freitas, Minister of the Chase Village District of SDA churches in Trinidad and Tobago.  

Mrs Ramkissoon De Freitas enjoys gardening, construction, recycling, and being of service giving voice to the voiceless. 

Author: Trea Johnson

Bright smiles and cheerful singing filled the atmosphere at the Guyana Satellite Site as University President, Dr. Colwick Wilson, made his first visit to the site. Dr. Wilson was accompanied by the Vice President, Student Services and Enrollment Management, Ps. Onesi Lafleur, and Interim Dean of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, Ms. Sherri-Lyn Legall. This inaugural visit is a big deal as the president and his able team placed much emphasis on the university’s ‘Strategic Plan – SP 100’ and his ‘One USC’ vision.

The university’s strategic plan will be executed over the next five years as USC works towards its centennial year. Dr. Wilson’s ‘One USC’ vision encourages oneness and unity across the sites and campuses. It encourages a greater sense and feeling of belonging especially at the satellite sites and extension campuses, so whether one is in Guyana or St. Lucia, or even South Trinidad, we are ‘One USC’. The President, in his address to students, emphasised the importance of being of exemplary quality and character as they transition through life. His intention is that the seeds planted in each student prepare them not just for four years, but it exceeds that by even forty.

USC Guyana has more than three hundred (300) students enrolled at the site and along with the staff, they are excited to propel Dr. WIlson’s ‘One USC’ vision and ‘Strategic Plan’. The week-long visit includes meetings with the students, Ministers of Government, and other key stakeholders of the institution. The week commenced with a focus group chaired by Ms. Sherri-Lyn Legall which engaged students, alumni, friends, and other stakeholders; its purpose, to enhance the University’s strategic plan. The vision ‘One USC’ and strategic plan ‘SP 100’  seeks to encourage partnering with each other to solve issues in society. It places much emphasis on collaboration and ultimately taking the University ‘Beyond Excellence’.

The team has since made notable strides as they formed many necessary partnerships. After three days and several successful meetings and collaborations, the team is charged with information necessary for ensuring a successful USC. The team has since met with the President of Guyana, His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Irfraan Ali, Hon. Minister Savitri Sonya Parag, Guyana’s Minister of Public Service, Professor Jacob Opadeyi, Director, Guyana Online Academy of Learning, Dr. Deborah Jack, Director, National Accreditation Council, The Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists administrators, Hon. Priya Manickchand, Minister of Education, Hon. Kwame McCoy, Minister within the Office of Prime Minister and Hon. Nigel Dharamlall, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development. With many more meetings and collaborations ahead, God’s wisdom and guidance are continually sought.

Authored by: Mr. Hayden McKenna, University Writer/Editor

On March 05, 2022 the University of the Southern Caribbean officially launched its participation in the celebration of the centennial year of the Inter-American Division of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (IAD). The launch took the form of a Sabbath Service at the Caring University Church. Titled “Celebrating Our Heritage” the narrative of the worship service succeeded in connecting the celebration of the IAD’s centennial with USC’s almost ninety-five-year-old institutional existence as a beneficiary of and a benefactor to the organized work of the church in the circum-Caribbean and beyond.

In the pulpit, Dr. Kern Tobias, President of the Caribbean Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventist (CARU) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the USC, drew upon the Aristotelian heuristic of the rhetorical triangle – logos, ethos and pathos –  to affirm the positive, albeit sometimes imperfect achievements of USC and by extension the IAD. Dr. Tobias enjoined, that our celebrations must never become blind to the centrality of Christ – the Living Word and the Bible His written word as the veritable core of our heritage.

The Inter American Division is one of the thirteen divisions of the world Adventist Church and one of three in the Western Hemisphere. Headquartered in Miami Florida, USA, the IAD’s geographical territory comprises of Mexico in North America, all of the countries of Central America, the islands of the Caribbean and the five northern-most countries of South America.The IAD is subdivided into twenty-four unions which in turn are comprised of conferences, missions, regions and churches in an elegant system of devolution.

The need to organize the work of the church in the circum-Caribbean during the late 19^th century into the first two decades of the 20^th, saw many structural experiments being tried in this vast, culturally diverse, in some places geographically dis-contiguous part of the Americas. A pattern of adventures, misadventures and re-adventures especially after 1906, saw territorial integrations and disintegrations on the redoubtably complicated grounds of cultural and linguistic diversity, the personal preferences of leaders, national and colonial borders, underdeveloped systems of communication and transportation and the wartime challenges between 1914 and 1918. In spite of it all, God’s work grew and the thoughtful creation of solid, lasting organizational arrangements was obliged by this growth. In May of 1922, the Inter American Division was established in response to the need for better organization of the work.

This year, the IAD celebrates its centennial year under the theme Celebrating His Providence and Affirming our Values. Churches like the Caring University Church, conferences and missions like the six conferences and four missions of the Caribbean Union Conference (CARU), unions like the CARU and institutions such as the University of the Southern Caribbean join in the year-long celebration of this important milestone of our church in this part of the world.

Our university – one of the fourteen universities in the IAD – has had a rich exchange of mutual benefit with our division. Over the ninety-four year of our existence, we have and continue to receive resource endowments and institutional support from the IAD. In return, among the finest human talent that has propelled the success of the church in this division, are proud alumni of our university. USC and the IAD have even at separate times shared two presidents, in the distinguished persons of Bender L. Archbold and George W. Brown. Our missions, successes and destinies are unimpeachably co-mingled.

The fundamental business of our university is education. As such, our contribution to the observance of the IAD centennial year will focus on the production and sharing of educational content that will examine our church, its mission and its work in the circum-Caribbean and the impact of our division and its people on the world church and the world beyond the church. A calendar of our major IAD centennial events will be shared in the coming weeks. Prepare yourself to participate and be edified. May God continue to bless His church in the Inter-American Division and in the world.

Authored by: Mr. Hayden McKenna, University Writer/Editor

With the public health measures to mitigate the spread of COVID 19 being relaxed by many national governments and with the nascent signs that the pandemic might be headed to epidemiological remission, the leadership of the USC has begun to prepare for what undoubtedly will be a thoughtful, well-sequenced reboot of the in-person university. Cognizant that a successful reboot requires more, much more than an artless regression to pre-pandemic transactions, the President’s Cabinet participated in a special two-day leadership retreat on March 02 and 03, 2022. The retreat was held at La Soledad Estate, deep in the Maracas Valley. The theme of the retreat was “Policies, Processes and OUTCOMES: An Executive Mind-set”. USC President Dr. Colwick Wilson explained, that the major idea behind the retreat, was for university leadership to get a clear sense of the university’s existing policy framework, to try to map out processes with measurable outcomes that would be pursued with a mind-set oriented to execution and results.

The impressive battery of presenters, included professionals, carefully drawn from the global Adventist higher education and health sectors, the Caribbean regional tertiary education sector and corporate Trinidad and Tobago.  The six featured presenters and their presentations in the order they appeared were as follows:

Dr. John McVay, President

Walla Walla University, USA

Presentation title: “The Executive Mind-set in Times of Stress.”

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Dr. Prudence Pollard, Vice-President

Quality Assurance, Research, and Faculty Development, Oakwood University, USA

Presentation title: “Executive Mind-set: View of Self & Others.”

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Dr. Haldane Davies

Vice President for Business Development and Innovation

University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas Campus

Presentation title: “Executive Mind-set: Framing the Effective President’s Cabinet.”

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Mrs. Shirley Lake-King

Vice President of Administration and Finance

University of the Virgin Islands

Presentation title: “Collaborating as Essential Partners.”

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Mr. Conrad Enill

Chairman

The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago

Presentation title: “Disruption –The New Normal.”

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Mr. Carlyle Walton

President

Adventist Health Policy Association

Presentation title: “So you want to be a Leader!”

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The devotional speaker for both days was Dr. Roy Adams, the Grenadian born alumnus of Caribbean Union College (now the USC), who has given decades of distinguished service to the global Adventist Church in the roles of pastor, theologian, scholar, columnist, associate editor, author and administrator.

These dynamic presentations were punctuated by opportunities for sharing, reflection, team building, case study analysis and strategy refinement. The university’s executive leadership also benefitted from affirmations from the President of the Caribbean Union Conference and Chairman of the USC Board of Trustees, Dr. Kern Tobias and from the President of the South Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Pastor Leslie Moses, who both made cameos as special guests.

Commenting on what was accomplished at the retreat, President Wilson said that it was “an inspirational and informative time for the executive team. We were challenged and encouraged to consider the merits of adopting a high level of functioning via the executive mind-set. It was a time of refreshing, a time of renewal, a time that allowed us to cast a vision that will lead us into our centennial celebration.”

The University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) is saddened by the recent passing of its alumnus, Pastor Livingstone Aaron. We join with several others in expressing our deepest condolences to his wife Cynthia (also a graduate of CUC/USC), his close relatives, friends and ministerial colleagues.

According to a release by the Caribbean Union Conference (CARU), at the time of his sudden passing, Pastor Aaron was serving as pastor of the Stroudsburg district, which includes the Stroudsburg, Pocono Grace, and Mount Pocono Haitian churches in the Pennsylvania Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in the United States.

Prior to migrating to the US in 2013, Pastor Aaron served as the Director of the Caribbean Union Revolving Fund (CURF) and is credited as an architect of its growth to redoubtable viability. Before his elevation to that directorship at the CARU, Pastor Aaron, a native of Antigua and Barbuda and a member of a prominent Adventist family there, served with distinction in pastoral ministry in the North Caribbean Conference.

Pastor Aaron’s formal preparation for ministry began at Caribbean Union College (now USC) in the second half of the 1970s. Among his contemporaries at CUC, was Dr. Colwick Wilson, the current President of USC. Dr. Wilson remembers his college-mate as “a diligent worker, a creative mind, a dedicated student… He was a friend of all. He consistently built relationships with others. He was passionate. He was clearly a man ahead of his time.”

Livingstone Aaron graduated as a member of the Class of 1982 with a Bachelor of Theology degree. With an unabated passion for ministerial preparation, he went on to Andrews University, Michigan, USA and there earned a Master Divinity degree in 1985. In 1990, he received the sacred rite of ordination.

Pastor Livingstone Aaron, in his life and career, modelled the USCian ethic and was an extraordinary servant of God to humanity. He had also grown accustomed to hearing and submitting to the voice of his Heavenly Father. That voice he will hear again on that great getting-up morning, and by the force of habit, he will respond in obedience and with victory over the sting of death. Let us all be comforted by this blessed hope.

Authored by: Hayden McKenna

From November 11th to 13th 2021, officials of the Kettering Health Network, based in Ohio USA visited the main campus of University of the Southern Caribbean. The delegation of two, was given a physical tour of the new home of the School of Nursing and Allied Health on the main campus and a virtual tour of USC’s south Trinidad campus.

As guests of the President of USC, the visiting delegation also met with administrators and leaders of the university and participated in cordial discussions about ways in which synergistic partnerships can be developed between both institutions and more broadly among higher education institutions in the global Adventist Education system. Such partnerships, rightly arranged, could serve to promote the ongoing enhancement of the quality of our educational products, the experiences we can afford our students and the services we can offer to our communities. The backdrop of a pandemic, provides a riveting illustration of the universality of some of our most persistent problems and the imperative to leverage ever broadening circles of co-operation.

The visit particularly provided Dr. Wilson – who in a previous cycle of his professional life, worked at the Kettering Health Network – with a precious opportunity to broker another promising institutional friendship for USC.
Though restricted by pandemic conditions, the delegation was also exposed to social and worship experiences at USC before jetting home.