Hyde: Cal will not return as U.B. President
These are turbulent times for the nation’s highest educational institution. But if budget cuts, relocation problems and leadership woes have driven the University of Belize into a corner, you’d never know it by talking to those in charge. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods has the story.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
U.B.’s third birthday bash was more about improving the institution’s public image and strengthening ties between faculty, staff and students than just having a party. The anniversary was observed at a luncheon held at the Belize Biltmore Plaza.
Consuelo Godfrey, Secretary, U.B. Alumni Association
“We’ve come a long way and I think the university has come a long way and surely the Alumni Association that’s associated with the university has come a long way in trying to make the university a better place, in reaching out to the students, keeping then here, to use their skills to better the community and the country at large. So I think we’re gonna go a long way, it’s gonna be a lot of work, but I think with much progression and much effort, we will do very well.”
Luz Longsworth, Interim Pres., Faculty and Staff Assn.
“Perhaps because of the enthusiasm and the fact that the faculty and staff have come together with the students in making some pretty dramatic changes, we now feel that we have ownership. We are three, we have passed the terrible two’s and hopefully we will now move on to being stronger and stronger.”
Dr. Corinth Morter-Lewis, Interim President, U.B.
“I am feeling great and I am feeling great for quite sometime. There are some areas of what’s going on with our university that is a little bit difficult, but on a whole, I think we are beginning to pull together in a way that we really want to pull together and we are looking forward to the new year quite optimistically. We think we can make things happen.”
Presently, the University of Belize is being restructured to better serve its students and the country. Today some of the proposals that were made came into effect and put U.B. on a new road to development.
Dr. Corinth Morter-Lewis
“Basically it changes the administrative structure at one level and it also does some reorganization in terms of the various faculties and the expectations of staff and faculty too. Because we are focusing on teaching this year, so their teaching load will be greater, we will do some research, but not at the extent that it was required previously. And in terms of some of our programmes, there have been some modifications to that. We have new faculty coming in, in terms of providing the kind of level of work that we want to do at the university.”
But as the university gets ready to forge ahead, the question of whether President Angel Cal, will return to lead it has apparently been answered. Today in his weekly column in the Amandala U.B. Chairman Evan X Hyde noted that while it was nothing personal, as long as Hyde was in charged Cal would not be president. Cal’s problem, it seems, was his inability to face the reality of financial restraint.
Unfortunately, Hyde was not at the birthday luncheon so we could not speak to him. However, Dr. Corinth Morter-Lewis, who has been holding over since January, did offer her views on the matter.
Dr. Corinth Morter-Lewis
“You know, those are issues that are historic. When I say historic, Dr. Cal has been with the University of Belize for a very long time. I think he has made significant contribution to the university, but I think there were also issues that, some of which I am not particularly clear on, that has created some difficulty for the institution on some level and I think in terms of work with the Board of Trustees. And I think it is in that kind of vein that for progress, as it’s seen, given perhaps that way we are moving forward now that that will be a bit difficult I guess to happen.”
Jacqueline Woods
“No idea as to when you will become President?”
Dr. Corinth Morter-Lewis
“You know its funny, for me, becoming president in terms of name is not a big deal. I have worked in education all my life and I know I have contributed to this country at a significant level, so for me, whether I am kept a year, whether I am kept five years, whether I am kept forty years, I will give to this university everything I have to give.”
As U.B.’s faculty, staff and students get ready to return to the university on August eighteenth, they agree there will be many challenges, including winning the public’s commitment to rely on U.B. as an important institution for the building of Belize. Jacqueline Woods reporting for News 5.
