University of Belize set to open doors
In 1998, when government decided to combine five tertiary level institutions to form the University of Belize, the idea was welcomed with mixed emotions. Today that idea is about to become a reality with the doors of the university set to open on the first of August. This morning, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, the University College of Belize held a press conference to let the public in on the work going on behind the scenes. Director of the UB Secretariat, Angel Cal, says the project needs the public’s support in order to ensure its success.
Dr. Angel Cal, Director, UB Secretariat
“As a national initiative, as national institution, the University of Belize can only be as strong as the support afforded to it by the people of Belize. It is true that it is the people who work within to make things happen, but this can only have value to the extent it is received and appreciated by our people.”
“On February one when I assumed the directorship of the secretariat, I focused primarily on the transition package, which I discussed during the conference. The idea there was to ensure that we covered the major areas of interest and possible concern on the part of our faculty and staff. Things like salaries, benefit, pension, teaching workload, job security, those are the five main components. We then focused on having the handbook ready. The handbook is a terms and conditions document that spells out most if not all of our regulations that affect the day-to-day work of our people. So those documents are pretty much almost completed and once they go through, they are then used as the basis of which offers of employment will be made to the faculty and staff.”
“From the point of view of going to the nation and announcing the list of deans and the interim vice presidents, this is a major step. It takes us one step closer to putting together the full senior administrative team. The only two legs that would be left would be the appointment of the president, that would be done on the basis of the UB Act and also the appointment of the major authority of the university, the board of trustees, that will also be done on the basis of the UB Act.”
The six deans presented today were Cynthia Thompson for Education, Kevin Geban for Business, Lyndon Flowers for Engineering and Technology, Dr. Thippi Thiagarajan for Arts and Sciences, Ismael Hoare for Allied Health, Nursing and Social Work and Hugh O’Brien for Agriculture and Natural Resources. The three interim vice presidents for the university are Dr. Alvaro Rosado for Finance and Administration, Dr. Leopold Perriott for Academics and Dr. Martin Cuellar for Student Affairs.
