Dominica State College

Dominica State College, formerly Clifton Dupigny Community College, is a national college, located in the northern part of Roseau, Dominica in the Stock Farm area of the city. It is located just to the southeast of the Stock Farm Prison and northeast of Princess Margaret Hospital. It was named after the pioneer of universal education in Dominica, Clifton Dupigny, but was reestablished and renamed in September 2002.It became the product of an amalgamation of the Technical College (originally established in 1972) and the Sixth Form College.[1] This merger was the result of the Dominican government's attempt to unite all tertiary level education in one campus through the Dominica State College Act of 2002. The college as merged offers a gamut of educational programmes in the field of both traditional and vocational subjects like hospitality and tourism, nursing, agriculture and teachers training.[2]

Dominica State College
Former names
Clifton Dupigny Community College
Teachers Training College
Nursing Institute
Technical College
Established2002
PresidentDr. Donald C. Peters (2011 - Present)
StudentsApprox. 1400
Location
Stock Farm, Roseau
,
Dominica
Websitehttp://www.dsc.edu.dm

DSC is supported by the Ministry of Education, Human Resource Development, Youth Affairs and Sports.[3] It operates like a polytechnic institution, and offers classes in education, health, arts and sciences. It has a student population of about 1400.[4]

History

The Dominica State College was the idea of Prime Minister Rosie Douglas. As outlined by Peters, who at the time was at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Dominica State College was planned as a transition from four already established educational institutions. The idea was taken to fruition and taken to parliament by the then Minister for Education Honourable Roosevelt Skerritt. Honourable Skerritt took an inclusive approach and invited all stakeholders in Dominica to contribute to the development of the new college by participating in 16 transition teams representing all aspects newly developed College. Mr Zechariach Pollock Head of the Education Planning Unit of the Ministry of Education Headed the initiative, supported by consultant Dr. Hilroy Thomas, and assisted by Miss Avril Warner and Dr. Helen Francis Seaman who formed College redevelopment committee. The Clifton Dupigny College Academic Division would become the Faculty of Arts & Science, Clifton Dupigny Technical Division would become the Faculty of Applied Science & Technology, Teachers Training College would become the Faculty of Education and Human Development, and the School of Nursing would become the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences.[5] The State College was planned to provide students with the first two years of their university education. It was hoped that the State College would begin offering 4 year degrees by 2010. DSC held its first graduation ceremony in July 2003, and the school was also officially opened at the same ceremony although it was actually established in September 2002.[6] It was established by an Act of Parliament.[7]

The school developed into three campuses which were previously separate educational institutions. The Nursing Institute, which was located on the grounds of the nearby Princess Margaret Hospital, has become the Faculty of Nursing (Health Sciences),. The Teachers College, at the Bath Estate Campus, has become the Faculty of Education. The Sixth Form College, located at the Stock Farm Campus, has become the Faculties of Arts and Sciences and Applied Arts and Technology.[8]

The educational institutions have a focused approach to provide high quality education on a continuing basis to the community it serves and its mission statement amply reflects this approach: "To be recognized as a premiere institution of higher learning, committed to excellence and responsible to the needs of the stakeholders, and to the social, spiritual and economic challenges which face the Dominican society in the global environment."[8]

Teacher salaries had not been raised in the four years between 2003 and 2007, creating a sense of grievance, and tensions were noted within the school between academic and non-academic staff, between instructors and management, and between the school and the government.[4] In 2008, construction was approved for a new Dominica State College with construction funding expected to come from the People’s Republic of China.[9] The following year, the Bachelor of Science degree in nursing was initiated.[10] The DSC has developed links with the University of West Indies, University of Technology, Jamaica, and other within the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and the United States.

By 2010, an Articulation Agreement and Agreement, previously signed under the Presidency of Dr. J.B Yankey for Faculty/Staff Exchange was renewed between DSC and Wheelock College in Boston, Massachusetts.[11] However, initial student enrollment in 2010, expected to be at least 900 applicants for admittance, was less than 400, which triggered extending the enrollment period and removing the admissions fee requirement.[12] Effective September 2011, the school's hours of operation will again include evening classes for adult learners pursuing certificate programs, in addition to traditional classes for those pursuing degree programmes.[13]

Scholarships

Under Dominica's tertiary education system, scholarships are offered to talented students and those who need economic assistance, without discrimination, to pursue higher education in educational instructions outside the country.[2]

In December 2010, Monroe College, offered six scholarship, one full and five partial, in the disciplines of Hospitality Management, Accounting, Public Health, Criminal Justice and Information Technology. The criteria prescribed are for a graduate of the Dominica State College with a GPA of at least 3.0.[14]

Past Presidents
PresidentsYears Active
Dr. Bernard Yankey(2003-2005)
Dr. Annette J. Bardouille(2005-2007)
Hubert Charles(2007-2011)

Notable people

In 1996, Technical Section of the Clifton Dupigny Community College was directed by Merril J. Matthew, while the Academic Division was directed by Mr. Henry Volney. Early involvement in the transition to DSC included Dr. Hilroy Thomas, Dr. Helen Francis Seaman and Zechariah Pollock, and several members of the Dominica Community who participated in the transition teams. By 2003, when the school had transitioned to be DSC, the president was Dr. Bernard Yankey, the former Organisation of East Caribbean States ambassador to Canada. Dr. Yankey was succeeded by Dr. Annette J. Bardouille who served as president of the College from 2005- 2007.[6] By 2011, Dr. Donald C. Peters succeeded Hubert Charles as President at the end of his term.[13]

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References
  1. "Clifton Dupigny Technical College". University of the West Indies. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  2. Paul Crask (26 February 2008). Dominica. Bradt Travel Guides. pp. 14–. ISBN 978-1-84162-217-0. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  3. Roberts, Jason (December 2008). "Online Guide to Educational Systems, Around the World, Dominica" (PDF). NAFSA: Association of International Educators. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  4. "Evaluation of the Strategic Gap Filling Programme of the Commonwealth Secretariat Annexes to Main Report". Evaluation Series No 78. Commonwealth Secretariat. June 2007. p. 20. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  5. Peters, Donald C. "The Dominica State College, From Vision to Reality by". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  6. Fontaine, Thomson (July 28, 2003). "Dominica State College Holds Graduation Ceremony". Thedominican.net. 1 (45).
  7. "Dominica State College continues to grow". cakafete.com. October 23, 2009. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  8. "Brief history of the Dominica State College". dsc.orbund.com. May 22, 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  9. Joseph, Emmanuel H. (November 7, 2008). "Dominica State College stages its biggest graduation ceremony since inception". Government Information Services, Dominica. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  10. Joseph, Emmanuel H. (September 7, 2009). "Dominica State College begins Bachelor of Science degree in nursing for the first time". Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  11. "Wheelock to Collaborate with Dominica State College". Boston, Massachusetts: Wheelock College. 4 November 2010. Archived from the original on 18 November 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  12. "Dominica State College extends deadline for receipt of applications". Dominica News. August 2, 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  13. "Dominica State College Expanding Opportunities for Adult Learners". Dominica Central Newspaper. April 1, 2011. Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  14. "Monroe College Gives Six Scholarships". World News. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2011.

The first Governor of the College was Vans T. LeBlanc, a native of Dominica who at the time of his appointment was also the Managing Director of the National Bank of Dominica. He was appointed to the Governorship by the Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica.

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