A report on the services and facilities of the University College of the Cayman Islands prepared by the Student Representative Council found ‘serious deficiencies’ in the educational establishment, especially with regard to the facilities.
UCCI Student Council Representatives, from left, Irka Ebanks, Kenneth Bryan and ONeil Samuels at the UCCI campus. |
The report was based on a 14-question student survey that was conducted between 17 and 22 November, 2005.
The SRC said the survey was conducted as a response to complaints from many students concerning issues such as unsafe, substandard or unhygienic facilities; inadequate student security and poor teaching styles.
Although a copy of the survey was provided to the Caymanian Compass without the prior knowledge of the SRC, several of its members agreed to comment on its finding last week.
SRC President Troy Brady said it was not the purpose of the survey to embarrass anyone.
‘We just want change,’ he said. ‘We want to improve the student experience at UCCI.’
There were 257 responses to the survey, out of approximately 1,000 students attending the university. Some students left certain questions unanswered.
Although the survey results confirmed that many students shared some basic concerns, it also showed that few students were dissatisfied with the teaching styles and expertise of the instructors.
When it came to the facilities, however, a large majority of the respondents expressed dissatisfaction.
Only 17 survey respondents (6.6 per cent) were very satisfied or extremely satisfied with the classroom facilities, while 150 respondents (58.8 per cent) said they were either very dissatisfied or extremely dissatisfied.
Another 88 respondents (34.5 per cent) found the classroom facilities OK/adequate.
The main reasons for the dissatisfaction stemmed from unrepaired Hurricane Ivan damage.
One student wrote this comment: ‘The classroom facilities need to be revamped as moss is growing on the damaged roof tiles and may cause health risks that are easily preventable and unnecessary, not to mention the ungodly smell in B-block and especially T-block.’
There is mould on classroom ceiling tiles in at least four classrooms, SRC Vice President Kenneth Bryan said. He also said that there is mildew on the cloth-covered chairs in the classrooms and that the air conditioning ventilation duct systems have not been cleaned of mould.
SRC Secretary Irka Ebanks said she and some other students have respiratory problems in the classrooms.
‘I’m sneezing a lot,’ she said. ‘It’s not healthy.’
The restroom facilities got an even worse score from the students, with 198 of the respondents (77.3 per cent) being at least very dissatisfied.
‘Restrooms are in terrible condition, not kept clean, and toilets not working,’ was the comment of one respondent.
‘The (facilities are) gross,’ wrote another student.
The SRC representatives said that some toilets in the restrooms do not have stalls, and that the exterior locks to some of the bathrooms do not work.
‘It takes two females to use the bathroom,’ said Ms Ebanks. ‘One to hold the door closed while the other goes in.’
Other complaints about the restrooms include contaminated hand soap, a frequent lack of toilet paper and hand towels and broken stalls where there are stalls.
Drawing the most dissatisfaction from the student respondents to the survey were the outdoor amenities such as campus lighting, walkways and parking lot.
There were 204 students (79.8 per cent) that were at least very dissatisfied or extremely dissatisfied with the outdoor amenities.
‘Walkways around campus are muddy, slippery and look very nasty when it rains,’ said one respondent.
‘Parking lot is always flooded in times of rain,’ said another respondent.
Outdoor lighting was also an issue.
‘Lighting facilities are needed in the parking lot and… walkways. It is currently not safe to walk at night,’ was the comment by one student.
The SAR members said that soon after they started conducting the survey, the school started addressing some of the deficiencies in the facilities.
‘I know things take time,’ said Ms. Ebanks. ‘But all of a sudden things started happening fast. Why couldn’t they have happened before?’
Mr. Brady said he understood that after Hurricane Ivan it was difficult get repair works done right away.
‘As a consumer, you want things to happen immediately, but in reality, after the hurricane, that couldn’t happen.
‘But this is a university and at this level, we shouldn’t have to wait as long as we have.’
Despite efforts to address some of the deficiencies such as the outdoor lighting, much work remains to be done on the classroom and restroom facilities, Mr. Bryan said.
The survey also asked about a variety of services at UCCI.
Library Services, Canteen Services and Laboratory Services were for the most part found to be adequate by the survey’s respondents.
Some dissatisfaction was expressed about Computer Services, but more than 61 per cent of the respondents found them to be at least adequate.
When it came to Office Support Services, 134 respondents (53.17 per cent) said they were at least very dissatisfied, while only 22 students (8.7 per cent) said they were satisfied to any degree.
‘The administration staff is not dealing with the inquiries and e-mails in a timely manner,’ said one respondent.
The Book Store Services rated worst of all UCCI’s services. 159 students (63.6 per cent) responded that they were either very dissatisfied or extremely dissatisfied.
‘The school takes way too long [in] purchasing books for the students,’ commented one respondent.
‘The books need to arrive on time, not in the middle of the semester,’ said another student.
While more than half the students found the registration process service and the overall current conditions and services at UCCI to be at least adequate, almost half of the survey’s respondents were at least very dissatisfied with those aspects of the school.
When it came to the management and leadership of UCCI, 147 students (58.1 per cent) found it to be at least adequate, but 41 per cent of the students still responded they were at least very dissatisfied.
The SRC, in its report recommendations, asked for the immediate retirement of UCCI president Sam Basdeo, noting that it was not confident he would ‘completely and efficiently rectify the issues at hand’.
‘We would have no problem giving Mr. Basdeo the opportunity to address the outstanding deficiencies, but the SRC feels that the past few years have provided ample opportunity to address these deficiencies.’
Mr. Basdeo was due to retire last year, but stayed on with UCCI. He recently announced he would retire at the end of the school year.
When contacted, UCCI Board of Governors Chairman Danny Scott stood behind Mr. Basdeo, expressing his full support in the retiring president.
‘Sam is wearing a lot of hats and doing the jobs of five different people,’ he said. ‘We are not going to find another Sam Basdeo. When he goes, we’ll sadly miss him. He brings a lot to the table.’
Commenting on why it took so long to address some of the Hurricane Ivan damage issues, Mr. Scott said funding was the major issue.
‘We used our own funds and reserves to bring the institution back the best we could, but there was a limit to those funds.’
Mr. Scott said, noting the work commenced recently not because the students complained, but because the plan was already in the works.
Mr. Scott said he believed the SCR members were frustrated because two other reports that had been submitted in the past had not received any response. However, Mr. Scott said he believed Mr. Basdeo had never received those reports.
When contacted, Mr. Basdeo confirmed Mr. Scott’s assertion.
‘I have not received any prior reports, ever,’ he said.
Mr. Basdeo said UCCI has not received ‘one cent’ of insurance money from the Government for its Hurricane Ivan claim, even though the government settled its claim with the insurance company long ago.
‘We have been making submissions repeatedly, but we haven’t received any monies,’ he said. ‘In fact, we were assured of getting the money by the end of January.’
Mr. Basdeo said the lack of funds has hindered the repair works. He noted that UCCI does have other funds, but they are placed in a Plan Fund, which is a dedicated restricted fund for future development of the college and cannot be used for other purposes.
Regardless, Mr. Basdeo said the necessary repair work would be completed.
‘I agree there are things that still need to be done,’ he said. ‘But I assure you; all aspects of the needed repairs are being actively addressed.’
With regard to the restroom facilities, Mr. Basdeo said that two bathroom are in particular need of repairs, but that there were a total of 19 restrooms on campus.
Mr. Basdeo noted there have been some difficulties with Book Store Services, but noted that some of those complications arise because they have order their books from overseas.
Overseas universities often have special arrangements with book suppliers which UCCI cannot utilise. As a result, UCCI is sometimes told books are out of print, and they have to wait.
‘I can sympathise with what is being said [by the students], but irrespective of what we do, we will have some problems with the books.’
If such problems occur, Mr. Basdeo said students are allowed to photocopy books to use until the ordered books arrive.
Mr. Basdeo explained that UCCI is still a very young institution in its development process.
‘I’ll be the first to admit it will be difficult to get everything done that the students want,’ he said.
‘I’m dancing as fast as I can with the constraints of what is going on here.’
With regard to finding a replacement for Mr. Basdeo, Mr. Scott said the Board of Governors was currently going through the process of putting advertisement in appropriate media around the world.
‘We’re hoping to put a Caymanian in that chair,’ Mr. Scott said, noting, however, that it might not be possible.
Minster of Education Alden McLaughlin said he was aware of the SRC report.
‘I’ve received the report and I’ve read it and I propose to have a meeting with the Board of Governors.’
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