Students were invited to a complimentary buffet on campus, the opportunity to have breakout sessions with presenters, and meet with College assigned advisors. Photo: Provided

The college was granted accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) in 2015. Accreditation is on an eight-year cycle, with the exception of new institutions, which are on a five-year cycle, meaning that HLSCC has to seek reaffirmation in 2020. Photo: Provided

Dr. Luverne Baptiste, Ag. Vice President at HLSCC, welcomed the new students and gave insight on the ongoing re- affirmation of accreditation process of the HLSCC.

The college was granted accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) in 2015. Accreditation is on an eight-year cycle, with the exception of new institutions, which are on a five-year cycle, meaning that HLSCC has to seek reaffirmation in 2020.

The re-accreditation of the College’s accreditation is of great consequence as it helps students in the transfer process to another higher education institution abroad. Dr Baptiste revealed that MSCHE representatives will be visiting the College campus in December 2019 and April 2020. During those visits students may be randomly selected to answer questions or give feedback on their educational experiences at the HLSCC.

Students were delighted to hear from the successes of alumna Mrs Washeema Grant who is currently the Risk & Control Lead on the Finance Transformation Project for the FTSE 100 company Sainsburys, the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom. Grant reflected on her journey from a new student sitting at orientation 11 years ago to working at a reputable company in London. She attributed most of her career accomplishments to the HLSCC for providing core fundamentals.

“You must ensure your foundation is strong enough that even hurricane Irma can’t uproot you from the soil,” Mrs. Grant said.

She later stated that one of the advantages of attending HLSCC was the way in which professors and staff nurture young students, saying “they actually genuinely care about you as opposed to larger colleges and universities – it feels like family”. Mrs Judith Vanterpool, Ag. President engaged the ecstatic group with her humor and inspired them to make an impact in their community. Vanterpool reiterated that “the word “WE” is vital, WE are the community college, you’re not alone anymore, you now have become family. We are here to help guide you”.

She reminded the students that there is great potential in relationships that will be established when entering a college for the first time, and that networking holds immense power. HLSCC announced in June of this year their plans to take the learning experience digital.

This will allow students the opportunity to access their textbooks online and download to their laptops, iPads, or cellphones. They will be able to access several digital library resources, e-learning platforms like Moodle, Microsoft Office Applications, and research databases.

Dr Richard Georges, Director of Institutional Advancement, explained to students the massive cost-saving benefits by going the route of embracing going digital. “An average textbook costs $150, Microsoft Office applications cost $150 a year, and e-learning platforms like EBSCO, Moodle and Cengage at $150 per semester, everything can cost up to $875 per semester.”

Dr Georges continued to explain that launching the education resource fee of only $250 per semester, students will not have the burden of paying the full value amount.

Other presenters included: Mrs Marva Wheatley- Dawson, Dean of Arts Sciences and General Studies; Mrs Elenore Rowland-George, Assistant Bursar; Ms Andrea Hamm, Director of Counselling Services; Mrs Janice Dawson, Acting Registrar; Mr Sergio Estridge, E-learning and Technology Manager; and Mr. Billy Lettsome, Director of Information Technology.

Mrs Debra Hodge, Director of Student Services and Mrs Denise Sargeant-James, Board Secretary and Transfer Counsellor facilitated the event.