CASE is on a quest
Published:Saturday | June 4, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Gareth Davis, Gleaner Writer
PASSLEY GARDENS, Portland:
WITH ITS partners fully energised, the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) in Portland has expanded its programme offering to students, and is now on course for renewed development.
"We now have the capacity to attract the brightest of students. Our environment reflects our performance, and that is why we have repainted the outer walls, carried out major beautification, and replanted flowers along the sides of the roadway leading to this facility," boasted Dr Victor Watt, interim president of CASE. "This new look has injected life into the college, its administrators and students, who are now sporting a proud look," he asserted.
Since Watt's taking of the reins of CASE more than 10 months ago, the institution has gone through a major transition resulting in the emergence of policy changes, which were met with approval from its partners and stakeholders.
In addition, the new policy changes are now having a positive effect on the institution, which has since experienced a massive increase in student application from home and abroad.
"This is unprecedented. The number of student applications is nearing alarming proportion, and we might very well have to refuse some of those applications due to the shortage of space," reported Watt. "So far, we are trying our best to address the situation, but we are cognisant of the challenges facing us. And with student application reopening in mid June, there will be a lot of refusals."
CASE's Mission
Watt pointed out that CASE is on a mission to not only provide quality education
to all, but also to be the vehicle of development for Portlanders, who will be able to secure jobs through its expansion.
Said he: "Our expansion programme has resulted in increase application to CASE, which now opens up windows of opportunity to residents, who will now be able to open their homes and provide boarding to those students. CASE will not be able to house all the students, and therefore the city will have to provide housing. It therefore means that skill labourers will benefit from the construction, along with other persons."
CASE has revamped its developmental plans and as well as introduced new policies aimed at providing quality education in a tropical atmosphere. The new programme offerings include a postgraduate diploma in education, an associate of science degree in engineering, and a bachelor of applied science in renewable energy management in agriculture.
In addition, CASE and the University of Technology have an existing agreement for the admission of its students, while plans to have CASE upgraded to university status are at an advanced stage.