Northern Caribbean University’s Vice-President of Student Services, Dr Newton Cleghorne

By: Quinell Ming

Mandeville, Jamaica – Northern Caribbean University’s (NCU) Vice-President of Student Services, Dr Newtown Cleghorne says the university’s dormitories officially re-open one week before the fall semester begins. 

At a virtual town hall meeting held yesterday, Tuesday, August 4, Dr Cleghorne addressed concerns raised by dormitory residents – many of whom are organising a return to the institution’s residence halls.  

Aside from announcing the expected time period for the official re-opening of the halls, the Vice-President made several other declarations including insight to the school’s COVID -19 safety guidelines that will govern the students’ stay on the dorms. 

Cleghorne mentioned that in alignment with the university’s efforts to honour the national health safety guidelines, only two residents will be allowed to occupy a dorm room. 

“In the residence halls [there] will be no more than two [persons] to a room, ensuring that the appropriate distances are maintained in the dormitory.” 

He added that there will not be an increase in dormitory fees, but students will be required to pay the regular cost allotted to a double occupancy room. 

“I want the students to know that the fees have not been raised, it is the same cost that we have had for the two to a room. We cannot have four or three [persons] to a room but we will have two to a room and you will pay that cost,” he said.

Students who have applied to return to the dorm will receive a response to their application after the university has reviewed their entries. No time frame has been given for this. 

The VP stated, “We are finalising all applications to the dorms, once you have satisfied the criteria to come into the dorm, [if] you have a lab class or practicum, and all matters would have been cleared as well, then the dorm would inform you that you’ve been accepted.”

Meanwhile, Cleghorne noted that international students who are preparing to return to the dorms will need to self-quarantine two weeks before they will be allowed to reside on the dorm. 

He explained, “The university does not have quarantine sites, so it would mean that a student would have to take on a government facility. I don’t know if there is a rental fee that the student would have to give at that time, but the information is online that could tell you if you have to pay for it. but that is the best answer we can give you right now.”

For students who are unable to return and are concerned about their belongings on the dorm, Cleghorne revealed that their items will be kept safe until they are able to retrieve them.

“All belongings that have been left on the dorm are in safekeeping. Nobody needs to worry if anything will be missing or disturbed, all of them are stored in a location where they are safe, and no one will have access to disturb them.”

The Northern Caribbean University is scheduled to commence the fall semester on September 7, 2020.