President of the Northern Caribbean University, Dr Lincoln Edwards.

Photo Credit: Northern Caribbean University

By Katrich Walker

Mandeville, Jamaica- The President of the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) Dr Lincoln Edwards has announced that the university will be providing laptops to teachers and make others available on loan to students at the library.

He made the announcement during the institution’s annual President’s Convocation that was hosted virtually on Thursday, September 24, 2020.

According to Dr. Edwards, the measures are aimed at equipping teachers and students to successfully navigate the “new normal” of remote teaching and learning.

He shared that the university is working with its affiliates to fill this need and ensure students and staff can operate optimally in the virtual space. 

“We are working with the finance team, our alumni chapters and federation, the Cayman conference, friends of NCU and board members to provide computers for our teachers and make others available on loan from our library to our students who need a device.” 

He added that teachers should now seek to reach out to each student in isolation and examine the effectiveness of their teaching, adding that teachers are now seeing the need to master technology.

“I sense that the fear of technology that some teachers once had, is now giving way to an emerging sense of obligation to master technology and to explore ways to integrate this technology into pedagogy in order to be effective and maintain their professional duties.”

The President noted that this semester is the first Fall semester in the second century of NCU.

“This Fall semester is the first Fall semester in the second century of NCU in Manchester, and this President’s Convocation is the first virtual President’s Convocation in the history of Northern Caribbean University.”

The annual event is geared at officially welcoming faculty members, returning, and new students to the Seventh-day Adventist Institution. 

It was held under the theme, ‘Empowered by God, Equipped to Forge the New Normal.’