Dominica State College

History

The Dominica State College was the idea of Prime Minister Rosie Douglas. As outlined by Peters, who at the time was at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Dominica State College was planned as a transition from four already established educational institutions. The idea was taken to fruition and taken to parliament by the then Minister for Education Honourable Roosevelt Skerritt. Honourable Skerritt took an inclusive approach and invited all stakeholders in Dominica to contribute to the development of the new college by participating in 16 transition teams representing all aspects newly developed College. Mr Zechariach Pollock Head of the Education Planning Unit of the Ministry of Education Headed the initiative, supported by consultant Dr. Hilroy Thomas,and assisted by Miss Avril Warner and Dr.Helen Francis Seaman who formed College redevelopment committee. The of the Clifton Dupigny College Academic Division would become the Faculty of Arts & Science, Clifton Dupigny Technical Division would become the Faculty of Applied Science & Technology, Teachers Training College would become the Faculty of Education and Human Development, and the School of Nursing would become the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences. The State College was planned to provide students with the first two years of their university education. It was hoped that the State College would begin offering 4 year degrees by 2010. DSC held its first graduation ceremony in July 2003, and the school was also officially opened at the same ceremony although it was actually established in September 2002. It was established by an Act of Parliament.

The school developed into three campuses which were previously separate educational institutions. The Nursing Institute, which was located on the grounds of the nearby Princess Margaret Hospital, has become the Faculty of Nursing (Health Sciences),. The Teachers College, at the Bath Estate Campus, has become the Faculty of Education. The Sixth Form College, located at the Stock Farm Campus, has become the Faculties of Arts and Sciences and Applied Arts and Technology.

The educational institutions have a focused approach to provide high quality education on a continuing basis to the community it serves and its mission statement amply reflects this approach: "To be recognized as a premiere institution of higher learning, committed to excellence and responsible to the needs of the stakeholders, and to the social, spiritual and economic challenges which face the Dominican society in the global environment."

Teacher salaries had not been raised in the four years between 2003 and 2007, creating a sense of grievance, and tensions were noted within the school between academic and non-academic staff, between instructors and management, and between the school and the government. In 2008, construction was approved for a new Dominica State College with construction funding expected to come from the People’s Republic of China. The following year, the Bachelor of Science degree in nursing was initiated. The DSC has developed links with the University of West Indies, University of Technology, Jamaica, and other within the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and the United States.

By 2010, an Articulation Agreement and Agreement, previously signed under the Presidency of Dr. J.B Yankey for Faculty/Staff Exchange was renewed between DSC and Wheelock College in Boston, Massachusetts. However, initial student enrollment in 2010, expected to be at least 900 applicants for admittance, was less than 400, which triggered extending the enrollment period and removing the admissions fee requirement. Effective September 2011, the school's hours of operation will again include evening classes for adult learners pursuing certificate programs, in addition to traditional classes for those pursuing degree programmes.

Scholarships

Under Dominica's tertiary education system, scholarships are offered to talented students and those who need economic assistance, without discrimination, to pursue higher education in educational instructions outside the country.

In December 2010, Monroe College, offered six scholarship, one full and five partial, in the disciplines of Hospitality Management, Accounting, Public Health, Criminal Justice and Information Technology. The criteria prescribed are for a graduate of the Dominica State College with a GPA of at least 3.0.

Notable people

In 1996, Technical Section of the Clifton Dupigny Community College was directed by Merril J. Matthew, while the Academic Division was directed by Mr. Henry Volney. Early involvement in the transition to DSC included Dr. Hilroy Thomas, Dr.Helen Francis Seaman and Zechariah Pollock, and several members of the Dominica Community who participated in the transition teams. By 2003, when the school had transitioned to be DSC, the president was Dr. Bernard Yankey, the former Organisation of East Caribbean States ambassador to Canada. Dr. Yankey was succeeded by Dr.Annette J. Bardouille who served as president of the College from 2005- 2007. By 2011, Dr. Donald C. Peters succeeded Hubert Charles as President at the end of his term.