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“UWI is a great choice right now because it’s resilient. Students are involved in the decision-making process and know their voices are heard.”
One of the best parts of going to UWI St. Augustine is the vibrant student life and the constant activities happening on campus. It’s been a bit different since the pandemic, but some students are working overtime to ensure that student life lives on.
We interviewed the Past President and Vice President of the 2020/2021 Guild Council of Students – Warren Anderson and Kareem Charles – to find out why extracurricular student clubs and associations matter now more than ever, how you can get involved, and what the Student Guild can do for you.
Warren: When I started undergrad, even though I was an evening student and not looking to get involved, my friends encouraged me to join the Guild and run for the Evening and Part-Time Representative position. I did. I was elected, and it introduced me to the services of the Campus and the many clubs there.
Kareem: I’ve always wanted to give back in a positive way, so I joined Hands for Hope which provides outreach to people within and outside the university. I wanted to continue my service, but from a leadership role. So I ran and was elected the Guild’s International Affairs Committee Chairperson. I got to meet students of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
Warren: Every registered UWI student is a member of the guild of students. That means we’re all in this together as one united student body. The Guild Council represents its members at every level – we have class, programme, department, faculty/academic representatives who advocate for student causes at the campus level all the way up to the executive level. So, the more you get to understand student life and learn about your Guild representatives the more powerful your voice will be and that’s at both the undergrad and postgrad level.
Warren: When COVID-19 hit, the focus moved away from extracurricular activities to support. We increased our focus on mental health since the transition affected many members. We held forums so that members could share their experiences with UWI experts such as the Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) department. We also contributed TT$250K to aid members in this academic year and we are committing a similar allocation for the upcoming academic year (2021/2022). The support has gone into assisting with basic needs, digital devices, and tuition.
Kareem: Yeah, we also changed our mode of events from landed to virtual including our biggest event, Guild Fest. We invited members to find out about student organisations via a Sip and Chat on Facebook and Microsoft Teams. It wouldn’t be Guild Fest without sponsored giveaways, so we kept that element too. The majority of student activities were done by clubs who adapted by holding virtual movie nights, game nights, forums, media challenges, and other events.
We’d like to big up:
Club members are really active and support the Council a lot. They also held important forums to address issues in tertiary funding.
They helped build up a framework for Guild’s first ever Strategic Plan – our aim to professionalise clubs
They’re brand new and strong on advocacy but they make advocacy fun.
We work with them to highlight gender justice issues and they’re good at providing a student point of view on a lot of relevant social issues.
They are a great source of sharing history and cultural knowledge and their throwbacks are great!
For always putting out relevant eco-friendly content and being very active with their members.
They don’t fall under clubs/associations, but they do a lot of great things in UWI, so look out for them.
There’s the Faculty of Social Sciences Society, the Faculty of Law Council, Medical Student Council, they engage students and bring academic issues forward.
…and so many more!
Kareem: Simply join a club. There are academic clubs, charity clubs, cultural and religious clubs, so many clubs – 62 registered for the 20/21 period! Whatever your niche, find a club that piques your interest. It’ll help with networking and build long term friendships.
Warren: Also, follow the Guild Council on social media. Reach out to guild councillors if you are having difficulty because we are familiar with the campus services and can direct you appropriately.
To find out more about the Guild Council of Students visit Facebook: @uwistaguild | Instagram: oneguildsta | Twitter: @UWISTAGuild
The University of the West Indies St. Augustine (UWI),
St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Tel: (868) 662-2002
Fax: (868) 663-9684
E: admis@sta.uwi.edu
This page highlights The UWI St. Augustine Game Changers campaign and showcases our 8 Faculties and over 200 programmes available to Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Continuing Students.
The UWI, St. Augustine ranks first in Trinidad and Tobago among accredited tertiary-level programmes, and The UWI ranks as one of the top Latin American and Caribbean universities in the world according to the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings.
Copyright 2021