Campus Principal Professor Bridget Brereton urged some 4000 new students to take the opportunity to get to know the regional and international students here on campus and to try and spend time at one of the other UWI campuses. She was at the time addressing students and parents at this year’s Matriculation Ceremony which took place on September 13, 2007 at the JFK Quadrangle.

Also present at the ceremony were Chancellor Sir George Alleyne and Vice Chancellor Professor E. Nigel Harris as well as the PVCs for the University, Deans, Heads of Departments, academics, staff and senior management.

Professor Brereton also mentioned some interesting statistics arising out of this year’s registration in which she noted that nearly two-thirds of the new students were women while a large proportion were considered ‘mature’, that is, over the age of 25. She further stated that within the next couple of years there will be numerous new buildings and facilities to accommodate the expansion of the St. Augustine campus which she said was now the largest in terms of student enrolment.

Professor Brereton also commended the former campus principal PVC Bhoendradatt Tewarie for his sterling contribution over the last six years stating that “his dynamic and entrepreneurial leadership has played a large role in making this campus such an exciting, progressive and forward-looking place in which to study, learn and work.”

Some highlights of the ceremony were the taking of the academic vow and the signing of the register. The signing was performed by Masud Madar Mohammed, one of the top performers at CAPE and who is currently reading for a BSc in Chemical and Process Engineering.

At this year’s ceremony, 12 top achievers who sat the SEA exams were recognized and honoured. They were Eshanaa Maharaj, Sushama Karim, Astrid Casimire, Rachel Weekes, Rachel Albert, Johnathan Smith, Abigail Parris, Zachary L. Subran Ganesh, Kyle Antoine, Kirsten Samm, Chadelle McCarthy, and Megan de la Bastide.

Students were also welcomed by UWI Student Guild President Ms. Natasha Grimes and they were treated to a scintillating musical presentation by the UWI Festival Arts Chorale.