Dynamic things are happening at the University College of the Cayman Islands. Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, UCCI is growing faster than ever in many areas: enrolment, student achievement, community partnerships, philanthropic donations and more. Here is a quick look at 10 things you should know about today’s UCCI and how it is changing the future of Cayman.
Over the past five years, student enrolment at UCCI has risen 43 percent. That means today, there are nearly 600 more students taking advantage of the courses and programs offered locally. New programs, such as the Cisco NetAcad which prepares out tech sector with internationally respected credentials.
Student academic achievement is improving at UCCI. Between Fall 2018 and Spring 2020, the number of students earning either the President’s or Dean’s lists, rose a dramatic 44 percent.
In Spring 2021, the fourth cohort graduated from UCCI’s School of Nursing aced its nursing exams. All nine students passed the exam. No other school had a 100 percent pass rate.
For the third year in a row, UCCI’s CFA Research Challenge team knocked off competitors from Bermuda, Barbados and Jamaica, to win the Atlantic Islands Region and go on to the semi-finals. The highly competitive event draws more than 5,000 students representing over 900 colleges and universities worldwide.
Support from the community for the University College of the Cayman Islands has skyrocketed in the past four years. Philanthropic donations, are up 15-fold since 2018. These monies are used to provide scholarships and services to students.
Revamped and reenergized, the Work-Based Learning programme has brought together a group of 10 partners to offer practical training in work settings for students planning to enter such industries as hospitality, finance and the power sector. Partnerships in the programme have increased, bringing in more than $100,000 to support students.
The University College of the Cayman Islands continues to grow is programmes that meet the needs of local industry. TVET training is offered in air conditioning and refrigeration, electrical licensing, computer/IT systems, computer coding and more.
The number of private-sector partnerships has increased five-fold since 2018, bringing with it a greater connection between the University College of the Cayman Islands and the community it serves. Such organizations as 100 Women in Finance, Cisco Systems, R3 and the CFA Institute. This connection was highlighted further in the oversubscribed attendance at UCCI’s two Innovation Tours this year.
New private scholarships have gone from nearly non-existent to providing more than $110, 000 in funding for students, particularly those with financial need. The recently established Community Engagement Program presented 40 students with scholarship support this fall. The Peter N. Thomson Family Foundation, CISCO Networking Academy, Water Authority Cayman, Health City and Royal Bank are among the partners supporting UCCI students through scholarships.
This year, for the first time in UCCI’s history, awards were given to outstanding faculty as determined by a poll of the student body. Honoured at the UCCI Convocation were Selgin Amador, Monika Lawrence, Emilia Andaya and Susanne Palmer.
Since January 2019, 83% of staff promotions have gone to Caymanian employees. Of those hired during that period, 40% are Caymanian and 15% permanent residents. UCCI’s student population in 2020-2021 was 82% Caymanian, with 18% of students coming from overseas.
