Cave Hill Campus, University of the West Indies, Barbados Pocket Guide

About University of the West Indies (UWI)

The University of the West Indies has campuses at Cave Hill in Barbados, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago and Mona in Jamaica. The total student body which is approximately 24,321 is distributed amongst the Faculties of Law, Humanities & Education, Pure and Applied Sciences, Social Sciences and Medical Sciences at Cave Hill; Arts & Education, Medical Sciences, Social Sciences and Pure & Applied Sciences at Mona; and Agriculture & Natural Sciences, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Medical Sciences and Social Sciences at St. Augustine.

 

The Cave Hill campus in Barbados overlooks the island’s capital and principal commercial centre, Bridgetown, which is just five miles away. Despite its expansion in recent years, the campus maintains much of its original architecture of simple, low-rise buildings. The scenic attractiveness and relatively small size of the university community creates an inviting, intimate and friendly atmosphere.

 

History of the University of the West Indies in Barbados

Oriens Ex Occidente Lux - A light rising from the West

The University College, established in 1948 at Mona, Jamaica, was the first Campus of the University of the West Indies. Subsequently, campuses were established at St. Augustine, Trinidad (1960) and Cave Hill, Barbados (1962). Today, The University of the West Indies comprises 3 main campuses, the Centre of Hotel and Tourism Management in the Bahamas, the Institute of Business at St. Augustine and Mona as well as 11 non-campus centres situated in other Caribbean countries.

 

The University Coat of Arms

College of Arms Description
According to the College of Arms, London (the British Imperial authority on heraldic devices), the University College of the West Indies was granted the following Arms on July 18, 1949:

 

Barry wavy of six Argent and Azure an open Book proper bound Gules garnished Or on a Chief of the third a Lion passant guardant Erminois. 

Crest: A Pelican proper.
 (Grants 111.231)

 

In other words, the background of the main part of the shield comprises 6 wavy stripes of white and blue (Azure); the open book is proper, in other words its natural colours, although its binding is red (Gules) with gold/yellow (or) tooling; the top third of the shield (the Chief) is red and the lion is gold/yellow with black ermine tail spots all over it.

 

Crest: A Pelican proper. The pelican is painted as in nature. It is standing on a Crest Wreath, originally made of twisted silk to cover over the join of where the crest (made of wood or boiled leather) meets the helmet worn at a tournament. The silk is a twist of the principal colours of the shield, in this case: blue and white, starting with white.

 

Simplified Description

The following description of the University Coat of Arms is taken from the University Calendar:

 

Forming the main background of the shield is the sea represented by white and blue wavy lines (three each) on which is the open book; the upper part of the shield, the chief, is red with a Lion to show the connection with the Crown, but the Lion is covered with black spots. This is the Lion borne by HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, appointed by the King (George VI) to be the first Chancellor, so that this appointment is recorded forever in the Arms of the University.

 

The Crest is the brown Pelican which fishes in its prehistoric fashion along the coasts of the Caribbean lands: the pelican is a symbol of care for the young because of the medieval, but untrue, belief that it punctures its breast to feed its young on its blood. It is also used as a crest by both Corpus Christi Colleges of Oxford and Cambridge.

 

Life on Campus

There are a variety of out-of-classroom learning experiences awaiting your participation. These organised activities are much more than fun ways to spend your non-class time. These activities provide opportunities to enhance your leadership, communication and interpersonal skills, develop your organisational ability and help to develop your time management, decision-making, and problem solving abilities. Prospective employers expect a university graduate to possess these competencies.

 

Academics - Faculties

With 5 faculties comprised of academic departments; 5 research units and centres and 2 graduate institutions, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus' academic programmes offer diversity at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

 

Faculties
• Humanities and Education
• Law
• Medical Sciences
• Pure and Applied Sciences
• Social Sciences

 

Click here for further information on The University of the West Indies in Barbados.

 

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