The Florida-Caribbean Linkage: Community Colleges in Four Countries

Join us as we hear from higher education officials from Grenada, St. Lucia and Suriname as we compare and contrast their community colleges and technical vocational education systems and compare them to U.S. community colleges. Our guests participated in a six week Community College Administrator Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by Florida State University and Santa Fe College.

Transcript

Vilma Fuentes  

Hello and welcome to Santa Fe College. My name is Vilma Fuentes and this is our podcast on developing global citizens. Today we are joined by three very special guests from Grenada, St. Lucia and Suriname.

Gennesta Charles  

Hi, I am Gennesta Charles. I am from the Grenada National Training Agency and there I work as the coordinator for standards and planning.

Robby Glen Hollbard  

Hi, I'm Robby Glen Holbard, I'm the director of the Polytechnic College in Suriname.

Celeste Regis  

Hi, everyone. My name is Celeste Regis. I'm from the beautiful island of St. Lucia and I work as the quality assurance officer at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in St. Lucia.

Vilma Fuentes  

Wonderful, welcome to our program. So, all of you have spent the last two weeks at Santa Fe College as part of a US department of state funded program of the Community College Administrator Program. This is a six-week program administered by Florida State University and Santa Fe College that allows higher education officials from other parts of the world to come to the US and learn about our community college system. And because of COVID, all of you actually started the program online from your home countries, doing some online work, reading independently, joining us through Zoom. But this was, I think, of the first times that you did a deep dive into the community college system here at Santa Fe. So, I'm wondering, did you learn anything new in the last few days that you didn't know about or that was in any way unexpected for you?

Robby Glen Hollbard  

Yeah, of course, you're learning every time you engaging in activities, you're learning but what, what was, surprisingly for me and what I think I will take back home is the sense of community. Having, you know, when you're talking about an educational institution, you're talking about getting people in, carrying people through and getting people out. And what I've seen here is, is not only getting them in, but creating a community and that was that was new to me and very surprising. And on top of that game, you know, create a safe community. And those two things I think that besides all the other things that I've seen what I think are okay, we can look into this, we can do this but the community aspect of it, the safe community aspect of it is very new to me and it's very interesting and thinking of ways of implementing that back home.

Vilma Fuentes  

Celeste, you come from a community college, in fact, yours is the only community college in St. Lucia. So maybe the model wasn't that new to you, or was it?

Celeste Regis  

I think what I really enjoyed learning about is your students. So, this is and the idea of the students being at the center, because that is one of our weak areas at the college. In that, we don't have a well-developed students services or students center. So, learning about the success coaches and the Learning Commons. These are things that I think that we can implement at our college so assist the students in being successful especially that success coach, and like that. So that's something that is at the top of my mind when I go back home.

Vilma Fuentes  

Gennesta, what about you?

Gennesta Charles  

I think in in my case, it's the resources that is put into the whole college experience from administration down to what the students have access to, and coming from an institution or from a country where especially the financing of education is always a concern, I really had an appreciation for the mechanisms that the college has in place for getting resources to actually achieve its objectives. I mean, yes, while you have the state funding, or the federal funding that comes through the Student Aid and so on, there are opportunity for grants to actually facilitate community programs and, and just to enhance the whole student experience, but also the fact that there is a foundation that also supplements and helps that. So, it has me thinking of what can we do in our country to guarantee the financing of education. 

Vilma Fuentes  

I mean, undoubtedly, we have some of you met I believe our vice one of our vice presidents Chuck Clemens. A he always says the state funds us to be average, but through grants and fundraising, we can be exceptional. So, or another former administrator here used to say the state gives us the money to build the cake, but through all these other funding sources, you know, we can make the cake beautiful and put decorations. So, you also had I think, several opportunities to speak to students on our campus. It did you learn anything new from them. What did anything innovative like from, from the students directly good or bad?

Gennesta Charles  

I think for me, it was the fact that they embrace the shared governance, because there are cases as a student you believe that I'm a recipient of the services. Do I have a voice in saying how I want that service or what is best for me? And I think listening to the students across the board every time we encountered students, they felt as if their voice mattered at the institution. And I really appreciated getting a perspective from them about shared governance.

Robby Glen Hollbard  

Yeah, and continue on that point on, on shared governance. You see that because they have a say, what struck me was the motivation that there is the, the dedicate dedication to you know, we started one thing and we continue and we build on it. The motivation to continue that was became very strong over to me

Celeste Regis  

and what I learned as well, like he said, they were all motivated, but they saw the community college as a significant part of helping them get to where they want to go because some I met some students that transferred from other community college and they had a lot of positive things to say about Santa Fe College, the fact that they felt that persons are there to take care of their needs and help them navigate the career so that they can either move on to university or go into the workplace. So that to me was really good. They really have a positive perception of the college.

Robby Glen Hollbard  

You know, and then, on the other hand, the flip side of that, and maybe it's not the right word to say the flip side, but it also reflects on how the professors are engaging because the students have that motivated the kind of image of "Hi okay, I can reach my goals within Santa Fe" comes also because of the professors who are engaging who are taking the time and, and helping and as earlier already said, it's been indicated that the culture of supporting students is helping, you know, it's very strong and it is helping the students also in knowing that they can reach their end goals, they can reach their dreams.

Vilma Fuentes  

Did you find are the conversations with students- Did you think our students were in some way different from your students? Or did you see any commonalities like "Yeah, our students are exactly the same way."

Celeste Regis  

I saw them as similar. The similar in the hope their backgrounds, in terms of their struggles, in terms of them trying to figure out what it is that they want to do. So, they were similar in that respect for me.

Vilma Fuentes  

Which is great, I think, because one would think "oh, you've come from another country St. Lucia. It's so different, beautiful. island nation, right? Where like "life's a beach." And but maybe not so different in the hopes and dreams of our students.

Celeste Regis  

It's not so different. Some persons come from this as whether St. Lucia or here, where they're the first one to come to a community college, where they're struggling financially and these are universal problems that we can all relate to. And what I'm happy is that they are seen education as a way to help them improve on not just themselves, but on their families.

Gennesta Charles  

And even the way that all races or classes are, they have access. I mean, we don't have that in all territories in terms of where there is white, black, you know, it's a case where we're most well, Grenada is predominantly black, but race doesn't play a significant issue in access to education, but I think it's also it was impressive to see that we were able to interact with students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, but also in terms of racial lines, and they were able to almost share the same experiences and that is remarkable. I believe in terms of how the perception, the identity at the institution really doesn't play a significant role as it is. Everybody has an have access to the education. So that's good.

Robby Glen Hollbard  

Yeah. Indeed, you know, you see that not only the professor, but the students also are carrying, you know, Santa Fe, as you know, that is us that we have to be Santa Fe and others. So that's, that's the community the culture of community. That has been created and it is very strong. Or one of the things I've learned also talking about different ethnic groups. What I what I what I picked up, and he noticed that we are not doing it and this morning I had to do a speech for Suriname and struck me right there, again, that we all the activities you're doing, we are doing in Paramaribo, the capital, you know, and we have a branch in in the western part of our country, and all the things are centered or in in the West or in the center, and even then, you know, we don't focus really on "Who are we targeting," you know, and this one of the things that, I think is also a lesson for me, you know, I've written it down and said, Okay, we have to look at that. You know that you have a great representation of your community and that you all were talking about we are serving the whole country. But do we do that? Really, you know, as I'm looking at the data, and I say no, we are only in the capital and we only in the West, you know, and all the others we are forgetting and that is an eye opener. Also, I think that I'll take back and start looking at how we can target the other areas that are participating are not getting the education that they need.

Vilma Fuentes  

So, was this your first visit to the United States or Florida?

Robby Glen Hollbard  

For me it was not my first but this is the first time that I'm in an in educational activity in Florida at that I'm, and that I'm part of an education activity. 

Vilma Fuentes  

Celeste?

Celeste Regis  

I've never been to Florida I've been to New York and Atlanta. This is my first time in Florida. And I've had a very interesting experience because we started in Tallahassee went to Panama City, here in Gainesville going to Orlando, and I'm going to Province. So, it's like I'm getting a tour of the state. So, it's been informative but also interesting in as well,

Robby Glen Hollbard  

Especially the cold. The weather. 

Vilma Fuentes  

so, and for our listeners that what our guests would define as cold as I think it's dipped into like 50 Something degree Fahrenheit. But I think even at low 70s, high 60s It was a bit of a challenge. Was that a surprise for you? The, the cold?

Robby Glen Hollbard  

Well, it was here already been several times in Florida one of the times I was in Orlando. It was in December, and we found it very cold. So, I was a little bit prepared. But then within the preparations you know the four weeks that we have, we were online. Jeff let's say for now that is the best time you know to be the weather will be good as well. So, I thought okay, then we don't have to worry about the temperature so on. So actually, if I had known that it would like this, I would have brought another thicker sweater.

Gennesta Charles  

I think I've had a different experience. I spent two years in the US studying 

Vilma Fuentes  

Really where? 

Gennesta Charles  

In Pennsylvania, so I attended the Pennsylvania State University. Okay, so I had an experience off the cold. And so, but this is my first time in Florida and I find the experience to be to be nice. It's a tid bit cold compared to the experiences that I had in Pennsylvania with subzero temperatures. This is fine.

Vilma Fuentes  

So, so Gennesta, just for you. Did you learn anything new about like Americans or American culture? Especially given that you studied here for two years?

Gennesta Charles  

On this trip to Florida, I don't think I, I did. It was just the experience of the college life. In in America that was new for me because I was at graduate school when I went to Pennsylvania, so I wasn't as invested. But no, I realize that being here is a big deal. It's really a community that you're serving and you need to be invested in it. So, this has been a different experience altogether.

Vilma Fuentes  

So, what stands out to you as different between a US Community College and a US university? Your experience at a US university?

Gennesta Charles  

Different I can tell you what is similar for us, okay, the support for learning. I find it the same across the board the institution is run in such a way that students have what it takes to have access to what it takes to succeed. I somehow feel though that at the university level, you really need to know why you are there, what you come to get and then be able to really achieve that. At the college level. I think there's a bit of hand holding more of a hand holding that you get to get you through the college life and then be able to move on from Yeah,

Vilma Fuentes  

I mean, undoubtedly, we allow and even maybe encourage a little bit of exploration. Because a lot of our students don't really know once they get here what, what they want to do. So Celeste, the new comer to the United States. What, what did you think the United States would be like before coming here and then Did it meet your expectations?

Celeste Regis  

Well, I'm like, I said, I locationed in New York.

Vilma Fuentes  

Okay, sorry.

Celeste Regis  

I didn't attend school here so I'm not too familiar. With the university. But in coming to Florida, well it is different from New York, New York is a little more fast paced. Everybody looks like they're running somewhere and have a lot to do not that people here don't have a lot to do but you can see that it is a little bit different. But I really enjoyed learning about the community college system. The fact that the university has a specific mandate, and the Community College has to serve the community getting persons ready for the workforce. So, there's a clear distinction or purpose to each educational level each institution and we don't really have that in St. Lucia, we still trying to figure out what qualifications we want our institutions to have, whether we want to be a university college or university or just a community college, so I like the structure. You know, and that, you know, that there I remember you see in that the courses and the coding system and similar, all of that, you know, the, the curriculum framework that you share, so you know, their structure, and because there is structure, you can improve on it and make it better and I'm hoping that in St. Lucia, we come develop that structure. We have things in place, we have the foundation, but just a little, few things, that we have to tweak to get there.

Vilma Fuentes  

So, what struck me was that the three what the three of you had in common is that your economies were highly dependent on for instance, either tourism or in the case of Suriname highly, highly dependent on mining. And it looks like very soon you're going to be highly dependent on oil exploration, which is a wonderful thing. But you know, little diversification in your economy. And then that then you have other exports like you know, nutmeg or rum or things like that. And, in the case of, well, really all of your country's environmental issues, you know, certainly the rising of global temperatures, and then the rising of the sea level. makes you a little vulnerable would probably be the best right. So, it did you see anything at Santa Fe or in Florida more generally that you think could help you develop a more globally competitive workforce, maybe to diversify your offerings, so that you're not so highly dependent on one or two sources of income in your countries.

Robby Glen Hollbard  

Well, speaking for sure. Actually, we have been discussing this case even before I was born, I think, not to be

Robby Glen Hollbard  

Investing in only one kind and especially not in natural resources. But I think we as a nation need to politically grow a little bit further to make to start planning for longer periods than five years because what you're seeing is that when government is in place, and they have the resources because the natural resources are internationally, they were getting a high price for it. Then they do a lot of what you would call, a little bit popular projects. You know, only to be to stay informed. But then most of the time you're seeing like after 5 or 10 years, those prices are, are declining and then the economics coming in and you don't have to struggle again. So, and that happened, I think already three or four times with our economy. And we are in the discussion to see for okay, we need to diversify, and there are plans and now I've seen this government is trying to force the nation into that direction. But coming to your question to look at Santa Fe and what we are not only Santa Fe, but the whole CCIT program. Actually, all the things that we have seen the directions that we as a country would like to go, I think, just not that hasn't been demonstrated specifically in the programs of Santa Fe, especially of what I've seen because we are thinking we are thinking about agriculture. We're thinking about tourism, we're thinking about renewable energy and effect. We haven't seen those kinds of activities. So that is not, not there. But the idea of diversifying the economy has been in the country. A lot of times and it's always a point of discussion, especially at election time is coming up again. And you know, we see that discussion. So that is always one of the things but really in activities. I haven't seen that. I've seen a lot of other things where I say okay, I can strengthen the programs, I can strengthen the institute, but really into the diversifying the economy. No. I haven't seen that within the activities that we have.

Gennesta Charles  

I think for, for us it's a case where yes, we have been highly dependent on tourism. And it was even brought into a really sharp focus having going through having gone through are still going through the pandemic where you had to shut down and so a lot of people became unemployed, and so that have socio-economic implications. Now, and so it really intensified the conversation, because as Glenn is saying, we've had that conversation for years, I'm sure since before I was born, they've been having a conversation. And so, we've heard you know, different sectors of the society keep saying agriculture This is what built our economy, why can't we find creative ways to actually enhance that product because that as well supports the tourism industry and so on. Grenada has a very high import bill and from year to year you'll hear Government speak about that high input bill, and what can we do? So, I think it's a case where we are looking for solutions. Are we tabling the solutions at the right places for the right persons? That may be an issue, but I know we have significant support from our, our government and private sector and even the international donors to strengthen the workforce development component. So, it's not it's not sufficient to just be send children to school and when their finished what next we are preparing as we say global citizens. So how can you not just see Grenada as the only place for employment while it means now that we need to be training persons to be able to take up work anywhere? Why do we have CARICOM that appreciation that across the Caribbean community? The member states that people can move on work, there are conditions for moving and working and I believe this experience has highlighted some of the areas that we really need to focus on. We know the health and wellness sector is a is a green area, there are opportunities I mean, not just locally but around the world there, there is a need for persons in the health and wellness sector. And so, it's one of the areas that we really need to go to but this experience here has highlighted what the facilities need to look like. Right. So that in itself was enlightening. The technology, merging technologies, these are things that we need to actually look at ICT. It's listed as one of our priority sectors in Grenada, but have we given sufficient attention to it? The visit here has highlighted in some of the colleges, what is being done as it relates to, to ICT. So, we have to look at those experiences would I like to see more? Yes, I mean, if there is agro processing and manufacturing, like could we see those things that would have been nice as well but those two areas ICT and health and wellness were the standard areas from

Vilma Fuentes  

Celeste, I don't know if you have any thoughts no pressure,

Celeste Regis  

Like Granada, tourism is our main income earner and the pandemic has allowed us to recognize that hey, tourism, we have to find other ways of generating income we have to diversify and agro processing our culture. These are the areas that we realize that as a country that we must develop into trade persons we need to have adequate facilities. And we also have to train persons to be global citizens. Because the reality is the world is a small place and we're not just training for St. Lucia but a person to be able to make it everywhere. So, one of the standout things that I learned is the idea of using the data. That is what stuck to me because when I visited the various centers and we went to the different you know, buildings, person spoke about how they use the data to inform what they did, whether they conducted surveys to find out where are the jobs, what are the trends in the market so data was used to inform program development. It was used to inform what equipment so it was evidence-based decision making. And I think that is something that we in the carry of Caribbean sorry, don't do as much as I think if we were to actually have good systems for generating data, collecting data, and analyzing and using I think we might see some growth in diversification in some of the things that we're doing at our community college.

Vilma Fuentes  

And I completely agree with you we do live in a globalized world and it's so important to recognize how interconnected we are and how similar we are. I know we weren't able to add a student to this conversation but I've seen all of you speak to dozens of students in the two weeks you were here and I could see their little eyes like light up. Whether it's because they were like Suriname and you can see them wondering what continent is that on you know, or having them learn that Suriname is an incredibly multicultural society where people I mean, maybe they you don't seem to have the same racial and ethnic tensions that we do. And you know, even though you're not many of our guests, your own Hindu they were celebrating Diwali like wow, that was so cool and eye opening for them, or to learn about these two gorgeous Caribbean nations that maybe they only heard about it through cruises, but learning about your reality and what it means and your students and how, what they have in common and what it's different. It I want to thank all of you for helping to bring the world to us. 

Gennesta Charles, Robby Glen Hollbard and Celeste Regis (in unison)

You're welcome. 

Vilma Fuentes  

And that's all thank you for joining us. For this episode of developing global citizens.