The 20th Anniversary celebrations for the University of St. Martin will now be held on November 7th, 2009 due to logistical issues, officials announced this week.
The original date scheduled for the event was Saturday, September 5th.
"The organization of the full evening of activities is on track and being refined. Refinements are also taking place at our facilities," USM officials said.
The 20th anniversary celebrations are scheduled to be held at the campus in Philipsburg and include speeches and presentations honoring founders the late Dr. Claude Wathey and Dr. Hushang Ansary. Especially important in the evening’s event will be the expression of gratitude to all of the donors that have helped to make the second floor of the current building a reality. The second floor consists of five new classrooms and office and other space, including a new teacher’s lounge, conference room and office spaces for Board of Directors and the Student Government Association (SGA).
"We are very enthusiastic about the commemoration of this milestone and we are looking forward to playing a more pivotal role in our community as we forge ahead," USM officials said.
In addition, as part of the Open House, in many of the new classrooms there will be Powerpoint and pictorial presentations. Some of these presentations include: 20 years of history of USM, and degree programs offered by the institution. The USM students, the alumni of USM, the USM faculty and a program of the Fundraising and construction of the second floor of the building will also be featured. Guests can visit each of the classrooms to view the presentations.
Invitations have been sent to the minister of education and leader of government/commissioner of education and deputy leader, respectively, and various stakeholders in the community.
"We apologize for the postponement of the event and we urge all invited guests and stakeholders to mark your calendars for November 7th, 2009. Once the weather holds, we expect to see you at this historical event," the USM officials noted.
The Foundation of the University of St. Martin, Board of Directors (BOD) will also be unveiling special plaques and donor boards at the institution. The Partners in Education, the Classroom Sponsors, the Patrons and friends of the University will be honored for their generous contributions.
The celebrations are expected to get underway at 6:00pm. Music will be provided by a steel band and a local string band.
The University of St. Martin is the only institution of higher learning on the island offering several associate degrees in business and general liberal arts, bachelor degrees in business, education, and hospitality and one master’s degree, in education, in addition to several non degree programs such as the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) Tutorial and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs.
USM has more than 550 alumni many of whom have gone on to work internationally and locally in various sectors.