Not everyone is happy with the idea of University of St. Martin (USM) becoming a branch of University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) as explained in Monday’s Parliament meeting. The main reason is that the institution of higher learning would then no longer be “local.”
However, the complex won’t be going anywhere. The argument reminds one of concern expressed when Japanese investors were buying up landmark buildings in New York and the answer was: Well they aren’t moving them to Japan are they?
It’s a bit different, of course, as this regards education and what UVI offers is obviously geared towards the US Virgin Islands. Nevertheless, existing USM programmes were already connected to UVI and many St. Maarten students also completed their studies at UVI.
USM’s board says its expenses total about 4.14 million Antillean guilders per year. It receives NAf. 63,750 per month or about NAf. 850,000 annually, of which NAf. 425,000 is for the Bachelor of Arts Teachers Education Programme (TEP). The latter is significant, because educators are usually in short supply and often need to be brought in from elsewhere, which is not the most desirable situation.
USM was also paid NAf. 196,697.95 for the first half of 2017 by study financing recipients and stood to get about NAf. 250,000 more to cover the last six months, had classes continued. In addition, Government released NAf. 131,206.67 from the withheld 10 per cent of subsidies over 2013 and 2014 due to the lack of audited financial reports.
Government Accountants Bureau SOAB has been asked to audit these, while reports are still pending for 2015 and 2016. Although an unknown amount in tuition fees was mentioned, in any case it appears that the math still doesn’t add up.
Work will be done to complete legislation regulating higher education too, so that possible funding for such can be sought. Since the country’s public finances are clearly under pressure as it is, this matter could perhaps be included in the hurricane recovery assistance pledged by the Dutch Government.
However, continuity is very important when it comes to education and that has historically been the main issue with USM. There were well-intended donations and contributions, usually from the private sector, but these tended not to be structural in nature and therefore failed to provide the kind of stability such an institution generally needs.
Taking all that into account, the UVI option seems perhaps the most realistic alternative under the current difficult circumstances. After all, this could at least keep USM open for now.
