AUC to resume operations in St. Maarten in January

CUPECOY–American University of the Caribbean (AUC) School of Medicine, which evacuated its students and faculty and continued its fall semester in England following the destruction caused by Hurricane Irma, is set to resume operations at its St. Maarten campus in Cupecoy in January.

“St. Maarten is AUC’s home and our plan since Hurricane Irma has been return to St Maarten once we had determined that our campus can operate normally and that the island infrastructure and business community can support our students and faculty members’ daily activities,” AUC campus administrator Hazarie Ramoutar said on Tuesday.
AUC’s Executive Dean Dr. Heidi Chumley visited St. Maarten recently to review the campus and surrounding area, and to meet with St. Maarten-based colleagues who have continued to work at the university and prepare the campus for the continuation of classes.
AUC’s current plan is to resume classes in St. Maarten in January 2018 provided conditions in St Maarten continue to improve. The medical sciences curriculum is five semesters, and AUC expects to hold semesters 1, 2, and 3 in St Maarten starting in January. “Ultimately we expect to have all five semesters back in St Maarten some time in 2018,” Ramoutar said.
AUC’s campus suffered minor, but reparable damage to teaching facilities, dormitories, office spaces and other parts of the campus. Repairs are already underway.
AUC said it is looking forward to resuming classes in St Maarten. “We are pleased and grateful for the positive signs of recovery and the safety of our colleagues, community partners and all those affected by Hurricane Irma,” Ramoutar said.
The Daily Herald understands that the intention is to house 110 students on campus initially and the rest in the community.
More than 700 students and faculty evacuated from the AUC campus in St. Maarten and those interested continued their fall semester at a temporary location in the United Kingdom following Hurricane Irma.
AUC had also reported earlier that all students who took shelter in its Building 2 and in its on-campus housing during the storm were safe and accounted for with no major injuries reported following the hurricane. While areas of AUC’s campus were damaged, these two buildings held up during the storm. AUC sheltered approximately 500 students, loved ones, colleagues and island residents during Irma.

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/70607-auc-to-resume-operations-in-st-maarten-in-january