UTech Annual Report 2018-19

Accredited by the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ) ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019 University of Technology, Jamaica 23 President’s Knight Day The inaugural President’s Knight Day was held on April 5, 2018. The President’s Knight Day is ideally an event that aims to celebrate the University’s students. The day was filled with informal celebration including pep talks, cheerleading and a football match. ZJ Sparks of ZIP 103 FM moderated the day’s proceedings and the guest speaker was the Honourable Alando Terrelonge, State Minister, Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport. Linkages Student Work & Travel Summer Programme The Unit registered 12 summer work and travel agencies that were allowed to recruit on the Papine Campus. The agencies included Work Abroad (Continental Pools) , Swat Productions Limited, Explore Your World, JOYST Youth Exchange, STEEP International, International Recruitment Staffing Solutions (IRSS), Students Overseas Recruiting Agency (S.O.R.A), Maxj Employment Services Limited, International Travel & Cultural Exchange (ITCE), HR Elite Limited, International Work & Travel Services (IWTS) and Global Insight International Limited. Work and Travel Site Visit 2018 During June 18 – 24, 2018, the Career & Placement Officer visited sites overseas where students who participate in the work and travel programme. This visit was sponsored by Joyst Youth Exchange and Work Abroad also known as Continental Pools, along with monetary donations from Explore Your World, IWTS, I.R.S.S and MV Placement and Management Services. The sites visited were Florida recruiters and housing and Washington recruiters and housing. It was noted from these site visits that the students were considerably comfortable. COUNSELLING UNIT There were 933 counselling sessions held for the period April 2018 to March 2019. For the year in review, clients with academic related matters accounted for the highest number of persons who presented at the Unit with 99 clients, which reflected 25% of the total. This was followed by clients with depression with 69 (or 17%), and clients with grief-related issues which reflected 14% of the total. Figure 23: Types of Clients’ Challenges Presented for April 2018 – March 2019 UKnight Support Groups - Social Anxiety In an effort to provide additional therapeutic support, the Unit launched UKnight Support Groups at the start of semester 2. The UKnight Support Groups are intended to provide a safe place for students and staff to share and receive emotional support for various psychosocial stressors. In October 2018, the Unit began recruitment for the start of a support group on Social Anxiety, to which 21 persons signed up. On February 1, 2019, an orientation session was conducted with prospective Support Group Members, and on February 7, 2019, the first of two Support Group Meetings for Social Anxiety was held. First Year Experience (FYE) The launch of the FYE Programme for the Academic Year was held on August 20, 2018 during the Week of Welcome (WOW). The FYE year began with a forum on September 10, 2018. The guest speaker was Dancehall Artiste D’Angel. She performed her music, and encouraged freshmen to remain focused and motivated as they faced the new school year. Another FYE forum for the year surrounded sexual health, with the title “Can we have sex: How Far Are You Open to Go?” was held on October 25, 2018. The afternoon began with a presentation on the proper condom use was presented by Mr. Rory Roberts a representative from the National Family Planning Board. The second part of the afternoon was a presentation on the event’s title, by Senior Counsellor, 28 Work Abroad also known as Continental Pools, along with monetary donations from Explore Your World, IWTS, I.R.S.S and MV Placement and Management Services. The sites visited were Florida recruiters and housing and Washington recruiters and housing. It was noted from these site visits that the students were considerably comfortable. COUNSELLING UNIT There were 933 counselling sessions held for the period April 2018 to March 2019. For the year in review, clients with academic related matters accounted for the highest number of persons who presented at the Unit with 99 clients, which reflected 25% of the total. This was followed by clients with depression with 69 (or 17%), and clients with grief-related issues w ich reflected 14% of the total. Figure 23: Types of Clients’ Challenges Presented for April 2018 – March 2019