Adventist Review Online | In Trinidad, Adventist University Dedicates New Auditorium and School of Nursing

July 23, 2021

Newly built facilities include classrooms, laboratories, and offices.

By: University of the Southern Caribbean, Inter-American Division, and Adventist Review

The University of the Southern Caribbean, a Seventh-day Adventist Church-operated institution with its main campus situated in Maracas Valley, Trinidad and Tobago, recently commissioned and dedicated a brand-new building on campus that houses the new university auditorium and the School of Nursing and Allied Health.

During a virtual ceremony, 3,317 days after a fire destroyed the previous auditorium, university leaders and the board of trustees celebrated the completion of the institution’s priority project. With its glass-clad auditorium entrance, the two-floor structure marks the culmination of a nine-year journey of faith and determination, university leaders said. A devastating fire burned down the auditorium in 2012.

University of the Southern Caribbean leaders and church officials thanked the many generous benefactors who contributed over the years toward the completion of the landmark project. The need for a new auditorium was the catalyst for then-president Clinton Valley to launch the rebuilding fundraising campaign and was later carried through by Hilary Bowman, university president until June 30, 2021.

(From left to right) Johnson Frederick and Kern Tobias, executive secretary and president, respectively, of the Caribbean Union Conference; Phyllis Woolford, director of the University of the Southern Caribbean Department of Nursing; Hilary Bowman and Wanda Chesney, university president and provost, respectively, take part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the School of Nursing and Allied Health entrance on May 26, 2021. [Photo: University of the Southern Caribbean Corporate Communication]
University of the Southern Caribbean and church officials stand in the reception area of the new School of Nursing and Allied Health floor. [Photo: University of the Southern Caribbean]

During the special ceremony, Kern Tobias, president of the Caribbean Union Conference of the Adventist Church and chair of the university board, invited leaders and viewers to praise God and magnify His name. He reflected on the words of King David in 1 Chronicles 29:10-14 in the Bible. “The focus is God Himself, who provided the means to get the job done, and the more we do for God, the more we are indebted to Him,” Tobias said. He reminded those present and gathered online that in the service of God, they should “never … let [such outstanding achievement on campus] get to our heads.”

The auditorium is positioned on the top floor with a 2,600-seating capacity and is equipped to host conferences, concerts, and student and community activities. The ground floor includes classrooms, laboratories, and offices for the School of Nursing and Allied Health.

Founded in 1927, the University of the Southern Caribbean is a private, co-educational institution with a diverse student body. Its main campus is located in the twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The university offers 32 undergraduate programs and 10 graduate degree programs.

The original version of this story was posted on the Inter-American Division news site.