CCGA signs Memorandum of Understanding with Anguilla Community College

Brunswick, GA – Senior leadership from the College of Coastal Georgia and the Anguilla Community College (ACC) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Exchange Agreement on February 3, 2017 to provide international educational opportunities for students, faculty and staff that will be beneficial for both institutions.

College of Coastal Georgia delegates Dr. Tracy Pellett, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Dr. James (Jim) Lynch, Interim Director of International Education and Director of Institutional Effectiveness, visited Anguilla Community College on February 1 to meet with government and education officials.

Among those individuals with whom the CCGA delegation interacted included Dr. LeRoy Hill, Dean of Studies and Acting President of ACC; Attorney General in Anguilla, Mr. John McKendrick QC; the Honorable Palmavon (Pam) Webster, Anguilla Leader of Opposition in the House of Assembly; the Honorable McNeil Rogers, Minister of Education; Dr. Bonnie Richardson-Lake, Permanent Secretary of Education, Library Services, Sports, and Youth Culture; Mr. Calvin Samuels, Director of Environment; Mr. Karim Hodge, Permanent Secretary of Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities, Housing, Agriculture, and Fisheries; Ms. Kafi Gumbs, Director of Fisheries; Ms. Kim Cutler, Budget and Projects Officer, Governor’s Office; and Ms. Sharon Richardson, Director of Hospitality at ACC.

Anguilla Community College Chairman of the Board of Governors, Rodney Rey noted that “ACC greatly values the partnership with the College of Coastal Georgia and hopes it will be long lasting and mutually beneficial for both institutions.”

During the signing ceremony, Dr. LeRoy Hill stated that “this MoU is guided by our interests in collaborating within specific disciplines, including coastal ecology management, biological and environmental sciences, health sciences, hospitality management, and early childhood education.”

Dr. Pellett stated in his remarks during the MoU signing that “CCGA is honored to forge a connection with Anguilla, its people, and its Community College. We see immediate partnering and impact opportunities that we will be following up on in the next few months. We are fortunate to have this opportunity to further enhance our cultural, programmatic, and professional understanding and development.”

Dr. Lynch noted that the intent of the MoU is to promote cooperation in the exchange of students, faculty and staff on both sides, which will lead to many transformative educational initiatives, producing positive synergy and adding academic value for both ACC and CCGA moving forward. He added, “During our extended conversations with government dignitaries and education officials, we all shared the same feeling of excitement and optimism given education areas of common interest underscored by a strong focus on student welfare and success through impassioned teaching and learning – at the heart of this evolving partnership.”

The seed for this international education partnership germinated several months earlier in conversation between the Honorable Palmavon (Pam) Webster, Anguilla Leader of Opposition in the House of Assembly, and Lance Toland, a friend and supporter of the College, that eventually came to fruition with the support of CCGA President Greg Aloia.

The MoU with Anguilla Community College, as well as two others recently signed with Caribbean institutions in Belize – Ecumenical Junior College and Stan Creek Independence Junior College – reiterates the strong commitment to international exchange demonstrated by each institution; and with the College’s commitment to continue cultivating its international strategy, it helps to embrace student learning outcomes, faculty development, community engagement, and international partnerships. With the MoUs signed in 2015 with the American College of Greece and Sacred Heart Junior College (Belize), CCGA now has a total of five formal memoranda of understanding with international education partners.

CCGA is creating a globalized higher education environment on both the main campus in Brunswick and at the Camden Center to promote awareness of student interaction with a broad range of cultures to enable them to become highly capable citizens of the international community.

Pictured, from left to right, are Dr. Jim Lynch, Dr. Tracy Pellett and Rodney Rey.

Contact: Brittany Tate

(912) 279-5938