PHILIPSBURG:--- Registration for the University of Curaçao Law Programme at USM opened last Friday, just a week after the Council of Ministers approved its endorsement and funding. Although classes will begin at the end of this week, registration will keep open for an additional two days, in order to accommodate those who needed extra time to gather all their documents and make the required payments.
“Registration was a success but there is still room for other candidates, and many people needed more time to get the required documents in order”, said Ruth Jansen, a registrar assistant who came to St. Maarten last Friday to guide the intake process.
“Some people had difficulty getting time off from work, so we are coming back to USM at the end of next week with more flexible hours”, she said.
On Thursday, 23 September, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, Mr. Wycliffe Smith held a press conference together with administrators of USM and the University of Curaçao to announce that the Council of Ministers has given the green light for the long-awaited programme. More than 20 people are expected to begin the BA in Law starting this month using “blended method learning”, meaning a combination of face-to-face and online lectures.
USM President Dr. Antonio Carmona also expressed his satisfaction with the process so far, recognising all the hard work that is still being put into the promising law programme. “We had many obstacles, today the government supports us and now we have to make the extra effort in accommodating our schedule for those candidates who have for years been expressing their interest in the study of law in St. Maarten.
“I spoke to the Dean of the University of Curaçao Faculty of Law, Dr. Flora Goudappel, and UoC President Dr. Francis de Lanoy, and we agreed to extend registration dates,” said Carmona in written statements to the press on Saturday.
On the evening of Monday, 3 September, trainers from Curaçao will be offering a ICT workshop on how to manage learning materials on the academic platform Blackboard. Even those who have not registered are welcome to attend.
Registration for the Law course will resume on Thursday and Friday, 6 and 7 September between 10 AM and 2PM, and between 4 PM and 7PM. For more information, those interested in pursuing a law degree and those who want to participate in the ICT workshop can contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call USM at
1-721-542-5171.
