The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Open Campus is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs Lesley Crane-Mitchell to the position of Head, The UWI Open Campus Saint Lucia, effective August 1, 2021. Mrs Crane-Mitchell replaces former Head, Dr Veronica Simon, who currently leads the Open Campus’s new Student Virtual Concierge Unit (SVCU).
Mrs Crane-Mitchell joined the Open Campus in August 2010 as Outreach and Marketing Officer at the Saint Lucia Site. During her eleven years with the institution, she has made a significant impact on internal, local, and regional stakeholders, building and strengthening relationships; and raising awareness of The UWI Open Campus and its life-long learning mandate.
Over the years, she has managed and coordinated a broad range of outreach activities from Open Days, School Visits and Workshops to Community Events, Lectures and Country Conferences, as well as the Annual Patricia Charles and Marilyn Floissac Memorial Lectures – raising the Site’s profile and ensuring that the presence and contribution of The UWI is widely recognized.
Mrs Crane-Mitchell is no stranger to the leadership role. Her wider service to the Campus includes serving in a regional capacity having deputized for the Marketing and Communication Manager in the co-ordination of Campus Council and TAC meetings. This was followed by an 8-month stint as a member of the Campus Leadership Team in the capacity as Acting Marketing and Communications Manager of the Open Campus from May 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. She most recently served as Acting Head of the Open Campus Saint Lucia Site, steering it through the disruptive social and economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic for the past two years from August 1, 2019 to July 31, 2021.
Prior to joining The University of the West Indies, Mrs Crane- Mitchell served the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) for fifteen years cumulatively, in various capacities as Lecturer, Head of the Department of History, and Assistant Coordinator of the Department of Continuing Education. Her very first entry into the field of education was as a young teacher at the St Joseph’s Convent during the three-year gap between graduating from the Saint Lucia “A” Level College (now part of the SALCC) and entering University.
A proud Alumna of The UWI, Mrs Crane-Mitchell holds a BA (Hons.) in History and Law from Cave Hill Campus and a MA (Distinction) in Heritage Studies from the Mona Campus. As part of her professional development trajectory, she has completed training in Capacity Building and Leadership, Project Management and Quality Management Systems.
The UWI Open Campus congratulates Mrs Crane-Mitchell on her appointment and wishes her continued success.