The new students' orientation programme, now referred to as, "First Year C.O.M.P.A.S.S." (Campus Orientation and Mentorship Programmes for Academic and Social Success), recently welcomed new students to the University family from not just across the island or the Caribbean but, also, the world. The programme, held at the gymnatorium of Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Mandeville campus, ran under the theme, 'Somewhere over the Rainbow'.

President of the University, Dr Herbert Thompson, in delivering the keynote address, posited that at the university, "failure is not an option". He shared with the freshmen that in these harsh economic times, their parents/guardians have made significant sacrifices to send them to the University. He encouraged them to stay focused and to keep their eyes set on graduation day where they, like others before them, will walk across the platform to collect their degrees.

voluntary programme

The "Failure is not an Option" programme is voluntary and serves as a medium through which the Department of Freshman Advisement, Recruitment and Retention (FARR) is able to monitor students' academic progress, their levels of social adjustment, and their personal and professional excellence as well. The programme strengthens the level of 'connectivity' between the students and their academic departments, which gives birth to a more personal approach to academic advising and retention where the participation of the entire University family is obtained.

The programme seeks to address issues which cause freshmen difficulty in their first year, and particularly issues that may cause them to drop out. The "First Year C.O.M.P.A.S.S." and Failure is not an Option" programmes are both planned and coordinated by FARR, in collaboration with other departments; these programmes play a key role in the growth and development of students.