A surprising solution to a pressing space shortage at The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus has emerged, with the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) headquarters being put forward as a temporary host for the institution’s brand-new law degree program.
When the program opened applications for its first cohort, university administrators received an overwhelming response: more than 100 prospective students submitted applications, and around 65 have successfully enrolled to begin their studies. This unexpectedly high enrollment has left the campus scrambling for a large, accessible teaching space that can accommodate the incoming cohort while permanent purpose-built facilities are finalized.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who made the announcement, detailed that the ABLP’s 5,000-square-foot ‘People’s Place’ facility is well-sized to meet the program’s space needs. Critically, the party has offered to rent the space to the university for only a nominal fee, a move that Browne projects would save the Antiguan and Barbudan government close to US$1 million that was originally earmarked for large temporary modular tents to house the classes.
To address concerns over mixing partisan political activity with academic operations, Browne emphasized that no party events or political organizing would be permitted at the headquarters for the entire duration that it is used for educational purposes. He also added that the proposal includes a plan to install a retractable exterior canopy to create additional covered space for lectures or group study, expanding the facility’s usable area beyond its interior footprint.
Even with these safeguards and cost benefits, Browne acknowledged that the venue’s connection to the ruling national party creates unique considerations, and he has framed the suggestion as a potential last-resort option rather than a finalized plan. The proposal will now go before the relevant university and government oversight committees for full discussion and a final vote on whether to move forward with the arrangement.