About Us
Caribbean Tertiary Level Personnel Association (CTLPA) which began in 1996 is the parent body of the Trinidad and Tobago Chapter. This association was the first professional Caribbean Organization for Student Services/Affairs Administrators and Professionals.
CTLPA was chartered as one of the first international divisions of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), at its convention in Chicago in March 1997. ACPA has over 8,000 membership across the United States of America and the Caribbean regions.
The Trinidad & Tobago Chapter was formed in June 2008 at the 11th Annual Regional Conference in Bahamas under Merritt Henry, Regional President. The regional body brought together professionals from across various Tertiary Education Institutions within the country. Many professionals within the profession worked to build the activities, share their research and experiences through several mediums such as workshops, conferences and social gatherings. This fostered an professional community among the Student Affairs Personnel.
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In 2014, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus afforded a space for the CTLPA T&T Chapter to call its headquarters. Located on the main campus of the University near the Natural Sciences building, it is a central space in the East-West Corridor of the country, making it easily accessible to the various members of the T&T Chapter to conduct the business of the Association.
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The CTLPA T&T Chapter is formally registered as a non-profit organisation to operate within Trinidad and Tobago.
Background
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History excerpt from the CTLPA Regional Body:
"The student learning imperative, a modern theory of Student Development, emphasizes the importance of out-of-classroom learning in the holistic approach to student development. Therefore, every staff member who interacts with students at whatever level, needs to see her/himself as an educator, with an essential role in student learning.
The Caribbean Tertiary Level Personnel Association (CTLPA) was born out of the need for student services personnel at tertiary institutions to:
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Better understand their role as an essential part of student learning & development
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Enhance their ability to plan & implement student development programmes
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See themselves as a part of a specific professional group, rather than as isolated individuals performing specific tasks.
Seeds of CTLPA were sown at the 1996 Student Services Practitioners Workshop, held at the University of the West Indies, Mona (UWI). The main presenter was Dr. Carmen Neuberger, the Director of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), who encouraged the Director of Student Services at UWI Mona, to start a State Division of ACPA. A meeting was convened in December 1996 with student services personnel at UWI Mona and University of Technology (UTECH). The meeting agreed to seek affiliation with ACPA as “The Caribbean Tertiary Level Personnel Association” rather than as a state division of ACPA.
A letter was sent to ACPA asking that consideration be given to the inclusion of countries other than the USA in the nomenclature of the organization. As a result ACPA by-law changes were approved and the designation State Divisions has been changed to State and International Divisions. History was created when CTLPA was chartered as one of the first international divisions of the ACPA, at its convention in Chicago in March 1997."
Objectives of CTLPA T&T Chapter
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To provide training and professional development opportunities for members and student services personnel through workshops, seminars, conferences and exposure to student services literature.
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To encourage members to en​gage in research and publications and join the parent body ACPA or its Commissions.
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To support the CTLPA Regional body in the development of indigenous expertise in the area of student services.
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To facilitate networking among tertiary institutions by empowering student services personnel to build a community to dialogue and share experiences that can highlight Student Affairs as a career pathway.
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To foster collaboration between student services stakeholders when providing guidance and support for smaller tertiary institutions to enhance the holistic approach to student learning.
CTLPA PLEDGE
CTLPA PRAYER
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