Question mounting whether Ross University will resume med students classes in Dominica by May 2018

Questions are mounting as to whether Ross University School of Medicine will resume med students’ classes in Dominica by May 2018.  Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit had expressed the expectation last December 2017, that Ross would return post-Hurricane Maria. The latest word from Ross however, appears to contradict the likelihood of that happening. A statement from the University’s Dean & Chancellor William F Owen Jr to colleagues says, “Although we have made some progress in restoring our campus in Dominica, there still remains significant work to complete. The severity and complexity of damage to our buildings on campus vary”. The statement points to a six buildings that are currently being renovated over the next six months. Following the passage of Hurricane Maria in September, Ross announced in a press release that 1,400 students, faculty, and staff planned to relocate temporarily to Knoxville, Tennessee, to continue their program of study.
 
Prime Minister Skerrit has been banking on an early return of students and faculty to the Ross University Campus at Portsmouth. In December 2017, Skerrit pointed out that his government hoped “to get Ross to be back in May 2018 … we are also helping the property owners, the Dominican citizens who own properties in Picard to rebuild. That is why we have extended the loan facility at the AID Bank to the property owners, so that they could have their apartments fixed, and those who need beds would be able to buy new beds, appliances and so forth, so that they can get going in quick order.” Skerrit estimated at the time, that about 80% of the homes Ross University needs for student accommodation was available.
 
Owen explained that the situation does not only relate to housing.  He said, after listing the buildings that must be repaired, “Unfortunately, there were additional buildings that were well beyond repair & recently demolished to reestablish a safe campus. We will determine what impact the loss of these buildings have on campus operations & consult with experts to reassess the campus master plan”. Whereas Dean Owen anticipates a return to the Dominica campus, he gives no firm date saying, “As we remain committed to restoring our campus, we are closely monitoring Dominica’s recovery and other macro concerns that affect our ability to maintain an operational campus on the island”. He spoke of a “successful transition to temporary locations in Knoxville, Tennessee and St Kitts, for the 2018 Winter Semester”, and in these circumstances, it appears unlikely that Ross University School of Medicine will once again be fully operational in Dominica, before 2019.