Contribution to Land Economy and Valuation Surveying Education in Jamaica

The growing need and awareness for training property professionals, the high cost of doing so overseas and the limited number of scholarships available pointed the association to seek local avenues of training. The University of the West Indies, Mona and the College of Arts Science and Technology were approached and it was the latter through Dr. Alfred Sangster that agreed to the development of the Diploma in Land Economy and Valuation Surveying with some financial support from the Ministry of Agriculture.

The course started in 1980 with the first set of students graduating in 1983. Again in 1987, with the passing of the Real Estate Dealers and Developer Act, the Association became involved in developing courses designed to formalize the practitioners falling within the ambit of the Act.

Some of the earlier graduates from the Programme include: from the first batch of graduates Mr. Donovan Hayden, Mrs. Susanne Lyon- Josephs; from the second batch, Mr. Ludlow Bowie and from the third batch, Mr. Courtney Henry and Mrs. Cadien Murray- Stuart.

ALEVS has served the Faculty of the Built Environment / School of Building and Land Management/ Land Economy and Valuation Surveying Programme in various capacities, inclusive of but not limited to the following:

Organizing the Annual “Meet- the-Students” Function which has been a long-standing tradition in the programme.
Providing part-time lecturers, for the diploma, degree and short courses, especially in the days when the Programme had only one full-time member of staff.
Providing scholarships
Presenting awards for achievement and performance
Serving on the Programme Advisory Board as chair and members
Offering Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Workshops
Recommending or providing external examiners to the Programme
Providing employment in the co-operative education (internship) programme
Providing employment for the graduates
Serving as guest lecturers; field trip location hosts and tour guides
Serving as advisors or mentors to the LEVS Student Society.
Providing School Patron or outstanding Graduates from the School of Building and Land Management