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MANDEVILLE, Manchester - President of the Manchester-based Northern Caribbean University (NCU) Dr Lincoln Edwards says the institution is awaiting the Government's lead on a COVID-19 vaccine mandate while trying to persuade his staff and students to take the jab. He told the Jamaica Observer in a recent interview that the university is committed to supporting Government's COVID-19 vaccination plans."At this point in time we are following the Government's lead. So there is no vaccine mandate and we have not mandated [the COVID-19] vaccine for our faculty here. We encourage our faculty and indeed all our workers who are able to [take] the vaccine [to do so]," he said.He said the university has partnered with the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) in providing its gymnatorium as a vaccination site where, on one particular day, more than 200 people were vaccinated."We are making it easy for our workers and others within the community to come to the gymnatorium and to receive their vaccines. We see this as part of our civic responsibilities; we want people to remain healthy and not to succumb to COVID-19," said Dr Edwards."We also want to see the country get back to full operation so that the productivity can be increased and everyone can build a better life," he added.NCU has suffered a 10 per cent decline in its annual student enrolment of 3,800 students, but unlike The University of the West Indies, Mona, has not issued a vaccine mandate for students living on campus."We are doing our part here at NCU to encourage all our workers and students to receive the vaccine of their choice or what is available to ensure that they are protected from this dreaded disease," said Dr Edwards.He told the Observer that he is fully vaccinated with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and has already got a booster shot.Dr Edwards has been president of the values-based institution since January 2017.He said the university has been facilitating face-to-face classes for some practical courses."We have had a reduction in our numbers [of] approximately 10 per cent, but we have instituted efficiencies and we have had to make certain cutbacks that have allowed us to continue operating and providing the high-quality education that we provide here - values-based education," he said."Currently there are certain practical courses that students do come on the campus to participate in, so, for example, our nurses and dental hygiene students, they have to see patients. Nurses do simulation training and some, they come to the simulation lab, but those are done under strict [COVID-19] protocols," he added."However, going forward we anticipate that post-COVID we will resume face-to-face, but the online option will remain so that students will have choices," he went on.He said the university has had to reduce its staff complement to cover for the fall in revenue."Financially we have challenges because not only do we have a reduction in the number of students and we rely heavily on tuition, but also the industries that support the university," he said.NCU's cafeteria is not operating at full capacity due to a decline in the number of students on campus."The dormitories have reduced numbers so as to ensure that [there is] compliance with the rules... The university is losing funds, but we have had to adjust. We have reduced our staff complement as one adjustment. We have increased efficiency. We have people working from home and we have put many of our programmes on hold, just because they are not affordable at this time," said Dr Edwards.