(Trinidad Express) Pro-gramme director at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business (GSB) Brian Ghent has tendered his resignation over the awarding of the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) to House Speaker Wade Mark. The resignation letter which has been obtained by the Sunday Express is dated November 13 and addressed to the acting academic director, Dr Ron Sookram.
Ghent stated: “In keeping with several discussions we had, I believe it is important that I record here my deepest concern with the circumstances surrounding the award of the EMBA degree to Mr Wade Mark, as well as the subsequent responses to me since I raised the matter.”
Sources say that Ghent’s resignation comes on the heels of e-mails between top officials at the Mt Hope-based Lok Jack GSB which indicate that Mark did not fulfil all the requirements for his EMBA. Despite this though, sources say Mark was allowed to graduate on October 26 after the GSB made several concessions to accommodate him.
School officials told the Sunday Express Mark did not do the course work component which consisted of a mid-term exam which accounted for ten per cent of the marks, a group project —25 per cent—and class participation of five per cent.
All of the other 22 students who took the programme had course work marks.
When contacted for comment last week, Ghent said: “I am sorry but I have no comment, you need to contact the GSB on that,” he said. The Sunday Express has in its possession copies of e-mail exchanges between executive director at the graduate school Miguel Carrillo, Ghent, learning assurance officer (EMBA and MBA SEM) Kavita Siewraj, lecturer and programme director Balraj Kistow, director of Academic Development Kamla Mungal and first examiner Howard Dottin.
