HISTORIAN AND LEADER
After completing his doctorate in 1954, Augier was appointed as a junior research fellow at the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University College of the West Indies (UCWI) in Mona, Jamaica. In 1955, he joined the Department of History as a lecturer, working alongside Elsa Goveia who was also a lecturer at that time. His early teaching duties in the Department of History included undergraduate courses in European History, the History of the West Indies, and the History of Political Thought. Augier and Goveia pioneered the development of a Caribbean History curriculum which has profoundly impacted the teaching of history at all levels in the entire region.
He was appointed Senior Lecturer in 1965.
Augier has been described as a dedicated and inspiring teacher by his students, some of whom would become colleagues, such as Rex Nettleford, and others, like Cliff Hughes, who would go on to become thought leaders in their own right.
He was appointed Professor of History in 1989, and Emeritus Professor in 1994.
Remembered as an administrator who combined "accessibility with affability with strict observance of right conduct and playing by the rules", Augier served proficiently in many roles on Campus University Boards and Committees, always leaving his mark as leader. During his time as Chair of the Board for Higher Degrees, for example, the graduate programme became more tightly organized and graduate students grew in number. Later, the Regulations for Higher Degrees were codified.
Augier was appointed Dean of the Faculty of General Studies in 1967. He was Acting Principal of the Cave Hill Campus in 1970, and held the role of Pro-Vice Chancellor from 1972 to 1990.