Annual Report 15/16

contents 2 About UWI St. Augustine 3 Vision & Mission 3 Our Core Values 42 Chaiengineeringrman’s Message 612 Prifoodncipal’s & agricultureStatement 10 Management Team 26 humanities & education 12 ENGAGING for Innovation 1442 Faclawulty Reviews 2250 ENmedGAGINGical our sciences Alumni 24 Campus Highlights 66 science & technology 38 ENGAGING through Activism 82 social sciences 40 Strategic Review 64 Employee Engagement and Development 6589 Intcenernaltres Operational & institutes Processes 67 Infrastructure The St Augustine Campus of The University of the West Indies is 130 publications & conferences rising to the challenge of leading the Caribbean region towards a 71 Finance more prosperous and sustainable future. The only way to do that 76 ENGAGE with us – Be You. Be We. Be UWI. is to form strong connections with our stakeholders. This report shows how we’ve begun that process and how we plan to take it 78 Facts & Figures further for a brighter future. Engage with us! 80 Enrolment and Output 1 The UWI St. Augustine Since its inception in 1948, The University of the West Campus. It is the responsibility of the faculties, Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in departments, and units to ensure that the policies and Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged, regional determinations reached through the decision-making university with well over 50,000 students. Today, UWI structure are implemented. Faculties, departments, is the largest, most longstanding higher education institutes, schools, centres, or other units may maintain provider in the Commonwealth Caribbean, with four additional policies. However, these do not override but campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, rather support university-wide policies. The deans and and the Open Campus. The St. Augustine Campus, the heads report to one or other officers of the senior located in Trinidad and Tobago, had as its forerunner management of the Campus – the Principal, Deputy the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA). Principal, Campus Registrar, Campus Bursar or the More than 50 years later the St. Augustine Campus is Campus Librarian. This interlinked structure ensures still among the region’s premiere institutes for tertiary that all campus operations are integrated and that all education and research. units have clearly stated reporting lines through their heads. The UWI has faculty and students from more than 40 countries and collaborative links with 160 universities globally. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science & Technology and Social Sciences. UWI’s seven priority focal areas are linked closely to the priorities identified by the Caribbean The UWI Community (CARICOM) and take into account such over-arching has faculty and areas of concern to the region as environmental issues, health and students from more wellness, gender equity and the critical importance of innovation. than 40 countries and collaborative links The day-to-day administrative operations of the Campus are with 160 universities carried out through the faculties, departments, schools, centres, and globally. other units. Oversight is provided by the senior management of the 2 annual report 2015-2016 Vision Mission “By 2017, The University will be “To advance education and create globally recognised as a regionally knowledge through excellence in integrated, innovative, internationally teaching, research, innovation, public competitive university, deeply service, intellectual leadership and rooted in all aspects of Caribbean outreach in order to support the development and committed to inclusive (social, economic, political, serving the diverse people of the cultural, environmental) development of region and beyond.” the Caribbean region and beyond.” Core Values The core values of The UWI that guide its mandate, policy and decision making include integrity, intellectual freedom, excellence, civic responsibility, accessibility, diversity and equity. Source: The UWI 2012-2017 Strategic Plan 3 chairman’s review 4 annual report 2015-2016 I commend the Management and Staff of to achieve higher levels of economic growth and development to bring about a sustainable reduction in poverty. The approach The UWI St. Augustine Campus for the very is particularly relevant to Trinidad and Tobago where the informative and frank report of the Campus recent structural changes in global energy markets have made economic diversification an urgent priority. activities for 2015/2016. Trinidad and Tobago’s diversification strategy focuses on the The report notes the Campus’ many successes, development of medium and small enterprises producing for notwithstanding the increasing financial constraints caused export markets. The feasibility of this strategy will depend by continued economic difficulties being faced by our critically on the creation of an entrepreneurial culture and on contributing reposed Government. It’s a theme of a Campus close collaboration between the private sector, the Government committed to the pursuit of excellence: exploring new ways and the UWI, in a research and innovation agenda, which is of engaging with the community and dedicated to improving properly prioritised and adequately funded. The many initiatives the region’s efforts at promoting wealth creation with being introduced to promote entrepreneurship, including the economic and solid justice. It’s also a story of resilience and establishment of a Centre of Entrepreneurship and Innovation the determination to do more with less. are welcomed developments. In the year under review, the economic constraints faced by As for research, the record of our St Augustine Campus over the Regional Governments continued to contribute to a decline past few years suggests that there will be several areas for quick in student enrollment. If there is a silver lining in this aspect, wins. The challenge for the Campus and its other development it was the very strong growth in the intake of postgraduate partners will be to find a formula for reducing the inordinately students, who now represent more than one-third of the total long lags between research and product and process student population. implementation. Our Campus is adapting well to our society’s evolving needs The University thanks Professor Clement Sankat for eight years through the introduction of new course offerings and the of dedicated service as Principal of the St. Augustine Campus, review and upgrading of existing curricula. This process as he moves on to another leadership role at one of our sister is critical to ensuring that our graduates are equipped to instutions. We also welcome the new Campus Principal, Professor meet the requirements of a rapidly changing economy, Brian Copeland, who is taking on this leadership role at a time while keeping in step with developments in the global when The University itself must stand at the helm and help steer environment. our region to a prosperous and sustainable future. We wish them both every success. I am very pleased to see the expansion of the Campus’ community engagement efforts which is occurring through In closing, I would like to take the opportunity to commend the service learning programmes as well as through intellectual management and staff of the Campus for their willingness to leadership and interventions in areas of national concern. go the extra mile in the face of existing resource constraints. We In respect of the latter, two areas worthy of note are the appreciate your commitment to The UWI and your willingness to contribution of the Institute for Gender and Development contribute to the development of Trinidad and Tobago and the Studies to the debate on a National Gender Policy and the Caribbean region. Law Faculty’s efforts to promote civic responsibility and acquaint the general public with some of the thornier aspects of the law. Ewart Williams I fully endorse the Campus’ re-affirmation of its mandate to Chairman Campus Council give priority focus to entrepreneurship and innovation. This St. Augustine Campus emphasis is most appropriate, given the need for the region The University of the West Indies 5 principal’s review annual report 2015-2016 Traditionally, this spot in the Campus None of this vision is achievable without the total engagement of all participants, on and off the Campus – Report is used to review the past year hence the theme for this report. and highlight major successes. Since I Back in 1968, Barbados Prime Minister Sir Errol Barrow am all about change in the way we do reminded us of the fact that no university institution can survive unless it keeps service to the communities that things on the St. Augustine Campus, support and sustain it front and centre as a constant mantra. I choose instead to share with you That is why the people of the Caribbean look to us to fulfil that mandate in an environment characterised by regional some insights into the future that economic volatility and uncertainty. As oil and gas reserves diminish, as climate change creeps inexorably onwards, and we envision, and that we intend to tourism proves its fickleness, we are mindful of those words deliver, for the St. Augustine Campus. of wisdom. Our multicultural developing countries are constantly struggling to juggle competing economic needs so as to deliver engaging and relevant learning experiences for all learners. The scope of the challenge is daunting – the need for a responsive curriculum and a working partnership among administrators, teachers, parents, learners, the private and public sectors. Yet, if we don’t overcome this challenge, our nations will never reach developed status and will remain mired in a cycle of ‘developing’ or ‘emerging’ nations, with our best minds seeking fortunes abroad. 7 principal’s review We recognise that the University, the premier regional • Focus on UWI Graduates – A graduate is the tertiary level institution, must deliver nationals who are ultimate face of The UWI brand. Our graduates ready to revitalise the Caribbean and securely place it on must have the requisite skills to contribute to a path to sustainable development.

Load more