SUNDAY 6 MAY, 2018 – UWI TODAY
5
UNIVERSITY COUNCIL MEETING
On April 27,
at the Cave Hill
Campus inBarbados, thehighest
governing body ofThe UWI, the
University Council, gathered
for its annual meeting. Here,
the Council, which includes
representatives appointed by
the regional governments
of The UWI contributing
countries, discusses and makes
decisions on the University’s
business, including its financial,
administrative and academic
affairs, and its projections. The
Vice-Chancellor presented the
2016-2017 report
(
.
edu/vcreport)
.
Chancellor of The UWI,
Robert Bermudez, hosted and
presided over it for the first time
in his capacity as Chairman of
the University Council, and
took the opportunity to call for reforms to the University’s
management system and its approach to cost management.
Here is an excerpt from his remarks.
I was advised by Sir Alister McIntyre, the former Vice-
Chancellor, that I should spendmy first year getting to know
the institution and its people. This has proved to be good
advice. I cannot claim to know enough but I have made
progress. I wish to thank everyone whom I have met for the
courtesy and kindness with which they have received me.
I have come to have an understanding of the strengths
and challenges of this organization. Without doubt the
greatest strength lies in its people and their enormous
talent; the loyalty which over the years they have built up
for this institution.
Time for Reform of
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
The challenges are many,
but the most pressing is the
need for reform, both of our
management systems and our
funding model. A change in
mindset, when it comes to
the financing of the university
and our approach to cost
management, is essential.
The traditional model
of the State paying the vast
majority of the economic cost is
unsustainable due to the fiscal
challenges in the region.
It is impractical and to my
mind it is unhealthy, as it does
not put sufficient pressure on
the management to rethink the
delivery systems and the fixed
cost of providing education. We
spend too much time lobbying
with the Governments to pay
their bills and not enough time on reducing the operating
cost of the University.
In order to resolve this vexing issue we need a
collaborative approach between the university and the
contributing countries, understanding that there are
probably no simple solutions and that change will need
time.
The University has faced many serious challenges in
its 70 years, each event has seen it triumph over adversity
and I am certain that once we place trust in our people,
empower them and provide sound leadership, we will solve
the problem, strengthen the University, and ensure that it
will continue to do its work of being the most important
development tool in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Funding Regional
Higher Education
Regional higher education institutions,
whose
primary focus once was serving the public good, are
now being forced to think like businesses to sustain
themselves because of the economic climate. It’s a fight
for survival that requires a culture of change.
In 2010, the West Indies Group of University
Teachers (WIGUT) organised a professional
development seminar to discuss Sustainable Funding
of Higher Education in Challenging Times in
recognition of its role in helping to ensure the
sustainability of higher education in the West Indies.
Eight years later, the conversation around
financing the regional higher education sector is the
same. WIGUT recently held a follow-up round table
to address sustainable funding and capacity building
for the sector, with the intention of examining the
proposals and perspectives then reconvening tomove
forward with practical solutions.
Executive member of WIGUT and lead for the
event management, Dr. David Rampersad, says there
is a misconception that funding the higher education
sector refers to student funding only. It includes
looking at aspects of funding such as traditional
fundraising and philanthropy, commercialisation,
technology and knowledge transfer, creation and
exploitation of intellectual property, exporting
education services, and particularly, exporting results
of research.
The roundtable sought to discuss issues around
funding and to identify steps and expertise required
to build capacity.
A mix of experts, primarily from within The
UWI, presented on themes such as
The Economic
Outlook: Opportunities for The Tertiary Sector;
Enabling Framework/ Pre-conditions; Philanthropy/
Alumni Giving; Marketing of Technical Expertise and
Consulting Capacity; Harnessing Research Capacity
and Research Management; Intellectual Property
and Commercialisation: A Realistic Assessment;
Public-Private-Academic Partnerships; International
Marketing of Higher Education Services andOptions for
the Payment of Tuition Fees. Dr. Rampersad presented
on International Marketing of Higher Education
Services.
(Shyvonne Williams)
Chancellor of The UWI, Mr. Robert Bermudez,
presided over the Council meeting.
The traditional model of the State paying the vast majority of the
economic cost is unsustainable due to the fiscal challenges in the region.
