News Releases

UWI’s Milner Hall is now Freedom Hall

For Release Upon Receipt - February 23, 2018

St. Augustine


The Hall of Residence at The University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine Campus formerly known as Milner Hall is now Freedom Hall.   The process to review the name Milner Hall started in October 2017 having gained approval of the Finance and General Purposes Committee (F&GPC) on the recommendation of a report compiled by Pro Vice-Chancellor Alan Cobley, Professor of South African History.

The report confirmed the association of Lord Alfred Milner, whom the Hall was named after, with crimes against humanity in Africa among other actions driven by his self-proclaimed 'British race supremacy' ideology. 

The name review process included a series of consultations with key stakeholders of The UWI St. Augustine Campus including Hall residents and a wider call to all students, staff and alumni to recommend alternative names. The final decision was made on the recommendation of current residents of Milner Hall. 

The new name was approved by both the Campus Finance and General Purposes Committee (February 02, 2018) and the University-wide Finance and General Purposes Committee on February 20, 2018. 

Campus Principal, Professor Brian Copeland expressed his satisfaction with the process. “I am pleased that due process was followed with transparency and that consultation was prioritised. The result is a new name and our new focus will be on helping our students, particularly the residents of Freedom Hall to adjust to the change.”

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About The UWI

Since its inception in 1948, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged, regional University with well over 40,000 students. Today, The UWI is the largest, most longstanding higher education provider in the Commonwealth Caribbean, with four campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Open Campus. 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 and Technology, Social Sciences and Sport. The UWI’s seven priority focal areas are linked closely to the priorities identified by CARICOM and take into account such over-arching areas of concern to the region as environmental issues, health and wellness, gender equity and the critical importance of innovation. Website: www.uwi.edu

 

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)

 

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