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UWI Vice-Chancellor tells Technical Advisory Committees at annual budget meetings:

For Release Upon Receipt - March 22, 2022

UWI


“Our commitment is to improve and change”

 

The UWI Regional Headquarters, Tuesday, March 22, 2022 — On March 8 and 9, the Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) of The University of the West Indies (The UWI) met to discuss the regional University’s annual budgets. During the two-day session, hosted by the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, budgets for The UWI’s five campuses, the University Centre, the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and the Seismic Research Centre were reviewed. 

In his closing remarks on Wednesday, March 9, Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles thanked the Technical Advisory Committees and assured its members that The UWI is committed to improvement and change. 

He stated that the University was keen to ensure that it illustrates movement in the directions expected by the TACs in terms of creating greater efficiency, more effective central administration, expenditure reduction and cost savings while focusing also on strategies to improve revenue; this was  done aggressively during the year. He also said that the University has laid the foundation for the next stage of its strategic plan: the ‘Revenue Revolution’. 

The UWI adheres to rigorous budgeting processes. These yearly deliberations are testament to the highest standards of financial accountability adopted in The UWI’s stewardship of its operations. Participants of the various committees included permanent secretaries and other senior government officials in the ministries of tertiary education and finance across the region, as well as Jamaica’s Ministry Of Health. Also in attendance was The UWI’s Executive Management Team including the Vice-Chancellor, Principals, Pro Vice-Chancellors, University Bursar and University Registrar as well as the Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Campus Bursars and Campus Registrars; along with the senior management team of the UHWI, including the Chief Executive Officer, the Senior Director of Clinical Services and the Senior Director of Finance. 

When the TAC meetings commenced on Tuesday, March 8, the Opening Ceremony’s agenda which was chaired by Mrs. Andrea McNish, University Bursar/Chief Financial Officer at The UWI, comprised a keynote address by the Honourable Charles Washington Misick, Premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands, as well as remarks by the Honourable Minister, Rachel Marshall Taylor, and Permanent Secretary, Mr. Wesley Clerveaux from the Turks and Caicos Islands Ministry of Education, Labour, Employment & Customer Services. 

Premier Misick signalled his Government’s continued support for The UWI and hailed its achievements and potential as a world, top-ranked institution. He said, “The University’s recent rankings within the top 1.5 percentile in the world according to the Times Higher Education was not happenstance. It took teamwork. Being number one is a major achievement. But maintaining that spot will require tenable support; support from regional governments. Excellence in education costs money. Turks and Caicos agrees with Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, that the regional governments' funding to this institution should be viewed as an investment and not an expenditure…We are pleased with the contributions that our UWI graduates are making to society.” 

The Honourable Minister, Rachel Marshall Taylor who shared similar sentiments, noted, “Many of our residents are alumni of The University of the West Indies and I firmly believe that it is because of their UWI experience that many if not all of them are making positive contributions to nation-building and the economic growth that this country is definitely experiencing. This country is poised for new and continuous growth because through deliberate and decisive action we’ve tapped into the services of The University of the West Indies to assist us with building capacity and addressing the human development gaps that we have identified.…” 

Speaking more pointedly to the budget, Permanent Secretary, Mr. Wesley Clerveaux stated, “We appreciate the efforts made by various campuses to improve efficiency and plans to cut cost while at the same time maintaining our standing…as we know too well, education is not cheap, only talk is cheap. Sacrifices must be made and a renewed commitment to the sustainable financing of the University is the order of the day.” 

The meeting’s opening ceremony also included cultural performances by the Clement Howell and Louise Garland Thomas High Schools in Turks and Caicos, produced and directed by Mr. David Bowen. 

Following these TAC meetings, the University’s Grants Committees (UGCs) are expected to review and approve the TACs’ recommendations and advance them to The UWI’s Annual Business Meeting of Council for final approval on April 29, 2022.

END 

About The UWI

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region. 

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. 

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world. 

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). In the latest World University Rankings 2022, released in September 2021, The UWI moved up an impressive 94 places from last year. In the current global field of some 30,000 universities and elite research institutes, The UWI stands among the top 1.5%. 

The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean, it is also in the top 20 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old).  The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action. 

For more, visit 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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