News Releases

UWI St. Augustine Campus gains institutional accreditation

For Release Upon Receipt - May 19, 2011

St. Augustine


On Tuesday 3rd May, 2011, the St. Augustine Campus of The University of the West Indies (UWI) was awarded institutional accreditation by the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT).

Members of the Campus administration, including Professor Rhoda Reddock, Deputy Principal; Mr. Jeremy Callaghan, Campus Registrar; and the Deans and Heads of the various faculties and departments, gathered at the Campus Principal’s Office to witness Dr. Michael Dowlath, Chairman of the ACTT, handing over the letter of accreditation to St. Augustine Campus Principal Professor Clement Sankat.

Those attending the ceremony were informed that, not only has the Campus been accredited, but The UWI St. Augustine Campus was granted institutional accreditation for a period of seven years, the maximum length of time possible.

“The evaluation team did find The UWI St. Augustine Campus to be a model university among similar types of universities which they had evaluated in the Caribbean, in Asia and in the UK and US,” said Mr. Michael Bradshaw, Ag. Executive Director of the ACTT.

Two years ago, on Friday 15th May, 2009, The UWI St. Augustine Campus launched its accreditation candidacy with the ACTT. The Campus then embarked upon a rigorous process of self-examination and reflection driven by Mr. Jeremy Callaghan, who was also the Chair of the Self-Study Steering Committee; Dr. Sandra Gift, the Institutional Accreditation Co-ordinator; and Mrs. Deborah Souza-Okpofabri, the Campus’ Self-Study Co-ordinator. The findings were documented in the “UWI St. Augustine Campus’ Institutional Accreditation Self-Study Report, 2010” which was submitted to the ACTT.

In February 2011, following the submission of this report, a team of evaluators appointed by the ACTT made a comprehensive site visit to the Campus. The results of this visit were documented in the “External Evaluator Report on the Application for Institutional Accreditation for The University of the West Indies – St. Augustine Campus.” This report highlights the strengths of the Campus as well as gives recommendations for needed transitions, critical to attaining and sustaining excellence in all areas of institutional life. Thus, “developing an action plan for realizing these transitions is a priority,” said Professor Sankat.

At the end of the seven-year accreditation period, in 2018, the Campus will seek reaccreditation and in preparation, it will be expected to submit to a “focused site visit” in 2015. This visit will be carried out by another evaluation team appointed by the ACTT, and is aimed at supporting the Campus in further preparations for its reaccreditation exercise.

For further information, please contact Dr. Sandra Gift at (868) 662-2002 Ext. 2584, or Mrs. Deborah Souza-Okpofabri at (868) 662-2002 Ext. 3880.

The purpose of accreditation is to assure the public of the quality of an institution and its dedication to high standards, as well as its commitment to continuous improvement.

 

About UWI

Over the last six decades, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged University with over 40,000 students. Today, UWI is the largest and most longstanding higher education provider in the English-speaking Caribbean, with main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Centres in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Christopher (St Kitts) & Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent & the Grenadines. UWI recently launched its Open Campus, a virtual campus with over 50 physical site locations across the region, serving over 20 countries in the English-speaking Caribbean. UWI is an international university with faculty and students from over 40 countries and collaborative links with over 60 universities around the world. Through its seven Faculties, UWI offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Pure & Applied Sciences, Science and Agriculture, and Social Sciences.

 

Contact

  • Dr. Sandra Gift

  • Tel.: (868) 662-2002 Ext. 2584
  • Email: