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April 2010
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From the Principal: Keeping our ship steady
As a Principal myself, I understand the many challenges that come with managing a teaching and learning institution, particularly given our current financial environment. At UWI St. Augustine there are close to 17,000 students and 3,000 staff, with staff representing a large percentage of our annual budget. The state of the economy has deeply affected our capacity to execute plans in the ways we had envisaged. As leaders, we know that patience is being tested and cost-containment and the financial outlook have left people uncertain of the future. But it is during these testing times we require effective leadership for institutional success. We need to overcome the challenges and keep our ships steady. Honest engagement with our staff (and stakeholders) to reaffirm our commitment to a common vision for the institution is the approach I have supported and also put into practice, at our recent Staff Forum. It is within this framework of engagement and dialogue that this Campus organized the management and leadership programme for secondary schools principals. As part of an ongoing process of national and regional engagement, we will continue to strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders and to implement initiatives that not only develop our human capital but also serve to advance our national and regional development agenda. Times may be tough, but we will not waver. We will persevere in our quest to build, strengthen and support our internal and external stakeholders, despite the choppy waters.
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Two weeks ago, this St. Augustine Campus launched a 3-Year Training Programme and Professional Development Support Initiative for Secondary School Principals. It was heartening to see such a diverse group attending the launch and it was a pleasure to be part of this timely initiative. The St. Augustine Campus has always seen the partnership between The UWI and our secondary schools as vital to the success of our enterprise, as these schools populate our University. Building leadership and management capability in our secondary schools is critical since these leaders not only shape the academic content, they also have to manage a large cadre of people – staff and students.