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March 2011
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From the Principal: Planning for the Future
The Campus seeks to improve our core functions and services for greater competitiveness, relevance and impact and our focus and priorities for driving the process will take account of a number of imperatives. Financial sustainability is critical for long term development. Options for renewed and revised mechanisms for income generation and cost containment must be addressed. We are positioning the University as a leading research institution that exploits its Caribbean “uniqueness” to develop global competitiveness in Caribbean thought, knowledge creation and dissemination. The areas of research excellence in Tropical Agriculture and the Environment, Medicine, Caribbean Literature, the Creative Arts and History, for example are seen as opportunities for taking the Caribbean expertise of The UWI to international frontiers. Continuous improvement requires transforming our systems and processes through harnessing new and emerging technologies towards greater efficiency and effectiveness in teaching and learning and in administrative services. This is pivotal to enhance the student experience and serve the future and diverse needs of stakeholders. The Campus is well-poised to chart a new future in higher education that is responsive, far reaching, competitive, and sustainable and one that produces graduates and solutions to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. Clement K. Sankat |
As The University of the West Indies begins to plan for its next five-year Strategic Plan, going beyond 2007-2012, the future of the University is being shaped by a number of challenges influencing higher education: globalization, changing demographics, a technology-driven environment, “commodification” of education, financing, increasing demand for access and flexibility and the changing needs of learning outcomes. We need to grasp the opportunities presented in this changing environment and develop creative and timely responses. The St. Augustine Campus must remain attuned to the changing needs of potential students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, of government, industry and society if it is to remain relevant and contribute towards human resource development.