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May 2011
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From the Principal: A new kind of federation
There is no question that the rise of state-funded, national tertiary institutions and the concurrent growth of the regional UWI have demanded significantly more of Caribbean Governments in one form or the other. UWI has had to grow to respond to the needs of its national constituents. UWI has had to replicate programmes in its various campus countries, for example in Law and Medicine. The recent decision to offer degrees in Law at Mona and St. Augustine, for instance, despite recognizing the excellence of the Cave Hill programme, was because of the great demand in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. We had to respond but will do so in a manner which ensures the regional element remains intact: one programme across Campuses. Given the geographical spread of the Caribbean community and the economic limitations, UWI campuses have always had to balance regional responsibilities with national priorities – especially when funding comes almost totally from national budgets. Yet we have to be mindful of overlaps, duplications, wastages and inefficiencies in an environment where so many institutions are competing for the same market and the same resources. But The UWI alone cannot meet the wide tertiary education expectations of our countries. There must be space for others. It seems to me that the issue is how The UWI can use its strengths and experience in relation to governance, quality and academic programming to benefit these institutions. UWI can act as the centre of a federation, the fulcrum for complementarity rather than competition of tertiary institutions, establishing policy and standards, and setting relevant outputs and research agendas. This is not to sacrifice their autonomy, but to build coherence and sustainability, collaboration and cooperation – establishing a framework of specific roles and responsibilities for higher education institutions which can be held together in the same way that UWI has held its campuses together for several decades. Clement K. Sankat |
During my inaugural address as Principal of the St. Augustine Campus in 2008, I thought it was important to set out what I saw as a necessary role for The University of the West Indies in a rapidly changing higher education landscape. The role I envisioned was one of leadership in what could be called a federation of tertiary institutions. I felt that it had become a vital position given legitimate national aspirations and the increasing number of tertiary institutions in the region which have created a competitive environment, unlike anything the founders of The UWI could possibly have imagined sixty odd years ago.