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January 2011
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New year's message from the Principal: A time of renewal
A new year always ushers in the sense of renewal – a renewal of purpose and collective commitment to excellence in teaching, learning, research and service to our community. With this comes the firm resolution to achieve desired results and meet deliverables. I am enthused by the many exciting initiatives for our Campus that are in the pipeline, all of which are intended to meet the tertiary education needs of our students and community stakeholders and support the further development and advancement of our country and region. We are actively pursuing opportunities to develop new programmes such as the MA in Creative Design Entrepreneurship in collaboration with De Montfort University, as well as expand existing programmes in fields such as law, medical sciences, agriculture, education and business studies, both in Trinidad and in Tobago. We have also been channelling our energy into the development of a South Campus of the UWI St. Augustine with a flagship Faculty of Law, to be followed by programmes from other disciplines. In the coming weeks, we will also be welcoming to the UWI St. Augustine Campus, a team of distinguished evaluators who will be conducting a site visit as part of the process for institutional accreditation with the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT). As the largest tertiary education institution in Trinidad and Tobago to engage in this process and the first Campus of the regional University of the West Indies to launch its candidacy for institutional accreditation, it is indeed an historic moment for us. For we view this not only as a demonstration of our commitment to maintain very high standards and engage in continuous quality improvement but also as an investment towards enhancing the competitiveness of our Campus and University for the future. Within a challenging national and regional financial context, we remain firm in our drive to build a more robust and sustainable Campus. I am pleased that we were able to settle the negotiations with the West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT) before the end of last year and I remain hopeful that the other trade unions represented on the Campus, the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) and the Estate Police Association (EPA), would be able to reach a settlement within the remit set by the government, in the near future. Indeed, we hope to also be able to provide a larger number of bursaries to our needy students this year and initiatives such as the annual UWI Development and Endowment Fund Fete, which is now in its 21st year, have played a pivotal role in supporting our fundraising efforts. Last year, the UWI Development and Endowment Fund awarded bursaries totalling one million dollars. This is just one of several creative ways in which the Campus continues to work towards meeting the needs of our students. This year’s UWI Fete, which is themed Bollywood, will take place on February 6th at the UWI St. Augustine Campus and I look forward to seeing many of our alumni, corporate partners, friends and well-wishers at this special event, which has become a landmark in the national carnival calendar. While the past year tested us in many ways, as a Campus, we have remained resilient and we are forging ahead with renewed vigour to achieve our strategic objectives. Clement K. Sankat |
As we start a new year and a new semester, I would like to extend a warm welcome back to all our students and staff members who contribute to making the UWI St. Augustine Campus the vibrant centre of intellectual, cultural and sporting activity that it is all year round.