TRANSITIONING TO ONLINE TEACHING & LEARNING
During Semester 2 of the period under review, the Senior Programme Officer (SPO) in the QAU at Cave Hill led development of a hybrid approach for the conduct of Quality Assurance Reviews (QARs) in a pandemic, with emphasis on the use of virtual/online platforms to conduct external stakeholder meetings. The draft hybrid QAR proposal was circulated in May 2020 and later received and accepted the proposal for implementation in Academic Year 2020/2021. Matriculation Policy As a result of anticipated disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board for Undergraduate Studies (BUS) approved a waiver of the matriculation requirement for CAPE students applying for admission in academic year 2020/2021. The waiver allowed campuses to make firm offers to students based on their first year of CAPE results. Caribbean Ministers of Education attending the Emergency Meeting of the CARICOM Committee on Human and Social Development (COHSOD) on May 8, 2020, unanimously endorsed the revised matriculation policy. Examinations In recognition of the unexpected imposition of changes to teaching and assessment due to COVID-19, the Board for Undergraduate Studies and the Board for Graduate Studies & Research approved a Fail Minus Penalty (FMP) joint policy for students who failed any courses in Semester 2 of Academic Year 2019/2020. Students were permitted to repeat failed courses without academic penalty.
As a leading regional educational institution that is both proactive and responsive, The UWI took immediate steps to protect and preserve the well-being of all stakeholders during the COVID-19 global pandemic, while continuing to deliver on its mandate. It was a true reflection of the confluence between our strategic pillars: Access for our people, Alignment with the needs of our society in this time of crisis, and Agility in our response to these rapidly changing times. The initial response by regional governments to the declaration of the global pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) included the closure of learning institutions, including all campuses of The UWI. This closure included the suspension of physical classes and cancellation of exams; the closure of sporting and recreational grounds; the cancellation of non-essential, extra-curricular and social events; and the reduction of population density on halls of residence by the repatriation of students. The measures also impacted the physical delivery of administrative and other support services. As an agile and dexterous university, The UWI leveraged its technological resources to maintain open communications during the lockdown period. It continues to do so even as restrictions have been alleviated—but not eliminated—under social distancing protocols.
This pivot to online learning began with the virtual delivery of the remainder of the academic year 2019/2020. Campus principals, deans and department heads made necessary adjustments, with focus on modules which would normally need to be delivered in a physical setting, arranging suitable alternatives. Requirements for matriculation were modified to allow students whose final academic year was disrupted by the pandemic to successfully apply. In acknowledgment of realities and economic constraints experienced by students during this time, the university also offered revised payment plans. EnhancingQuality in a Pandemic A significant change during the period under review was the COVID-19 exigency, which required transition to online teaching and learning, campus lockdowns, and work-from-home arrangements across The UWI campuses. Significantly, campuses had to develop alternative online assessment proposals, and all Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) officers participated in the special AQAC meetings and deliberations to interrogate and finalise the revised assessment plans.
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