MESSAGE FROM THE Chair
ASeasonof REBIRTH
T he University of the West Indies celebrates its 75 th anniversary, the diamond anniversary, in 2023. And, as we look back on the period being reviewed in this report— the 2021/2022 academic year—it is hard to feel anything but a sense of joy when we reflect that we have made it through the worst of the pandemic period, even as we remember those whom we have lost.
new landscape, and start afresh with new strategic imperatives, a new leader, and a new approach to fulfilling its mandate to Caribbean society. No one expects only still waters and smooth sailing. We know that there are significant financial challenges to be quickly met head on, their prospects reassessed in light of national and global changes. However, the contents of this report do bring me hope and instil a measure of confidence that this campus is making the necessary adjustments. Finally, I take this opportunity to thank Professor Brian Copeland—whose final year as Campus Principal is detailed in this report—for his stewardship during the previous six years, and I welcome his successor, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine.
So, to all who read this and were adversely affected by COVID-19, I wish you strength, comfort, and healing.
Yet one of the great things about being associated with this university and this campus is that we are always surrounded by hopeful young people. They continue to follow their dreams and count on us to help them achieve their highest potential as individuals and as contributors to our society. Indeed, from Open Days to Matriculation and Graduation, their hope for the future is both infectious and inspiring. On the surface, it may seem that this report chronicles a gloomy period of falling enrolment, lower income and, after two years of disuse, failing infrastructure. But it also marks a season of rebirth. This campus and its community have come through the storm. We can stand, assess the foundations, take stock of the
Now, as this new day dawns, I offer my sincere best wishes to all staff, students, and supporters of the St Augustine Campus.
Sharon Christopher Chair of the Campus Council St Augustine Campus The University of the West Indies
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