Vice-Chancellor’s Report
Expanding Campus Reach St. Augustine
The UWI Open Campus Site was previously located on Grand Turk, before closing a few years ago. The relaunch, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture and Library Services, is in keeping with the TCI government and the University’s commitment to improving Access to tertiary education. Expanding Academic Programmes Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts The establishment of the Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts was approved by The UWI Senate and is set to begin operations from August 1, 2020. The new Faculty will be driven by a focus on deepening critical studies of Caribbean culture and identity as well as global economic imperatives that centre the creative industry within the academy. The Government of Barbados has prioritised the Creative Economy as a key plank in its national development strategy and on this basis, had endorsed the Cave Hill initiative and pledged full support for collaborations.
The Couva Medical and Multi-Training Facility Limited (CMMFL) is a special purpose company incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in July 2018, with a broad remit to facilitate the operationalisation of the Couva Hospital and Multi-Training Facility (CHMF). The Board of the CMMFL comprises representatives of The UWI and the Ministries of Health and Finance, acting on behalf of the government. The CHMF site is located off the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway at Preysal in Couva. The hospital will be run as a modern, innovative, and IT- driven medical facility. The training facility of approximately 8,000 square metres has been leased to the UWI Faculty of Medical Sciences to house the Schools of Optometry, Pharmacy and Nursing.
The UWI St. Augustine Campus continues its major expansion into central and south Trinidad, creating a Medical Education Artery running from Mount Hope in the north , to Couva in central Trinidad , to Penal- Debe in the south , both facilities provided for by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. In mid-2019, approval was sought from the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT) to expand programme offerings to The UWI St. Augustine South Campus, Penal-Debe. This expansion is an opportunity for The UWI to increase Access , consistent with the Triple A Strategy . The ACTT granted approval for the delivery of programmes from the Faculties of Humanities and Education, Medical Sciences, Food and Agriculture, and Science and Technology. In addition to these faculty offerings, the UWI subsidiary, UWI-ROYTEC, will relocate its southern operations to the Penal-Debe site and will offer a suite of management and education programmes to its south-based students. Beginning in the 2020/2021 academic year, it is anticipated that UWI St. Augustine will welcome the first cohort of 600 students to the Penal-Debe site, the majority of whom will be reading programmes offered in the evenings and on Saturdays.
Re-launch of Open Campus Turks and Caicos Islands Country Site
The re-launch of The UWI’s physical presence in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) was marked by a site relaunch/ribbon-cutting ceremony in Providenciales on Friday, March 15, 2019. A large cross-section of the public, including the Premier, The Hon. Sharlene Cartwright- Robinson and other government, education and visiting university officials, attended the ceremony at the Town Centre Mall. The programme was chaired by the manager for The UWI Open Campus British Overseas Territories, Dr. Phyllis Fleming-Banks, who has responsibility for the Turks and Caicos Islands, and featured remarks from the Director of The UWI Open Campus Country Sites, Dr. Francis Severin, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Open Campus, Dr. Luz Longsworth, Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, and the Honourable Minister for Education, Mrs. Karen Adams-Malcolm. Also on hand for the occasion was the Chair of the Open Campus Council, Her Excellency, Ambassador Dr. June Soomer.
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