The UWI, Mona Campus_Annual Report 2021-2022

The UWI, Mona Campus_Annual Report on the 2021/2022 Academic Year. "Rebuilding Foundations for the Post-COVID Era"

Rebuilding Foundations for the Post-COVID Era

Contents

Chairman’s Message Principal’s Message

10 15

Executive Summary: Rebuilding Foundations for the Post-COVID Era

Rebuilding Foundations that Secure the Future of Higher Education 48

Rebuilding Foundations that Support Student Development

Rebuilding Foundations through Quality Improvement Processes

Rebuilding Foundations to Improve Health and Wellness

2.1 Teacher Training and Development at the Mona Campus 2.2 Curriculum Development at the

22 22 26 29

1.1 Technology

3.1 Teaching and Learning

4.1 Health and Wellness at the Mona Campus 4.2 Training Opportunities

1.2 Events and Activities

68 68 69 70

3.2 Quality Assurance Processes

79 79 80

1.3 International Exchanges and Collaborations

3.3 Staff Restructuring Exercises

Mona Campus

4.3 Research

1.4 Donations in Support of Teaching and Learning 1.5 Research Support for Students

3.4 Local and International Accreditation

53 57

2.3 Partnerships

4.4 The Silver Economy

3.5 Digital Transformation

2.4 Outreach

4.5 Outreach

3.6 Monitoring and Oversight

1.6 Student Achievements

1.7 Outreach

Graduation

Student Data

Rebuilding Foundations that Enhance the Orange Economy

Rebuilding Foundations that Foster Staff Development

Rebuilding Foundations for Financial Sustainability

Rebuilding Foundations that Promote Sustainable Development 84

122

106

6.1 Student Development

123 125 127 128 134

8.1 Research Support for Staff

106

7.1 The Financial Report 2021-2022

84 86 88 88 90

5.1 Climate Change

6.2 Signature Events

8.2 Research Accomplishments

110

7.2 Campus Initiatives

5.2 Energy Management

101

6.3 Research Projects

8.3 Staff Development

117

7.3 External Funding

5.3 The Environment

102

6.4 Outreach

8.4 Staff Achievements

118

7.4 Initiatives to Support Student

5.4 Social Development

Financing

8.5 Staff Data

5.5 Advocacy

5.6 Grant Funding

Rebuilding Through Experience: Prescriptions for the Future

139 146

Appendices

To be an excellent global university rooted in the Caribbean. Vision

To advance learning, create knowledge, and foster innovation for the positive transformation of the Caribbean and the wider world. Mission

UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022

Chairman’s Statement

improved; and I remind the community, that the Times Higher Education ranking for The UWI has improved to be recognised among the top 1.5% of universities from a field of 30,000 universities around the world. The University continues to maintain its research output with its publications of 318 peer- reviewed articles and the hosting of conferences and workshops. The UWI Mona has been entrepreneurial with varying degrees of success, and under The UWI Group there are subsidiaries including: The Mona School of Business and Management; Mona Tech-Engineering; Universal Media Company Limited which operates Newstalk 93; Mona Geoinformatics; and investments in the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI), among others. These investments have expanded the influence and brand of the University. The University continues to engage the wider society here in the Caribbean and around the world, with many faculty and staff serving on government and private sector Boards of Directors; this supports the development of our countries, and sets the stage for continued support for the University. The Mona Campus is also steadfast in its efforts to support students through the Office of Student Financing, and the work and efforts of The UWI Development and Endowment Fund (UWIDEF), a foundation established by the Honourable Dennis Lalor. The UWI Mona has also continued to engage with thousands of graduates, regionally and internationally, to build a network of support to empower the people of the Caribbean region. Through its faculty and staff of more than 3,000 persons delivering its services, we are in debt to those who contribute to making the University achieve its goals. The UWI Mona is an important part of the Caribbean’s Development Agenda, as it is recognised that through higher education, we can achieve economic growth and impact the lives of many people in the region. The UWI, when assessed against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), is impacting every goal. I wish to thank Chancellor, Mr. Robert Bermudez; Vice Chancellor, Sir Hilary Beckles; Principal, Professor Dale Webber; and the 3,125 staff members, for their contribution to “ Rebuilding Foundations for the Post-COVID Era. ”

Rebuilding through Innovation and Adaptation

D uring the 2021-2022 academic year, The University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus, which was established in 1948 based on a recommendation by the Irvine Committee in 1945, celebrated its 74th anniversary.

Hon. Earl Jarrett OJ, CD, JP, CStJ, Hon. LL.D, Hon. Ed.D, Hon. D. Univ, FCA Chairman The UWI, Mona Campus Council

For The UWI Mona, it was not simply rebuilding. It was also about improving the University to deliver its services in a changed world, by adapting the processes developed around technology and the freedom they provide, to impact the lives of many more Caribbean and international students wherever they were geographically situated. The rebuilding of the Mona Campus has begun, and the Report of the Principal provides details of the success achieved during this past year. The team must be commended for these achievements; but, we must also recognise that rebuilding is being done on a framework created by our founders and the many leaders of the University over the past 74 years. The arc of history will reveal that the University has demonstrated its resilience many times, including the impact of Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, and other less significant events. This rebuilding process will also ensure that the University will remain resilient to unforeseen events that will challenge the institution. COVID-19 was both a challenge and an opportunity, as there was innovation and adaptation strategies

The University opened with the Faculty of Medicine, and enrolled 33 students from across the Caribbean to provide higher education to the Caribbean Colonies. The University has grown to an enrolment of 17,865 in 2022 at the Mona Campus, and over 50,000 students across all campuses in the region. This significant growth over the 7 years, can be attributed to the careful building of the core infrastructure of people; both academic and support services; the expansion of programmes, faculties and the physical plant; and the support of the Governments and peoples of the Caribbean region. The past three years have been particularly challenging, given that global economies had to contend with COVID-19, a one-in-a-one-hundred- year pandemic that impacted the operations of the University in all areas, followed by the Ukrainian War which has restricted supply chains and led to sharp increases in inflation. It is against this background that the theme for this year is “ Rebuilding Foundations for the post-COVID Er a”.

that we have retained in the rebuilding process.

Rebuilding incorporates the impact of reduced funding from our sponsoring governments which, for all of our history, have been the major funders of our institution. The crises of COVID-19 and the challenges faced by the Caribbean economies have meant that the Governments, by necessity, have had to reduce their expenses, which has impacted our University. The Campus Principal will share that during the year, the income of the University was J$18.8 billion, 41 per cent of which was provided by the regional Governments. The Governments’ contributions have been reduced for many years, and the University has accepted that we have to become more efficient in the delivery of our products. This is evidenced by the achievement in the reduction of operational losses from J$1.3 billion to J$287 million for this reporting year.

To achieve the required funding, the University has ensured that its global rating was maintained and

UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022 8 UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022 8

Principal’s Message

Facing the Challenges of a Changed World

Professor Dale Webber Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, The University of the West Indies, Mona

W e are coming slowly, painfully, with stops and starts, out of a health pandemic while facing a future that promises further challenges. Yet we have survived because of the strong pillars on which our Campus was built – putting our students and staff first; assessing and responding consistently to our financial status; and being ever mindful of our leading role in tertiary education. We continued to forge meaningful partnerships with all our stakeholders, and committed to the greening of our Campus and our economy.

In this Report, at times I speak in the first person, but hopefully representing the sentiments and experience of the collective staff. COVID-19 more than any other disaster we have shared, affected all of us in ways that brought us closer together as a UWI family bent on survival. One of the dilemmas I was faced with over the last year was ‘how does a Principal operate under such conditions? Financial instability shook us the most, and was perhaps the factor that was most critical in determining how everything else unfolded. The first base that I needed to ensure, was therefore the financial springboard from which to facilitate the Campus’ needs and directions it must take. The main changes that we had to contend with were (1) the falling number of students, but more importantly the inability of students to pay their fees, and (2) that governments were faced with a new unprecedented crisis and the University budget moved further down the hierarchy. We had to think about how we were going to change our financial model because we were roughly 40% government, 40% commercial operations, and 20% students. Students fell as low as 15% contribution over COVID. This meant that the commercial operations actually became the most important part of running the Campus, but this was hampered by the fact that over the COVID years half the companies and half the operations on the Campus were closed. We had to find creative ways to give debt relief or provide

Under the headings Rebuilding Foundations that Support Student Development, Securing the Future of Higher Education and enhancing Quality Improvement Processes , we have fostered the Access that is underscored in the current UWI Strategic Plan. We have Aligned our services both to the needs of the Campus community, the regional society, and to global concerns by Rebuilding Foundations in the Improvement of Health and Wellness, Promoting Sustainable Development and Enhancing the Orange Economy . We have proven our Agility by Rebuilding the Foundations for Financial Sustainability, and bolstered the supports for Staff Development at every level. Finally, still focused on our access, alignment, and agility to respond, the Report ends with some Prescriptions for Future trends and possibilities that will advance a progressive path of growth and development.

In this accounting for the period August 2021 to July 2022, we are reporting on the foundational pillars on which the Campus was built, operated, sustained, and sometimes refashioned. “Rebuilding Foundations for the Post-COVID Era” refers not to demolishing those structures that have worked for us in the past and shored up by many who have gone before me. It focuses instead on the critical assessment and adjustments that the lessons of COVID have taught us, how they shook these foundations and created a profound awareness about the need to rebuild them to face the new uncertainties ahead. All the signposts of climate change and health crises, signal the fundamental need for us as a people and a Campus to be prepared to adapt to a future post- COVID world. It is not a time for complacency, but for harnessing the intelligence that we have gained and putting that to good use.

10 UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022

did not have the ready cash, we could generate the goodwill and respect and thus gain resources for those we had under our care. This reinforces my view of the University as being a cradle for those who come here for an education. This is an important philosophy to internalise in our rebuilding of futures. The University of the West Indies has become an anchor in the floating tide of our fortunes as a nation and as a region. The anchor that is there is embodied in the theme of the Strategic Plan, it is captured in our vision of constantly Revitalising Caribbean Development, referring not just to financial development but to cultural, social, and spiritual development. It means giving windows of opportunities to those who want to make that upward mobility and want to revitalise where they are

coming from to where they can take their families and communities. The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, by its longevity of service, its staying power, and its capacity to respond over many decades of rising and falling fortunes, is a key piston in the societal engine that is necessary for revolutions of further change. I am happy to end this message by saying that despite the many challenges experienced, the staff support on the Campus and the sound partnerships that we rekindled or forged, have left us in a more confident financial and mental space to continue the rebuilding of a University fit to take on the present and deal with the future.

almost 88% two days after the first run, and we have continued to use this method. Our potential students found that they could revisit the information and share it, so this has now become a fixture in our continuous advertising engagement. This is but one example of how we completely changed our admissions exercise to facilitate ACCESS, and that is what kept our numbers from falling more dramatically. Before COVID we had approximately 19,000 students now we have 15,500, but the decrease was gradual, from 19K to 17K to 16K to 15K over four challenging years. The Orange Economy was less impacted from where we stood, but it was obvious in the wider community that public events were prohibited. This impact was felt on a more societal plain, and directly hit the pockets of those who made a living through entertainment and culture. Because of this, we decided to put some focus on the Orange Economy as a new dimension in our academic and outreach portfolio, expanding partnerships with film and entertainment companies and stimulating student participation, additional course content, and internships in this sphere. We maintained our track record in supporting Sustainable Development projects and goals, as the concept of sustainability has long seeped into our veins. We changed our Health Centre processes to serve not only the Campus but the wider community of Jamaica. There is no going back on some of the innovations we have put into place, like increasing counselling through telepsychology or training more counsellors for active interventions during crises. As a Campus, we collectively “pivoted”, a word that has become synonymous with the COVID experience, like a new dance step we have all come to learn. The wisdom that I gained from this second full year of COVID, was that the University has to make itself continuously relevant to the circumstances in which it finds itself. As Principal, one is literally charting a course in the unknown, a bit like the blind leading the blind, but with the faith that we are taking ourselves to a better place. We are also assured that we have a storehouse of sound partnerships, capabilities, and knowledge to do so. One example serves to illustrate this point of relevance and circumstance; the challenge of feeding students under our watch in Halls of Residence during COVID. This was something we had never budgeted for, but we were able to find partners in the private sector who ran bakeries and chicken companies and the like, who provided us with donations. While we

reduced rent to keep commercial operations in the space open, while at the same time tapping into other sources of funding to try and make things work. We were cutting our expenses while tailoring the income that was still forthcoming. I think that the greatest success, was the reduction in our expenditure while continuing to offer services. We had to reallocate within the University, and within the Campus setting, while keeping as our yardstick our priority of the safety of our population. Second, we had to be able to teach the way we used to teach, or teach in a way that we could still maintain our primary focus. This meant ensuring access of courses, material, and lecturers for our students wherever they were. Research actually came after, when it dawned on us that we could get some research mileage out of COVID, as this offered a research platform for us to share globally, as well as regionally and at home. We responded to this by researching not only health issues, but social and economic implications; this research is now being published internationally. Yet, in all of this, I consider it one of our greatest successes that we did not have to layoff fulltime staff or send anyone home for lack of funds to pay them. This is not to say that we were not definitely impacted financially by COVID both in terms of what we had to spend as well as what we could collect. We had to rethink how we used the existing resources and redeploy these differently. As a result, we found that we actually did better under the two COVID years than the two years before, as the Financial Statements in this Report show. The area of Education is typically affected by social crises. In periods of high unemployment, interestingly, more persons seek to improve their educational qualification. With COVID, the impact by 2021 was due to an unprecedented economic downturn, psychological fears of an uncertain future, and a declining admission trend. We put on our thinking caps and came up with new ideas of how to attract students. In a pre-COVID era we used to go from school to school, drive around in buses and carry all types of paraphernalia trying to promote the University. With an easily spreading virus this was not possible, so we created a completely online advertisement for our educational product. Each Faculty presented itself in 15 minutes on “The UWI For YOU Expo” YouTube social media platform. We have the data which show that our applications went up

Despite the many challenges experienced, the staff support on the Campus and the sound partnerships that we rekindled or forged, have left us in a more confident financial and mental space to continue the rebuilding of a University fit to take on the present and deal with the future. “

UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022

Executive Summary

Rebuilding Foundations for the Post-COVID Era

T his Report covers the period August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022. It draws on the data summaries presented by the faculties, institutes, departments and divisions within the Campus. These data are analysed and presented within the framework of our UWI Strategic Plan and distributed under the thematic watchwords that guide our operations – Access, Alignment and Agility.

The data presented here are also placed under another lens. A lens that examines collectively how units, department, or even individuals responded to the challenges faced under conditions of distance,

scarcity, and sometimes struggles with mental stress or fatigue. It demonstrates not only how they devised ways and means of delivering our services to the full range of stakeholders, including,

14 UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022

Development, The Orange Economy, Financial Sustainability, and Staff Development. The Report acknowledges that our foundations have withstood the jolts but that they have also been shaken and tested for durability. It speaks to our preparedness to be adaptive under new conditions of disruption. The Report ends with the Principal’s thought-provoking ideas on how we might prepare for future disruptions in these areas. A key measure of our success as a Campus is the outputs of the Faculties and Departments that worked diligently and effectively, either within teams or in partnerships, to achieve a significant number of the stated goals in our Triple ‘A’ Strategic Plan.

and especially ensuring, that the work of teaching and learning were student-centered. In doing so, we collectively discovered creative and innovative ways of advancing processes, our outreach to a nation and region, and thus added to our increasing visibility and relevance as a University in a post-COVID era. The Report is thus titled Rebuilding Foundations for a Post-COVID Era in that it attempts to capture the enormous creativity and resilience of the year, and processes the lessons that this has taught for facing such future challenges. Highlights are made of our efforts at rebuilding the foundations of eight (8) key areas - Student Development, Higher Education, Quality Improvement, Health and Wellness, Sustainable

Mona Campus Initiative Status Report July 2022

Implement a Programme of Radical Collaboration + added year 4 and 5 activities 100 % completed Status: On Target Initiative 3 Digitally Transform library services & infrastructure and support staff development 95 % completed Status: On Target Initiative 6 Increase research activity and research output 96 % completed Status: Added in 2019 Initiative 9

Advance Energy Management Programme 95 % completed Status: On Target Initiative 1 Improve the infrastructural and human resource capacity of the Medical Education Unit - Phase 1 95 % completed Status: On Target Initiative 4 Foster the digital transformation of The UWI 97 % completed Status: On Target Initiative 7 1. Admin costs (5% reduction) 2. Dept. Costs (5% reduction) 3. Central Costs (5% reduction) 4.Commercial Ops (10% reduction) 75 % completed Status: Below Target Initiative 10

Develop Strategies to Increase Graduate Student Access and Population Ratio 97 % completed Status: On Target Initiative 2 Improve the infrastructural, technological and human resource capacity of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) 100 % completed Status: On Target Initiative 5 Improve student experience, research & staff morale across the Campus 100 % completed Status: On Target Initiative 8

2017-2022

1. Overall income (JMD$18.83B) (5% increase) 2. Overall Expense (JMD$16.69B) (5% reduction) 3. Income over Expense (JMD$2.13B) (50% increase) 4. Deficit (JMD$0.28B) (50% reduction) 75 % completed Status: On Target Initiative 11

UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022

Rebuilding Foundations that Support Student Development

UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022

Rebuilding Foundations that Support Student Development

INTRODUCTION

he spread of COVID-19 from 2019 onwards, opened opportunities for student education that were before unimaginable. It brought the global to the local, and similarly allowed for the local to reach out to the global. The greater access that our students had to online learning meant that they could access programmes from anywhere in the world. This posed an obvious threat to The UWI Campus, but provided an opportunity for marketing our online programmes to be more accessible around the world.

In addressing the issues of Access to rebuild the foundations that support our student development, we therefore increased access to instruments, courses, and library resources online. Some of these innovations required support from external partners, others required generous donations from stakeholders, and some required our own infrastructural development provided by the core staff who remained committed to serving our students. To make up for the lack of face-to-face interactions, we increased the number of online workshops and seminars hosted for our students so that they could still remain connected both amongst themselves and with us, and where possible, brokered internship opportunities for learning and experience.

Our staff continued to be quickly retrained on how to convert courses through an exercise that combined the talents of the Office of Online Learning with our Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. This exercise altered how examinations were set pedagogically; it moved us from a ‘memory recall’ type of examination to testing comprehension and application, as students could now have access to sources of information during an examination. Rebuilding student Access for this revised mode means no going back, and incorporating such methods that continue to provide access for other eventualities in the future. This may or may not be health-related, but may be the challenges we face with the growing climate crisis.

unbroken. As a result of the focused and energetic response by our academic, technical as well as administrative staff, students were able to access courses whether they were in Westmoreland or Hanover, or indeed anywhere in the Caribbean. The response we made to the strategic watchword of Access, demonstrated the commitment of the institution to our student clientele. While we were aware that we were losing a lot by not having students in the physical space – because much of the learning takes place under the almond tree, or on the football field – we did all we could to provide the teaching and learning where they were comfortable and safe, and equipped them to be as fully engaged as possible.

We have the data in terms of number of increased hits accessed by Caribbean and North American students and scholars. The approach to teaching, learning and student development took on new meaning in the Campus’ effort to design learning experiences that mirrored the ‘in person’ experience of being on the Campus. It also meant an adjustment, not only to our policies and procedures, but to how we defined ourselves as a student-centred University. Internally we had responded rapidly to the problem of Access. In 3 weeks we converted 1800 courses to an online mode referring to this as Emergency Remote Learning, ensuring that our umbilical cord to our students and potential students remained

In 3 weeks we converted 1800 courses to an online mode referring to this as Emergency Remote Learning, ensuring that our umbilical cord to our students and potential students remained unbroken. “

20 UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022

recording to date. https://youtu.be/RuPcJEDHhdw

The strength, resilience and resolve of our students were evidenced through their many achievements both locally and internationally, and through their service to communities outside the Campus. Their significant contributions, through research, outreach and other unique avenues, cement their role as architects of change and bears testament to the enduring legacy of The UWI. 1.1 TECHNOLOGY In collaboration with The UWI Mona Main Library, students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Animation programme at the Caribbean Institute for Media and Communication (CARIMAC), were able to access semester-long equipment loans of WACOM tablets to allow them to learn and practice from home. This offer was also extended to two lecturers teaching in the programme. During the period, students and teaching staff in the BFA Film Production and Animation programmes were offered access to software applications on their personal devices from home. The annual subscriptions will be recalled at the end of the academic year, to allow for the licenses to be shared with new and returning students where applicable. Additional film gear was also procured for the BFA in Film Production programme. This doubled the number of simultaneous loan sessions and provided the students with a second film kit for on-location recording. DIGITIMES 2022 DIGITIMES is an investigative news stories publication which is produced by students at CARIMAC. This year’s format veered from the usual; instead of print stories, audio stories were posted on various streaming platforms. The night’s guest speaker was renowned Trinbagonian Investigative Journalist, Mark Bassant, who shared personal stories and offered advice to young journalists, under the theme: “New Voices: Challenges and Opportunities for the Next Generation of Investigative Journalists”. Following his presentation, the new DIGITIMES podcast was launched by the journalism programme coordinator, Steffon Campbell, who showcased the first of many student stories that emerged out of their investigative work for the academic year.

Today’s World”. The session organised by Ms. Sandra Hamilton, Lecturer, allowed the students to learn from the panel of interpreters and translators from Martinique, Spain, and Jamaica, and get valuable practice moderating the session and serving as interpreters in five (5) languages including the Jamaican Sign Language. Career Seminars To enhance student development and career training and preparation in the Faculty of Humanities and Education, the Deputy Dean for Marketing and Outreach met with Ms. Tanya Francis of The UWI Office of Placement and Career Development. The first outcome of this meeting was a panel discussion “The Value of a Humanities and Education Graduate” held on March 3, 2022, with panellists drawn from public and private sector entities, and hosted by students in the Faculty of Humanities and Education. Students were advised on how to make their resume ‘sell’ the value of their degree, why employers prefer to hire graduates of the Faculty, and how to prepare themselves for the competitive job market. Feedback from attendees was positive.

• Increased exposure to entrepreneurship as a viable career option • Student access to networking for career opportunities • Interview opportunities for final year students • Dissemination of information on the changes in the global labour market The activities for the month included: • “Dressing Appropriately” and “Workplace Ethics” Seminars • Church Service • Annual Mock Interviews • Career Exposition – Faculty Career Development Sessions • Annual Job Fair Leadership Programmes In keeping with the mandate of The UWI Mona Office of Student Services and Development, each Hall of Residence, and Commuting Students space is charged with facilitating the growth and development of students with aspirations of becoming leaders. The Leadership Programme within the ABC Hall – Spartans Empowering Aspiring Leaders (SEALS) – opted to have a series of leadership seminars. In a four-part series, leaders were able to engage powerhouse stakeholders at The UWI, as well as in the private sector. The seminars focused on topics such as “Leadership Theories and Styles”, “High Performance Teamwork” and “Leading Your Legacy”. In addition to this mini-series, the “Each One Lead One” initiative for the 2021-2022 academic year, was launched on November 9, 2021, by the Hall Chairwoman, D’Andra Williams. This initiative afforded interested students the opportunity to shadow a Hall Committee member for a minimum of one semester. The Aston Preston Hall Leadership Development Programme aimed at developing leadership skills among residential students who chair or sit on various student-led committees. This initiative focused on a range of competencies which helped to better equip student leaders to carry out their roles and responsibilities more efficiently in Hall, and on the wider University Campus. Some of the areas of focus included strategic planning, proposal writing, report writing, budget building, teamwork, building

Mona Library - Virtual Reading Room The Mona Library team collaborated with Dr. Debra Ferdinand-James, Senior Lecturer at the School of Education in charge of the Graduate Workforce Development/Technical and Vocational Education and Training WFD/TVET) Programme, to facilitate a Virtual Reading Room (VRR) twice per week during the period. In this virtual space, students were able to meet with the library team and received answers to their reference queries. Subject guides were also prepared to support their research process. The following were structured information literacy sessions planned for the initiative: Introduction to UWIlinC and Search Strategies; Database Searching; EndNote Bibliographic Software; Using the American Psychological Association (APA) style to cite sources in text and in the reference list; and Thesis Preparation. Twelve students were accommodated each week, (six M.Phil. students and six Master of Arts students). The sessions were held between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, and were manned each week by two designated librarians.

Annual World of Work Seminars (Mona)

1.2 EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES The Faculty of Engineering at The Next S.T.A.G.E

The Office of Placement and Career Services hosted its 29th Annual World of Work Seminars for the 2021-2022 academic year on Thursday afternoons from October 7 to November 4, 2021. A total of five (5) seminars were held via Zoom which aimed at assisting students (particularly final year) develop the skills and competencies necessary to compete in the rapidly changing global labour market. Career Awareness Month The Office of Placement and Career Services (PCS) also hosted its 19th Annual Career Awareness Month activities under the theme “Career Resiliency, Adaptability, and Reinvention”, from February 3 to February 25, 2022. This year’s activities were held virtually via ZOOM, Instagram, and YouTube, and allowed for: • Greater access to career information by students

The Faculty of Engineering (FOE) collaborated with the Mona Engineering Society (MES) and the Faculty of Engineering Alumni Association, Mona, to host a virtual event entitled “The Next S.T.A.G.E.” (Scholarships, Transition and General Employment), on March 3, 2022. The aim was to heighten awareness among prospective and current FOE students, of scholarship and other funding opportunities available to them. The event also focused on giving students insight on what employers and scholarship application reviewers were looking for. The goal of this component was to enable individuals to better package themselves for success in these endeavours. Sign Language Interpretation The Department of Language, Linguistics and Philosophy hosted a Panel Discussion on March 21, 2022 under the theme “The Practice of Interpreting in

There were approximately 100 participants at the live virtual ceremony and 366 views of the YouTube

UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022

• Functioning within their elected capacities to the highest degree in keeping with the regulations of the Hall and the University • Improving public speaking capabilities IGDS Leadership Workshop The Institute for Gender and Development Studies, Mona Unit (IGDS MU) hosted a workshop for student leaders titled: “Young Women in Political Life”, on March 10, 2022. The workshop was delivered by Ms. Imani Duncan-Price, Development Consultant, Activist, and Former Senator, who shared her political journey with the student leaders of the Mona Guild, and advised them on how to navigate and succeed in the political landscape. Graduate Workshops The annual “Getting Started Workshop” for new research students, hosted by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, was held on Thursday, October 28, 2021. The Workshop had approximately 65 students and 6 presenters joining via the ZOOM platform. The students were engaged in topics that covered: getting started, time management, graduate regulations, skills for graduate schools, and the roles of the Library and the Bursary. Supporting Postgraduate Supervision The Faculty of Humanities and Education (FHE) hosted one research supervision capacity building webinar on “Strengthening the Supervisor- Supervisee Relationship”, with presenters from within and outside the Faculty, and moderated by the Deputy Dean for Postgraduate Matters. The Deputy Dean also established an MPhil/PhD taskforce in Semester II of the 2021-2022 academic year, focusing on matters affecting research students when completing their research degrees. The taskforce, which comprises MPhil/PhD students who are at different stages of their academic journey, hosted two community engagements, “Let’s cope together: COVID-19 and your mental health during the MPhil/PhD journey” with Dr. Asneth Council, Organizational

Poster of IGDS Mona Unit IWD Workshop for Young Women Leaders

Students in the George Alleyne Leadership Programme pay a courtesy call on the Deputy Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Hon. Dr. Horace Chang.

trust, conducting meetings, time management, motivating others, succession planning, and dealing with failure. The Leadership Programme in the George Alleyne Hall is facilitated through ‘The Senate’ – a series of engaging activities geared at developing the leadership skills of students. One of the first activities during the series for the 2021-2022 academic year, was a courtesy call on the Deputy Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Hon. Dr. Horace Chang. The session was a fruitful one and the students expressed their appreciation for being able to participate in the practical experience. The discussion topics ranged from the current state of crime and violence in Jamaica to solutions for youth migration, young people in politics, youth leadership, and regional and international integration. During the summer period, a series of workshops were held for student leaders of the Rex Nettleford Hall Committee. These comprehensive workshops were developed to pave the way for student leaders, by appropriately equipping them with some tools they could utilise to serve the student body effectively

and efficiently. Student leaders were engaged in intellectual discourse, given assignments, and asked to provide input on:

• Effective communication for the virtual space

• Tools and methods to strengthen leadership abilities

• Tools to develop their critical thinking and oratory skills

• Demonstrating and implementing productive time management skills in balancing academic and personal life as a student leader

Poster of “Getting Started Workshop” for new research students

• An examination of Hall and University regulations

• Practicing proper social media etiquette in keeping with UWI regulations

Psychologist and Educator, and “Sip and Talk: Strategies for success as MPhil/PhD students”, with Paula Daley, PhD student in Cultural Studies, and Corey Williamson, PhD student in Education, leading the conversation.

• Properly planning and executing events in dual mode given the constraints of social distancing

UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022

1.3 INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES AND COLLABORATIONS ACDC/CHESS One Ocean Field Course 2021 The UWI participated in the ACDC/CHESS One Ocean Field Course 2021 (SDG13) between November 6, 2021 and December 3, 2021. Two research students from the Mona Campus, Miss Chauntelle Green (MPhil, Marine Sciences) Department of Life Sciences, and Mr. Deron Maitland (MPhil, Applied Physics) Department of Physics, boarded the vessel in Curacao. The One Ocean field course is a response to Agenda 2030 and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The One Ocean Expedition, the sailing vessel Statsraad Lehmkuhl , has been fitted with meteorological and oceanographic instrumentation which offers a unique opportunity for students to engage in hands-on fieldwork in a truly interdisciplinary and international learning environment. There are 35 berths reserved from Curacao to Havana (including Port Royal, Jamaica) and students use the time on board the sailing vessel and the visits to the ports in the Caribbean, for field- based training in oceanography, marine meteorology and ocean chemistry in the context of the UN

Sustainable Development Goals 13 (Climate Action) and 14 (Life Below Water).

International partners in the field course included The University of the West Indies (UWI), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Institute of Oceanography, the University of Texas at Austin, University of Washington, McGill University, and Harvard University. This therefore, provided a unique scientific and cultural learning and networking experience between students and lecturers from renowned North American educational institutions as well as local Caribbean institutions, with in- depth knowledge of the consequence of changes in ocean climate, marine pollution, storm surges, and extreme weather. The UWI / University of Leicester International Summer School The Institute of Caribbean Studies’ (ICS) annual UWI / University of Leicester International Summer School, which had been on pause during 2020 and 2021, was held on the Mona Campus during May 23-27, 2022, under the theme “Cultures and politics of protest”. The Summer School involves contributions from established UWI and UL-based scholars working in various disciplines across the arts, humanities and social sciences, and provides

Group photo of UWI students and academics with representatives from the Implant Training Center (ITC)

The International Dental Implant Live Patient Program The UWI were co-hosts of the International Dental Implant Live Patient Program which was held from February 21 to 24, 2022, at the Mona School of Dentistry. The event, which was a joint venture and academic exchange partnership with Implant Training Center (ITC) Seminars, started with lectures and two hands-on workshops, one on suturing techniques and another on dental implant placement on models. The remaining days were dedicated to live patient surgery. Under the coordination of Dr. Biney Thomas, dental students and doctors from The UWI attended the lectures and were an integral part of the learning and education experience. The overseas dentists who attended were from the UK, Canada, and the USA, with the lecturers coming from Brazil, Venezuela and the USA. During the hands-on workshops which took place at the dental lab of the main building, The UWI dental students and UWI doctors participated alongside the international course participants in developing their skills, training, and education on suturing techniques and dental implant placement

postgraduate students and early career researchers from the Caribbean and the UK, with opportunities for both intellectual and professional development. There were twenty-nine participants from universities in the United Kingdom, the Caribbean and Canada. Professor Lorna Hughes (Professor of Digital Humanities) and Professor Ann Gow (Professor of Information Studies) of the University of Glasgow (Scotland, UK) visited the Faculty of Humanities and Education accompanied by Professor Simon Anderson (Cave Hill Campus) under the auspices of the Glasgow-Caribbean Centre for Development Research (GCCDR). This forms part of efforts to operationalise the GCCDR, which was established by an MOU between The University of the West Indies and the University of Glasgow, to foster development research in three pillars – health, economics, and culture, including Digital Humanities. The Professors met with the Department of Library and Information Studies and the Institute of Caribbean Studies, and developed a list of collaborative projects and initiatives that will operationalise the goals of the Centre.

Deploying temperature and

depth sensors on Statsraad Lehmkuhl.

UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022

and undergraduate students will develop their skills and expertise in areas such as report writing, data analysis, research and data management. By undertaking practical activities, students will gain insights into the applications of microeconomic, macroeconomic, socioeconomic, and econometric theory. Students will learn about services in the public sector and participate in discussions that will inform policy and public programmes. The internship programme will also allow for the timely dissemination of the knowledge, research and statistics related to productivity. Four (4) undergraduate students participated in the first launch of the programme during the review year. The UWI partners with Grid Dynamics Incorporated As the Caribbean becomes increasingly attractive to multinational firms that are seeking to expand their operations into new regions, there is an increased demand for high performing graduates of The University of the West Indies. Jamaica’s strategic positioning as a global hub for Call Centre operations (such as Business Process Outsourcings (BPOs) and Knowledge Process Outsourcings (KPOs)), has attracted a number of firms to the island which are seeking to satisfy their labour needs with local talent trained in the fields of Computer Sciences and Mathematics. This laid the premise for a partnership agreement between Grid Dynamics Holdings Incorporated and The UWI. Grid Dynamics (GD) is a USA-based multinational company which provides technology consulting, agile co-creation and scalable engineering, and data sciences services to Fortune 500 corporations undergoing digital transformation. Through the partnership, the University will provide GD Holdings Inc. with access to office accommodation to facilitate its local subsidiary, GD Jamaica Ltd., and provide qualified graduate and undergraduate students to satisfy its staffing needs. In turn, where possible, GD Jamaica Ltd. will provide part-time employment for current students and full-time employment opportunities to graduates. Through GD Jamaica Ltd., successful candidates will secure coveted jobs with the multinational firm from which they will gain the experience of undertaking specialised tasks at a globally competitive standard for suitable compensation packages.

concretely during the second half of the same year. GD Jamaica Ltd. operates from The UWI Call Centre Facility for an initial term of one year, and has started its recruitment of qualified Jamaican science and technology graduates from The UWI. Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to Enhance the Medical Programme The MBBS programme, in the Faulty of Medical Sciences, had expanded over the years and with its expansion came an increase in clinical sites for training beyond the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH). There are nine clinical training sites and all, except the UHWI, were governed by four Regional Health Authorities. A formal arrangement with each Region and the Ministry of Health and Wellness was needed to allow MBBS students to legitimately access the facilities of the hospitals. All agreements were signed over the last year, and are valid for a period of five years. Medical students in their penultimate and final year at The UWI, Mona also received training from Windsor University Schools of Medicine and Spartan University School of Medicine. Formal MOUs were also signed with these schools. Spartan University School of Medicine’s Agreement was signed in April 2021 for five years and Windsor University Schools of Medicine signed their Agreement in October 2021 for two years. 1.4 DONATIONS IN SUPPORT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING The Francophone Digital Campus and Employability Centre (CNF-CEF) The Francophone Digital Campus and Employability Centre (CNF-CEF) was established in the Faculty of Humanities and Education, with funding from the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (Francophone University Agency, AUF). That benefit was received through the Office of Global Affairs, and Ms. Soyini Ashby of the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures has undertaken to coordinate the Centre. The AUF provided a donation of well-needed equipment for the Ashcroft Teaching

1. Clinical Section 2. Signing of MOU between The UWI and ITC 3. Laboratory Section 4. Clinical Section with the assistance of a final year student

on models. Under the coordination of Dr. Thomas, the lab was in full working condition and well organised. During the 3 days of live patient surgery, a total of 25 patients were treated. Various surgeries including dental implant placement, bone grafting, and sinus lift, were performed. A ceremony was held on the last day of the program to award UWI students and doctors who participated in the first day of lectures, their respective Continuing Education (CE) credits (accredited by the American Dental Association-ADA, Academy of General Dentistry-AGD, Dental Board of California, and Dental Board of Florida).

A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between The UWI and ITC Seminars, which will allow for continued collaborations in this area of training and development. Jamaica Productivity Centre & The University of the West Indies, Mona, Department of Economics Internship Partnership This Internship is a continuation of the collaboration between the Department of Economics at The University of the West Indies, and the Jamaica Productivity Centre, to build the capacity of Caribbean scholars and to promote a productivity- centric culture. Through this programme, graduate

Discussions in support of this arrangement began during the first half of 2022 and advanced

UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022

Lab, consisting of 15 desktop computers with audio headsets and webcams, 7 virtual reality headsets, an interactive touch-capacity screen, and funding for activities of the Centre. In addition to the donation of new equipment in the Ashcroft Teaching Lab, several departments were able to improve their readiness through the replacement of desktop computers, the acquisition of peripheral equipment such as webcams, and the improvement of digital infrastructure through the acquisition of internet switches. Support from the American Foundation for The UWI (AFUWI) The Faculty of Medical Sciences received further donations from the American Foundation for The UWI (AFUWI). Received were Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) consisting of approximately 18,047 masks (surgical, N95 & KN95), gowns, and face shields. The Dean’s Office worked in collaboration with the departments/programmes to ensure

proper distribution of the PPE to students in the various programmes who had clinical contact with patients. Effort was made to ensure that each student presenting to the clinical area was provided with a set of the items received. The Faculty had been vigilant in monitoring and implementing the various guidelines but sustaining PPE was a challenge, and students were encouraged to provide their own supply. Donation of a 29-seater Coaster Bus The Faculty of Medical Sciences was responsible for training medical and allied health care workers for the Jamaican population. As part of the training, students rotate throughout the island at various clinics and hospitals (clinical sites). The FMS was responsible for transporting students to these clinical sites.

The Faculty was therefore grateful for the donation received from the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and

Textbook Donations On October 29, 2021, a collection of 17 rare philosophical texts in honour of world renowned philosopher, Professor Charles Mills, was donated to The UWI Main Library. The books were a donation

Education (CHASE) Fund towards the purchasing of a 29-seater Toyota Coaster Bus, for which the cost was significantly reduced by Toyota, Jamaica Ltd. All necessary steps and procedures for receiving donations were followed and the bus was delivered to the Faculty on Thursday, January 27, 2022.

From Left: Ms. Cheryl Kean, Head of Acquisitions, UWI, Mona Campus Main Library; Dr. Vivette Milson-Whyte, Head of Department of Language, Linguistics and Philosophy; Dr. Rotimi Omosulu, Philosophy Section Coordinator; and Professor Lawrence Bamikole, during the handing-over of books event in honour of Professor Charles Mills on October 29, 2021 in the Multifunctional Room of the Main Library.

The Faculty of Medical Sciences received a donation from CHASE Fund towards the purchasing of a 29 seater Toyota Coaster Bus, for which the cost was significantly reduced by Toyota, Jamaica.

UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022

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