Quality Policy. The software will allow for general tracking of specific dimensions and can be scaled up to the respective department and disciplines. It is expected that when integrated at the regional level, staff will be able to segment/disaggregate information on each Campus as well as augment and view the entire University. Importantly, the information coming out of this system can be used for high-level research and analysis, both from an academic as well as an administrative perspective, and would be able to identify gaps that exist between the current and the aspired reality. The system will also empower users with powerful drilldown capabilities to isolate specific areas and look across spaces to see actions taken to resolve similar challenges. This furthers our strategic goal of creating an enhanced learning environment and institution. The future is bright in this regard. Examination Processes Given the Campus’ overriding interest in maintaining the robustness of the Quality Assurance system, the Office of the Campus Registrar (OCR) led the reintroduction of face-to-face examinations for Finalising and Postgraduate students, as well as courses that had clinical and lab components. This resulted in approximately 7,113 students in Semester I and 13,047 students in Semester II sitting face-to- face examinations. These were administered at five (5) centres across Jamaica, including Mona and WJC, and twelve (12) Open Campus centres across the region, to minimise the commute required by students to sit their examinations.
comprehensive programme for the restructuring of the Campus Records Management section of the Office of the Campus Registrar (OCR). The objective of this restructuring was to rationalise the staff complement by reducing reliance on clerical staff, and introducing higher level competencies consistent with the introduction of modern day technology for managing records. The proposal involved the introduction of a modern document management system which facilitated the electronic storage and easy retrieval of documents, and a reduction in the need for physical storage and handling of documents. This initiative will result in savings as it relates to personnel costs and a more efficient record management regime. Research Fellowships in the FMS The research fellowships from the Caribbean Institute for Health Research (CAIHR) were also re-established to build research capacity in the Faculty of Medical Sciences. The initial model and Terms of Reference (TOR) were revised to no longer facilitate replacements for staff engaged in the fellowship. Under the new model, research fellows were required to accept the fellowship with the understanding that clinical service to the respective department would continue while doing the fellowship. This model would lead to persons being trained in research with no additional costs for a replacement being incurred by The UWI. This proposal was supported by the Faculty, and the academic year 2022-2023 should see the first set of fellowships being awarded. The Faculty of Medical Sciences conducted an independent review of the teaching engagements of Associate Lectures in the Faculty. This review was carried out by Strategic Alignment Limited between May and July 2022. The preliminary report was reviewed in the Faculty and, following further consultations, accepted and shared with the Principal. This report will form the basis on which negotiations are held with this category of staff and The UWI, prior to the signing of new contracts. 3.4 LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION The Faculty of Engineering – ABET Accreditation The Faculty of Engineering advanced preparations for the next visit of the Accreditation Board for
Since the inception of the Committee, the EMD’s organisational structure was reviewed to identify vacancies and to determine the staffing needs of the Department. The process included a rationalisation of the casual staff (day labourers) in all sections, with particular focus on the Sanitation and Grounds section. The review of the job descriptions of staff at the EMD to reflect changes in the job functions was done. Meetings were held with Heads of Sections to chart the way forward in increasing operational efficiencies. Strategies were developed to increase the levels of staff engagement, and training and certification opportunities for staff were identified. An Estate Management Department Master Plan was developed to guide the new operating model of the Department. The recommendations from the Committee included a redesigned governance and enterprise management platform, which will guide EMD operations and those of other facilities management professionals across the Campus. It is expected that numerous benefits will be derived from this strategic change, including the ability to: generate more useful reports to facilitate top level planning; ascertain the value of assets within a particular space; more accurately forecast inventory levels for better cash-flow and procurement management, and; make provisions for proactive facilities maintenance services to minimise accelerated deterioration of assets. Re-Engineering of the Health Research Resource Unit (HRRU) to the Clinical Translational Research Unit The overall goal of this proposal was to develop a sustainable efficient research enterprise across the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS). The re-engineering of the Health Research Resource Unit (HRRU) to the Clinical Translational Research Unit (CTRU) would incorporate, integrate and expand the activities of the Research Support Unit and the Clinical Trials Centre. This proposal was carried out under the guidance of Professor Marvin Reid, Deputy Dean, Research. The Unit had been operational and had been guiding Faculty members in areas of need. Restructuring of the Campus Records Management Portfolio During the year under review, the Campus Finance & General Purposes Committee approved a
The Mona Campus is now able to properly analyse courses and identify any challenges that may impact quality. This allows for easy rectification by Heads of Departments, and all the relevant stakeholders within the Campus community. The response rate for the Campus for the academic year was approximately 30% which indicates that more needs to be done to help students understand the relevance and importance of them sharing their views. When the data was disaggregated, the undergraduate (UG) response rate centered around 25%, while the postgraduate (PG) response rate was around 50%; this further indicates that students within the graduate programme are cognisant of the impact and the importance of sharing their views. In order to increase the response rate for upcoming semesters, the Mona Campus is trying to integrate the QClassroom software on the OurVLE platform, where the survey evaluations can be more readily accessible and available.
Course Experience Review (CER) Dashboard
A Mona Campus CER Dashboard was created to visualise all scores within the ten dimensions. This was successfully launched in the period under review with a number of workshops on how to utilise and effectively navigate the software to ascertain the performance of faculties, departments, and the Campus overall. These saw the participation of over 200 members of staff, including lecturers, Deans, and some members of the management team. The Campus can now establish/assess/ measure critical areas of the Strategic Plan, and based on the data, identify where more needs to be done to enhance the output as promised at the outset. This is a seminal tool that will transform and guide the Campus’ quality output, specifically as it relates to programme content, and certainly new programmes, and the output of each department.
3.3 STAFF RESTRUCTURING EXERCISES The Estate Management Department (EMD)
The EMD’s Staff Review Committee was commissioned in November 2021, to review the staffing arrangements within the Department and to develop strategies/recommendations to improve organisational efficiency. In addition to the mandate above, the Committee was tasked by the Senior Management of the Campus with assessing the facilities management model of the Mona Campus and to make recommendations on how this can be streamlined to ensure economies of scale and scope.
3.2 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCESSES The Integrated Electronic Quality Monitoring System
The system was created to handle the Quality Assurance Reviews and the implementation of the
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UWI Mona Annual Report 2021 - 2022
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