REVISED DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN 2007-2012

THE PLANNING PROCESS

On May 1, 2006, Vice Chancellor, Professor E. Nigel Harris, launched the process for the preparation of a new strategic plan to guide the development of the University over the five year period 2007-2012.

The leadership of the University attached considerable importance to the design and implementation of a process that maximized the opportunities for participation and inputs from internal and external stakeholder groups. At the start of the process, the Vice Chancellor wrote personally to each member of staff advising that the process was about to commence and urging them to take advantage of the opportunities for helping to shape the future of UWI. The Vice Chancellor also wrote to Prime Ministers and the various Ministers responsible for tertiary education inviting their inputs and those of relevant public officials.

Two consultants with extensive experience in facilitating strategic planning processes at universities in the United States of America were engaged to assist with the exercise.

Five Planning Task Force (PTF) Groups were appointed after consultation with the Campus Principals and the Pro Vice Chancellor for the Non-Campus Countries. The following persons were selected to be the Chairpersons of the PTF Groups:

Cave Hill Campus – Professor Andrew Downes

Mona Campus – Professor Alvin Wint

St. Augustine Campus – Dr. Hamid Ghany

University Centre – Professor Neville Duncan

UWI-12 Countries & the Outreach Sector – Dr. Vivienne Roberts

The Chairpersons of the PTF Groups together with the members of Executive Management were constituted as a Steering Committee to oversee the entire planning process.

The PTF Groups were entrusted with the responsibility to manage an extensive engagement process with the stakeholders in their constituencies. The engagement activities utilized were quite diverse. The following are examples of the approaches:

•           Face-to-face meetings with staff of Academic and Administrative

            Departments

•           Face-to-face meetings with individual and small groups of Departmental

            Heads

•           Town Hall Meetings with large groups of staff at all levels

•           Focus Group meetings with undergraduate and graduate students and guild representatives

•           Meetings with representatives of Ministries of Education/Ministries responsible for Tertiary Education matters

•           Meetings with private sector organizations, professional bodies, community-based organizations, etc.

•           On-line surveys

•           Country Consultations

The University’s Management Team refrained deliberately from presetting the strategic agenda. This allowed stakeholders as a body the unprecedented opportunity to influence the shaping of the strategic focus. Literally thousands of persons participated in some way in the process.

Among the milestone events in the planning process were the following activities:

•           a Sense-making Conference at the St. Augustine Campus on October 14^th 2006 to analyze the feedback from an intensive period of stakeholder consultation

•           a Vision Conference held at the Mona Campus on November 8^th 2006 – external stakeholders were invited to participate in the activity

•           a 2-day Goal Setting Conference also held at the Mona Campus on February 3^rd and 4^th, 2007

•           a 2-day Retreat of the Steering Committee held at the Cave Hill Campus on March 23^rd and 24^th, 2007 to decide on the configuration of the strategic focus, discuss campus agendas and their alignment with the University’s plan.

The leadership of the University is extremely pleased with the commitment, enthusiasm and effort of the many persons who participated in this inclusive planning effort. Special thanks are due to all the members of the PTF Groups and to those who worked on the preparation of the detailed Action Plans. Special thanks are due as well to those who took the time to document and submit their views in writing at various stages of the process.

THE CONTEXT

The University of the West Indies (UWI) will be celebrating its sixtieth anniversary during the first year of the new strategic plan period. Both the University and the world in which it operates have undergone great changes during the six decades since its founding. Over that period, the UWI evolved from a small, mainly residential academy in an elitist higher education setting into a relatively large publicly-funded institution with three campuses, a combined enrolment of almost 40,000 students and an annual output of some 6,600 graduates who have earned first degrees, higher degrees and advanced diplomas. That transformation, essentially a response to complex forces of change of a social, political and economic nature, enabled the institution to remain relevant and to sustain an unrivalled contribution to social mobility and national and regional development.

In the previous plan, we noted that higher education globally was being rapidly transformed in response to several factors, among them: increasing competition among providers, the pace of technological innovation, the impact of globalization, funding constraints, the demand for relevance, and social pressures to expand access. Many of these technological, economic and social forces of change will continue to exert great influence on the reshaping of higher education internationally.

The following will be of particular importance to the UWI going forward to 2012:

•           the dynamics of the knowledge-based economy and society

•           the multiple impacts of globalization, including implications of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)

•           the public policy commitment of contributing countries to the expansion of participation in tertiary education

•           the continuing revolution in information, computer and telecommunication technologies

Challenges and Opportunities in the External Environment

Challenges

•           To continue to produce leaders (in the professions, government and the public services, academia, finance, industry, etc.) from an increasingly diverse student population in terms of abilities, prior preparation, aptitudes and interests

•           To maintain an ability to recruit and retain high quality students and faculty in the face of global competition for talent at every level

•           Growth of publicly funded national tertiary level institutions, including new universities, in direct competition with UWI for funding and teaching staff

•           Necessity to build and expand the capacity for research and innovation in the absence of structured national and regional mechanisms for funding relevant research.

•           To maintain and improve standards of teaching and research of a more diverse student intake in terms of prior academic preparation, interests and aptitudes, etc.

Opportunities

•           Knowledge is the new form of wealth and the creation of new knowledge is central to the university’s role

•           The 21^st century economy is generating an increased demand for more highly-skilled workers

•           Lifelong learning and continuing professional education will sustain a strong demand for higher education

•           Development of research and innovation capacity has the potential to increase the impact of UWI on the region

•           Optimum use of new enabling technologies can allow UWI to serve all of its contributing countries more flexibly and effectively.

•           There are opportunities to partner strategically with other universities, knowledge networks, and the corporate sector in niche areas of research and development aligned to UWI’s strengths that can serve to build international recognition and access to resources.

Internal Strengths and Weaknesses of the UWI

Strengths

•           UWI enjoys a special status as a regional institution supported by 15 member countries, with a presence in each of them

•           The UWI brand has maintained for decades a reputation for high standards

•           Within the region, the UWI represents a unique concentration of highly qualified staff skilled in a wide range of disciplines

•           The UWI possesses an unrivaled pool of expertise on matters relating to the Caribbean

•           The UWI is still the recognized leader in the field of higher education in the region

•           The stellar achievements of our graduates in leadership positions in many fields regionally and internationally are symbols of institutional excellence

•           Academic staff of UWI has generated a significant body of intellectual output over the years

•           The UWI is a highly respected port of call for advice for CARICOM governments and the University serves as a source of research and expert services to many successful enterprises in the region

•           The University boasts lovely campus settings.

Weaknesses

Any objective assessment of UWI will acknowledge some existing weakness that must be addressed if the University is to enhance its relevance and effectiveness. Several of these internal challenges have been identified in the Report of the Chancellor’s Task Force on Governance. They are:-

•           the instability of funding and the heavy dependence on governments for core support

•           the overwhelming dominance of the three existing campuses by students from the host country, contributing to the erosion of the regional character of the University

•           the need for more active engagement of external stakeholders

•           the need for better dissemination of information on research findings, developments within the University and in general much more effective strategies for marketing and internal and external communications

•           underdeveloped alumni relations that prevents the UWI from harnessing the potential for support from its vast pool of graduates

•           the fact that the University has been slow to exploit the great potential of new information and telecommunications technologies to extend the reach of the university and to offer a wide variety of programmes in flexible and convenient delivery formats

•           the rapid growth of enrolment in recent years without an accompanying increase in resources.

To these weaknesses should be added:

•           management systems and processes that are in need of further modernization, streamlining and integration, despite the introduction of computer-based enterprise solutions

•           decision making mechanisms that are still overly bureaucratic and slow and that tend to impair the agility and responsiveness of the University

•           the need for culture change to foster institutional behaviour and outcomes fully consistent with the University’s commitments and aspirations

The Transformation Challenge

In order to be well equipped to deal with the challenges and take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the changing external environment, the University will have to accelerate and deepen its own transformation over the next five years. The main elements of the required transformation are:-

•           Enhancing responsiveness to legitimate stakeholder needs and expectations

•           Infusing systems and processes with the flexibility required of a responsive and agile organisation

•           Managing culture change to foster efficiency, effectiveness, excellence and accountability at every level.

OUR MISSION

The enduring mission of The University of the West Indies is to propel the economic, social, political and cultural development of West Indian society through teaching, research, innovation, advisory and community services and intellectual leadership.

This mission requires UWI to:

• provide the population of the region with access to high quality academic programmes that are effectively delivered and that help to build strong individual, national and regional capacities in response to changing human resource needs;
• provide complementary opportunities for higher education that foster intellectual development, creative activity and self-actualisation, enhance social and interpersonal relations, and enable students to have a broader frame of reference for specialised knowledge;
• conduct rigorous basic and applied research that serves to: (i) explore solutions to priority national and regional problems and challenges, (ii) create significant new knowledge, (iii) exploit developmental potential and comparative advantages, (iv) elucidate important contemporary social issues, (v) situate self and society in a changing world order and (v) provide a sound basis for public policy formulation and decision making;
• maintain a capacity to supply a wide range of expert technical, professional and advisory services to meet the needs of regional governments and the private sector;
• assist its students and the population at large to achieve informed self-awareness through a deep understanding of the main economic, social, political and cultural currents that have combined to define West Indian society;
• help the region to comprehend the nature and significance of contemporary issues and emerging global influences;
• strive to be a significant contributor to global intellectual growth and human development by active scholarship that harnesses the creative energies, cultural diversity, social experiences, biodiversity and other assets of the region;
• assist generally in strengthening education and training systems, at all levels, throughout the region, and aid the development of the tertiary level education system in particular;
• assist the region to evaluate, assimilate, adapt and harness major new technologies in order to optimise potential benefits or limit negative impacts;
• develop strategic alliances with other institutions to expand access to tertiary education, as well as the scope of teaching and research; and
• foster an intellectually stimulating environment that can attract academic staff and students of high quality and in which ideas contend vigorously.

CORE VALUES

The University of the West Indies cherishes and is determined to preserve its core value system, which has been moulded by generations of staff and students for almost sixty years. This value system is characterized by the following strongly-held ideals:

• maintaining a commitment to the pursuit of excellence;
• assisting students to develop a capacity for independent thought and critical analysis;
• stimulating self-awareness and social awareness;
• nurturing a keen sense of individual and social responsibility;
• building respect for cultural diversity and the rule of law;
• promoting Caribbean identity and sovereignty, together with the development and protection of nationhood;
• cultivating multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration;
• preserving a climate of intellectual freedom;
• engendering in students a commitment to personal growth;
• fostering ethical values, attitudes and approaches; and
• encouraging community service and involvement and dedication to development of the region.

OUR VISION FOR THE UWI

By 2012, the UWI will be an innovative, internationally competitive, contemporary university deeply rooted in the Caribbean, committed to creating the best possible future for all our stakeholders. It will be the university of first choice for the region’s students and talented academics. It will provide a truly supportive environment that rewards excellence and it will be agile enough to thrive in a dynamic global environment.

In furtherance of this vision, the UWI will become:

• A learning institution that meets global performance standards in research, graduate and undergraduate teaching and learning;
• A university whose graduates are career-ready, exceptionally well-grounded in their disciplines, articulate and possess superior problem solving and critical thinking skills;
• A university noted for developing graduates who are socially conscious, regionally responsive, well-rounded, committed to ethical behaviour, globally attuned and able to work effectively, both independently and in teams;
• A university that is responsive to national needs while retaining a strong Caribbean identity and operating as a well-integrated institution in continuous dialogue with all its stakeholders;
• A more effective agent for regional social, cultural and economic development;
• A sought after partner, enjoying beneficial relationships with international scholars, other universities, regional institutions, international agencies, and public, private and non-governmental sectors; and
• The leading advocate for an expanded and articulated tertiary education system of high standards.

1. The UWI  will have:

• Enhanced its position as the premier institution of higher education in the region;
• Ensured that its degree continues to be the recognized standard of excellence; and
• Affirmed its status as the primary source for research and expert advice in dealing with the complex issues and challenges facing the region.

GETTING THERE

In order to achieve this vision for the UWI, over the next five years we will concentrate on building excellence in four areas that, taken together, represent the core activities of the University: teaching and learning, graduate studies, research and innovation and outreach.

At the same time, we recognize that success will be critically dependent on getting this right in the following areas:

• transforming the leadership, managerial and administrative culture and processes
• effective marketing and branding
• strengthening regionality
• strengthening the national engagement processes
• leveraging international partnerships, and
• funding the institution.

These additional themes represent important enablers without which it is unlikely that the University could rise to contemporary developmental and societal challenges.

THE CORE STRATEGIC FOCUS

TEACHING AND LEARNING

The primary way in which the University has traditionally served the population of the region is through undergraduate education. This is a major strength on which UWI has built a hard won reputation for high standards. It has taken in successive cohorts of the brightest and best from our secondary school systems and moulded them into competent graduates in a broad range of academic disciplines. The achievements of those graduates and the leadership they have demonstrated within and outside the region, in Medicine, Engineering, Law, Literature, Politics, the Social Sciences and Education, among others, bear ample testimony to the University’s success to date in unlocking human potential.

It is our ambition to continue to prepare graduates who are to be the future leaders of Caribbean societies and who can compete in the world. These graduates will need to be problem solvers; team players; open and receptive to new information; advanced, higher order, cognitive thinkers; creators of new forms of knowledge which can advance the development of the human race; effective communicators; and responsive to social needs.

However, today the student intake represents a much broader range of aptitudes and abilities as enrolment has expanded to facilitate access to higher education. The work environment into which our graduates enter when they leave the University has also been changing rapidly. Another factor is the rapid pace of change of technologies in use in the teaching and learning environment. In addition, employers have a greater expectation of work-readiness in the university graduates that they hire. Taken together, these considerations have necessitated fresh thinking about undergraduate education at UWI.

In a paper presented to the Board for Undergraduate Studies (BUS) in 2003, it was noted that the demand of the modern, globalised and technologically driven workplace was for graduates who can function independently and who have advanced thinking and reasoning skills; the ability to communicate effectively, both in oral and written terms and to think and perform creatively. It has also been emphasized that the curriculum must be innovative, dynamic, inter-disciplinary, and pertinent and that it must combine teaching and training that stimulate students to pursue and develop new knowledge (Beckles, H., The New Teaching and Learning Environment, 2000).

In 2003, the Office of the Board for Undergraduate Studies sought to define the desirable attributes of UWI graduates. It was suggested that our graduates “must be capable of independent learning, of educating themselves and analysing material which may not be particularly familiar to them, and to be able to appreciate how this material may have value in different contexts, either as possible solutions to seemingly unrelated problems or as stimuli in the generation of novel solutions to complex problems.”

Similar views have been echoed in the course of the engagement exercises with stakeholders, undertaken as part of the current planning process.

For the above reasons, the strategic agenda for Teaching and Learning is centered on the preparation of a distinctive UWI graduate who will leave the University better prepared to meet the expectations outlined above. This challenge will in turn require us to address four dimensions of undergraduate education at the University: Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, the Learning Environment and Quality Assurance.

Curriculum: Curriculum is the academic plan at the heart of the high quality education experience we seek to provide for our students to develop the knowledge and skills that the UWI graduate of the future must possess. The core of the strategy will be comprehensive curriculum renewal to establish an appropriate educational platform. This process of curriculum renewal and rationalization will involve all teaching units, centres, departments and faculties and the Instructional Development Units in curriculum renewal and rationalization, through dynamic and reflective engagement. The process will entail the systematic review of all course offerings to determine whether the intentions have been realized. It will also provide for staff re-training and re-deployment to deal with the reallocation of resources when there is a need to close programmes.

In order to maintain fitness for purpose in a dynamic environment, programme reviews will be conducted every 3 to 5 years. There will be regular auditing of courses to ensure appropriate knowledge acquisition and skill development within the semester timeframes, the establishment of mechanisms for stakeholder feedback and measurement of programme effectiveness and alignment of course and programme offerings closer to market needs, discipline demands and students’ interests. 

Teaching: To prepare the distinctive UWI graduate, the UWI must engage in quality teaching. The quality of teaching is affected by a range of factors that relate to lecturers, their views of the students in the teaching and learning enterprise and their perception of the value placed on teaching by the institution.

Strategies/activities that will be used to develop teaching expertise over the next five years include training and certification of staff in pedagogical/andragogical skills and methodologies that take cognizance of the changing classroom and classroom environment including the virtual classroom; recognizing and rewarding teaching and teaching innovations that produce desirable results including deeper involvement of students in solving real-life problems and in making important contributions to their communities and potential professions; facilitating a cooperative, collaborative teaching culture and the creation of enhanced teaching performance appraisal methods. A teaching track for staff that is based on a scholarly approach to teaching and which demonstrates evidence of reflective and best practice in teaching is another strategy proposed.

Every effort will be made to recognize and acclaim excellence in teaching and learning. In this way we expect to signal that teaching is a valued activity. We expect that in such an environment, more academic staff members would be encouraged to become more proficient in teaching and for some, fully engaged in the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Learning: While the UWI continues to compete for the brightest and the best students who are very well prepared to undertake University level work, the expansion of student intake has led to greater student diversity in terms of abilities, learning styles, levels of preparation, etc. The challenge for the University is to accept such diversity as given and find innovative ways to develop in all our students the desirable critical thinking and problem-solving skills, self-reliance, self-direction, self-motivation and the motivation to be lifelong learners. This will require a variety of approaches and opportunities for learning.

The mix of strategies to facilitate student learning will include active participation by student’s development of learning skills that will serve them in both the short-term and long-run. Curriculum content will be revised to include more practical applications, capstone individual and team projects and case studies that challenge the students with real world situations, alongside an awareness of the insights gained by the research work carried out by UWI researchers, staff and graduate students, as well as cutting edge developments in the discipline.  Assessment strategies will be aligned with new teaching/learning approaches and value will be attached to learning processes as well as learning outcomes.

The Learning Environment: Enhancement of the learning environment is an important component of the cluster of strategies that we propose to use to help our students develop into superior graduates. Teaching and learning occur most successfully in a healthy intellectual, educational and student-centred environment.

We propose to make full use of communication technology to create stimulating learning environments. By using the Internet, video-conferencing and other modalities a teaching-learning environment will be created in which lecturers, learners, graduate teaching/research assistants, tutors, librarians and learning resources can all be networked, thus allowing students to learn anywhere, anytime and teachers to teach anywhere, anytime. Such learning environments will facilitate blended learning and synchronous and asynchronous interactions between learners. Tutorials comprising distributed groups of students, remote access to live lectures, access to digital libraries, computer simulations and many other means of supporting the learning process will be facilitated.

Investments will be made in upgrading and expanding the physical environment, including the provision of adequate infrastructure to cater to the growth in the student numbers. We will take advantage of new technology-enhanced learning modalities and support systems to provide student access to a range of services and facilities relevant to their classroom experiences and the broader socio-cultural experiences the UWI graduate should have.

Action will also be taken to streamline and make more effective all of the administrative processes – such as student recruitment, registration, tracking, advising and counselling systems that have a direct impact on the quality of the student’s education experience at UWI.

Quality Assurance: Quality assurance is the formal mechanism for managing educational standards and quality. The UWI has in place an integrated QA system upheld by University regulations. It plays a key role in programme approval, monitoring and review procedures, and the examination system with procedures for External Examiners, second marking of scripts and reports from University examiners. In the professional Faculties, programme accreditation will be vigorously supported. Early implementation of recommendations for improvements in the system of Examination will be a priority in this plan period.

The mechanism of the Instructional Development Units (IDUs) has been playing a central role in the continuous enhancement of teaching quality through training and the dissemination of best practices to faculty. The units will be strengthened.

■          STRATEGIC AIM 1

To prepare a distinctive UWI graduate for the 21^st century – one who has a regional frame of reference and exemplifies the following attributes:- (i) a critical and creative thinker, (ii) a problem solver, (iii) an effective communicator, (iv) knowledgeable and informed, (v) competent, (vi) a leader (vii) a team player, (viii) IT skilled and information literate, (ix) socially and culturally responsive, (x) ethical, (xi) innovative and entrepreneurial, (xii) a lifelong, self-motivated learner.

Strategies

1. Emphasize and carry out Curriculum Renewal as a reflective and dynamic process.
2. Enhance teaching quality.
3. Enhance learning effectiveness by providing students with a more diverse and flexible learning experience.
4. Develop the Learning Environment to support the desired educational transformation.
5. Strengthen quality assurance and instructional development.
6. Establishment of a Teaching Track.

Anticipated Impact

It is anticipated that attention to all these areas will result in

• A high proportion of students graduating from UWI with the desirable and distinctive attributes of the ideal graduate
• Improved throughput and completion rates
• High levels of student satisfaction with the education experience at UWI
• High levels of employer satisfaction with the UWI graduate
• Mobility and career satisfaction for UWI graduates in the world of work
• Sustained improvement in teaching quality
• Maintenance of UWI’s position as the industry standard in the face of competition
• Continued ability to compete for the best students in the region
• Innovative contributions to pedagogy and growth in journal publications, books, conference papers, etc. on teaching and learning scholarship
• Graduates having a stronger desire for continuous learning, graduate studies, professional development and research
• The increase in the number of non-Caribbean/West Indian students.

Further details are set out in an Action Plan located at pages 69-71 of this document.

GRADUATE STUDIES

In this plan period, we will pursue the strategic development of graduate studies. The future success of UWI requires both the growth and quality enhancement of graduate studies, to allow the University to respond adequately to the region’s need for an expanded pool of persons with advanced specialized skills.

For the foreseeable future, the development of capacity in the UWI for the delivery of high quality graduate education (and research) will be a major source of competitive advantage. This competitive advantage rests crucially on the existence within the University of a unique stock of highly-qualified academic staff engaged in both teaching and research at the leading edge and across a broad range of disciplines.

A factor favourable to the planned strategic development of graduate studies at UWI is that there exists a very buoyant demand for graduate and professional educational opportunities in the Caribbean region. In the context of the knowledge-based society, this trend is expected to continue. It may even intensify as the expanding tertiary level sector will in time generate steady increases in the proportion of the work force educated to first degree level. Additional influences in the external environment include the pace and impact of technical change and the rapidity of new knowledge creation globally, the demand for leadership excellence in government, business and industry and the need for new academics in the growing tertiary educational sector of the region.

In recent years, most Faculties on the three main campuses have responded to the demand for graduate education by increasing enrolment in existing academic programmes, revising some offerings and introducing new ones that address various emerging market needs. Much of this activity has centred on growing enrolment in the taught masters and advanced diplomas. The growth in enrolment in research degrees, particularly on a full-time study basis, has been by comparison very modest.

At present, UWI holds an advantage over other providers of higher education in the region in terms of its ability to expand to respond to demands at the graduate, professional level, and the variety and academic rigour of its programmes. The University must be agile in seizing this opportunity for focused capacity building in graduate and continuing education. The threat is that other institutions are also aware that there are opportunities in the graduate area that they might profitably fill, sometimes through alliances with institutions outside the region and using flexible modes of delivery. New institutions may also possess the advantage of more flexible input, administrative and delivery systems.

Our aim is to make the UWI an internationally recognized centre of excellence for graduate education, especially respected and sought after for:- (i) the delivery of first rate graduate programmes, (ii) its pre-eminence in  Caribbean scholarship, and (iii) its output of higher degree graduates who are at the cutting edge of contemporary scholarship, professional development and expertise. 

In order to achieve this aim, the University must move speedily to address some existing problems relating to poor student throughput and timely completion and high attrition rates especially in research degree programmes. These are attributable mainly to the following:-

• the need for improvements in the quality of academic supervision of graduate students
• difficulties in balancing work and study obligations experienced by students who are attempting to pursue both taught and research degrees on a part-time basis
• the lack of resources dedicated (staff, financing and physical facilities) to support the delivery of graduate programmes
• rewards and recognition for graduate student supervision.

The action plan for graduate studies will therefore seek to address those impediments.

The upgrading of graduate teaching and supervision will be vigorously pursued. The Instructional Development Units (IDUs) will be used to provide appropriate training for academic staff in mentorship and academic supervision. New faculty members and untenured staff who are beginning their careers as supervisors and instructors will be specially targeted. Incentives will be provided to reward research productivity and excellence, as well as outstanding academic supervisors.

Cross-campus collaboration will be encouraged to ensure that graduate programmes are developed and delivered making use of the best expertise within the University. Similar collaboration in the supervision/co-supervision of graduate students will be relied upon to increase research and experiential education options for students and promote excellence.

The structural shift away from being primarily an undergraduate teaching institution will also require the strengthening of quality assurance mechanisms to ensure that graduate programmes satisfy internationally accepted standards of quality control. The plan is to introduce a university-wide quality assurance system to take account of all facets of the graduate education experience, the institutional arrangements, the research environments, the selection, admission and induction of students, the mentoring and supervision of students, the continuous assessment and review of graduate programmes, the development of research and other skills, and feedback mechanisms for students.

Particularly at the level of the research degree programmes, the search for excellence will require UWI to be able to compete for talented and highly-motivated graduate students within the region and internationally. Current arrangements put the University at a disadvantage in doing so effectively. There is a need to find a more encouraging, realistic fee structure for research programmes and facilitate greater access of students to postgraduate scholarships and assistantships that would encourage them to register on a full-time basis. In short, we need to widen opportunities for our research degrees from students from the Caribbean and beyond.

There is good potential for increasing income to the UWI through graduate programmes that are delivered at the taught level. There is also some scope for the allocation of part of the surpluses from the delivery of income generating taught graduate programmes to help Departments and Faculties build library acquisitions, IT infrastructure and assist in programme development for e-delivery. The reconstruction of many of our graduate programmes to facilitate distance delivery and hence extend the reach of the UWI to postgraduate students beyond its normal campus boundaries is an imperative for action.

As part of the strategy for expanding and strengthening graduate studies UWI will take steps to enhance the support system for postgraduate students. Of necessity, this system will be comprehensive. It will range from effective mentoring and graduate student supervision arrangements for research students to facilities such as graduate-student housing, teaching spaces, conference facilities, student lounges and information technology. With an increasing graduate student population on each campus the University may also have to provide office space and facilities for postgraduate students’ associations and to support their own funding arrangements.

All of this should help to create conditions that are conducive to high academic performance at the graduate level.

■          STRATEGIC AIM 2

To make the University of the West Indies an internationally recognized centre of excellence for graduate education, especially respected and sought after for:- (i) the delivery of first rate graduate programmes, (ii) its pre-eminence in Caribbean scholarship, and (iii) its output of higher degree graduates who are at the cutting edge of contemporary scholarship, clinical skills,  professional development and expertise.

Strategies

1. Build a reputation of excellence in the University’s higher degree programmes.
2. Strengthen and improve the standard of graduate supervision and improve the throughput rate particularly of research students.
3. Widen access and financial support for postgraduate research degree for students from UWI contributing countries, the wider Caribbean and beyond.
4. Improve the quality and timeliness of the examination process particularly for research students.
5. Introduce a Quality Assurance System for all postgraduate programmes.
6. Reconceptualize and strengthen the support system for postgraduate students and their associations.
7. Improve the flexibility of our postgraduate programme delivery and significantly expand the number of postgraduate programmes delivered by distance or blended education.

Anticipated Impact

It is anticipated that attention to all these areas will result in

• Enhanced contribution by the UWI to human resource development and competitiveness in the region by making graduate education more widely available
• Building critical national and regional capacity for research and innovation
• Enhancement effect of the strengthening of graduate education and research on the quality of undergraduate programmes
• Assisting TLIs in the region to build needed undergraduate teaching capacity
• Higher levels of graduate student satisfaction with their education experience at UWI
• Widening the reach and impact of the UWI in postgraduate programming
• Building a reputation for excellence at the graduate level

Further details are set out in an Action Plan located at pages 72-76 of this document.

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

The creation of new knowledge is an essential characteristic of any good university.  This role must be expanded and accentuated at UWI as we go forward.

In the 21^st century global economy, knowledge generation and use, innovation, invention and technology transfer to business and industry are the key drivers of competitiveness and economic growth and development. 

If the University of the West Indies is to continue to be a major contributor to the economic, social and cultural development of West Indian society, we must effect the transformations necessary to become a more research-driven institution.  To falter in this is to fail the region, for UWI has the best collection of intellectual and physical infrastructure in the region for research. It is best positioned to drive the process of advanced knowledge creation and acquisition relevant to our region and to effect the transfer of that knowledge to society. Research and scholarship at UWI must also serve to provide a continuous flow of critical thought, scientific data and insights that can help policy makers to make informed decisions on a wide range of matters with a bearing on national and regional development and the quality of life of our populations. 

It is also true that the quality and impact of its research is what will bring UWI the international recognition that it needs to increase its effectiveness in accessing funds in today’s fiercely competitive international environment. It is research that will contribute to the rejuvenation of our teaching programmes and enhance their quality and relevance, and that will enable us to continue to set and lead the standards of scholarship in our region. 

The issue of access to resources is critical given the continued absence in the region of the kind of structured channelling of large amounts of research funding to the university system by governments and the private sector on a competitive grant basis that has long evolved in the industrialized countries and that is rapidly being emulated in the emerging economies.

Realisation of these aspirations is central to the competitiveness of UWI, but the value of research to UWI’s competitiveness goes beyond this. Research provides us with a comparative advantage over external universities, simply by having an infrastructural base here and by the opportunity that this creates for awareness of regional needs.  Finally, it is through emphasis on research and graduate education that we can best articulate with our national TLIs seeking University status and provide them with assistance through quality assurance and curriculum relevance, since their initial emphasis will be on undergraduate training. 

Appreciating the imperative for UWI to become more research-driven is one step; making it happen is a greater challenge. Fostering the desired research culture will require attention to three basic things: (a) growth in the number of academic staff who are research active, (b) the availability of protected time to do research linked to expectations of research performance, (c) access to an enabling research infrastructure.

Another important implementation component is the formation of partnerships and coalitions, both extra-and intra-UWI.  Within UWI, this means identifying and implementing the mechanisms necessary for better cross-campus collaboration in research.  Enhanced cross-campus collaboration avoids the inefficiency of effort duplication, increases the probability that our researchers work in groups with the critical mass necessary to be competitive and effective, and ultimately ensures that we face our competitive challenges as one strong regional entity. 

Most important of all in the context of implementation is the realisation that trade-offs in time and energy are real, and that we cannot do all things and do them all well.  An appreciation of the existence of trade-offs, of the consequent need for prioritisation of effort and resources, and of the likely need for intra-institutional re-arrangements for more effective delivery of the prioritized services, must therefore be an integral part of any strategy to develop research capacity and output at UWI. We must pay close attention to the quality implications of the potential trade-off between undergraduate and graduate growth; and within graduate programmes, to the trade-off between growth in taught graduate programmes and growth in research. 

Within research, the implication is that we must be selective and prioritize the selected areas for particular effort and focus. Important criteria for selecting focal areas for research include: areas in which UWI has strong technical capacity and international credibility; areas of particular relevance to regional development, and; niche areas where the region’s geography and history give us competitive advantage. Using these criteria, a number of key areas emerge that demand enhanced knowledge acquisition, innovation and intervention.  These include but are not limited to:

• Biotechnology, particularly with respect to Health, Agriculture and Horticulture;
• Food and Agricultural Production, Food Security and Food Safety;
• The legal protection and use of Biodiversity, Natural Products and unique Genetic Resources;
• Education, with particular emphasis on innovative approaches to Teacher Training and Development;
• The study of Culture and the development of Cultural and Entertainment Industries for tourism promotion;
• Social, Economic and Legal studies, particularly as they relate to crime, security and justice, leadership, migration, diaspora, gender studies, and the CSME;
• Health and Wellness, particularly as they relate to diseases impacting on Caribbean communities and the tourism product;
• Natural Hazards Management and Disaster Risk Reduction; Natural Resource and Environmental use and management, particularly as they relate to Forestry, Fisheries, Environmental/Ecosystem Health, Water Resources, Sustainable Tourism, Ecotourism development and Community Wellness; and
• The feasibility, development and implementation of Alternate Energy.

Countries that have invested in research and human development and which have been able to harness and actively support the mix of knowledge acquisition, technical expertise, and entrepreneurial acumen have developed competitive economies through innovation and trade in new products, processes, services and human capital.  The UWI as the principal institution for knowledge creation and high level human capital formation in the West Indies and in partnership with government, business and industry, must therefore be a central player in driving Caribbean innovation.  Many universities today are not only concerned with the creation of knowledge but also on how this can be transmitted and shared, particularly for commercial gain.  At the UWI, this goal should be equally important, particularly for national and regional development.  In this strategic plan period, the UWI would therefore strive to actively support and wherever determined, facilitate the movement of the research of our staff and students to innovative outputs.  This will be achieved through supportive policies on contract research, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), licensing agreements for the commercialization of research and the creation of “spin-off” companies.  Building partnerships with government, business, industry and new entrepreneurs (both within and outside of the University) will be actively pursued to support research, development and innovation.

The Action Plan articulated for Research and Innovation has been developed in the context of the issues identified and discussed above.

■          STRATEGIC AIM 3           

To become internationally recognized as a Centre of Excellence in Research, Knowledge Creation and Innovation on matters related to the Caribbean and small-island developing states.

The main strategies that will be employed to achieve the stated aim are:-

1. Create an enabling environment for research and innovation at UWI.
2. Strengthen and expand research activity that is relevant to regional and national needs and drives regional development.
3. Develop more programmes of research of international repute, and benchmark research performance against international norms.
4. Develop and sustain an innovation and enterprise culture through supportive policies on contract research, IPR, licensing agreements and the creation of new “spin-off” companies.
5. Build partnerships for R&D funding and innovation with government, business, industry, other institutions and new entrepreneurs.

Anticipated Impact

It is anticipated that attention to all these areas will result in

• Increases in research publications and citations
• Growth of UWI Press and UWI journals which are critical to the dissemination of research findings
• More graduate students attracted to M.Phil/Ph.D research with better throughput
• Enhanced impact of UWI’s research and innovative outputs on policy, Caribbean economies and society
• International recognition and respect with implications for attracting/collaborating with outstanding researchers and access to research funding
• Greater  competitiveness in recruiting high quality students from within the region and internationally
• New revenue streams from intellectual property (e.g. patents and copyrights) and the commercialization of research outputs
• Stronger support from our regional stakeholders for R&D funding, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Further details are set out in an Action Plan located at pages 77-79 of this document.

SERVICE TO UWI-12 COUNTRIES

AND OTHER UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES

The University has long relied on a three-pronged mechanism – the UWI Distance Education Centre (UWIDEC), the Tertiary Level Institution Unit (TLIU) and the School of Continuing Studies (SCS) – to spearhead the delivery of its outreach services.

Interface with stakeholders in the twelve contributing countries without campuses (UWI-12) has underscored the need for major re-conceptualization of the outreach sector. Enrolment of students from these countries has been modest and growth in new student intake has persistently lagged behind increases in the campus countries. In addition, access to the research and development capacity of UWI has been quite limited.

During 2005 and 2006, the Tertiary Level Institutions Unit (TLIU) conducted an extensive Human Resource Needs Assessment Survey which tried to identify priorities for tertiary education in contributing countries. The University also undertook a major series of consultations in all UWI 12 countries to learn about the developmental needs and plans of each of the countries and to determine how the UWI might best serve them.

The data from these and related sources made clear the degree to which there are unfulfilled needs in countries without campuses. The data also revealed a strong unsatisfied demand for quality higher education services delivered flexibly even in those countries that hosted a campus. Given the scope and urgency of the need to build human capacity, the outreach sector will be transformed into an open campus.

The Open Campus Concept

The UWI Open Campus will have a physical presence in each contributing country. It will function as a network of real and virtual nodes to deliver education and training to anyone with access to Internet facilities. The physical presence in each contributing country will be enhanced to permit the offer of those services that are more appropriately provided face-to-face. It will also permit the blending of online and face-to-face learning experiences to enrich the social aspects of learning in a collegial environment.

The Open Campus will build on the work of the TLIU to facilitate the interaction of the University with other universities, colleges, educational institutions and scholars and permit work towards a seamlessly linked education system for development in the Caribbean region. It will carry on the work that has characterised the School of Continuing Studies in responding to local needs and in fostering social and cultural development.

The Open Campus will be headed by a Principal at the level of Pro-Vice Chancellor and governed by a Campus Council in keeping with the statutes and ordinances of the UWI, adjusted to accommodate its virtual character. The Campus will draw its intellectual sustenance from the entire academic array of the existing campuses. Its organisation will be driven by the functions required for the effective delivery of its programmes of teaching, research and consultancy. Students of the Open Campus will enjoy the same quality of instruction and receive the same qualifications as students in other parts of the University. Differences in rules governing their studies will be related only to the differences in the mode of teaching and the requirements of their scholarly experience.

The programmes of the Open Campus and its academic operations will be governed by an Academic Board, subject to the overarching authority of the Boards for Undergraduate Studies and for Graduate Studies and Research. A new Finance & General Purposes Committee will fulfill the mandate of Council in the affairs of the campus. Accordingly, separate administrative and financial bodies will manage the affairs of the campus, subject to the established reference points of the financial code and the body of UWI administrative practice.

The creation of the campus will be the object of special solicitations of financial investment. The operation of the campus will be designed for the recovery of costs and the generation of surpluses within a calculated period.  The staff of the Open Campus will be dispersed across the contributing countries with administrative headquarters eventually located in one of the UWI 12 countries, selected on the basis of criteria that would assure its effective and economical operation.

Components of the Open Campus

The Open Campus will be organized and staffed by reference to the functions that empower it to deliver the University’s programmes. It will:

1. identify the programmes and courses required by its target clientele,
2. examine the array of offerings of the UWI to determine where the components for the required programmes and courses are located,
3. cooperate with faculties, departments and other units, or, if necessary, contract with individual members of staff to develop and deliver programmes,
4. partner them with curriculum specialists skilled in on-line and blended learning delivery, and
5. create and deliver the appropriate new courses and programmes.

Within recent years, many departments and faculties of the university have created online instructional materials. This means that the process outlined above will start with the advantage of the Open Campus being able to negotiate collaboration within the University to achieve a faster start up and wider scope than might have been possible otherwise. Additionally, it is envisaged that the other Campuses will benefit from the enhanced capabilities of the Open Campus.

When the intellectual resources for any course or programme cannot be obtained within the UWI, the Open Campus will solicit them elsewhere using similar contractual partnerships. Given that method of operation, the staffing of the Open Campus will not replicate the Faculty structure of the other campuses but rather provide for curriculum development in several different disciplines, materials design, design of web-environments for effective instruction and the management of the staff, e-tutors, students and other clients. 

Services to be provided

The deliverables of the Open Campus will include:

• capacity building interventions for other institutions
• short courses at pre-university, undergraduate and graduate levels
• undergraduate degrees, postgraduate degrees, continuing education, professional development
• issue driven programmes and courses, problem driven research collaboration, cultural development programmes
• harmonization and coordination of existing responses to needs in the target populations

In the short term, the Campus will develop programmes to meet short notice needs of governments and other stakeholders and offer the following categories of programmes.

• university programmes already on offer through the UWIDEC at least until students in the system complete them (including blended learning courses)
• programmes and courses currently offered by the SCS
• new programmes appropriate for the training of public servants
• programmes for qualifications in the teaching of English and Mathematics, and
• computer literacy.

The creation of a seamless flow of movement through community colleges and national colleges and universities has been an oft-repeated goal for the development of the tertiary sector. The Open Campus will take the lead in the management of these relationships and promote a uniform operational interaction with other institutions. It will actively pursue the goal of seamless articulation within the sector and collaborate with other institutions in building appropriate programmes.

The campus will promote a collaboratively developed research agenda pertinent to the relevant communities, research in UWI 12 countries, monitoring and consultations, in country conferences and graduate studies.

Finance

It is proposed that resources traditionally allocated for the outreach sector through the Office of the Board for Non-Campus Countries and Distance Education, the School of Continuing Studies, the Tertiary Level Institutions Unit and the UWI Distance Education Centre, will be reallocated to assist in the commencement of the Open Campus operations. However, additional resources will be required for its full and effective implementation.

■          STRATEGIC AIM 4

To create an Open Campus to enable the University to expand the scope, enhance the appeal and improve the efficiency of its service to the individuals, communities and countries which it serves.

Strategies

1. Establish University wide policies for the management, development and implementation of open and flexible learning including the use of off-campus, face-to-face and ICT infused programmes.
2. Establish a viable and sustainable financing mechanism for the UWI Open Campus.
3. Establish and operationalise university wide policies for the development and management of inter-institutional relationships.
4. Establish and operationalise the UWI Open Campus.
5. Create a student-centred learning environment for a diverse student body.
6. Expand the scope of UWI by increasing the range, reach and access to university programmes and services by students form the relevant target groups.
7. Ensure an appropriate relationship between the Open Campus and the other Campuses.

Anticipated impact

The Open Campus initiatives should result in

• Greatly increased opportunities for access to higher education, including postgraduate programmes, in the UWI-12 countries
• Increases in enrolment of students from the UWI-12 countries facilitated by the Open Campus arrangements
• Easier access to higher education for persons from other underserved communities
• More flexible and convenient access for persons from all contributing countries wishing to pursue continuing professional education
• Improved retention and completion rates for students enrolled in distance/blended learning programmes
• Higher satisfaction levels among distance/blended learning students
• Raising of the education and skill levels in the UWI-12 countries
• Increases in the number of projects and the scope of research activity in UWI-12 countries, with implications for public policy enhancements impact.

Further details are set out in an Action Plan located at pages 80-82 of this document.

MAJOR ENABLERS

TRANSFORMING THE LEADERSHIP, MANAGERIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CULTURE AND PROCESSES

The current administrative culture and processes are not conducive to the excellence that we seek to achieve in the core areas of strategic focus set out in this plan. This is so despite changes introduced over the past ten years, including the adoption of modern computerized systems and various initiatives to make the University more student-centred. Transforming the leadership, managerial and administrative culture and processes will therefore be a priority of the University. The goal is to create an administrative culture and system which serves the people who come into contact with it – students, staff, and members of the public.

Three elements lie at the core of achieving this objective. The first is the appointment of a Change Leader who will have responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the culture change. Even though ultimately the Vice Chancellor, the Campus Principals and Registrars have the responsibility for leading change, the one officer who will have as his/her sole responsibility to act as an advocate and catalyst for administrative change is the proposed Change Leader. Once the process is fully in motion, it should be fully turned over to those institutionally responsible for the university administration. The Change Leader’s role is to become redundant within this time.

Profile of Appointee:

1. Leadership qualities, able to lead from the front, inspirational.
2. Able to view the university with fresh eyes.
3. Energetic and possessing a passion for the human effects of administrative and institutional actions.
4. Can inspire confidence within the university community about the honesty of the intention to change, and the commitment to change.

The second element would involve ensuring the setting up of a University-wide quality assurance mechanism which would set people-centred standards for learning, working and living within the University. It would also oversee the implementation of these standards.

Change Management and Quality Assurance will have to interact constantly. The Change Leader will be pointing Quality Assurance in the direction of all the people-centred outcomes for which standards and monitoring are required. Quality Assurance, on the other hand, would be providing the Change Leader, as well as the Registrars and Deputy Principals, with the means of measuring the outcomes of the change process, and the basis for directing the process.

The third element is the appointment of the PVC for Planning and Development. We see this post as interfacing with all the decision-making bodies and entities within the University. A significant aspect of its functioning would be to ensure that the full human resources, physical infrastructure and finance implications are accounted for when decisions are taken. This post would orchestrate the tactical planning required for the implementation of the Strategic Plan and interface with the work of Change Management and Quality Assurance by ensuring that the wherewithal exists to achieve standards and to bring about change.

We plan to put in place the three elements identified during Year 1 of the Strategic Plan.

■          STRATEGIC AIM 5

a.   To develop and establish a people-centred, culture-change process.

b.   To institute a Quality Assurance Mechanism to set people-centred standards for the functioning of the university and the service output.

c.   To reform the administrative structures and systems towards implementing and supporting the vision and aspirations of UWI for the planning period.

d.   To strengthen the structure and processes for University-wide planning.

Strategies

1. Appoint a Change Leader.
2. Set up Service Quality Assurance Units on each campus and at the Centre to set and monitor standards for customer services, IT services, physical facilities, and access to information.
3. Create a transparent, objective, and consensual budget process that reflects operational plans for all units and the University.
4. Complete implementation of recommendations of the Chancellor’s Task Force.
5. Strengthen the interface between Campus-based governance structures with the University’s central governance entities.
6. Implement recommendations of the Review of Management Structures currently underway.
7. Move towards the integration of administrative systems and services across the entire University consisting of the implementation of an enterprise system linked to a central database providing a total solution to the University’s information needs by crossing typical organizational boundaries and enabling collaboration among multiple users and integrated services for stakeholders.
8. Move towards a single web portal to allow access to the enterprise system irrespective of where a member of staff or student is located.
9. Re-engineer, standardize and integrate all administrative systems (student, financial, HR, estate, academic support, library, records management systems).
10. Determine appropriate management standards for each process in each system.
11. Ensure structures are in place to support recommended re-engineered processes.
12. Audit offices of the Campus Registrars and Bursars as well as Faculty and Department offices with a view to streamlining operations to enhance administrative efficiency.
13. Strengthen the Faculties and Deputy Principal’s Office with Registrarial, HR and Bursarial Functions.
14. Implement the competencies management module of PeopleSoft HRMS to address the upgrading of competencies needed to manage each re-engineered/new process with special emphasis on the exploitation of ICT.
15. Develop and implement more responsive internal communication processes using appropriate ICT.
16. Appoint a Pro Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development.

Anticipated Impact

It is anticipated that attention to all these areas will result in

• Achievement of high standards of service in keeping with the benchmarks established
• Increases in student, staff and public satisfaction
• Greater willingness by alumni to support the University
• Increased ability to attract and keep qualified staff
• Increased ability to attract the brightest and the best students
• Reduction in the occurrence of student protest and industrial action

Further details are set out in an Action Plan located at pages 83-86 of this document.

MARKETING AND BRANDING

The achievement of the primary goals that we have set for the University must be supported by a comprehensive and well-integrated Marketing and Communications Strategy. That strategy must be effective in building UWI’s reputation for excellence in education and research. It must also ensure that there is awareness among stakeholders of the contributions being made by the University to economic and social development. This is essential given the growing intensity of competition from national and private higher education institutions in the region.

The traditional approach to marketing the University has tended to be fragmented and lacking in coherence. An integrated Marketing and Communications Strategy would avoid those pitfalls and serve to build and successfully promote the UWI brand in a manner consistent with our core values. The strategy will provide effective support for such functions as student recruitment, student services and community outreach. It will also be a mechanism for improving relations with and increasing satisfaction among all stakeholders. In that regard, there is also a need to enhance internal communications strategy.

Elements of best practice exist in different parts of the University and these will be incorporated in the development of the Marketing and Communications Strategy.

Successful marketing and branding will require significant changes in the existing structure of the offices of marketing and communications as they exist across the University. The structure will be reviewed and revised where appropriate to ensure that the function is appropriately resourced. Steps will also be taken to develop policy documents to guide the marketing and communications function.

Market research will be conducted at regular intervals to assess perceptions among selected/targeted groups of stakeholders in relation to: (i) UWI’s responsiveness to developmental needs, (ii) its capacity and expertise, (iii) quality, scope and relevance of academic programmes, and (iv) its standing as the institution of first choice. In order to assess the competencies of the current brand of the institution an audit must be conducted to arrive at an evaluation of the expectations of both the internal and external stakeholders. This feedback information will be used to assist in the development of effective communication and marketing strategies to improve awareness among the target groups. It will also serve as a guide to stakeholder expectations about service quality levels as well as emerging market needs.

A special need is to raise the visibility and research profile of the University and promote its expert capacity in the UWI-12. A series of specific initiatives will be required to create heightened visibility of the institution in UWI-12 countries.  It will also be necessary to develop more effective strategies to attract and recruit students from the UWI-12 countries and other underserved communities. This will involve the strengthening and coordination of recruitment initiatives, including school visits and targeted promotions.

Another significant initiative will be to promote the valuable stock of West Indiana resources, collections and UWI publications and journals to enhance UWI’s standing and visibility internationally. The University also has a heritage of scholarship, research and innovation that can be marketed internationally, for example to other universities that offer Caribbean Studies programmes.

■          STRATEGIC AIM 6

a.   To develop and implement a University wide Marketing and Communications Strategy that is focused on establishing the brand promise of UWI regionally and internationally, as the premier higher education institution in the region.

b.   To enhance UWI’s standing as an internationally recognized centre of excellence for Caribbean Studies broadly defined to include history, culture, literature, economic, social and political dimensions and the natural environment.

Strategies

1. Review and revise the structure of the Marketing and Communication offices to ensure that the function is appropriately resourced.
2. Define and prioritize target audiences and conduct market research at regular intervals, regionally and internationally, to determine the perception of each group in relation to: (a) UWI’s responsiveness to development needs, (b) its capacity and expertise, (c) quality, scope and relevance of academic programmes, and (d) its standing as the institution of first choice.
3. Respond to feedback from market research by: (a) developing effective communication channels/strategies to improve awareness among target audiences, and (b) inform Faculties and Administrative Departments about gaps, opportunities, and more generally the expectations of stakeholders.
4. Rationalise and redesign the University’s Web presence across the system for increased effectiveness and usability.
5. Develop an active Internet promotional strategy to increase Web traffic.
6. Develop university-wide policy documents to guide the marketing and communications function.
7. Develop a series of initiatives and events aimed at raising the visibility and research profile of the University, and promoting its expert capacity in the UWI-12.
8. Engage in more active recruitment of students from the UWI-12 countries and other underserved communities through the strengthening and coordination of recruitment initiatives, including school visits and targeted promotions.
9. Increase global awareness of the current and legacy output of scholarship, research and innovation by UWI faculty.
10. Aggressively promote internationally the UWI West Indiana resources, collections and UWI publications and journals. Market information access to universities around the world that offer Caribbean Studies programmes.

Anticipated Impact

It is anticipated that attention to all these areas will result in

• Increased visibility, as well as regional and international recognition for the UWI and its contribution to human capacity building, scholarship and social and economic development in the region
• Enhanced ability to compete for talented students,  faculty and funding
• Increased opportunities to  pursue strategic partnerships with other institutions world wide
• Increased media coverage and visibility in the UWI-12 countries and heightened interest among students there to choose to study at this University
• Opportunities to market Caribbean Studies programmes and access to West Indiana resources to a global market

Further details are set out in an Action Plan located at pages 87-88 of this document.

FUNDING THE ENTERPRISE

The mobilization of adequate funding to pursue the developmental path set out in this plan is essential to the successful transformation and positioning of UWI  to continue to contribute to national and regional growth, development and competitiveness in a 21^st century context.

The main thrust of  the financing plan is the broadening of the funding base and the mobilization of resources for the following priorities: (a) implementation of the Open Campus initiative, (b) building institutional capacity (including the enabling infrastructure) for high-quality research and innovation in targeted areas, (c) facilitating the timely renewal and expansion of  infrastructure, plant and facilities needed to develop and maintain an environment conducive to  quality teaching and learning at the undergraduate level and the planned growth and enhancement of graduate studies, and (d) further development and integration of key management systems.

The mix of strategies designed to broaden the funding base includes:-

•           further growth in earned income facilitated by restructuring and strengthening of the Business Development Offices (BDOs)

•           formation of a University Consultancy Company

•           planned alumni giving and establishment of a UWI Endowment Fund

•           cost recovery through tuition fees, accompanied by appropriately designed student financing support schemes

•           leveraging of real property and other assets to facilitate access to private sector funding sources

•           development finance from regional and international agencies

The UWI will continue to rely on contributing governments for a significant proportion of its funding despite best efforts. The financing plan seeks to put that core financing on a more predictable and timely basis.

■          STRATEGIC AIM 7

a.   To alter the modalities of funding from contributing governments to provide for greater predictability over the plan period, while allowing for flexibility of the University to respond to agreed changes.

b.   To ensure that the University has access to adequate funding to allow it to make regular investments in the renewal and expansion of capital infrastructure, plant and facilities needed to sustain high-quality teaching and learning, and research at the cutting edge.

• To establish mechanisms for funding the planned expansion and enhancement of research activity of the University on a sustainable basis.
  • To broaden the funding base and reduce overdependence on any one source.
  • To create conditions that will allow the University to maintain a consistent policy of equitable burden-sharing through tuition fees, independent of the policy stance of contributing governments.
  • To secure adequate funding for the successful implementation of the Open Campus initiative.

• To minimize the need for new resources by achieving productivity enhancement and efficiency gains through optimization of the use of existing resources and active management of costs.

Strategies

1. Seek firm assurances from contributing governments to honour consistently, and in a timely manner, their agreed financial commitments to the University.
2. Obtain the agreement of contributing governments to allocate funding to the University on the basis of a (rolling) multiyear period.
3. Utilize, where acceptable, the mechanism of payment of contributions through the issue of serial bonds.
4. Make and adhere to a reciprocal commitment to provide contributing governments with greater opportunities for dialogue on the utilization of funding and the associated outcomes.
5. Review and implement the recommendations of the Capital Development Task Force re to the financing of capital requirements.
6. Reach agreement with governments on selected elements of the University’s medium term capital requirements for which direct public funding will be assured.
7. Explore the scope for meeting a proportion of the capital requirements by utilizing the instrument of Development Bonds that are to be repaid from university income, with special efforts targeted at philanthropic contributions from the private sector.
8. Develop a mechanism and associated procedures for early identification, assessment and response to the emerging capital needs of the Campuses and the Centre in a dynamic environment.
9. Lobby and obtain the agreement of governments for the establishment of a Caribbean Research and Competitiveness Funding Agency and allocation of necessary funding in a phased manner.
10. Allocate funds in the recurrent budget to strengthen the research base and facilitate development of proposal writing skills among academics to allow them to compete more successfully for research grants from international funding agencies.
11. Allocate funds in the recurrent budget to support pure or fundamental research activity that will allow more UWI researchers to make significant contributions to knowledge creation in their fields and to enhance the quality of graduate education.
12. Improve the alignment of applied research with stakeholder needs and mobilize direct financial support from private sector and governmental agencies.
13. Exploit opportunities for growing earned income through engagement in commercial activities and investments.
14. Leverage real property and other assets to mobilize access to private sector funding sources.
15. Establish a University Consultancy Company.
16. Restructure and strengthen the existing Business Development Offices.
17. Develop funding from philanthropic sources through (i) a comprehensive Planned Giving strategy, (ii) establishment of units devoted exclusively to fund raising, and (iii) provision of dedicated funding mechanisms for alumni development.
18. Lobby for the harmonization of government policy across the region to create a policy framework for fiscal incentives attached to gifts to the University.
19. Establish a Regional UWI Endowment Fund and pursue relationship building and structured fund-raising activities in order to tap into all potential sources of contributions effectively.
20. Advocate student financing support schemes with the following features:- (i) well-structured contingent loan arrangements, (ii) loan-approval by programme rather than year to year decisions, (iii) flexible loan guarantees, (iv) extension of coverage to include elements of the living expenses of students.
21. Encourage governments to enhance the capacity of the Loan Agencies.
22. Assist as far as possible in facilitating the sourcing of funds for student loan schemes from government and international organizations.
23. Establish a viable and sustainable financing mechanism for the UWI Open Campus.
24. Obtain firm commitments for capital grants from the UWI-12 governments for the capital needs of the Open Campus in their respective countries.
25. Identify the scope for further rationalization of academic programmes and institutional arrangements. Implement desirable changes expeditiously.
26. Continue to make improvements in procurement management and the oversight of providers of outsourced services.
27. Utilize the potential of advances in telecommunications technology to reduce travelling costs.
28. Improve facilities management.

Anticipated Impact

It is anticipated that attention to all these areas will result in

• Greater predictability in the flow of funding from contributing governments allowing the University to plan and programme its development more efficiently
• Enhanced ability of the University to make regular investments in the renewal and expansion of capital infrastructure, plant and facilities
• Funding to permit the University to expand and enhance research and innovation as part of the required structural shift
• Broadening of the funding base and reduction in overdependence on any one source
• Maintenance of a consistent policy of equitable burden-sharing through tuition fees
• Mobilisation of adequate funding for successful implementation of the Open Campus initiative.

Further details are set out in an Action Plan located at pages 89-93 of this document.

OTHER STRATEGIC AREAS OF IMPORTANCE

STRENGTHENING REGIONALITY

One distinct advantage enjoyed by the UWI is its status as a unique regional institution of higher education supported by fifteen contributing countries. It is the only higher education institution with a presence throughout the region and it has the largest concentration of intellectual capital in the region.

However, over time several undercurrents have been contributing to the perception that the regionality of the University has been diminishing. Among these factors are the following:

•           the large and increasing share of enrolment accounted for by nationals from the host country of the campuses (currently in the range of 86% to 93%)

•           the consequential responsibility of the host country for a correspondingly large proportion of the funding of the campus

•           the effect of devolution of much decision-making to individual campuses ushered in by changes in governance arrangements

•           the persistence of imbalances in access to the broad range of services of the UWI particularly among the UWI-12 countries without campuses

•           operating modalities that project an image of fragmentation – ‘three universities sharing the UWI brand name, each influenced by national agendas.’

The regionality of the UWI enterprise is a valuable asset to the people of the Caribbean and we intend to maintain and strengthen it.

In order to advance this objective renewed emphasis will be placed on achieving a better integration of the University. This will involve promotion and propagation of best practices across the institution. Harmonizing and integration of information and communication systems and other key management systems will be a priority.

Collaboration will be encouraged and intensified across the university in relation to curriculum development, joint-delivery of programmes, co-supervision of research students, research work, staff visits, conferences and workshops. The ICT infrastructure will be further developed and deployed to support these efforts.

Expertise will be deliberately mobilized across the university system to enhance the ability of any campus to address specific national needs of high importance. At the same time, we will continue to develop mechanisms to bring university wide expertise and intellectual leadership to bear on shared regional problems and challenges of an economic, social, educational, health or environmental nature.

Efforts will be stepped up to facilitate increased movement of students and staff across the university through such approaches as exchange programmes, guest lecture series, structured study arrangements and streamlining processes for student transfers.

The need is also recognized for enhancement of the responsiveness and impact of the University on regional development through effective dissemination activity and expanded communication links and dialogue with external stakeholders. We intend to increase the frequency and improve the quality of ongoing consultation and interface with regional governments and the vehicle of the UWI Consulting Company will be deployed to monitor and address specific needs of the public and private sectors throughout the region. In that regard, government agencies and other clients will be encouraged to source expertise from the University on an institutional rather than individual basis.

The interface with regional organizations such as CARICOM, CDB, CXC, and the OECS will be strengthened to enhance regional engagement on regional problems and issues.

We plan to continue to develop links with both tertiary level institutions and the private sectors in order to build human capacity and foster development in the region. One important dimension of this partnership with regional TLIs to assist them in curriculum development, quality assurance and the building of teaching staff capacity. Another is the continuation of efforts to forge articulation agreements to facilitate the seamless advancement of students seeking to realize their educational goals.

There is a critical need for UWI to be seen as a single regional entity to both regional and extra-regional agencies/persons to benefit from gains such as funding from development agencies, vendors for library, computing systems, equipment, etc.

■          STRATEGIC AIM 8

a.   To enhance effectiveness through better internal integration of the institution.

b.   To enhance responsiveness and the impact of the University on regional development through effective dissemination activity and expanded communication links and dialogue with external stakeholders.

c.   To continue to develop links with both tertiary level institutions and the private sectors in order to build human capacity and foster development in the region.

Strategies

1. Promote and facilitate the adoption of best practices across the institution.
2. Harmonize and strengthen the degree of integration of information and communication systems and other key management systems.
3. Encourage dialogue and collaboration across the university in relation to (a) curriculum development, (b) joint-delivery of programmes, (c) co-supervision of research students, (d) research work, staff visits, conferences and workshops.
4. Mobilise expertise from across the university system to enhance the ability of any campus to address specific national needs.
5. Continue to develop mechanisms to bring university wide expertise and intellectual leadership to bear on shared regional problems and challenges of an economic, social, educational, health or environmental nature.
6. Facilitate increased movement of students and staff across the university through exchange programmes, guest lecture series, structured study arrangements, student transfers, etc.
7. Make fuller use of existing channels and develop new modes of disseminating information on potentially beneficial output from UWI.
8. Increase the frequency and enhance the quality of ongoing consultation and interface with regional governments.
9. Use the newly established consulting company to monitor and address specific needs of the public and private sectors throughout the region.
10. Encourage government agencies to source expertise from the University on an institutional rather than individual basis.
11. Partner with private sector entities to develop and customize higher education programmes to address identified skill gaps.
12. Assist regional TLIs in curriculum development, quality assurance and the building of teaching staff capacity.
13. Continue to forge articulation agreements with regional TLIs to facilitate the seamless advancement of students seeking to realize their educational goals.

Anticipated Impact

It is anticipated that attention to all these areas will result in

• Enhancement of the quality of teaching and academic programmes university wide
• Quality improvements in graduate supervision and higher degree completions
• Higher service quality and effectiveness in all major areas of administrative services
• Enhancement of the quality and speed of decision making
• Expanded education choices for students
• Expansion of collaborative research work and enhancement of research quality
• Positive impact on UWI’s contribution to national development
• Greater responsiveness to both national and regional needs
• Transfer of knowledge from university research and innovation
• Deepening of the impact of knowledge transfer on public policy and programme design and the competitiveness of business and industry in the region through partnerships in research and innovation
• Higher levels of external stakeholder satisfaction

Further details are set out in an Action Plan located at pages 94-97 of this document.

■          STRENGTHENING NATIONAL ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES

An important challenge for the University is to be more visible in demonstrating its relevance and impact in relation to national needs and priorities.

Several related concerns have surfaced during the consultation process, among them are that:

•           the UWI needs to have a more visible role in national life – one that extends beyond the relationship with host governments to include relations with the private sector, NGOs and communities

•           the overwhelming and increasing dominance of students from the host country on each campus undermines the regional character of the University

•           countries without campuses have been poorly served by the lack of research focused on their specific needs and environments and the tendency of course content to draw on host country cases and phenomena

The feedback is that UWI needs to analyse critically its role and function at the national level, with a view to publicizing its achievements and strengthening its engagement.

Two areas of priority focus already outlined – the UWI Open Campus and Strengthening Regionalism – will directly address the last two concerns identified above. In addition, we will seek to strengthen national engagement processes as a strategic priority.

In reality, there is much on-going contribution of the University and its staff to public policy making and administration, the provision of expert advice and even to corporate governance, yet this is not well publicized and the UWI derives little credit for those outputs. Steps will be taken, therefore, to increase public awareness through better communication strategies. These actions will include dissemination mechanisms that would allow a broader national audience to become aware of the output of scholarship and research work at the University and its potential impact on specific communities and national populations.

Action will also be taken to identify and address systematically areas in which there are underserved educational and research needs in each contributing country. These needs will be prioritized in collaboration with the stakeholders and appropriate initiatives developed to assist in addressing the identified gaps.

Over the plan period, new research initiatives will be mounted to analyze selected economic, social and environmental issues with the aim of providing decision makers with a sound, objective basis for public policy or community responses.

In these ways, we expect UWI’s impact on national policy making and well-being to be enhanced.

Our students will be encouraged and provided with opportunities to participate in structured community engagement. That element of service learning should serve to increase social awareness and foster ethical sensibilities, while contributing to social development.

■          STRATEGIC AIM 9

a.   To increase the University’s impact on national policy making, analysis and evaluation, and enhance support for UWI within the national communities.

b.   To identify and address underserved educational and research needs in each contributing country.

Strategies

1. Document and effectively publicize the contribution of the University and its staff to the policy formulation process in member countries. Highlight cases that link UWI to major national milestone achievements.
2. Improve dissemination mechanisms to allow a broader national audience to become aware of the output of scholarship and research work at the University and the actual or potential beneficial impact of that work on nation states and communities.
3. Recognize and support the contribution of UWI’s staff to national engagement. Likewise, encourage and publicize outreach activities at different levels of the society.
4. Provide staff and students with opportunities for structured community engagement as an instrument of service learning and the fostering of ethical sensibilities.
5. Actively seek out opportunities for the University to be represented formally in all regional forums where its participation could assist in enhancing the quality of decision making.
6. Establish structures for identifying and analyzing UWI’s outreach activities at different levels of the society on an on-going basis. Conduct periodic surveys to assist in addressing unmet needs.
7. Prioritize needs and develop initiatives to assist in addressing the identified gaps in partnership with national governments, private sector entities, and civil society organizations (e.g. NGOs and CBOs).
8. Mount research initiatives with appropriate support to analyze selected economic, social and environmental issues and provide decision makers with a sound basis for public policy or community responses.

Anticipated Impact

It is anticipated that attention to all these areas will result in

• Greater recognition by stakeholders of the value of the University’s contributions to national and community development through research, expert advice and outreach activities, and a more favourable view of the UWI at all levels of society
• Improvement of national policy and programme design
• Improvement of the quality of life of targeted communities
• Higher levels of staff satisfaction and morale
• Enhanced access to resources
• A positive contribution to development of the ideal UWI graduate

Further details are set out in an Action Plan located at pages 98-99 of this document.

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

The importance to the UWI of international partnerships is that they have the potential to enable the University to advance several of its primary goals. While collaboration has always been a feature of the functioning of the University, it has typically been limited in scope and it has flourished best in terms of collaboration between individual academics or small groups of faculty who carry out research in some area. The University must now elevate international partnerships to a mechanism to be used strategically and more widely to support specific institutional objectives.

For example, as the UWI seeks to build capacity and international recognition in selected areas of research and innovation, we will need to seek out strategic partners within the global university network and among private enterprises who have complementary expertise and experience and perhaps cutting-edge facilities in those areas. Such arrangements can facilitate knowledge transfer, innovation and access to research funding.

Through co-supervision and joint delivery of programme, international partnerships with other universities will also be developed to expand academic offerings at the advanced degree level and accelerate research training in targeted areas.

We have already begun to provide opportunities for enrichment of the educational experience of our students through opportunities to spend some time in other institutions.  Skilfully managed collaboration can increase the number of students who are afforded these opportunities. Likewise, it is envisaged that staff exchanges will be increased through international partnerships, thereby helping to build capacity within academic departments.

Partnerships with other universities around the globe will also allow the UWI to become better known and attract more international students to its programmes.

Additionally, successful international partnerships will help to build the University’s international standing as a respected and competent partner. Such esteem is one consideration that influences the global ranking of universities.

■          STRATEGIC AIM 10

To strengthen and expand inter-institutional relationships to support regional development priorities through resource acquisition, capacity-building and knowledge-infrastructure strengthening at UWI.

Strategies

1.         Utilize more collaborative strategies in relation to the following objectives:

• Knowledge creation
• Knowledge transfer
• Access to sources of finance
• Enrichment of educational experience for UWI students
• Leadership of the tertiary sector in the region
• Marketing the potential of UWI as an international partner.

• Strengthen campus international offices.
• Build new alliances and deepen existing ones with strategic partners to advance UWI’s strategic goals.
• Intensify collaborative research work with faculty from other universities in focal areas.
• Involve international faculty in the co-supervision of research students.
• Use partnerships with universities of high global reputation to strengthen and expand graduate offerings.

Anticipated Impact

It is anticipated that attention to all these areas will result in

• Enhancement of research output and productivity
• Increase in enrolment of international students
• Increase in M.Phil and PhD completions
• Knowledge acquisition from partnering in research and innovation
• International visibility
• Increased opportunities for accessing research funding and generating earned income through  sponsored research work, grant of patents and innovation

Further details are set out in an Action Plan located at page 100 of this document.

ENROLMENT GROWTH

Cave Hill Campus

In keeping with the national aspiration of the host country for a graduate in every household, the Cave Hill Campus plans to continue to increase enrolment over the plan period at an annual average growth of 8%. Excluding undergraduate certificate and diploma programmes, this will increase the total on-campus enrolment cumulatively from a level of about 6,400 students in 2006/07 to 9,650 in 2011/12, as shown in Table 1. It should be noted that the enrolment statistics omit students currently enrolled in UWIDEC programmes.  The assumption is made that those students will be absorbed within the Open Campus framework.

TABLE 1 PROJECTED ENROLMENT GROWTH – CAVE HILL CAMPUS
	Actual	Projected Enrolment
	2006/07	2007/08	2009/10	2011/12
Full-Time First Degree Enrolment	2,816	3,041	3,657	4,397
Part-Time First Degree Enrolment	2,897	3,129	3,649	4,256
Total Enrolment in First Degree Programmes	5,713	6,170	7,306	8,653
Enrolment in Higher Degree & Advanced Diplomas	672	726	847	988
On-Campus Enrolment (excl. Certs & Diplomas)	6,385	6,896	8,153	9,641

The projected enrolment includes the planned creation of a full-fledged Faculty of Medical Sciences, for which the first intake is expected to commence in 2008/09 with a cohort of 50-60 students. Thereafter, the intake to the Faculty will increase each year by a factor of 10 students.

Based on the projections, roughly one-tenth of the students enrolled at the Cave Hill Campus will be enrolled in Higher Degree and Advanced Diploma programmes, representing a 10% proportion of total enrolment in 2011/12.

Mona Campus

It is projected that there will only be modest growth in enrolment at the existing campus during the plan period. An average annual rate of growth of 2% is assumed. An exception is that of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences which has spare capacity and is projected to increase first degree enrolment at an annual rate of 6%. In keeping with the desire to expand graduate studies and research, it is expected that enrolment in the graduate programmes will increase at 4% per annum, which is at a faster rate than the campus average.

TABLE 2 PROJECTED ENROLMENT GROWTH – MONA CAMPUS
	Actual	Projected Enrolment
	2006/07	2007/08	2009/10	2011/12
Full-Time First Degree Enrolment	6,530	6,713	7,098	7,514
Part-Time First Degree Enrolment	2,456	2,514	2,636	2,765
Total Enrolment in First Degree Programmes	8,986	9,227	9,734	10,279
Enrolment in Higher Degree & Advanced Diplomas	2,788	2,900	3,137	3,392
On-Campus Total Mona (excl. Certs & Dips)	11,774	12,127	12,871	13,671
Enrolment – Western Jamaica Campus	–	–	700	1,500
Mona and Western Jamaica Combined	11,774	12,127	13,571	15,171

The most important new initiative will be the establishment of the Western Jamaica Campus to be located at Montego Bay with a peak enrolment of 1,500 students by the end of the plan period.  The first intake of students is projected for 2008/09 with a cohort estimated to be of the order of 200 students.

Under these assumptions on-campus enrolment is expected to grow from a level of roughly 11,800 in 2006/07 to 15,200 in 2011/12, as shown in Table 2.  (Students enrolled in undergraduate certificate and diploma programmes are omitted.) Thirty-four hundred students will be enrolled in on-campus graduate programmes, representing slightly under one-quarter of the enrolment on the existing campus and 22% of the combined enrolment.

St. Augustine Campus

The highlight of the enrolment growth plans for the St. Augustine Campus is the targeting of very substantial growth in postgraduate enrolment with an emphasis on the expansion of research training at the M.Phil and PhD levels. The Campus plans to increase enrolment in those programmes from 606 students in 2006/07 to 2,000 students in 2011/12, as shown in Table 3. Enrolment in the taught programmes is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 8%.

TABLE 3 PROJECTED ENROLMENT GROWTH – ST. AUGUSTINE CAMPUS
	Actual	Projected Enrolment
	2006/07	2007/08	2009/10	2011/12
Full-Time First Degree Enrolment	8,914	9,471	10,690	12,000
Part-Time First Degree Enrolment	2,070	2,400	3,200	4,500
Total Enrolment in First Degree Programmes	10,984	11,871	13,890	16,500
Enrolment in Higher Degree & Advanced Diplomas	2,964	3,350	4,100	5,500
On-Campus Total (excl. Certs & Diplomas)	13,948	15,221	17,990	22,000
Of which:
Evening University – First Degree Enrolment	962	1,200	1,875	3,000
Research Degree Enrolment	606	800	1,250	2,000

Enrolment in first degree programmes will grow on the campus at the rate of 8.5% but much of that growth will be in relation to part-time study, with the rapid expansion of Evening University enrolment.

The Campus also plans to place emphasis on a change in the enrolment mix to achieve a reversal of the decline in the proportion of students enrolled in science and technology based programmes.  Under these assumptions, the proportion will increase from the current level of 48% to 55%.

Projected on-campus enrolment (excluding undergraduate certificate and diploma programmes) will rise from roughly 14,000 students to 22,000 at the end of the plan period.

The Open Campus

Planned enrolment in blended learning programmes in the Open Campus is targeted to be at the level of 5,000 students in 2008/09 and 15,000 students by 2011/12. Projections of enrolment in relation to face-to-face programmes of the School of Continuing Studies (SCS) are not yet finalized. By comparison enrolment in UWIDEC programmes currently amounts to roughly 3,000 students.

UWI Combined

The effect of the planned enrolment growth outlined earlier for the UWI as a whole will be to increase on-campus enrolment in first degree, higher degree and advanced diploma programmes from approximately 32,100 students to 46,800, as indicated in Table 4. That will represent a cumulative 46% increase in enrolment at the existing campuses and the Western Jamaica initiative. By comparison, on-campus graduate enrolment will grow by 54% over the five year period.

TABLE 4 PROJECTED ENROLMENT GROWTH –  UWI
	Actual	Projected Enrolment
	2006/07	2007/08	2009/10	2011/12
On Campus Enrolment
Full-Time First Degree Enrolment	18,260	19,225	21,935	24,961
Part-Time First Degree Enrolment	7,423	8,043	9,695	11,971
Total Enrolment in First Degree Programmes	25,683	27,268	31,630	36,932
Enrolment in Higher Degree & Advanced Diplomas	6,424	6,976	8,084	9,880
On-Campus Total (excl. Certs & Diplomas)	32,107	34,244	39,714	46,812

To these student numbers must be added the access facilitated by the growth of enrolment in the Open Campus.

RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS AND FINANCING

Successful implementation of the proposals set out in this strategic plan will require adequate access to new financial resources. Efforts have been made to rely on a participatory process to project the likely resource requirements. Initially, the cross-campus teams that were involved in the development of concept papers and action plans for selected strategic themes were asked to identify the resource implications. This was done in broad terms. In the final stages of preparation of the draft plan, each Planning Task Force (PTF) Group was requested to develop financial projections of resource requirements under the guidance of the Campus Bursars and the Office of Finance. Invitations were extended to all Faculty Deans to participate in the process.

Appendix I sets out the resulting financial projections.¹ Tables I-IV provides the data for Cave Hill, Mona, St. Augustine and the University Centre in that order. A university wide consolidation of the financials is brought together in Table V.

Cave Hill Campus

Expenditure

In relation to the Cave Hill Campus, it is shown at Table I that funding amounting to BD$76.9 million will be required to meet recurrent costs associated with the implementation of initiatives directly related to the core strategic focus and priority enablers, in the first year of the new plan period. For the entire five year period 2007/08 to 2011/12, the total recurrent expenditure on implementation of the strategic themes is projected to be BD$336.2 million.

The largest proportion of these resources, fifty-two percent or BD$175.2 million, will be allocated to Teaching and Learning enhancement initiatives and delivery of programmes to a much enlarged student population over the five-year period to 2011/12. These resources will fund increases in teaching and academic support staff, library services and student services. Additionally, it is projected that the sum of BD$91 million will be needed to implement strategic interventions to develop Graduate Studies and Research and Innovation at the campus during the same time interval. Quality assessment, cross-campus collaboration, increases in research fellowships, strengthening the research infrastructure, greater opportunities for graduate student attachments and enhanced support for research students are among the principal uses identified. Transforming the Leadership, Managerial and Administrative Culture and Processes will also require significant level of funding of the order of BD$46.5 million over the period of the strategic plan.

Estimates of the capital requirements for Cave Hill are also set out in Table I of Appendix I.  It is shown that approximately $134.4 million of investment expenditure must be allocated in 2007/08 to address the major capital needs of the campus. This expenditure is projected to decline sharply to BD$68.0 million in 2008/09. The total capital requirement for the five year period is BD$311.4 million. These estimates drew on the considerable information already produced by the Campuses to facilitate the work of the Capital Development Task Force.

Projections are included in Table I indicating the expected growth in income and expenditure related to current operations.  It is estimated that the Campus’ recurrent expenditure (excluding the servicing of long-term debt) will rise by 38% from BD$94.6 million in 2006/07 to BD$130.7 million in 2011/12. Total recurrent expenditure, including spending on Special Projects, will also increase from $131.6 million in 2006/07 to $184.4 million.²

Income

There are three main sources of revenues: Government Contributions, Tuition Fees and Other Income.

Income from tuition fees is expected to rise from BD$19.3 million to $28.8 million. The projection of tuition fee income assumes the continuation of the existing policy of a 20 percent recovery of economic costs.

For current operations at Cave Hill, government contributions (including support for the repayment of long-term loans) are projected to increase by 41% from BD$78.6 million to BD$111.2 million over the plan period.

Mona Campus

Expenditure

Table II of Appendix I indicates that funding amounting to JA$318.3 million will be needed to meet recurrent costs associated with the implementation of initiatives directly related to the core strategic focus and priority enablers in 2007/08. For the entire five year period 2007/08 to 2011/12, a total of JA$1,384.5 million will be required to implement strategic theme proposals.

Twenty-eight percent of the resources will go towards Teaching and Learning enhancement initiatives and facilitation of access through the UWI Western Jamaica initiative. Taken together, the development of Graduate Studies and Research and Innovation at the Mona Campus will require JA$325.5 million or twenty-four percent of the resources. Target areas include quality assessment, research fellows, commercialization, cross-campus collaboration, graduate student attachments and building capacity to win funding for sponsored research.

Of the major enablers, Transforming the Leadership, Managerial and Administrative Culture and Processes and Marketing and Branding will require the most financial support at Mona. It is estimated that allocations totaling JA$139.0 million and JA$89.5 million, respectively, will be needed over the five-year period.

Estimates of the capital requirements for the Mona Campus are set out in Table II of Appendix I.  The projections indicate that a total of JA$7,568.5 million will be needed to meet the major capital needs of the campus. The expenditure will be heavily concentrated in the first two years of the plan period. This will facilitate commencement of the operations of the UWI Western Jamaica, construction and commissioning of a Fine Arts Building, a Basic Medical Sciences Complex, Campus Centre, Sports Department and parking facilities. Enhancement and expansion of library and electronic access will also be facilitated.

As in the case of Cave Hill, projections have been made for the expected growth in income and expenditure related to current operations.  These are also set out at Table II. It is estimated that the Campus’ recurrent expenditure (excluding the servicing of long-term debt) will rise from JA$5,944.1 million in 2006/07 to JA$8,205.1 million in 2011/12. Total recurrent expenditure, including spending on Special Projects, will increase by 38.6% from JA$8,590 million in 2006/07 to JA$11,906.8 million.³

Income

Income from tuition fees is expected to rise from JA$200 million to $301.2 million. The projection of tuition fee income also assumes the continuation of the existing policy of a 20 percent recovery of economic costs.

For current operations at Mona, government contributions (including support for the repayment of long-term loans) are projected to increase by 32% from JA$4,895.4 million to JA$6,470.2 million over the plan period.

St. Augustine Campus

Expenditure

Table III of Appendix I indicates that TT$33.2 million will be required at the St. Augustine Campus to meet the recurrent costs associated with the implementation of initiatives directly related to the core strategic focus and priority enablers in 2007/08. For the entire five year period 2007/08 to 2011/12, a total of TT$171.5 million will be required to implement strategic theme proposals.

Fully seventy-nine percent of the resources will support Teaching and Learning enhancement initiatives. The resources will be applied mainly to increases in academic and support staff, employment of curriculum specialists and educational technologists, equipment for the IDU, additional library resources, internships for students, and additional hardware and laboratory resources.

It is also projected that the sum of TT$21 million will be needed to develop the areas of Graduate Studies and Research and Innovation at St. Augustine Campus. The targeted areas include training of academic supervisors, appointment of postdoctoral fellows, enhanced support for research students, training for academic staff in proposal writing, promotional costs, and financial awards and incentives for research excellence.

Among the priority enablers, Transforming the Leadership, Managerial and Administrative Culture and Processes and initiatives relating to the financing of research will require TT$4.5 million and TT$3.8 million, respectively. Expenditure on consultancy services, customer service representatives and administrative staff will support the culture change process.

Table III also sets out estimates of the capital requirements for the St. Augustine Campus over the plan period.  The projections indicate that a total of TT$465 million will be needed to meet the major capital needs of the campus. Similar to the situation at the Mona Campus, the capital expenditure requirements are heavily concentrated in the first two years of the plan period, and there is no projected expenditure on capital in 2011/12.

In relation to the projected growth in income and expenditure related to current operations at the St. Augustine Campus, it is estimated that the recurrent expenditure (excluding the servicing of long-term debt) will rise from TT$399.4 million in 2006/07 to TT$528.0 million in 2011/12 – an increase of 32%. Total recurrent expenditure, including spending on Special Projects, will increase by 35% from TT$641 million in 2006/07 to TT$865.2 million at the end of the plan period.⁴

Income

Income from tuition fees is expected to rise from TT$70 million to $108.1 million. The projection of tuition fee income assumes once more the continuation of the existing policy of a 20 percent recovery of economic costs.

For current operations at St. Augustine, government contributions (including support for the repayment of long-term loans) are projected to increase by 24% from TT$316.5 million to TT$392.6 million over the plan period, under the indicated assumptions.

University Centre – Consolidated

Expenditure

The financial projections for the University Centre – Consolidated are set out at Table IV of Appendix I. It is estimated that BD$17.7 million will be required by the Centre to meet the recurrent costs associated with the implementation of initiatives directly related to the core strategic focus and priority enablers in 2007/08. For the entire five year period 2007/08 to 2011/12, a total of BD$108 million will be required to implement strategic theme proposals.

The distribution of the resources diverges from that observed earlier for the three existing campuses, where expenditure on Teaching and Learning enhancements was dominant. The major need of the Centre is support for the development of Research and Innovation. The estimated requirement is BD$51.3 million for the five-year period of the plan. Centre expenditure on Teaching and Learning and Graduate Studies will amount to BD$20 million. It is also estimated that BD$7.0 million will be needed to implement initiatives related to the core theme Service to UWI-12 Countries and Other Underserved Communities. Approximately BD$30 million of recurrent expenditure will be required for the Priority Enablers and roughly two-thirds of that amount will be directed towards Strengthening Regionality and Transforming the Leadership, Managerial and Administrative Culture and Processes.

Set out at Table IV are the capital requirements for the consolidated Centre. The total requirement is BD$19.7 million to be utilized over the first three years of the plan period. 

The projected growth in income and expenditure related to current operations of the Centre is summarized at Table IV. Recurrent expenditure (excluding the servicing of long-term debt) will rise by 45.9% from BD$55.1 million in 2006/07 to BD$80.4 million in 2011/12. Total recurrent expenditure, including spending on Special Projects, will increase by 43.7% from BD$74.6 million in 2006/07 to BD$107.2 million in 2011/12.⁵ The inflation adjustment used in computing the projections is a weighted average of the inflation factors previously cited for the campuses.

Income

Income from tuition fees is expected to rise from BD$12.2 million to BD$16.3 million – an increase of 33.6%. The projection of tuition fee income assumes the continuation of the existing policy of a 20 percent recovery of economic costs.

For current operations of the Centre, government contributions (including support for the repayment of long-term loans) are projected to increase by 45% from BD$56.2 million to BD$81.5 million over the plan period.

The UWI – Consolidated

For the University as a whole, Table V of Appendix I sets out the resources that will be required each year of the plan period to support implementation of the core strategic focus and major enablers. It is estimated that the total recurrent expenditure will amount cumulatively to BD$539.6 million for the 5 year period. The first of the two charts overleaf illustrates the yearly outlay projected. The second chart indicates the relative allocations needed to support university wide implementation of the key proposals in the strategic plan.

It can be clearly seen that Teaching and Learning requires BD$241.5 million, the major share of funding, and that the development of Graduate Studies and Research and Innovation will also require substantial support amounting to BD$166.8 million.

Additionally, the projections indicate that the major enabler, Transforming the Leadership, Managerial and Administrative Culture and Processes will require significant resources amounting to BD$59.8 million across the university system.

Open Campus

It should be noted that the resource requirements for the implementation of the Open Campus are not well defined at this stage. It is anticipated that substantial support will also be required to carry through with that important initiative.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

We fully recognize that however well-conceived this plan may be, the major challenge will be successful implementation of the proposals and strategies for achieving our transformational goals. This requires an explicit implementation strategy.

The implementation strategy that we have selected relies on a cluster of approaches that are summarized hereunder:-

•            Continue to foster buy-in of internal and external stakeholders for the vision and related strategic transformation of the University that is at the core of the strategic plan.

•            Retain the Chairpersons of the Planning Task Force (PTF) Groups within the Executive Management Team of the University to serve as champions or advocates of the plan in relation to consistency of decision making and alignment of resource allocation with the strategic goals and objectives.

•            Refine performance indicators and use them to evaluate implementation progress and the effectiveness of selected strategies.

•            Appointment of a Pro Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development to strengthen the structure and processes for university-wide planning and implementation. The PVC will take action to institutionalize the preparation of sound operational plans that are linked to budgets. The PVC will also play a lead role in the formulation of initiatives to address cultural transformation, change management and resource mobilization.

•            It will be a requirement of all departments to develop and implement operational plans that contribute appropriately to implementation of the strategic plan.

•            Responsibility for leading and supporting implementation of major initiatives and areas of strategic focus will be appropriately distributed. Appendix II sets out a preliminary identification of the top-level distribution of responsibility for implementation.

•            A system of formal annual reporting on progress will be put in place and outcomes will be measured and evaluated in relation to the established goals.

•            The plan will also be infused with a degree of flexibility to respond to changing circumstances. Where appropriate, Executive Management will sanction changes to goals, targets, strategies and the reordering of priorities.

End Notes

1. In preparing the projections, the operations of the School of Continuing Studies and Distance Education were excluded from the Campus estimates, as the activities of these entities would be subsumed within the Open Campus.
2. Non-staff costs have been adjusted each year by 5.5% to take account of inflation. Provisions have been made as well for the effect of annual increments on wages and salaries.
3. Non-staff costs have been adjusted each year by 7.0% to take account of inflation. Provisions have been made as well for the effect of annual increments on wages and salaries.

4. Non-staff costs have been adjusted each year by 7.2% to take account of inflation. Provisions have been made as well for the effect of annual increments on wages and salaries.
5. Non-staff costs have been adjusted each year by 7.2% to take account of inflation. Provisions have been made as well for the effect of annual increments on wages and salaries.