In our 2002-2007 strategic plan for The University of The West Indies we identified seven strategic objectives for the St. Augustine Campus and these we have been pursuing, on a collective basis, with vigor and with zeal. The seven objectives are very straight forward and clear and are meant to position the Campus to play a strategic role, as part of The University of The West Indies, in development of the Caribbean region and its people.

The following are the objectives as identified in our strategic plan: (1) Student Centredness; (2) Expansion of Access; (3) Quality; (4) Information Technology Platform; (5) Finance Optimization; (6) Institutional Strengthening; (7) Stakeholder and Alumni Relations.

As we come to the end of 2005, we take stock of some of the strides that the Campus has made under the various headings and points to some of the challenges ahead for the Campus and the University in the coming years.

Academic advising has been strengthened throughout the Campus. We have doubled the number of professional psychological counselors to assist students. We have extended the hours of heath services and increased the range of services available. The ratio of computers to students on campus is now one to eleven (1 to 11). The campus is also now wireless. Students can now enjoy a more diversified range of food services and other support services with generally improved infrastructure to accommodate them and facilitate these services. We have strengthened Student – Faculty liaison committees in each Faculty, to ensure that we are meeting student expectations in our courses and where necessary to make adjustments. Library services are now available 24-7 and there is increased access to online global resources. Internships for students have increased to expose more students to the work environment and a placement programme for graduates is being actively pursued to support students in making the leap from ‘university life’ to ‘work life’.

In compliance with our 2007 Strategic Plan Target of expanding enrollment to 12,000 Undergraduates and 4,000 Graduates our current enrollment now stands at 10,354 Undergraduates and 2,804 Graduates. Our annual growth has exceeded targets every year since the 2001/2002 academic year. Enrollment in 2000 was just over 7,000 students and enrollment for the 2005/2006 academic year stands at 13,158. We are well on track to meeting our strategic plan target of 16,000 by 2007/2008.

The UWI is known for its stringent standards and we intend to maintain these standards even in the face of the increasing student population. Except for adult learners, where experience and non-traditional exposure are taken into account students are admitted only if they have two Advanced Level passes with a C or better average. On the flip-side, training of Faculty on Campus has increased ten-fold on an annual basis since year 2000 and all new recruits are required to enroll in Instructional Development Unit courses for three courses over three years to improve teaching quality.

More than 100 faculty members have also been exposed to “Critical Thinking through Teaching and Learning” seminars in order to strengthen their approach to curriculum development and revision, structuring examinations and to improve teaching and learning in the classroom generally. Curriculum review is currently being undertaken by all departments to make content more relevant and updated. Quality Assurance Reviews are also conducted and monitored on an on-going basis to ensure implementation of recommended improvements. These are perhaps the main reasons the number of First Class Honours graduates have been increasing steadily over the years. Additionally, much has been done to strengthen research methodology and supervision of students at the graduate level by bringing in experts to do workshops on contemporary best practice with both Faculty members and postgraduate research students.

The St. Augustine Campus is now wireless, making it possible for students, faculty and visitors to the campus to obtain information online at our many wireless access points. Our libraries are now accessible on demand electronically. Video-conferencing capabilities are in regular use to connect us with the University’s other Campuses as well as universities internationally who are collaborative partners. During the semester we have had video classes with Indiana University and the University of Alberta. And there is soon to be an ILO sponsored intercampus conference involving Mona, Cave Hill and St. Augustine. Technology has been integrated to improve teaching and learning in the classroom, over one hundred and twenty (120) courses are now offered in dual-mode! Also available to students are the Microsoft IT Academy, CISCO Lab and Nortel Lab. The curriculum of all courses is being reviewed to include integration of software relevant to the discipline being taught.

In our attempt to make the university more efficient and cost effective, overtime budgets have been drastically cut. The introduction of the Evening University optimizes the use of existing plant facilities whilst contributing additional fees. The per-capita cost of education at St. Augustine has dramatically decreased over 5 years. Major capital projects have been funded from savings including the Sport and Physical Education Centre (SPEC), School of Education Building, expansion of Humanities Building, Institute for Critical Thinking, etc. Additionally, significant sums have been raised from the Private Sector in the form of grants, contracts for services, special projects, scholarships and research funding which has resulted in a reduced percentage contribution from the State. We are also in the process of executing an HR audit to support efficiency and effectiveness, human resource development and succession planning. In addition many units of the Campus are now profit centres.

At an individual level, there is Campus-wide support for training and development of employees. At the unit level, we are rationalizing systems and processes with the support of Banner integration and also training staff to effectively use Banner. We actively provide scholarship support and leave for young, bright academics bonded to the various departments or Faculties. We are strengthening recruitment strategies to obtain the best candidates to support our research thrust in our various departments. The Campus is also undergoing massive infrastructural development to improve both our facilities and services. There is ongoing identification of information needs to support decision making at the managerial level. The Business Development Office has also been developed to increase non-traditional sources of funding. A new Registrar has been recruited and will join the staff at St. Augustine in January.

Our Development and Endowment Fund members led by Mr. Ronald Harford are active, generating funds on behalf of the Campus. Our vibrant Alumni Association led by Mr. Fred Bowen is also very active on behalf of the Campus especially in their ongoing drive to expand membership and engage fund raising. There is a renewed focus on strengthening relationships with a wide range of stakeholder groups. We are actively involving Private and Public sector partners in advisory groups for our programmes, Faculties and Research Clusters as may be required.

What all this means is that we need more teaching and learning spaces, more accommodation for students, more facilities to support recreation and community-building, more innovative and cutting-edge programmes and technology, better quality teaching and delivery, better support for students, stronger and wider ties to our external stakeholders and a stronger, more cost effective academic, administrative, technical and support staff who are better equipped to support an expanded student body.

In addition, we need more land space and it is our hope that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago will transfer the land promised to UWI soon so that we can proceed with plans to make life more comfortable for all concerned. Right now we are dealing with overcrowded classrooms and labs and 1,200 residence hall rooms for 13,000+ students so we need space desperately. Adding more buildings to the St. Augustine Campus will destroy the landscape.

Beyond the achievement of targets and numbers and the improvement of quality is the vision of The University of The West Indies as a regional University that will propel the economic, social, political and cultural development of the West Indian society through effective teaching, meaningful research, significant innovation and intellectual leadership. This is what we are working for – to make UWI, in collaboration with the rest of the vital tertiary sector in the region, the driver of national and regional development. Our dream is that a healthy, educated and creative people, will build a unique civilization in our region that is an example to the world of how to live in peace and harmony and contribute to human progress.