Management response to Governance Commission report

In the review year, the university community and its wider base of external stakeholders expressed considerable interest in the work and recommendations of the Chancellor’s Commission on Governance.

The Commission was established in December 2018 by Chancellor of The UWI, Robert Bermudez, the principal purpose of which was to review the University’s governance systems.

Chaired by the Rt. Hon. Sir Dennis Byron, former President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, the Commission completed its 142-page report in July 2020.

At its special meeting convened on January 20, 2021, the University Council established a special Review Committee comprising members of Council to review these recommendations and to put forward to Council those for adoption and subsequent implementation.

At the Council’s meeting on April 30, 2021, it was agreed that the Vice-Chancellor and the EMT would engage in a programme of stakeholder consultations and offer a “management response” for the Review Committee’s consideration. The stakeholders include Staff Unions and Student Guilds, and the consultations were part of a collaborative and collegial process of conversations and engagement.

It should be noted that of the 95 recommendations proffered by the Commission’s Report, the University’s Management agreed with 92 of them and had begun planning for the implementing of many of them.

Vice-Chancellor Beckles noted, “The decisions will contribute to a more fit-for-purpose 21st century UWI that is respected, resilient and sustainable.”