The 2022/2023 academic session marked a notable return to face-to-face instructional methods for the Campus, signalling a shift from predominantly virtual teaching and learning necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was supplemented to a much lesser extent by synchronous and asynchronous online delivery, utilising the Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Blackboard Collaborate platforms. Examinations were also held in- person for the first time since December 2019. While transition to in-person teaching and assessment was largely seamless and welcomed by students and faculty, certain remote practices have been retained to improve operations coming out of the pandemic.

At the start of the academic year, a new space was added to the teaching plant, namely the Old Mutual Building in Bridgetown (“UWI in the City”), which serves as a multi-purpose teaching, training and technology hub.

New offerings from the Faculty of Culture, the Creative and Performing Arts — the BA and BFA in Music — are delivered from that facility.

CAMPUS MID-TERM ACCREDITATION INSPECTION

The Campus’ mid-term accreditation inspection by the Barbados Accreditation Council (BAC) took place on November 14–15, 2022. The inspection was conducted by the BAC review team, comprising Mr. John Randall and Dr. Dennis Mock, highly respected external accreditors from the UK and Canada. The team’s exit report had, amongst other things, noted the following:

• The positive culture at the Cave Hill Campus and its importance in effectively addressing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the natural disasters which had affected the institution during the review period, namely Hurricane Elsa and the La Soufriere ash fall
• The positive approach towards renewal of the Faculty of Science and Technology
• The strong leadership at every level of the Campus, inclusive of the student body
• A strong record of core academic quality assurance processes involving the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, the Academic Quality Assurance Committee and the Board for Undergraduate Studies. It had been noted that many universities during the height of the pandemic had foregone curriculum development and quality assurance reviews, but that these processes had remained vibrant at Cave Hill. Clause 141 of the document stated: “Overall the maintenance of quality assurance and curriculum renewal during the pandemic has been exemplary. Many higher education institutions simply put these processes on hold. The Campus has ensured that, through these processes, the quality and relevance of programmes have been maintained with no backlog of reviews or curricular revisions”.

The assessment had been overwhelmingly positive, noting the supportive culture at the institution underpinned by a sense of purpose and unity, which had helped to address challenges including that of finance.

CAVE HILL: RESOLUTE AND RESILIENT AT 60!

Media Launch of the Cave Hill Campus 60th Anniversary celebrations

To announce year-long celebratory plans to mark Cave Hill’s Diamond Jubilee Year under the theme “Resolute and Resilient”, the Cave Hill Campus hosted a Media Launch on January 19, 2023 in the Jacqueline Wade Conference Room, Hilary McDonald Beckles Administration Complex. Speakers included the Prime Minister of Barbados, The Honourable Mia Amor Motley; The Honourable Kay McConney, Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training; Chairman of Campus Council, Sir Paul Altman; Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles and Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Clive Landis.

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, who served as principal of the Campus for 13 years, declared that “Cave Hill stepped up to the plate and has been a magnificent success. It prospered!” Sir Hilary also highlighted the fact that not only did Cave Hill prosper in its alignment with the economic development model and gave Barbados the competitive edge it needed in so many areas, but also the fact that the youngest landed campus at the time had become the leading campus in the publication of quality research, University Press publications, and international peer- reviewed journals.

Addressing the launch via a recorded message, Prime Minister Mia Mottley said that “The UWI Cave Hill Campus has made a defining difference in the quality of life of the people of Barbados and the wider region, and has a critical role in their future development.” She urged the administration of the Campus to ensure the institution remained fit for purpose, bearing in mind that countries globally were becoming increasingly insular.

Chair of the Cave Hill 60th Anniversary Planning Committee, Dr. Henderson Carter, said the celebrations sought to achieve several objectives: provide opportunities for the Campus to reflect with pride on past achievements and struggles; project a path for the future; build cohesion, collegiality and comradery within the academy; develop strategic partnerships with external stakeholders; and give back to the community that the Campus serves.

Parade Launch of 60th Anniversary Celebrations

A festive parade around Cave Hill Campus on January 20, 2023 officially kicked off a year of celebrations for the institution’s 60th anniversary. Students, including members of their various clubs and associations, accompanied by faculty and staff, retirees and alumni, were joined by a marching band, Tuk Band, Mother Sally, and campus mascot Chilli in an exhibition of exuberance.

The first stop during the mid-afternoon procession was at the Leslie Robinson Building where Principal, Professor Clive Landis and his predecessor, Professor the Most Honourable Eudine Barriteau, unveiled a portrait of the late Professor Leslie Robinson, the first principal of The UWI Cave Hill Campus at the entrance of the building that bears his name.

Along the route, students of the Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performance Arts staged a theatrical performance at Quaw’s Quest, the monument erected in honour of William Quaw, one of the 295 enslaved persons who, at Emancipation, were freed from lands currently occupied by the Cave Hill Campus.

Professor Landis officially declared the anniversary celebrations open at the end of the parade, reminding the gathering that: “The Cave Hill Campus is a community; a community of students, of scholars, support staff — and when they get older, they become alumni and retirees — but we are a community, and it is as a community that we got to where we are.”He further added, “For the next 60 years we will take our inspiration from Leslie Robinson, who took that first step with 118 students, and look at where we are now.”

The parade activities culminated with performances by musical artistes including the Cavite Chorale, Red Plastic Bag, Mikey, Mr. Blood, Chrystal Cummins-Beckles-Holder, and spoken word artist Adrian Green.

Economic Impact of The UWI Cave Hill Campus

A highlight of Cave Hill’s 60th Anniversary celebrations was the commemorative Legacy Lecture Series, themed “Building Resilience, Building Nations”, which was held in association with the Nation Publishing Company Limited to mark its 50th Anniversary. The series featured a line-up of preeminent scholars and thought leaders from across various disciplines of the Campus.

Professor of Economics and Deputy Principal of the Cave Hill Campus, Winston Moore, presented the findings from his economic impact study during the lecture entitled “Valuing the Impact of The UWI Cave Hill Campus” which was held on April 18, 2023. This lecture was the second installation of a series of eight. Findings projected that The UWI Cave Hill Campus generates 3.42 dollars for every dollar invested by regional governments.

Moore outlined that the purpose of the study was to evaluate the financial and economic returns that the government and people of the Caribbean gained from investing in The UWI.

Three measures were adopted to assess the Campus’ contribution to the economy: the economic base, which assessed the extent to which the University’s expenditure led to the creation of jobs and the generation of income and tax revenue; the skills-based approach, which accounts for the value of the additional skills generated by the University and the impact on students’ incomes; and the existence value, which is the value the institution provides to its community through supporting cultural and sporting events and other community-based activities.

An examination of the economic base revealed that the total contribution of students was BB $268 million for the 2022/2023 academic year. Professor Moore’s estimate of the contribution of The UWI to the skills base, meanwhile, revealed that for the 2022/23 cohort of graduates, the Campus generated BB $707 million in additional lifetime income, with BB $572 million accruing to Barbados. The existence value of The UWI Cave Hill Campus was estimated at BB $37 million. Given the contributions of The UWI to medicine, culture, law, just to name a few, it is very likely that the estimate provided underestimates the existence value of the Campus.

Combining the annualised skill base, economic base and existence value provides an estimate of the total economic contribution of The UWI of BB $325 million. When compared to the contributions used to finance the Campus of BB $95 million, this suggests that Barbados and other regional governments obtain BB $3.42 for every dollar invested in the Campus. While these estimates suggest that The UWI is making an important contribution to Barbados and indeed the region, Professor Moore argues that the impact could be even greater. He makes the case for embedding the Campus in a national system of innovation, developing businesses around the research and ideas of its staff and the launch of a national internship programme.

UWI TRIPLE A STRATEGY

In accordance with The UWI Triple A Strategic Plan 2022–2027, Phase II: The Revenue Revolution, the Campus prioritised the identification and implementation of innovative strategies to augment its income-generating streams. A key focus during this period was responding to heightened competition in the tertiary education sector by making adjustments to various aspects of the student lifecycle in alignment with evolving student needs and emerging markets. The Campus, in considering the evolving landscape of higher education delivery and operational models, recognises a need for heightened institutional efficiency and effectiveness. Throughout this period, the Campus actively explored diverse avenues to strengthen its financial sustainability and resilience, while remaining firmly committed to education and research.

The Campus has made efforts towards the creation of an entrepreneurial mindset and culture spurred on by various entrepreneurial activities and initiatives. Each faculty has its own entrepreneurship committee, and the Chairs of these committees play a pivotal role in overseeing the entrepreneurship process within their respective faculties. Subsequently, the Faculty Chairs are responsible for reporting the progress and developments within their faculties to the Campus Entrepreneurship Committee.

AGILITY

CETL DISSEMINATION OF MATERIAL RELEVANT TO TEACHING AND LEARNING

To ensure that faculties have access to up-to-date resources, the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) disseminated a variety of videos, research papers, e-books, webinars and articles weekly. Webinars and online resource material from the Monday Morning Mentor online series and Faculty Focus were disseminated to academic staff. Some titles included: “How Can I Grade in Less Time with Greater Impact?”; “To Mitigate ChatGPT Plagiarism Look No Further than its References”; “Three Strategies that Support Student Well-Being and Mental Health”; “The Positive Effects of Expressed Gratitude”; “Strategies for Accommodating Students with Disabilities in Higher Education”; “What Are 5 Ways H5P Tools Can Help Students Retain Course Content?”; and “Second Conversation with ChatGPT: Can It Be My Teaching Aid?”

ACADEMIC AND REGISTRATION STUDENT SUPPORT

The CETL worked with a sub-committee, commissioned by the Academic Advising Advisory Committee Chair, to facilitate mandatory enrolment and completion tracking of new students in the orientation course being designed in collaboration with the Office of Student Services and Development.

A Registration Buddy system was designed and implemented through a collaboration with Campus IT Services (CITS) and the Office of Student Services and Development (OSSD). This system provides an approach to linking new students with existing students (registration buddies) for the purpose of ensuring that new students are sufficiently competent in the use of the campus technologies required for registration at the start the semester.

TURNITIN AND STUDENT USE

The CETL collaborated with Campus IT Services to make Turnitin Draft Coach available to all students. Promotion of this tool, which takes on added prominence in an era of AI-generated content, will continue in addition to the Turnitin online resource space for Cave Hill students. The CETL maintains a Moodle space for all students to check their papers/ assignments for similarity.

ALIGNMENT

LAUNCH BUSINESS AND RESEARCH MANAGEMENT THINK TANK AND BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE FORUM

September 23, 2022 was the launch of the Business and Research Management Think Tank and the signing of an MOU between The Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management (SCHSBM) and the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA), as well as the launch of the Business Roundtable Forum and signing of an MOU between (SCHSBM) and the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI). The Forum was held in conjunction with Aston Business School (UK), designed to introduce the concept of a circular economy (CE) to local business leaders.

This event represented a significant milestone in the tripartite partnership between Cave Hill, the business community and government, and the fulfilment of a pledge made at the Inaugural Private Sector Forum during the previous academic year.

The launch discussions focused on ways the partners could work collectively to develop a stable business environment conducive to innovation and sustainable businesses.

In addressing the gathering, the principal spoke to The UWI’s role in helping to create new knowledge, and looked forward to deepening relationships with the private sector to further translate research into viable enterprises and strengthen systems to provide more internship opportunities for students.

Also speaking at the launch were Dr. Jeannine Comma, Chair of the SCHSBM; Dr. Dion Greenidge, Executive Director and CEO of SCHSBM; the Hon. Kerrie Symmonds, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; Mr. Anthony Branker, President BCCI; and Dr. Gene Leon, President CDB.

Joining the launch virtually were Professor Pawan Budhwar, Professor of International HRM and Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor International, Aston University, and other experts in the CE space.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Business Development, the Hon. Sandra Husbands, was also in attendance, along with members of the waste recycling, banking, finance and accounting, manufacturing, agriculture, hotel and catering sectors.

DIABETES REVERSAL PROJECT

The Campus’ Diabetes Reversal Project is an example of value creation by the Campus with a view to securing its financial sustainability, as well as having an impact on society through improving the health of the country’s greatest resource, its people. The Campus is looking to commercialise low calorie meal replacement liquid products that have been designed and developed on Campus with 100% Barbadian ingredients. The Campus has identified an industry partner and is now working on the licensing to manufacture and distribute the product in various markets.

VIRTUAL NURSING EDUCATION AND RESEARCH ACADEMY (VNERA)

The Virtual Nursing Education and Research Academy (VNERA) is another health-related initiative of the Cave Hill Campus. The VNERA is designed to provide nursing students with the opportunity to learn and practice in a virtual environment. The VNERA will also provide a platform for nursing research and collaboration and will be a valuable resource for nursing students and faculty. The VNERA will provide students with the opportunity to learn from expert faculty and to practice their skills. Potential investors are currently being engaged. The VNERA will also provide faculty with the opportunity to collaborate on research projects and to share their expertise with other nursing professionals. The VNERA is expected to launch in early 2024 and will be the first virtual nursing education and research academy in the Caribbean.

OPENING OF CENTRE FOR COMMERCIAL ANALYTICAL SERVICES

The Centre for Commercial Analytical Services (CCAS) was launched on March 03, 2023 as the first for-profit centre established at the Cave Hill Campus. It will operate under the aegis of Dr. Avril Williams, whose appointment as Professor of Supramolecular Chemistry and Nanotechnology was ratified shortly after the launch.

Boasting the widest range of scientific expertise on the island, the CCAS laboratory enjoys powerful, high-end equipment and has the capabilities to test environmental samples, water, food, drugs, industrial and commercial products, and volatile organic compounds, in addition to others. The range of services include on-site sampling, sample preparation, data analysis and targeted recommendations, to be offered on a flexible basis including weekend and after-hours. The lab promises to be a one-stop shop to satisfy the demand for local analytical testing services, avoiding the need to refer samples overseas, such that both the private and public sector can save time and money while the economy enjoys a saving of foreign exchange. CCAS will provide services for the environment, alternative energy, food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals and other manufacturing sectors.

The speakers for the opening event were the Honourable Davidson Ishmael, Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology; Professor Clive Landis, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, The UWI Cave Hill Campus; Dr. Jeanese Badenock, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI Cave Hill Campus; and Mr. Gary Palmer, General Manager of Carlisle Laboratories.

Also in attendance were Principal Annette Alleyne of the Barbados Community College; Principal Ian Drakes of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute; Mr. Mark Hill, CEO Export Barbados (BIDC); and Mr. Wayne Marshall, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology.

GROUND-BREAKING AT THE CENTRE FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AT THE CAVE HILL CAMPUS DUKES

On March 28, 2023 the ground-breaking ceremony at Dukes St. Thomas marked another milestone towards the launch of the Dukes Agri Industrial Park. The project, which is funded through a generous bilateral grant between the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Barbados, will support training, research, and innovation in the agricultural sector.

Sitting on 28 acres and making up half of the China-Aid Project: Centre for Food Security and Entrepreneurship in Barbados, the Centre for Agricultural Research and Innovation was officially inaugurated with a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley; Chinese Ambassador, Yan Xiusheng; Minister of Education, Kay McConney; Minister of Agriculture, Indar Weir; Member of Parliament for St. Thomas, Cynthia Forde; former Ambassador to China, Senator Dr. Chelston Brathwaite; along with members of the Edghill family.

Principal Professor Landis addressed the centrality of research and innovation to food security, noting that it also increased “the contribution to agriculture, to the economic development and diversification of the Barbados economy”. He shared that “The UWI and the Ministry will collaborate seamlessly on the phases of medicinal cannabis production from germ line, elucidation of new varietals, extension agriculture, and purification of medicinal cannabis products, quality control and certification to bring to market.”

In her remarks, Minister McConney recognised the 15 years of “multiple challenges, stops and false starts” that had to be “pushed through” to arrive at the day’s celebration. She acknowledged the contribution of Dr. Chelston Brathwaite in his leadership of the task force. Speaking of the access to training facilities that the research park would afford to secondary and tertiary students, she said, “Authentic experiences where students can see the real world, research and experiments and practice will be a fundamental part of their learning experience.”

Minister Weir believed that the park was demonstrative of the ways Government was giving support to the agricultural sector.

In her address, Prime Minister Mottley acknowledged the strengthening bonds with China and announced that the government of Barbados was also forging ties with other countries in the agricultural sector “to ensure that we will be globally cutting edge in research in the few areas that we choose to do it”.

Chinese Ambassador Yan Xiusheng described the relationship between the two countries in terms of the successes of a number of construction projects. “These various projects play important roles in local economic and social life and have become symbols of friendship between our two countries and people,” he said, and looked forward to further cooperation in various sectors.

CAVE HILL LAUNCHES READING PROGRAMME TO ADDRESS LITERACY IN SCHOOLS

The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus launched the Between the Lines reading programme in collaboration with the Barbados National Library Service and the charity Kids in Action as part of its 60th Anniversary celebrations. This initiative, which targeted primary and secondary school students, commenced on February 4, 2023 at the main branch of the National Library Service, Bridgetown. Headed by Dr. Zoanne Evans, instructor in the Campus’ Academic Literacies Programme (ALP), and ably assisted by members of the local teaching community, current and retired, the programme sought to engage children in weekly reading activities to improve their learning skills. According to Dr. Evans, “Literacy skills in Barbados have been on the decline for some time but this is a vital competence that must be ingrained in our youth if we expect them to be critical thinkers in society.” She went on to say that “fostering a love for reading among children is one of the hardest tasks in the age of technology, yet it is fundamental to their success”.

Beneficiaries of this initiative included the St. Alban’s Primary School, Workman Primary, Grantley Adams Memorial School, Lester Vaughn Secondary, the Pentecostal Fellowship Church at Bridgefield St. Thomas and others.

According to Dr. Evans, “These sessions are intended to hone the creative imagination of children to make the process of learning to read easier and more enjoyable. The objective is that young students can become more confident and empowered readers.”

The sessions engaged students in reading, story writing, and comprehension activities. Not only were the sessions engaging but they were exciting and well-received by both parents and participants.

Dr. Henderson Carter, Chairman of The UWI Cave Hill’s 60th Anniversary Planning Committee, saw the project as not only an excellent opportunity for children to advance their reading skills, but also an avenue for the wider society to bridge the literacy gap in Barbados.

CAVE HILL CAMPUS AND UNEARTE PARTNER TO PROMOTE CULTURAL EXCHANGE

On November 22, 2022 The UWI Cave Hill Campus entered into a new partnership with the National Experimental University of the Arts (UNEARTE) of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela as part of its plans to increase cultural education, training and artistic collaboration, signing a Memorandum of Understanding solidifying the framework for cooperation in the fields of arts and culture.

Addressing the event at the Jacqueline Wade Conference Room, Principal of the Cave Hill Campus, Professor Clive Landis said this new agreement will contribute to the cultural enrichment of both institutions. “We know that this partnership will nurture wide-ranging knowledge and training, and artistic pursuit and practice in all its forms, methodologies and expressions,” he said. “In particular, we hope, with the assistance of UNEARTE, to strengthen our current pedagogy in the various disciplines with the training of arts professionals in music, theatre, dance, audio-visual arts and arts education, and in the innumerable studies of culture.”

Principal of UNEARTE, Dr. Tibisay Lucena, said her institution was proud to partner with the Cave Hill Campus, stating, “We are also honoured that it is with Barbados, for its more than half a century of independence and recent conversion to a constitutional republic under the leadership of its Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and for the inauguration almost a year ago of its first female president, Dame Sandra Mason.”

As Dean of the Campus’s newest faculty, the Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Professor Akombo also welcomed the signing, noting several opportunities for the further development of students.

THE BIOSECURE PROJECT

This project involves the development of a renewable energy powered product designed to kill adult flying, biting insects (mosquitoes and sandflies) in an environmentally friendly way. The project achieved a significant milestone by successfully securing funding, after a pitch by the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Innovate Cave Hill competition hosted by Office of Business Development and sponsored by CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank. The project was adjudged the “most promising innovation” and awarded BB $8,000 to support its advancement. Leveraging this initial support, the team was also able to secure funding from Export Barbados during the period under review to support the development of the prototype. FaSoVe, a spin off company at The UWI St Augustine Campus, was given the mandate to oversee the building of the prototype. Discussions are underway between the developers, the team from the Office of Research Innovation and Community at Cave Hill (RICCH), and private sector partners to transition the project to the production stage. Additionally, there are plans to showcase a prototype of the project, highlighting its innovation and potential, at an upcoming design festival to be hosted by Export Barbados.

ACCESS

ENROLMENT

At February 13, 2023 total enrolment stood at 6,423, with 5,349 students enrolled in undergraduate programmes (83.3%) and 1,074 students enrolled in postgraduate programmes (16.7%). Undergraduate enrolment was led by the Faculty of Social Sciences, boasting 2,794 students, followed by the Faculty of Science and Technology with 1,150 students.

Similarly, at the postgraduate level, the Faculty of Social Sciences maintained its dominance with 541 registered students, while the Faculty of Humanities and Education followed with 228 students.

In the context of nationalities, Barbados continued to have the highest representation at the Campus, making up 85.2% of undergraduate enrolment, while Trinidad and Tobago followed with a representation of 4.2%. At the postgraduate level, 77.5% of the student population were nationals of Barbados, followed by Trinidad and Tobago with 3.8%. A total of 22 nationalities were represented at the undergraduate level and 26 at the postgraduate level, thereby underscoring the rich diversity of nationalities of students of the Campus.

As in previous years, the gender disparity persisted, with males making up 34.3% of the undergraduate and 26.5% of the postgraduate student populations.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA

Undergraduate and postgraduate students at the Cave Hill Campus continued to perform commendably. The graduation summary data is shown below:

Total graduates: 1,486
Undergraduate degrees, diplomas and certificates:1,065 Postgraduate degrees, diplomas and certificates: 421

CURRICULUM RENEWAL

The Campus remained committed to curriculum renewal to maintain the relevance of academic offerings within a changing market. The new/revised programmes at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels are outlined below:

New/Revised Undergraduate Programmes

Faculty of Humanities and Education: BA Spanish (Revised)
Faculty of Science and Technology: BSc Minor in Sustainability of the Caribbean (New)

New Postgraduate Programmes

Faculty of Law:

Dip/LLM International Dispute Resolution LLM Competition Law and Policy

Double Degree:

LLM Corporate and Commercial Law with Dayton University, USA

Double Degree:

LLM Intellectual Property Law with Dayton University, USA

GENERAL OUTREACH

Faculty Open and Taster Week Series

During Semester 2 the Student Enrolment and Retention Unit (SERU) once again coordinated a very successful series of Faculty Open Weeks which ran from February to May 2023. During this period all faculties were allocated a full week to showcase their programmes and provide prospective students with an insight into life and learning as a student in their respective faculties. The faculties took responsibility for planning and organising their activities for the weeks, with assistance from the SERU and the Office of Marketing and Communications. The core activities of each Week were virtual undergraduate and postgraduate information sessions which provided opportunities for the faculties, as well as administrative offices to engage in Q & A with applicants and prospective applicants. This year, most faculties held in-person as well as virtual activities. Recordings of virtual information sessions were made available online for on-demand viewing following the live sessions. This year again, the SERU arranged for representatives from each faculty, including students, to appear live on the local television programme Mornin’ Barbados, throughout their assigned weeks.

REGIONAL OUTREACH

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

The SERU participated in The UWI Open House in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) during the period January 23–27, 2023 at the invitation of the Open Campus, SVG. The SAR, SERU was accompanied by the Deputy Dean, Recruitment and Outreach, Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts. During the period the team visited and made PowerPoint-supported presentations to nine schools and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College. Eight of the schools were located on the mainland while one was located on the island of Canouan.

From engagement with the students within the schools, it was noted that many of them had limited knowledge of The UWI and had not yet begun to think about studies beyond CSEC. However, the presentation which included several videos featuring student testimonials, was received with interest by many of the students. At the Community College, students were enthusiastic about The UWI and several of them had already applied or where contemplating applying to the Cave Hill Campus. At all the schools and the College the team engaged the students in Q & A about The UWI and the Cave Hill Campus and students were awarded small prizes.

Meetings were also held with representatives of the Ministry of Culture and the Carnival Development Committee. These meetings revealed the need for the FCCPA to reach out to such stakeholder organisations in the region to establish mutually beneficial relationships. Representatives of the Ministry of Culture expressed strong interest in accessing short professional development courses in the summer that might lead to further certification in their various artistic fields as well as longer courses to update their knowledge of cultural theories and expertise in their areas of the Arts. The team also had the honour of meeting with the Prime Minister, the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, who responded very positively to the idea of establishing a special scholarship for study of the Creative Arts in the FCCPA.

INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH Visits to Nigeria and Ghana

With the Cave Hill Campus having strategically established African countries as potential targets for international student recruitment and international collaboration more broadly, and more specifically as the Campus prepared to launch the new 3+3 medical degree programme articulated with the University of Ghana, the SERU sought to spearhead outreach to select African countries, beginning with Ghana and Nigeria.

The SAR, SERU visited these countries during the period September 26 to October 5, 2022, accompanied by the Director of Student Services and Development.

The primary goals of the visit were:

• To promote awareness of The UWI Cave Hill Campus as an attractive alternative for higher education for African students, among prospective students and their parents/ guardians, and the recruitment agents who advise them
• To recruit students for enrolment in 2023/24
• To strengthen the Campus’ relationship with relevant officers of the University of Ghana (UG) and the University of Ghana Medical School, towards successful implementation of the joint 3+3 medical programme
• To explore other areas for collaboration between the Cave Hill Campus and UG, under the general MOU, as a means of further promoting awareness and knowledge of The UWI in Ghana
• To establish a relationship with the Barbados Mission in Accra as a potential partner in the recruitment, enrolment and initiation
of Ghanaian students and possible future engagement of Ghanaian alumni of the Campus.

The primary activity during the visit was participation in the Lekkside International Education Fairs held in Abuja, Nigeria on September 28, 2022 and in Accra, Ghana on October 3, 2022. During these Fairs the team interacted with almost 300 prospective students. Among the primary observations were the following:

• Very few of the prospects had heard of The UWI prior to the Fair.
• Many of the prospective students seemed genuinely interested in The UWI as a potential study destination.
• Almost all those who visited the booth inquired about scholarship opportunities; opportunities to work while studying; stay- and-work opportunities after graduation; and the cost of living in Barbados.
• A large percentage of the prospects were interested in postgraduate programmes.
• At the undergraduate level, the main areas of interest were medicine and health and information technology and computer science.

During the visit to Ghana the team also met with the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat to explore possible scholarship funding for Ghanaian students admitted to the Cave Hill Campus.

PREPARATION FOR LAUNCH OF JOINT MEDICAL DEGREE PROGRAMME WITH UNIVERSITY OF GHAN

A The Student Enrolment and Retention Unit (SERU) continued to lead the Campus’ preparation for the implementation of the BSc Pre-clinical Sciences, Phase 1 of the 3+3 medical degree with the University of Ghana. The Senior Assistant Registrar, SERU served as Chair of the Implementation Committee. As Chair of the Implementation Committee the SAR, SERU liaised regularly with the SAR/Administrator and the Dean of the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) to resolve outstanding issues impacting the implementation of the programme, including the revision of the articulation agreement and the final approval by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). The Campus received notification of the approval by the GTEC in May 2023 after which promotion of the programme by both institutions began. The SAR, SERU worked with the SAR/Administrator of the UGMS to finalise the advertisements for the programme in Ghana. This included the preparation of the content for a marketing brochure which was designed in collaboration with the Cave Hill Office of Marketing and Communications. Despite the very short advertising period before the June 30 application deadline, SERU worked one-on- one with applicants to help launch this important joint medical degree programme with an inaugural cohort in academic year 2023–24.