After two and a half years of virtual operations, Academic Year 2022–2023 saw the resumption of face- to-face engagement following the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, while maintaining some activities and course/programme deliveries online. The Mona Campus capitalized on the lessons learnt during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, to enhance our approach to teaching, learning, research, administration, public service and advocacy, and local and international partnerships while satisfying the triple pillars of Access, Agility and Alignment undergirding the UWI 2022–2027 Strategic Plan.

The Mona Campus operations were in full alignment with this Strategic Plan, resulting in several achievements that point to the sustained growth of the University despite prevailing challenges. Moreover, we strategically coordinated our operations to host a variety of events in honour of The UWI’s 75th-anniversary celebrations, which commenced in January 2023.

The return of students to the residential spaces was remarkable. Most spaces were almost filled, this, even as residential clusters in some halls were closed for repair work.

Access

With the resumption of in-person operations, the Office of the Campus Registrar (OCR) implemented strategies to revive our declining admission numbers, to improve student experience, enhance staff welfare and to support the efforts of Senior Management to restore campus infrastructure to full functionality for in-person engagement.

To increase the enrolment of new students in the wake of two consecutive years of decline, the OCR rolled out an extensive social media campaign to reach prospects we would not otherwise have reached through the traditional school visits. This has resulted in a 23.5% increase in applicants and a 14% increase in new undergraduate student enrolment over the 2021–2022 academic year.

The gender disparity on the Mona Campus is evident as female registrants continue to outpace male registrants in the three academic years. For all three academic years under consideration in this report the female to male ratio on the Mona Campus was is ~2:1. The exception is, there is gender equity in the Faculty of Science and Technology where the female to male ratio is 1:1. In the smaller faculties of Engineering (1:4) and Sport (1:2) the ratio, as is expected, is skewed towards the male population. In the larger faculties of Humanities and Education (3:1), Social Sciences (2:1) and Medical Sciences (2:1) the opposite is true where female to male ratio skewed towards the female population. This is the most prominent in the 4:1 ratio for the Institute for Gender and Development Studies.

Enhancing the Student Experience

Digitalization of the Campus’ operations, specifically, the use of digital technology, business process re- engineering (and digital data) to drive innovations and improvements in operational efficiency and the customer experience was a priority in the resumption of in-person operations. To this end, MITS completed the automation business processes and services, including Student Course Evaluation System, Banner 9 Registration Online Portal, Electronic Timetabling System (ETS), VMC Process Automation (Automation of the workflow and the approval process of the Vacancy Monitoring Committee), and Graduate Student Progress Tracking.

To manage and execute the student advising process more efficiently, the OCR through the Registry Information Systems Unit rolled out the Curriculum Advising Planning Programme (CAPP) tool in the Faculty of Science & Technology (FST). CAPP, which was piloted in the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) in the previous year, proved to be an effective tool in monitoring and reporting on student progression throughout their course of study and enabled the faculties to provide academic advice more easily and to declare degrees.

The Planning Unit of the Office of the Deputy Principal successfully improved access to the Course Experience Review (CER) for students at our university. This enhancement was achieved through the integration of Qualtrics with the UWI Moodle platform, OurVLE. Prior to this integration, students were limited to accessing their course experience reviews solely through links sent to their email addresses. With the integration, students now have the option to access all their course experience reviews directly within OurVLE. This dual access approach provides students with increased convenience and flexibility in retrieving their course feedback. This increased accessibility to course experience reviews has encouraged more students to engage in the feedback process, leading to a more comprehensive and representative understanding of their academic experiences.

Upgrading multimedia enabled teaching spaces

The Campus established a budget of J$24M to assist in making all technology-enabled lecture theatres and other teaching spaces fit for purpose and operable for in-person teaching and learning. MITS completed the critical works for all teaching spaces on schedule, implemented additional technical infrastructure, and maintained and managed all teaching spaces throughout the academic year.

Improving mental health and building mental resilience

The abrupt shift to online education brought on by the coronavirus disease highlighted issues such as digital connectivity and access to resources, which have direct implications for students’ overall health and wellness. As social anxieties, amplified in the aftermath of COVID-19, came to the fore even as the fear of COVID infection dissipated we hosted several events focusing on wellness and mental health.

In acknowledgment of the urgent need for psychosocial support among our student and staff populations, amplified in the aftermath of COVID-19, and voiced through surveys, faculties rolled out initiatives to address this need. Of note is the Faculty of Science and Technology’s expansion of its Roll-With-It Programme which seeks to improve mental wellbeing and build mental resilience, playing a crucial role in student retention in degree programmes. Topics included: “A Week of Sleep” – A 5-day sleep series highlighting the importance of being well rested; “Building Mental Resilience” ; “November Fest: A 4-Week Challenge on Changing your Mindset” (whereby mental training challenges and activities were disseminated to improve dedication and commitment to personal goals); “Stress and Overwhelm Survey” of first year students; “Enhancing Teaching Techniques and Student Engagement”; February Love – Tips on improving self- love; and “Managing Stress – Discover the Roadmap for Academic Mastery”.

With a strong focus on reintegration and the cultivation of a more student-centric face-to-face educational environment, the FST’s Student Experience Team orchestrated a series of events to cater to the needs of the students. The primary goal was to foster a balanced and holistic experience for the students. The inaugural event was a faculty-wide “Meet and Greet” session, held at the departmental level. At the well-attended events, students had the opportunity to socialize with their peers and staff in a relaxed setting.

The findings of a Wellness Survey, an initiative of the Office of Student Services and Development (OSSD), provided solid ground upon which to build and focus programming on wellness initiatives, and campaigns to help students cope in their university career. To this end, most of the halls of residence rolled out robust health and wellness programmes for the academic year.

Addressing student hunger and food insecurity

With food insecurity among students emerging as a pressing concern, the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) spearheaded by the Associate Dean for Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation, launched its Food Cupboard Initiative in January 2023 to alleviate/ reduce food insecurity among FST students in the main. It is well established that hunger impedes cognition and therefore negatively impacts academic performance. It also takes a toll on mental and emotional wellbeing. FST partnered with The Free Likkle Cupboard, a local NGO that provides food cupboards at no cost. The Faculty received its first donation from the Grace Kennedy Foundation. There was ongoing promotion to staff, students, and potential partners to donate to this initiative as a means of sustaining the supply in the cupboard

Addressing student financing of higher education

The Office of Student Services and Development (OSSD) orchestrated the Orientation Programme to assist new students in easing the transition into university, as well as to highlight the various avenues to ways to access financing for their education. The Campus community financial institutions, as well as the Students’ Loan Bureau, S.W.A.T. International, Scotia Bank and Jamaica National Bank, occupied booth spaces in the Orientation Village, providing new students the chance to browse their offerings and ask detailed questions about one of the major roadblocks to accessing higher education — funding/financing.d

The Placement and Careers Services Section of the OSSD assisted in 800 students in getting part-time employment in and off the Campus and some 1,045 applications were received for Summer Employment.d

Throughout the 2022–2023 academic year, alumni, retired colleagues, and friends of the University demonstrated their commitment to expanding access to tertiary education through the establishment of scholarships/awards and the enhancement of teaching and laboratory facilities. The collective contributions in the Faculty of Science and Technology alone amounted to approximately J$10.4 million.

Online delivery of courses augmenting in-person (face-to- face) modality

Prior to the pandemic, less than 30 percent of courses had the benefit of some online content and electronic learning resources supporting the in- person delivery. The pandemic necessitated the use of both synchronous and asynchronous online delivery modalities (and assessment) of the full content of all courses. This capability provided students with an expanded, anywhere, anytime learning experience across all courses. Survey findings indicated that students significantly valued this capability.

As a result, MITS collaborated with faculties to promote and maintain rich course content, electronic learning resources, online activities and engagement via the Campus learning management system. This provided and expanded a blended delivery modality, enhancing and improving the quality of in-person (face- to-face) teaching and learning. Further, MITS expanded the services offered to online clients, providing opportunities for them to reach the Campus anywhere, at any time. The result was an increase in the uptake of virtual programmes.

Delivery of new and improved academic programmes and courses

The Campus rolled our several new or revised courses/programmes designed for relevance and an enhanced student experience. We highlight a few below.

Strategic initiatives aimed at driving the Campus’s Research Agenda were evident in new postgraduate courses, among them, the Faculty of Science and Technology’s faculty-wide research methods course titled, Research Method for the Sciences approved for implementation in September 2024. The course will be a requirement for all new graduate students.

The Faculty of Engineering (FOE) continued to effect changes to the curricula of all four of its Bachelor of Science degree programmes as a part of the ongoing endeavour to continuously assess and improve course content, remain in step with industry standards, bring them in alignment with recommendations from international accreditors ABET, while maintaining the teaching and learning objectives of the Faculty.

The School of Medical Radiation Technology (SMRT), the premier training school of the Caribbean region, supplying local, regional, and international markets with professional imaging technologists, developed a five- year BSc Improved Diagnostic Imaging (Radiography) programme. The demand for radiographers in modern medicine is at an all-time high globally and has led to Jamaica struggling to retain its graduates. The Board of Undergraduate Studies (BUS) approved the improved programme for implementation in the 2023–2024 academic year.

The Faculty of Humanities and Education’s strategic focus in the reporting year was on opportunities for students to develop professional competencies. To this end, it introduced a Humanities Internship course. To align with emerging industry demands, the Faculty also engaged in ongoing efforts to develop minors in Digital Humanities and in Entrepreneurship in the Humanities, as well as an Associate of Arts degree for entrants on lower matriculation.

For higher degree courses, FHE introduced the DMin Research Project; Issues in Caribbean Media and Communication: Class, Race, Gender, Ethnicity, Media, Communication, and Caribbean Society; and modified its delivery and assessment of the Institutional Translation, Financial Translation, Management of Translation Project courses, as well as The History of the Church in the West Indies. The School of Education changed the nomenclature of the MPhil/PhD in Curriculum Development to MPhil/PhD in Curriculum Instruction.

The Faculty of Social Sciences introduced programmes, including its graduate course, Caribbean Cultures and Heritage: Debating Cultural Curatorship, and modified the MSc in Marketing and Data Analytics programme.

In the spirit of “One-UWI”, the Department of Geography and Geology embarked on cross-campus teaching collaborations with colleagues from the Department of Geography in St. Augustine. Students from St. Augustine were able to enrol in Mona’s Applied GIS and Remote Sensing Course as part of the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) minor.

Rajasthan Royals gave preliminary approval for The UWI Faculty of Sport (FSP) to use the Faculty’s body of knowledge on Sport Science and Nutrition in a short course on its educational platform. An MOU is expected to be signed in the first quarter of 2023/2024 to formalise the partnership with Rajasthan Royals — a partnership that is expected to open the doors for delivery of short courses to a global market.

Further, FSP pursued for development and offering a certificate course in sport administration management in partnership with the Pan Am Sports Organisation and CANOC and The Open Campus. The UWI Faculty of Sport also received approval for the roll-out of The Executive Master’s European Caribbean High Performance Sport Management. A grant from the Association of French Universities valued at €15,000.00 enabled development of this programme in the FOS.

AGILITY

Building Research Capacity

To establish and maintain a Research Computing Capability, Mona Information and Technology Services (MITS) designed, implemented, and managed research computing to enable new areas of research in climate science, artificial intelligence and machine learning, renewable energy, material sciences, biochemistry, and other areas. This initiative sought to enable high impact academic research by providing advanced computing platforms, methods, and resources for faculty and research groups.

MITS also provided the technical management and support of the SPARK High Performance Computing Cluster (HPCC) platform to drive research in several areas. Funded through the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR), a funding mechanism under the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) initiative for assisting developing countries in integrating climate resilience within their development planning and investment agendas.

attributed support for an international collaboration with Taiyuan University of Technology and ten peer- reviewed publications to computational work executed on the SPARK HPPC. The use of HPPC is also helping our students to gain invaluable expertise in the field of computational physics.

The Faculty of Medical Sciences re-engineered Health Research Resource Unit (HRRU) to the Clinical Translational Research Unit (CTRU) and continues to grow from strength to strength. The Deputy Dean of Research met with all the departments and created an outline of how they should restructure themselves to ensure that research is promoted. The Unit has also been strengthened by the employment of a research manager whose responsibility it is to have overall responsibility for overseeing the research activities, ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget, while also making sure that all research activities adhere to relevant policies and standards. This new employee has a comprehensive understanding of the UWI research processes, experience in all aspects of clinical research including but not limited to regulatory, data management, coordination, fiscal and project management, budget planning and development.

The new Unit has had several workshops for the Faculty over the last academic year. In one of these workshops the FMS Research Studies Toolkit – Design to Publication: A Practical Guide was launched. It is designed for use by student researchers and research supervisors as a practical guide to support the development of research work in the FMS. This document is a resource and support mechanism for students pursuing research methods courses offered in the Faculty. Additionally, members of faculty may find this document helpful in the course of their research programmes.

This first edition of the research toolkit focuses on quantitative research procedures and outlines various stages of the research process, commencing at the critical research conceptualization phase and culminating in the research publication phase. This resource aims to simplify and clarify the research process across the various stages. It recognizes the translational science pathways, especially in relation to the multi-disciplinary nature of the training and research programmes of the Mona-based Faculty of Medical Sciences.

From the ‘bench to the bedside’, the translational science principle supports applications for clinical research, clinical practice, and population health programming.

This will provide a baseline guide for persons who may be at various stages in their research journey. This resource may also be informative for students, researchers, and staff members in other faculties of the wider UWI. The Toolkit is available on the Clinical Translational Research Unit page – FMS website at: https://www. mona.uwi.edu/fms/clinical-translational-research-unit

FMS also published the CARPHA Supplement Journal for its annual conference during the reporting year. The Journal resumed acceptance of new manuscripts using online platforms and continues to be very important for FMS Faculty as many young researchers start their academic career and publishing through this journal.

The SUNY-UWI Centre for Sustainable Leadership Development and the SUNY Global Health Institute held the 4th joint session of the SUNY-UWI Health Research Consortium and the SUNY Global Health Institute Workshop. This symposium was geared towards building research capacity through subgroups with specific interests. Slowly, collaboration is being fostered between the two institutions.

During its annual research conference FMS’s CARPHA Supplement Journal resumed acceptance of new manuscripts from September 2022, using online platforms. The Journal continues to be very important for our Faculty as many young researchers start their academic career and publishing through this journal.

The SUNY-UWI Centre for Sustainable Leadership Development and the SUNY Global Health Institute held the 4th joint session of the SUNY-UWI Health Research Consortium and the SUNY Global Health Institute Workshop during the academic year. The SUNY-UWI Health Research Consortium’s symposium was geared towards building research capacity through subgroups with specific interests. Slowly, collaboration is being fostered between the two institutions.

Collaborating with Caribbean Institute of Health Research (CAIHR), FMS re-established the Research Fellowships Programme to build research capacity in the Faculty.

In the Faculty of Humanities and Education (FHE) an MPhil/PhD taskforce was constituted with leadership drawn from among postgraduate students across departments. Activities of the task force included a session titled, “Sip and Write: The Literature Review”, the launch of a new initiative – Ignite Sessions: Research in Progress – to create a space for research students to meet to offer peer support, critique, and share ideas, and creation of a WhatsApp group to facilitate communication among research students. The Faculty also introduced its first Postgraduate Networking Cocktail event.

FHE also launched its inaugural Research Index of scholarly work, covering the 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years to increase access to, and enhance the visibility of the FHE’s scholarly work. Where relevant, abstracts are provided, and URLs and DOIs to facilitate access to the publication. Available at https://www. mona.uwi.edu/humed/sites/default/files/humed/fhe_ research_index_2023.pdf

Also, in FHE, Deputy Deans for Postgraduate Matters and of Marketing and Resource Mobilisation collaborated on an initiative, Towards a 21st Century Researcher-led Faculty of Humanities and Education, aimed at developing a model for collaborative, interdisciplinary research, and resource mobilisation. To this end, an online form was developed, which approximately 60% of staff completed, so that a Research Map could be compiled for the Faculty. To support its publication agenda, especially for early career researchers, faculty also collaborated on a Call for Authors and several activities for the respondents, including a series of writing workshops that were attended by some 18 staff members.

The Dean’s Office in the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) developed a Graduate Coordinator Reference Guide. This guide will serve as a valuable reference tool for Graduate Coordinators in the execution of their responsibilities.

There were three peer-reviewed articles published in the UWI Faculty of Sport. Additionally, over 40 articles were published in the two newspaper columns, Sport Matters and Sport Pulse, in the Trinidad Guardian and the Jamaica Gleaner respectively with submissions from staff across the Faculty, our graduate students at the Mona Academy, as well as from guest contributors.

At the Western Jamaica Campus a year-long free coaching programme to ensure the completion and award of their PhD thesis was launched by staff at the Mona Unit in collaboration with the Office of Graduate Studies.

The Mona Library collaborated with the Office of Graduate Studies and Research and industry partnered with EBSCO Information Services and Pramoneng Engineering for the third year in a row to successfully host The Three Minute Thesis Competition: The UWI 75th Anniversary Edition. The 3MT competition is an international programme which challenges research degree students to effectively explain their dissertation/ thesis and its significance to a non-specialist audience in three minutes. The aim is to increase researchers’ • academic, presentation, and research communication skills. In addition to the opportunities to promote their research project to a wider community and the academic benefits, the competitors benefited from awards and monetary prizes. Three Campuses (Mona, Cave Hill and St. Augustine) competed at The UWI Level for the coveted 3MT Trophy, cash awards and gift certificates. Mona copped both the first prize and the prize for research output of Library staff. The UWI 75th Anniversary Principal’s Research Awards Ceremony, revived after a three-year hiatus, recognized the research output of Library staff.

Initiatives to increase and improve Academic/Industry Research Partnerships

The Faculty of Social Sciences increased and improved academic/industry research partnerships and collaborations through active engagements with various organizations and groups, among these:

• The Department of Economics’ collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the Public Sector to establishment a Fiscal Research Centre/Institute within the Department of Economics with the GOJ promised endowment of $200,000,000.
• The Department of Government Partnership with the Embassy of Japan in Jamaica in hosting two lectures – a lecture on the Free and Open International Cooperation (FOIC) Framework delivered by Mr. So Umezaki, Director, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), and a lecture on Free and Open Indo-Pacific delivered by Dr. Masami Ishida, Professor in the Department of International Development Studies at the Bioresource College at the Nihon University in Japan.
• Partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Jamaica Office in hosting two lectures — one on “Transformation of Global Health Governance and Japan’s Role in It” delivered by Professor Kayo Takuma from Tokyo Metropolitan University, and the other, “Educational Development in Modernization in Japan” delivered by Dr. Nobuko Kayashima, Senior Research Adviser at Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development of JICA.
• The Mona School of Business and Management initiated a partnership with the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) for final projects with graduate students.
• Researchers within the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work finalized and validated a data appreciation tool for UNFPA Data Appreciation Project.
• Research Fellows at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) played a significant role:
  • in the field of information and communication technologies in coordinating the publication of the proceedings of the AIS SIG GlobDev 2022 Workshop on ICTs and Global Development;
  • in the field of migration and development, participation in various events and working groups related to international migration and development, including attending stakeholder engagement sessions and stocktaking meetings organized by the International Organization for Migration, as well as participating in discussions on climate mobility and 2023 World Development Report (Caribbean Background Paper on Migration);
  • in the field of democracy research, serving as country experts for the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project, co-hosted by the University of Gothenburg and University of Notre Dame. The V-Dem project is a new approach to the conceptualization and measurement of democracy and is one of the largest social science research-oriented data collection programmes;
  • in the field of criminal justice and corrections serving, as Technical Secretary and Chair of the Juvenile Working Group for The Bureau of Standards Jamaica’s Correctional Services Standards Technical Committee. Additionally, Fellows participated in webinars, meetings and expert panels such as the Howard League for Penal Reform and the International Corrections and Prisons Association Delphi Panel.

Restoring Financial Health to The UWI

All Departments and Faculties reviewed their operations with a view to reducing operating costs. Notably, the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS) saw a significant scaling down of associate lecturers at the affiliated sites, which addressed the untenable ratios of associate lecturers: students to a more acceptable distribution. This cost saving exercise resulted in the Faculty’s reducing the expenditure of employing associate lecturers by approximately J$80 million.

Commercial units during the academic year 2022– 2023 also made efforts towards achieving profitability. Notably, the University Bookshop recorded a 90 percent reduction in operating deficit for the period and achieved the highest increase in revenue for any one period, 76.9% over the previous year.

The Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS) continued to reach out to its alumni to promote an actively engaged and diverse alumni body. At the initiative of Professor Emeritus Sir George Alleyne, former Chancellor of The UWI, a more formal arrangement with the Medical Alumni for contribution to the FMS began with the intention of engaging alumni in funding and other activities.

The Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) through its Resource Mobilization Unit (RMU) successfully pursued new grant funding from external sources during the academic year. The RMU has been pivotal to successfully maintaining existing partnerships and forging new collaborations with government ministries, private sector entities, external grant agencies, and alumni. The Unit also made substantial progress toward the launch of the FST Alumni Association scheduled for academic year 2023–2024. A notable precursor to this launch was the successful hosting of a 75th Anniversary Alumni Brunch and Lyme event on July 16, 2023. The RMU continues to serve as the primary facilitator for negotiations pertaining to internal UWI processes concerning grant agreements and provides invaluable support for project oversight, affording principal investigators greater flexibility in the execution of their research tasks. Furthermore, the Unit exercises a strategic oversight role in managing the consistent growth of the Faculty’s Endowment Fund.

Using its Global Reputation to restore Financial Health to The UWI

The Campus pursued several initiatives aimed at converting the University’s “reputational value into much needed revenue” (2022–2027 Strategic Plan). This was evident in the efforts at collaboration with overseas and local entities for partnership and investments in programmes that have development and economic value to our region.

For example, the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College (TCICC) engaged our School of Nursing (UWISON) to place final year nursing students in its programme to gain clinical experiences at The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI). This resulted in a joint memorandum of understanding among the UWI, the UHWI and the TCICC.

The Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) activated its Partnerships for Development Series aimed at increasing the number of international exchange programmes for students and staff, inviting guest lecturers to enrich the student experience in classes and co-hosting workshops and seminars, among other objectives. To this end, Ambassadors, Resident Representatives and Chargé D’affaires from Germany, Colombia, Costa Rica, Britain, The United Nations Population Fund, The Organization of American States, The Embassy of Argentina (Donation of books on the Falkland Islands), The Embassy of Germany (Entrepreneurship Training Programme), The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (expression of support for a possible project) and The High Commission of Canada actively participated.

The FSS partnered with overseas universities as follows:

• The new course “Caribbean Cultures and Heritage: Debating Cultural Curatorship” (SOCI6121) taught through The Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work and co-taught by the University of St. Andrews (Scotland)
• Preliminary discussions held with St. Mary’s University, Canada for dual degree programmes (The Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work)
• Yale University for their “Yale Research Initiative on Innovation and Scale” conference (Department of Economics)
• McGill University and the Tokyo Metropolitan University to strengthen international academic partnerships (Department of Government)
• Queen’s University, Smith Business School Partnership to strengthen international academic partnerships (The Mona School of Business and Management)
• Successful joint British Academy Grant application with the School of Advanced Studies at the University of London and Dr. Doreen Gordon (The Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work) to develop the writing skills of junior scholars at universities in the region. UWI Mona will be one of the locations where training will be carried out in January 2024.
• Promotion of the BSc/MSc Politics and International Cooperation (MPIC) Programme through the Department of Government’s attendance at various events organized by the Embassy of France in Jamaica, and visits to the University of Sciences Po, Bordeaux.

Advancing dialogue with industry players and international partner universities signalled even greater potential for the future of the WJC. Of special note were the signing of the cooperation agreement with CHEC and the UWI Global Health Institute to construct a civil engineering lab at the WJC Irwin property, and the participation of James Madison University in WJC’s International Study Visit Programme.

Expanding UWI’s Global Footprint

Faculty members actively sought out regional and international collaborations and partnerships with various institutions with the specific intention to expand the UWI’s global footprint. Notably, in the FSS there was:

• continued partnership between the United Nations (UN) Jamaica and the Department of Economics to host the Jamaican Economy Panel (JEP), bringing together a select group of economic and public sector experts to address a monthly series of socioeconomic questions in formats that engage and empower the public;
• the Department of Government’s Guest Lectures and Public Lecture Series, with lectures delivered by members of the diplomatic corps (The European Union in Jamaica, Embassy of Japan, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency) and visiting academics;
• acceptance by the Department of Government of an invitation from the U.S. Embassy, Kingston to attend a film screening of “Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice” showcasing issues related to civil and political rights in the USA, in commemoration of Black History Month;
• signing of a partnership agreement between The Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work (SPSW) and the Public Assistance Programme, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, an initiative under the National Poverty Reduction Programme (NPRP) of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), to place Social Work students at the Public Assistance Division of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security as part of their course of study.

ALIGNMENT

As reported above, the teaching and research initiatives of the Mona Campus are designed to align with student, national and regional development needs, and emerging global imperatives. Critical work relating to in our Institutes, Centres and Faculties further demonstrates our university’s commitment to addressing pressing development issues.

ICENS

At the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences (ICENS), the academic year saw the continuation of projects aligned with Vision 2030 and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Specifically, the national IAEA project JAM5014 – Establishing a Self-Contained Gamma Irradiation Facility for the Introduction of Sterile Insect Technique and Experimental Mutagenesis and Diagnostic Technologies addresses Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)#3, Good Health and Well Being, and specifically target 3.3.3 and 3.3.5 which according to the WHO’s “Keeping the Vector Out” document includes vector-borne diseases such as Chagas disease, leishmaniosis, dengue, Zika and chikungunya. The crop mutagenesis component of the project addresses SDG #2 Zero Hunger, specifically targeting 2.3, 2.4, and 2.5 as well as 2.a.

ICENS work also continued to address the mitigation of the lead hazard through the work of the Paint and Surface Coatings Technical Committee. This aligns with National Goals 1 and 4 of Vision 2030. This is also the case with Jamaica’s representation at the Minamata Convention on Mercury where we participated at The Group of Technical Experts on Mercury Thresholds meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. ICENS research into the feasibility of nuclear power in Jamaica, specifically as it relates to Small Modular Reactors (SMR) aligns with Vision 2030 goal #3 and specifically with national outcome 10: Energy Security and Efficiency.

The ICENS, as mentioned, generates income through grant funding from several projects, either entirely administered by the Centre or where the ICENS is the lead or participating organization representing the member state. These include:

• CRP D52042 – Implementation of Nuclear Techniques for Authentication of Foods with High- Value Labelling Claims, running from March 2019 to March 2024 and earmarked to receive total funding of €35,000.
• JAM1001 – Upgrade of Reactor Infrastructure at the University of West Indies SLOWPOKE Facility JM-1 – which had a start date of January 2016 and is ongoing and the budget for this project is €810,000.00.
• JAM5014 – Establishing a Self-Contained Gamma Irradiation Facility for the Introduction of Sterile Insect Technique and Experimental Mutagenesis and Diagnostic Technologies, a national project approved in January 2020 with an initial budget of €750,000.00.
• RLA1022 – Improving the Satisfaction of Regional Demand for Products and Services of Nuclear Research Reactors (ARCAL CLXXX) with a total budget allocation of total IAEA budget allocated for this regional project to date is €625,525.00.
• RLA5089 – Evaluating the Impact of Heavy Metals and Other Pollutants on Soils Contaminated by Anthropogenic Activities and Natural Origin (ARCAL CLXXVII) commencing in 2022 with a total budget of €1,393,800.00.
• RLA9087 – Building Strength and Sustaining the National Regulatory Bodies commencing in January 2020 and closing in December 2023.

Faculty of Social Sciences

Dr. Ruth Baker-Gardner’s book, Academic Integrity in the Caribbean: Plagiarism Policies, Perception, Prevalence and Possible Solutions (UWI Press), published in December 2022, was thrown into the spotlight as ChatGPT became publicly available early in 2023, causing both excitement and concern.

Institute of Gender and Development Studies

The UWI actively creates and sustains, as a core value, a social, academic, and administrative culture that supports and promotes gender equality and justice within its environment. Coincides with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (2015–2030), which include Goal #5 (Gender Equality) as well as gender as a cross-cutting issue to achieve all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. There was an increase in the number of registered students in courses offered in the Mona Unit of the Institute of Gender and Development Studies (IGDS) compared to the last academic year. Fifteen students were awarded the BS in Gender and Development at the graduation ceremony held on November 4, 2022. Members of staff participated in several outreach activities to raise awareness of gender issues and raise the visibility of the IGDS.

Leadership in industry, government, and social policy

Faculty members continued their strong public service engagements. Sixty-four FSS faculty and staff members reported serving on approximately 194 boards, committees, and technical and working groups. Representation included the public sector, private sector, non-UWI scholarly/professional associations/entities or civil society/NGO/other.

Preparing students for the world of work

The University’s mission to align itself with relevant academic-industry partnerships is evident in the work of the Placement and Career Services Unit and the Office of Student Services and Development.

Placement and Career Services hosted its 30th Annual World of Work aimed at assisting students (particularly final years) to develop the “soft” skills and competencies needed to make them competitive for the world of work. The Section also mounted the Annual Career Awareness Month Activities under the theme, “Finding Your Step in a Changing Global Market” and, in response to the changing global market needs, collaborated with each faculty and industry personnel to provide specialized career seminars. Topics included “Career Options with my Degree” and “The Changing Global Market”.

The OSSD’s Director’s Leadership Institute was birthed out of a need to train the UWI Student Leader in matters of ethics and how this intersects with and is critical to theories and practices of leadership. It is a direct response to the changing needs of our current student leaders, who daily interface with ethical and moral dilemmas, which question their character and test their capabilities to inspire and influence others. The Institute was delivered to student leaders across all the halls of residence and commuter population, reaching upwards of 220 student leaders across the campus.

The UWI Mentorship Programme continues to be an important avenue through which the OSSD facilitates student affective learning and development. The Programme was designed to strengthen the leadership and management skills of students and to connect them with university and corporate leaders. It continues to be oversubscribed as the number of students applying participate is much larger than the number of suitable mentors registered for the programme.

Research indicates that compared to non-mentored individuals, those with mentors tend to be more satisfied with their careers, enjoy more promotions and higher income, report greater commitment to the organization or profession, and are more likely to mentor others in turn.

During the 2022/2023 academic year, 122 mentors and the corresponding number of mentees participated in the programme. The mentors assisted students in areas such as career planning and professional guidance, building self-confidence and self-esteem, and were generally role models for the student mentee.

Social Accountability, Outreach, and Community Engagement

The Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) continued its outreach initiatives to engage our stakeholders — showing the value of science and technology for society — while showcasing research and teaching capacities existing within the Faculty.

Showcasing Science: The FST hosted a Science Festival as part of the 75th Anniversary celebrations of The University of the West Indies. The festival showcased science and technology in business, government, security, health and wellness, environment, and education as well as products and services developed through science and technology. It also provided a space for the public to engage with science and technology in interactive, informative, and innovative ways. Over 3,000 persons passed through the two-day festival.

Other key UWI 75th activities outreach activities hosted were the Science Discourse: The Professor Speaks, Science for Today series and departmental seminars which continued to encourage discourse on the science aspects of topical issues while showcasing current research and researchers. In 2022/2023, the departments and their collaborators hosted the weekly Biotechnology, Chemistry, Life Sciences and Mathematics Seminar Series, Disaster Heritage: Can Memorialising Disaster Make People More Resilient? – A Discussion Forum, A Symposium on Global Security Perceptive, Synchrotron Light: Energizing Modern Advanced Economies in Caribbean Islands Symposium

• Let the Research Speaks for Itself Part 1 – an international collaboration with a consortium of universities
• Inaugural Lecture for Professor Tannecia Stephenson
• A Special UWI 75th Lecture with Prof. Paul Reese: Harvesting a Selection of the Fruits of Nature
• A Seminar in honour of Professor emeritus Kenneth Eugene Magnus: The Legacy of Prof. Kenneth Magnus: Transforming Lives, Institutions and the Economy.
• ChatGPT and Education: Threat or Opportunity – a public lecture?

STEM Building in High Schools: The Department of Mathematics continued its successful annual Jamaican Mathematical Olympiad program. The 2022–2023 edition saw the participation of 2,800 students from 92 schools and a return to a face-to-face experience. Similarly, the Faculty returned to face-to-face modality for its annual CAPE workshops in chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, geography, and computer science. These workshops remain a valuable resource with over 1,500 high school students from more than 30 schools across Jamaica participating in the January 2023 edition.

In collaboration with Addiscoders Inc, the CHOR Foundation, and members of the diaspora, the Department of Computing hosted the second edition of the JamCoders free residential Summer Camp. This unique programme exposed 50 secondary students from Jamaica to a comprehensive four-week journey into coding and algorithms during the summer of 2023. The programme’s success was greatly enhanced by collaboration with 12 partner organizations. Additionally, the Faculty coordinated a Summer Internship programme in conjunction with the Bethel Baptist Church, placing eight secondary students in various departments and the Health Centre to provide them with valuable on-the-job experience. The Faculty also continues to play a significant role in engaging numerous secondary institutions, while serving as a central ‘resource centre’ for laboratory activities and educational tours.

STEM Teaching: The Building Out Our STEM Teachers (BOOST) programme, established in 2021, was designed to address the persistent gap caused by the annual migration of STEM educators in Jamaica by cultivating a steady supply of high-calibre STEM teachers. Since its inception, BOOST has successfully recruited 34 Teacher Fellows, with 28 currently active, across 23 different schools spanning eight parishes. Notably, the programme has achieved an impressive retention rate of 80% for Cohort 1, with 12 out of 15 teachers choosing to remain in the classroom for a second year. BOOST’s impact is significant, directly influencing 5,307 students to date. This initiative is sustained through ongoing support of nine strategic partnerships drawn from the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.

STEM Teaching Competencies: In an era of rapid technological advancement, educators must also be at the forefront of digital transformation by utilizing available ICT tools to enhance (not replace) their pedagogical practices. To this end, The UWI, Mona, in collaboration with E-Learning Jamaica Company Limited, successfully conducted an Artificial Intelligence (AI) workshop for secondary school teachers entitled, “Artificial Intelligence: An Orientation and Exploration of its Classroom Applications” .The workshop, jointly hosted by the FST and the Faculty of Humanities and Education, welcomed an enthusiastic cohort of approximately 40 teachers eager to explore the potential of integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) in their classrooms.

School Engagement: In collaboration with the Campus’ Marketing and Communications Department, FST visited over 20 secondary intuitions across Jamaica.

Engaging Yam Farmers: A programme to reach yam farmers was initiated by the Biotechnology Centre in collaboration with a team of farmers in Harker’s Hall, St. Catherine and endorsed by the St. Catherine 4-H Clubs. The programme is named the Yam Youth Farmers Training Programme and brings together academics, young and old yam farmers, and agricultural educators. This collaboration has produced several firsts including D. trifida true seeds being germinated in vitro. Several field farmer training days and presentations on occurred.

Health Professions Education Unit

The Health Professions Education Unit (HPEU) in the Faculty of Medical Sciences continued to be engaged in activities under its mandate to promote, develop, implement, and monitor health professions’ education initiatives. This academic year there was a concentrated effort to develop the Mentorship Initiative programme.

Building relationships with governments, sport governing bodies and sporting entities

Following a visit to Jamaica by the Honourable Minister of Sport, Trinidad and Tobago, the University Faculty of Sport (FSP) submitted a proposal for a Community Inclusion Programme for the Trinidadian Government’s consideration.

The Honourable Mia Motley, Prime Minister of Barbados, delivered the 22nd Annual Frank Worrell Memorial Lecture, addressing the state of West Indies cricket. She used the opportunity to remind Caribbean governments that they have a responsibility to see to the development of the game of cricket; recommending that new governance structures be put in place for its sustainability. Apart from pointing out problematic issues, action items were identified, and much attention was gained in regional and international media.

FSP launched a webinar series titled Debates in Sports Ethics. Two episodes of the series were delivered through the collaborative efforts of the Department of Language, Linguistics and Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities and Education (Mona); the Institute for Gender and Development Studies (St. Augustine); the UWI Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Unit; and the FSP. The UWI signed an MOU with the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) with the aim of fostering greater development of athletes, coaches, and sports administrators.

Supporting national and regional legal framework.

The Faculty of Law (FOL) hosted its 9th Annual Symposium on Law, Governance and Society at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel and online, under the theme “Vision 2030: Towards Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions”. The keynote speaker was Mr. Bruce Golding, the Former Prime Minister of Jamaica. The areas of concentration were: Jamaica ... Towards a Republic; Emerging Copyright Issues; Global Health; Financial Crime; AML/CFT Obligations and International Financial Services. The symposium was attended by participants and presenters from local and several overseas territories. Over 100 delegates were present both online and in person on both days.

Pro-bono legal support services provided to the Government of Jamaica

FOL pro-bono legal support service to the Minister of Justice, the Hon. Mr. Delroy Chuck, to assist in the development of a better-established framework for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Jamaica. The work with Minister Chuck has been with a view to securing the implementation of a Mediation Act for Jamaica. Faculty member also served in a pro-bono capacity as a Member of the State of Emergency Review Tribunal for the Parish of Trelawny.

Outreach to the Caribbean

The FOL provided support for a new programme implemented at the University of Guyana, and a member of faulty served a Senior Technical Team Member under the IMPACT Justice Programme, which drafted what has become the CARICOM Model Law for Arbitration. It is currently being reviewed for implementation in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and St. Lucia. It is anticipated that all Caribbean countries still with old model arbitration legislation will implement the CARICOM model law soon.

In Belize, the Faculty also worked with local partners to establish Street Law, Belize as a branch of Street Law Caribbean. During 2022–2023, Street Law Belize continued its work in several high schools. The Street Law curriculum has been implemented and has been increasing in impact in Belize and elsewhere across the region.

Outreach in medicine

The Faculty of Medical Sciences continued to be involved in outreach projects and inter-professional education. These outreach activities benefited needy communities across Jamaica. Dr. Thaon Jones, the chair of this committee, together with his team, involves students of the Faculty and have staged several successful Outreaches. The inter-professional Outreaches have been the most visible outcome of the committee’s work. These Outreaches support underserved patient care populations across Jamaica and educate healthcare units on the roles served by students and responsibilities of patient care. Areas of focus and student involvement for these Outreaches are medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, physical therapy, social work, public health, radiography and research scientists.

The committee organized four main Faculty Outreaches in 2022–2023, visiting the following locations: Westmoreland St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Petersfield, St. Ann – Walkerswood Academy, St. Andrew – Christian Life Fellowship Church, and Kingston – Tarrant Primary and Junior High School. The number of patients seen ranged from a low of 40 to a high of 70 patients in various disciplines. In 2022, the committee was invited to an Outreach at the Randolph Lopez School of Hope where patients from the Jamaica Association of Intellectual Disabilities were seen. The committee has been asked to consider adding this location to the four annual Outreach locations.

An FMS Social Accountability Award has been introduced at the Faculty’s Students Awards Ceremony. This award is given to the student from a programme who is outstanding in at least one of the following criteria: organization and function accountability – actively involved in organized and structured clubs, groups that promote social accountability; educational accountability – demonstrated participation in seminars, workshops, conferences directly related to social accountability; research accountability – conducts research, publishes/presents on topics directly related to social accountability; and contribution to health services accountability – volunteers and actively participates in health services designed activities in social accountability; environmental accountability – promotes environmentally sustainable solutions to address health concerns in social accountability.

Supporting women in need

The Institute of Gender and Development Studies launched The Handbag Project in commemoration of International Women’s Day, with the aim of providing personal hygiene items and handbags to women and children in need. The project was a great success, with the team visiting two facilities—the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre and the Combined Disabilities Association—to distribute the items. The Handbag Project initiative was a wonderful way to commemorate International Women’s Day and to provide support to those in need. The IGDS team’s dedication and hard work made a real difference in the lives of the recipients, and we are proud of their efforts.

Mona Social Services (MSS) community engagement

The MSS utilized a six-pillar model to guide its community engagement and outreach initiatives. The model includes education and skills training, entrepreneurship, health, sports and culture, crime and violence reduction and peace. The Unit also targeted a wide age group ranging from kindergarten to the elderly in its service delivery. The engagement activities consisted of parenting workshops, peace monitor sessions, summer camps, film training and other empowerment programmes

In commemoration of UWI 75th Anniversary celebration, MSS/UWI Community Film Project (Community Film Project) hosted a suite of initiatives. These included: two Edu-Lecture series themed ‘Igniting Community Development Through Empowerment’; a tour of Greater August Town; a community exhibition on campus, and impressively, the production of the Principal’s documentary titled “The Untold Legacy of the UWI Mona Principals” which was featured as one of Greater August Town Film Festival (GATFFEST) 2023 premiere events. The 2023 staging was the largest ever, boasting a record-breaking number of embassy partners and an overall increase in sponsorship and partnerships. Additionally, support from filmmakers and patrons grew significantly.

The execution of MSS/UWICFP activities were beneficial and impacted over 2,000 residents from the communities served, and consequently forged new partnerships and strengthened the relationship with residents, UWI staff, students, and other key stakeholders.

MSS implemented a Kitchen Garden Project at the Hope Valley Experimental School. This project was made possible by funds received from the Froebel’s Trust, a UK-based organisation (https://www.froebel.org.uk/), as well as technical assistance from the Lions Club of Mona and the Faculty of Engineering, UWI. The objective of the garden is to grow vegetables to supplement the school feeding programme. The project also serves as a teaching aid and a natural oasis where children ages 4 to 6 years can learn, play and interact with nature, thereby contributing to their wellbeing. The garden’s accompanying drip irrigation water system also serves to maintain the garden and improve the school’s water supply.

The kitchen garden currently impacts approximately 700 students and staff directly. Through the school’s breakfast and lunch programmes, 200 students are benefiting while over 500 students and staff are benefiting respectively. The kitchen garden is self-sustaining. While it enhances food security at the school, it has also been able to generate excess supply, thereby generating income that is used to procure more seedlings and farm supplies to sustain the garden. It is the intention of the MSS/UWICFP to establish and reestablish other kitchen garden initiatives in schools in August Town and other communities being served.

UWI OneLife developing university students and community

UWI OneLife aims to serve as a conduit for facilitating public service and outreach activities in which both students and faculty are involved. It is a community engagement programme which seeks to enhance the lives of our student membership and that of surrounding communities.

Its objectives include helping the University in its pursuit to develop stronger ties with the community; aiding “at risk” and vulnerable social groups on a regional level, socio-economically; instilling a deeper sense of service in students; and helping students to become more aware of some of the prevalent problems in the community.

OneLife participated in the International Coastal Clean-up in 2022. The team was assigned to the Boardwalk beach in Hellshire, St. Catherine. Approximately 25 members actively participated in the clean-up activities. This event gave members the opportunity to see first-hand the state of our beaches and develop an appreciation for efforts that aim to positively benefit the environment.

OneLife made a visit to Excelsior High School to speak with the upper school and sixth form students about university, volunteerism, and their future. The group built the roof for a resource room for the Barking Lodge Primary School and repainted classrooms, the school playground and the newly constructed resource room. They distributed well-prepared lunches to the homeless persons in selected sections of the Kingston Metropolitan Area.

The group made visited Excelsior High School to speak with the upper school and sixth form students about university, volunteerism, and their future.

Developing Caring, Accountable, Motivated Professionals

The Campus prioritises the personal and professional development of its staff to ensure exceptional service to our students, our local and regional stakeholders, and competent management of the institution. It is committed to nurturing a caring, accountable, and motivated cadre of staff towards achievement of its strategic goals. To this end, we support faculty and staff professional development programmes, provide coaching and mentoring of new recruits and give recognition for achievements in teaching, research and administration, among other things.

In Academic Year 2022–2023, the Campus continued to strengthen programmes aimed at developing staff competency and satisfaction. A notable initiative in support of staff welfare and implemented in 2022–2023 was the Human Resource Management Division (HRMD) massive health and fitness fair, and its launching of the “UWI Moves” programme, which is a spin-off from the national Jamaica Moves initiative out of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, as part of our 75th Anniversary celebrations. This activity featured health and wellness talks, physical examinations, aerobics and entertainment, and a range of health services. The UWI Moves now has a permanent physical fitness training programme conducted on campus twice per week.