Approximately 23 undergraduate programmes and regulations were approved, including the Pre-University School and the Global Campus franchise agreement to offer three associate degrees.

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Policy was approved. This Policy aims to eliminate barriers to designing and delivering programmes and courses and ensure that all students, regardless of diverse learning needs and abilities, have equitable access to high-quality education.

The Academic Integrity Policy was approved in principle (in 2023/2024) and has now been approved. The Artificial Intelligence policy has been the subject of extensive consultation and will be approved in 2024/2025.

As BUS continued to monitor and review student performance, a three-year consolidated report (2020/2021–2022/2023) was prepared. Overall, the findings highlighted a mix of positive and negative trends regarding failure rates, and OBUS continues to engage the campus leadership in addressing these trends.

Access was also enhanced through franchise agreements that the QAU re-evaluated in collaboration with the Office of Global Affairs. Four franchise agreements were re-evaluated. Knox and Excelsior Community Colleges in Jamaica, Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College in St. Kitts and Nevis, and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College in St. Vincent were all approved and renewed their franchise agreements with The UWI. These agreements relate to academic disciplines in the social and natural sciences, postgraduate education and undergraduate and nursing programmes.

Quality evaluations were done on sixteen programmes, including franchised and quality assurance reviews.

In widening access, a policy and strategy, the Multi-campus Teaching and Learning Initiative (MCTLI), was implemented. This facility, which facilitates shared teaching across the campuses, maximises scarce resources and expands the diversity of students’ exposure to facilitate learning. The MCTLI also contributed to restoring the financial health of The UWI by saving on scarce resources, eliminating duplication, and reducing the number of small classes across the campuses. The piloting of the MCTLI also contributed to building out the digital agenda to foster greater efficiency. One course, Caribbean Sign Language, was delivered under the MCTL in Semester I and two courses in Semester II.

OBUS continued to administer a range of University Grants Committee-funded (UGC-funded) regional undergraduate scholarships, namely The UWI Open Scholarship and The UWI/CXC Scholarship. These scholarships are essential to supporting the brightest and best students from across the region, who wish to attend any of The UWI’s five campuses: Cave Hill, Five Islands, UWI Global, Mona and St. Augustine. For the 2023–2024 academic year, there were 41 registered scholarship holders across the five campuses. Additionally, 16 regional scholarship holders are on track to graduate as part of the graduating class 2024, earning awards that include four with First Class Honours, two with Distinction, six with Honours and four with Pass.

The total number of donor-sponsored scholarships, bursaries, and grants administered during the 2023/2024 academic year was 207, with a total value of approximately JA$68,520,753 or US$437,772. Over the period, OBUS published 12 articles and book chapters. They also published Volume 24 of the Quality Circle and Volume 27 of the peer-reviewed UWI Quality Education Forum.

ALIGNMENT

To enhance the labour market relevance and outcomes of The Distinctive UWI graduate, a HEInnovate Workshop was held in April 2024. A specialised committee will be formed to assess and improve the alignment of undergraduate programmes to workplace demands. Strategic engagements with international partners, including Wilfrid Laurier, Trent, Northwest University, Johannesburg, and Toronto Metropolitan, were initiated. Various MOUs were signed for exchanges, research collaboration, and potential funding sources were identified.

 

New PVC, Undergraduate Studies

Professor Canute Thompson was appointed Pro Vice- Chancellor for the Board of Undergraduate Studies, effective October 1, 2024. He is a Professor of educational policy, planning, and leadership, serving as the Director of the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning (CCEP) and was the Project Director for The UWI Governance Recommendation and Implementation Committee from 2022 to 2024.

Professor Thompson holds a PhD in Educational Administration and Leadership, a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies from The UWI, and a Master of Arts from Eden Theological Seminary. He also has a Certificate in Educational Sector Planning from the International Institute for Educational Planning and a Management Consultant International Certificate.

His publication record includes 10 single-authored books, one co-authored monograph, four co-edited books, seven book chapters, and twenty journal articles. He has supervised six doctoral candidates and twenty-six Master of Education students and developed multiple new programs and courses.

Professor Thompson has received several awards, including six UWI Mona Campus Principal’s Awards and a bronze medal in the Independent Publishers’ Book Awards for his book, “Education and Development: Policy Imperatives for Jamaica and the Caribbean.” He has co-chaired the Vice-Chancellor’s Re-Imagining UWI Committee and is involved in various regional and international educational organisations.