STATEMENT FROM THE EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE –The UWI OPEN CAMPUS

The UWI, Open Campus Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal. Monday, January 10, 2022 — This statement is in direct response to the article, which was published on page five of the Daily Nation newspaper on Monday, January 10, 2022, entitled “Open Campus staff fear end is near.”

Notwithstanding that The UWI Open Campus faces challenging times ahead, the Executive Management Committee (EMC) notes that the story is replete with distortions and inaccuracies, which in our view are not in concert with the customary high journalistic standards that your publication is known for.

The EMC unequivocally wishes to express its sincere gratitude to the Government of Barbados who has on numerous occasions, assisted the Campus and who has stood with us through the years to ensure the Caribbean's premiere tertiary institution remains a beacon of hope and pride in our Region. This support is a testimony to a partnership of mutual respect and one which we value.

The EMC is working assiduously to mitigate the effects of these challenges on our staff and wider community.

For accurate and verifiable updates on the developments at The UWI Open Campus, we invite the Nation Newspaper to engage with our Marketing and Communications Department as a source of information and point of reference.

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About The University of the West Indies

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region.

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world.

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). In the latest World University Rankings 2022, released in September 2021, The UWI moved up an impressive 94 places from last year. In the current global field of some 30,000 universities and elite research institutes, The UWI stands among the top 1.5%.

The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean, it is also in the top 20 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old). The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

For more, visit www.uwi.edu.