The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica. Friday, March 19, 2021. —The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has noted the public expressions on the Report of the Chancellor’s Commission on Governance, which have been widely ventilated particularly in the regional media through various editorials and articles. 

In December 2018, Chancellor of The UWI, Robert Bermudez established the Commission on Governance to review the University’s operations. Chaired by Sir Dennis Byron, former President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, the Commission—comprised of an independent and diverse group—engaged with internal and external stakeholders in the discharge of its mandate.  The resultant report from the Commission completed in July 2020, contains several recommendations. 

At a special meeting convened on January 20, 2021, the University Council considered the recommendations of The UWI Chancellor’s Commission on Governance. The Council agreed to the establishment of a Committee to review said recommendations and to put forward to Council those for adoption and subsequent implementation. That Review Committee comprising members of Council has since been constituted, and will present its evaluations formally at the next sitting of the University Council, carded for April 30, 2021.

As the highest office-holder in The UWI, the Chancellor has traditionally been responsible for establishing this high level Commission, conventionally instituted in 10-year cycles. There have been two previous Chancellor’s Commissions convened by former Chancellors, Sir Shridath Ramphal, and Sir George Alleyne, that reported in 1996 and 2006, respectively. Like its preceding reports, it is anticipated that the adopted recommendations of the 2020 Commission on Governance will help to improve the overall efficiency of the University. 

The UWI remains committed to the process of detailed dialogue, engagement and institutional strengthening to better fulfil its mandate to the Region. 

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