Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal. April 5, 2023 — The Open Campus is evolving to the Global Campus. This statement was made by Vice-Chancellor, Sir Hilary Beckles as he delivered remarks at The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Open Campus Annual Business Meeting of Campus Council on Friday, March 24, 2023.

Rebranding from Open to Global

“We have decided that the tremendous legacy of this Open Campus and the role it has for the future can only be secured in the context of fundamental restructuring and reengineering. We will roll out a plan to transition the Open Campus once again, having emerged from the School of Continuing Studies, which is part of the continuing evolution of the Open Campus and its predecessors. Now the Campus is evolving to the Global Campus”, Sir Hilary stated.

As the Vice-Chancellor outlined the rebranding of the Open Campus to the Global Campus, he expressed that the process reflected the technological movement and advancement of education within the online format. “The University is staying abreast of global trends in today’s digital environment. We are rolling with history, and we are going forward. We will transition from Open to Global”, said Vice-Chancellor Beckles.

He explained that the decision was taken to establish within the Global Campus, a Business School which will bring the Campus in line with the other UWI Campuses that have established Business Schools which are generating considerable resources for these campuses. In this regard, he stated, “The Global Campus will have its own Business School as a for-profit entrepreneurial income-making institution named the International School for Development Justice (ISDJ), which will be centred within the parameters of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. 

The Global Campus Business School, the ISDJ, will offer academic programmes focused on the SDGs. The school will be managed by a private limited liability company that will be registered as a for-profit organization. It will be built on two pillars: first, the entrepreneurial Global Campus with a school committed to generating income by marketing the University’s academic programmes to people all over the world in an online format, using the excellence and expertise of the traditional Open Campus. The second pillar will consist of preserving and making more efficient the legacy Open Campus, which operates throughout the Caribbean Region.

“This is a moment in which we are simultaneously reflecting and celebrating the past and the achievement of this Campus and the wider University, while at the same time, we are engaged in very detailed and sophisticated strategies to put this Open Campus, now the Global Campus, into a solid space for its future service”, Sir Hilary stated. 

The meeting was presided over by Ambassador Dr the Honourable June Soomer, Chair of The UWI Open Campus Council with the main presentation coming from the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr Francis O. Severin who reviewed the Campus’ performance over the 2021/2022 Academic Year.

Ambassador Soomer in her opening remarks congratulated The UWI on behalf of the Open Campus on its 75th Anniversary. She spoke about the antecedents of the Open Campus, the Extramural Department and the School of Continuing Studies and noted that the Campus in its current form is a highly respected global higher education institution with cutting-edge internet technologies, courses and programmes, trained e-tutors, and approximately 75 years of teaching and research experience. In setting the context for the public session of the Campus Council, the Chair, Ambassador Dr Soomer observed, “We at the Open Campus through all our iterations, commencing 75 years ago, from Extra Mural Departments, located in confined office spaces, to an Open Campus throughout the Region and with a global presence, has been with you every step of your illustrious journey”.  

She noted that75 years after the commencement of The UWI, while our countries “…remain scattered, the landed campuses remain in their locations… the nimble Open Campus is present everywhere, even on our doorsteps”.

She stated, “In our innovative evolution we have demonstrated from the outset that we are in tune with the Triple A Strategy of Access, Alignment and Agility…we have proven that we are capable of adapting to a new vision, new technology and changing demands…rooted, ready and rising to meet the new visioning of the second half of the 21st century”.

Repurposing to Better Serve

Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal Dr Francis O. Severin, in presenting his Annual Report for 2021/2022 under the theme “Launching into the Global Expanse”, indicated that the theme and cover of the report represented the imminent launch of the Open Campus as the Global Campus of The UWI and emphasized the digital connectivity and the diverse network of stakeholders both regionally and internationally, that the Campus will continue to serve, while demonstrating an interplay on the use of technology as the connecting and enabling force for The UWI Global. “It depicts that we are part of a bigger movement, or juggernaut, that will lead the way into the global sphere. The Open Campus is optimally placed with the technology and experience spheres to shepherd The UWI safely and efficiently into the global space”, said Dr Severin.

In speaking to the Campus’ stewardship, Dr Severin reminded Council that the Open Campus has a wide Caribbean reach that comes from its online expertise, which was demonstrated throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. He said, “The Open Campus is a virtual Campus with 42 physical site locations, serving 17 English-speaking Caribbean countries constructed on the deep understanding that although one Caribbean Nation, our people embody a kaleidoscope of aspirations, hopes and dreams”. 

“For our people to be productive and resourceful while maintaining their dignity, they must be empowered with high-quality education. This is what makes The UWI and the Open Campus a powerful resource. The Open Campus has made the light shine in the world of many people, and this has been happening since 1948. There is nothing more delightful and uplifting than witnessing these Caribbean citizens from various walks of life realizing their dreams and aspirations”, Dr Severin asserted. He cautioned that if we made that dream wither away, by not  providing the Open Campus with the resources to expand access to quality education, we will have no chance of reversing persistent poverty, which would truly be a quagmire. In citing the names of several remote villages, hamlets and country sides across the Region, he emphasized the far-flung reach of the Open Campus beyond the traditional brick and mortar campus countries.

Right-Sizing and Restructuring of the Open Campus

Concerning the rightsizing and restructuring of the Campus, Principal Severin explained that this process will proceed on the foundation of the mission, vision and purpose of the Campus. “As a Campus, we must undertake a strategic review and restructuring to prepare the divisions and units for their roles as we proceed inexorably towards the Global Campus.,” added Dr Severin.

The rightsizing process will involve the augmenting and strengthening of some divisions and the training of high-functioning teams to engage international and regional learners, all of which will be directed and guided by the strategic intent of the Global Campus. It will be carried out alongside the Governance Report Implementations Committee (GRIC) and in keeping with the University statutes and ordinances. An organizational structure that aligns with the strategic mandate of the Global Campus will be developed within the Open legacy divisions for it to become an efficient, agile, industry-aligned and globally accepted entity.

Institutional Mid-cycle Re-accreditation Exercise

Principal Severin informed Council that the Campus is currently preparing for the Institutional Mid-cycle Re-accreditation exercise.  “The Campus was granted accreditation status in 2019 and received the maximum 7 years with the expectation that annual reports should be submitted every year, and midway during the accreditation period, a mid-cycle visit must be undertaken”, Dr Severin added. The Campus is currently preparing for this fundamental and critically important exercise that will take place in the first part of the 2023/2024 Academic Year.

The meeting also received several departmental reports from members of the Open Campus Executive Management Committee (OCEMC) as well as the Audited Financial Statements, the Audit Committee Report, the Guild of Students Statement, and the Open Campus Alumni Report.

The open session of the Council meeting can be viewed at   https://www.facebook.com/UWITV/ videos/1760383161041778 and the 2021/2022 Annual Report at https://online.flippingbook.com /view/864007555/