Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
Professor Nigel Harris.
Earl Moxam, Senior Gleaner Writer
The University of the West Indies (UWI), faced with increased competition from other local and international institutions, is seeking to raise additional funds to improve its facilities and expand its programmes.
At the top of the regional university's fund-raising agenda is the task of procuring in excess of US$150 million (J$10 billion approximately) to build new housing accommodations and expand other structures on its campuses.
To that end, the UWI has established a capital development taskforce, comprised of financiers and bankers, to offer advice on how to raise the required funds.
"We've grown in numbers by more than 50 per cent in the last five years. The total university population is 36,000, up from 22,000 five years ago, and growing. To fit that one needs the facilities and the staff, for some programmes and faculties more than others," explained Professor E. Nigel Harris, vice chancellor of the UWI.
Consulting services
Among other initiatives, the university is now establishing a consulting company, which will compete with other agencies to provide consulting services on various projects to governments and other entities throughout the region.
Funded by the Caribbean Development Bank, the UWI is now advertising for a director for the new company.
"This would be a resource for governments and for regional agencies to get expertise from the university by calling a single number!" explained Professor Harris.
The establishment of the Capital Development Task Force came at the suggestion of Prime Minister Owen Arthur of Barbados, who chairs the University Grants Committee.
The governments of the region contribute substantially to the university's annual budget of approximately US$200 million (J$13.2 billion).
The proportion of the govern-ments' contribution has been falling steadily, however, with the university currently raising approximately 50 per cent of its own budgetary needs from non-government sources.
The increased emphasis on alternative sources of funding came out of a budget crisis that hit the UWI in 2004, just when Professor Harris was taking up the job as vice chancellor.
Raising funds
Some governments, including the Patterson administration in Jamaica, were forced to make harsh decisions on the allocation of funds to various sectors.
Already, according to the vice-chancellor, several other strategies have been identified for financing the institution's projects.
These, he revealed, include the establishment of a UWI Endowment Fund and securing loans for building new halls of residence for students, which would be revenue generating, from which the loans could be repaid.
Here in Jamaica, this model has already been used to construct additional student accommodation on the Mona campus. Nettleford Hall, the newest of the residential halls, built with loans provided by the National Housing Trust.
Looking beyond the most obvious, the vice chancellor disclosed plans to go to the international community to raise additional funds for building the institution's academic staff and enrich its graduate programmes.
"We really are going to have to go to the international community, or go to sections of our governments where they have needs and where, by providing increased academic staff and post graduate students we can help in areas such as child development and in teacher training".
Regarding the need for teacher upgrading throughout the region, he said, there was an opportunity to "garner funds that are set aside by our governments to really build education-by-distance for teachers, so that they can learn on the job".
The UWI was established in 1948 as the University College of the West Indies. It currently has three main campuses - Mona in Jamaica, Cave Hill in Barbados, and St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago -- plus several smaller operations in other territories.
