Jamaica's 'discomfort' delays appointment of UWI Mona principal

A vote on a recommendation for Professor Densil Williams to be appointed principal of the struggling Mona campus of The University of the West Indies (UWI) has been delayed because of Jamaica's alleged 'discomfort' with the choice. 

The University Council, the institution's highest governing body, was expected to approve Williams at its annual meeting on Wednesday. 

However, following a lengthy discussion, a final decision was put on hold after Jamaica's Education Minister Fayval Williams reportedly requested additional time to consult on the matter.

Vice-Chancellor Sir Hilary Beckles tabled the recommendation at the meeting for Williams, a professor of international business and current principal of the four-year-old Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda, to take over as principal of the oldest of The UWI's five campuses.

But the delay is being seen as "a show of courtesy" to Jamaica because under Statute 10, the university's law which governs the appointment of principals, the principal “shall be appointed by the council on the recommendation of the vice-chancellor”.

"The university is trying to accommodate the minister because the campus is based in Jamaica, and it is key to the campus' financial security. Jamaica, essentially, argued that it wanted somebody with whom the Government was comfortable. Yet no reason was given why there was discomfort with the current recommendation and there were no alternatives offered," said a source familiar with Wednesday's deliberations. 

According to two other insiders, there is a concern that Jamaica may try to use its financial support to the indebted campus to wring concessions over the issue. 

"Some members of council left feeling that Jamaica was making veiled threats if its wishes are not respected. We were warned to be careful," one told The Gleaner.

A comment has been sought from the education minister. 

Professor Williams was among four candidates shortlisted for the post.

The others were climate scientist Professor Michael Taylor, dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology; Professor Lloyd Waller, the executive director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre and an advisor to Jamaica's tourism minister; and Professor Agnis Stibe. 

The panel that interviewed them voted “overwhelmingly” on April 13 in favour of Williams, a highly placed Gleaner source said.

Williams reportedly received at least eight votes, followed by Waller who got two, with one going to Taylor.

The results of a psychometric test also put Williams out front, showing that he satisfied 87 per cent of the established criteria for the post. Stibe was second at 73 per cent; Taylor third at 69 per cent, with Waller, completing the quartet at 67 per cent, the source shared.

Taylor, Williams and Waller have declined to speak on the matter. Stibe could not be reached.

The university has also said it could not comment on the selection, saying on April 14 that "once the process is completed, and an appointment is made, an official statement will be issued".

The new principal will replace Professor Dale Webber, who is stepping down come July 31, after five years, during which he said his mission was “to stabilise and consolidate” activities on the indebted campus.

Mona has reported a positive income of $1.5 billion for 2022, before depreciation and post-employment benefits are deducted.

“We clearly are turning the ship in the right direction,” Webber said on March 3, before acknowledging that campus' operational loss for 2022 was $287 million, 79 per cent less than the amount for 2021.

The campus has an accumulated deficit, which stretches back to 2012, of around $8 billion.

- Jovan Johnson

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