History

Oriens Ex Occidente Lux - A light rising from the West

The University College, established in 1948 at Mona, Jamaica, was the first Campus of the
University of the West Indies. Subsequently, campuses were established at St. Augustine, Trinidad
(1960) and Cave Hill, Barbados (1962). Today the University of the West Indies comprises 3 main
campuses, the Centre of Hotel and Tourism Management in the Bahamas, the Institute of Business
at St. Augustine and Mona as well as 11 non-campus centres situated in other Caribbean countries.

The University Coat of Arms
College of Arms Description
According to the College of Arms, London (the British Imperial authority on heraldic devices), the
University College of the West Indies was granted the following Arms on July 18,
1949:

Barry wavy of six Argent and Azure an open Book proper bound Gules garnished Or
on a Chief of the third a Lion passant guardant Erminois.

Crest: A Pelican proper.
(Grants 111.231)

In other words the background of the main part of the shield comprises 6 wavy stripes of white and
blue (Azure); the open book is proper, in other words its natural colours, although its binding is red
(Gules) with gold/yellow (or) tooling; the top third of the shield (the Chief) is red and the lion is
gold/yellow with black ermine tail spots all over it.

Crest: A Pelican proper. The pelican is painted as in nature. It is standing on a Crest Wreath,
originally made of twisted silk to cover over the join of where the crest (made of wood or boiled
leather) meets the helmet worn at a tournament. The silk is a twist of the principal colours of the
shield, in this case: blue and white, starting with white.

Simplified Description
The following description of the University Coat of Arms is taken from the University Callender:

Forming the main background of the shield is the sea represented by white and blue (three each)
wavy lines on which is the open book; the upper part of the shield, the chief, is red with a Lion to
show the connection with the Crown, but the Lion is covered with black spots. This is the Lion
borne by HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, appointed by the King (George VI) to be the
first Chancellor, so that this appointment is recorded forever in the Arms of the University.

The Crest is the brown Pelican which fishes in its prehistoric fashion along the coasts of the
Caribbean Lands: the pelican is a symbol of care for the young because of the medieval, but untrue,
belief that it punctures its breast to feed its young on its blood. It is also used as a crest by both
Corpus Christi Colleges of Oxford and Cambridge.

About The UWI
AN INSTITUTION WITH A RICH HISTORY
In 1943 the Vice Chancellors of United Kingdom Universities convened a special commission to consider the
principles which should guide the promotion of higher education, learning and research in the
colonies.The recommendations of that commission saw a Royal Charter formally establishing what was then
the University College of the West Indies in 1948. The University of the West Indies which today boasts of
being one of only two regional higher education institutions in the world began with one campus (Mona,
Jamaica) at the historic Gibraltar World War II Camp acquired at a cost of 12,000.

In 1960 The UWIs second campus at St. Augustine was born out of a merger between the University College
and the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (IATA) in the island of Trinidad. The two campus College
remained affiliated with the University of London until 1962 when it became The University of the West
Indies,an institution in its own right with the privilege of granting its own degrees.

What is today known as The Cave Hill Campus of The University of the West Indies started in 1963 as the
College of Arts & Sciences in temporary quarters at the Bridgetown Harbour. On October 16, 1967 the
College of Arts and Science at Barbados opened the academic year at the new university buildings at Cave
Hill, on a 45 acre site provided by the Government of Barbados. With the establishment of the Faculty of Law
in 1970, the name of the Caribbean College was changed to the Cave Hill Campus of The University of the
West Indies.

The UWIs fourth and newest Campus, the Open Campus was formally launched in June 2008 in Antigua and
Barbuda. The Open Campus is an amalgamation of the previous Office of the Board for Non-Campus
Countries & Distance Education (BNNCDE), the School of Continuing Studies (SCS), the UWI Distance
Education Centre (UWIDEC), and the Tertiary Level Institutions Unit (TLIU all of which are direct
descendants of the Department of Extra-Mural Studies. The UWI Open Campus offers multi-mode teaching
and learning services through virtual and physical site locations across the Caribbean region. There are
currently 42 site locations of the Open Campus in the region, serving 16 countries in the English-speaking
Caribbean.

Today, UWI is the largest and longest standing higher education provider in the English-speaking Caribbean.
UWI offers undergraduate and postgraduate certificate, diploma and degree options in Engineering,
Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Pure & Applied Sciences, Science and Agriculture, and
Social Sciences. As an icon of Caribbean integration and culture, UWI remains committed to enhancing every
aspect of Caribbean development and improving the well-being of the people of the Caribbean.

OUR MISSION, VISION AND CORE VALUES


Our Mission
An institution that remains proud of its rich history, today the enduring mission of The UWI is:
To advance education and create knowledge through excellence in teaching, research, innovation, public
service, intellectual leadership and outreach in order to support the inclusive (social, economic, political,
cultural, environmental) development of the Caribbean region and beyond.

Our Vision
By 2017, the University will be globally recognised as a regionally integrated, innovative, internationally
competitive university, deeply rooted in all aspects of Caribbean development and committed to serving the
diverse people of the region and beyond.

Our Core Values
The Core Values of the UWI that guide its mandate, policy and decision making include integrity, intellectual
freedom, excellence, civic responsibility, accessibility, diversity and equity.

Our Achievements
The Office has participated in many activities over the years which include several research projects,
workshops, conferences, the development of academic and professional programmes and negotiations for
various agreements. Provided below is a non-exhaustive list of some of these achievements.
o Research Projects
Fire Services Consultancy

Physic Garden Project

Lead Sampling and Analysis at two sites in Trinidad

Study on Regularisation of Squatters in POS

Film of Sir Vidia Naipaul

Methanol Case Study

UNEP Global Environment Outlook

Environmental Management Systems

HIV Prevention at UWI, St. Augustine Campus*

Marine Fisheries Policy for Trinidad and Tobago

Conduct of a wildlife study in the Victoria/Mayaro Forest reserve for the bub pipeline Project

Management of Biological Collections

Rapid Mapping Exercise

Localising the Millennium Development Goals in the Caribbean

Solution leadership Project

Development of a Strategic Plan for the Ministry of Agriculture, land and Marine Resources

Water Resources Management Plan for Nariva Swamp

Development of a Water Resource Management Plan for Nariva

National KAPB Baseline Survey on HIV/AIDS

Baseline study of the eastern and Central Blocks

Trinidad and Tobago National Communication on Climate Change

Baseline Survey Consultancy Guyana

A Biodiversity Monitoring System for Trinidad

Adapting Border Controls to provide Global Public Goods

Cocoa Quality Project

Capacity Building for the Financial Sustainability of ACP Countries Hot pepper project

Establishment of a Model Cocoa Processing Facility

Strengthen Research Development and Uptake capacity in Urban, Land and Municipal Management in the
Caribbean

Fund Raising, Resource Mobilisation and Management in Tertiary Institutions (TT$)

Centre Workforce Research and Development in Trinidad & Tobago

Improving the profitability and sustainability of cocoa industries in the Caribbean: quality optimisation to support
origin-specific cocoa, and market segmentation

Evaluation and Adaptation of Geoinformatics Technology for Climate Change Monitoring, Mitigation and
Adaptation Strategies in the Caribbean (EUR )

CASCADE: Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Water Resources and Human Livelihoods in the Coastal
Zones of Small Island Developing States (EUR)

Montserrat Volcano Survey

Survey on refurbished computers

Developing sustainable disease management strategies to improve vegetable production towards self sufficiency
and food security in the Caribbean region

Global-Local Caribbean Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Scenarios (GoLo CarSce)

Tissue Culture

Development of Business Plan for the Centre for Language Learning

Education, Training & Development Plan of Point Fortin

Pfizer Corporation , Legacy Project with UWI , 60th Anniversary
o Workshops Conferences
Centre for Trade Policy and Law (CTPL) 2008 Trade Knowledge Workshop

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Training Workshop

Critical Thinking Symposium

Workshop on Multiple Intelligence

2nd Biennial International Conference on Business, Banking and Finance
o Academic programmes developed
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme for final year undergraduates

Development of an MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development for the Caribbean

Certificate, BSc, and MSc programmes in Leadership and Management for the Trinidad and Tobago Defence
Force

BSc. In Physical Education (SEMP)
o Professional Development Programmes
Training Programme for Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force

Urban Management Programme*

Pan American SME-ICT Competitiveness Development Programme

Professional Development and Leadership (PDL) Programmes

Diploma in Sales Management

Global Environment Facility's Small Grants Programme

ANSA McAL Leadership Programme

Ministry of Local Government Training Project

Collaboration with South Trinidad Chamber of Industry and Commerce on Professional Development
Programmes, via the UWI South Campus, celebrating 100yrs of oil exploration in T&T

YARA/ UWI collaboration in food and agriculture, health and safety training, student internship
o Presentations
Presentation to strategic planning retreat of the Institute of International Relations
o Other Activities
Tertiary Education & Services Trade Negotiations

Technical Guidelines on Slope Stability

University of Washington Chart Trinidad and Tobago*

Filing of Invention Disclosure Forms

Applications for Trademarks

Research Day 2009

Challenges That Face UWI
Part 1
Without calling my name, Professor Julian Kenny has jumped into the education fray without
quoting and critically dissecting what I have said. Like Raffique Shah, the writer of
the Express editorials, letter writers to the newspaper and news reports, Professor Kenny
has found me an exquisite target for defamatory accusations. In "Rebalancing the
Unbalanced" (Sept. 23), he argues that although there has been occasional problems at
UWI, "as in any institutionto suggest now that there is 'racial' discrimination in [the]
selection of students or staff to St. Augustine campus is to display ignorance." Ignorance of
what, he does not say. He demands proof of racial discrimination and suggests that if such a
thing exists, it could not "have got past any faculty or university committee."

After outlining the academic criteria for entrance into the university, Professor Kenny argues
that "many successful applicants simply did not take their places" a statement that is
intended to support the position of the Minister of Tertiary Education and the Principal of
UWI that racial imbalance at UWI has more to do with students who opt not to attend
and/or do not have sufficient monies to pay their fees. How do these gentlemen know that
there is/was a greater tendency of Africans not to take up their places once they are
accepted and they less likely to pay their way? Does UWI keeps statistics on the racial
composition of the student body and have they conducted a survey on this matter?

The distinguished professor goes on to argue that "it is incomprehensible" to him how "such
a crude attack can be made on the person of the Principal of the University of the West
Indies. Whatever his religion or 'race' or 'ethnicity' he is an academically qualified
Trinidadian and appointed according to the procedures of the university, and at a time when
the institution faces many problems demanding management and communication skills,
both of which he clearly demonstrates.The attack is clearly on the university itself and is
obviously founded on the premise other than academic ones."

I am yet to learn what is so sacred about "the person of the Principal of the University of the
West Indies" and why a citizen should not question his qualifications, the admission policies
and unemployment practices at UWI. Although Dr. Bhoe Tewarie possesses academic
qualifications, he is not qualified to be the Principal of UWI. When Dr. Tewarie was hired, I
compared his qualifications and aptness to serve with those of Laurence Summers,
President of Harvard, and Shirley Tilghman, President of Princeton University. I noted that
Dr. Tewarie made "no serious contributions to the intellectual development of his field by
way of articles. He wrote no books." Reflecting on the accomplishments of Presidents
Summers and Tilghman, I wrote: "The achievements of serious scholars can stand up to
public scrutiny. The quality of their scholarship and intellectual achievements reflects the
respect these institutions have for their publics" (Express, July 22, 2001).

I am sure the president of a modern university may need qualifications and aptitudes other
than those to which I have alluded and Prof. Kenny may want to make "management and
communications skills" the main criteria for selecting a principal of UWI. I have no doubt
that Dr. Tewarie is a magnificent actor. As an educator, I am aware that a principal of a
contemporary university needs other skills. I argued: "It is entirely possible that at this
stage of its development the university needs a different type of academic leader to deal
with the 'massive changes' that have dominated the world over the last decade.' Yet, if we
accept Lester Thurow's contention that 'at the beginning of the 21st century, six new
technologies-microelectronics, computers, telecommunications, new man-made materials,
robots and biotechnologies-are interacting to create a new and different world' (See Building
Wealth), how can we place someone at the head of our university who has mastered none
of these skills or competences and whose academic track record is disappointing?" I call
upon Prof. Kenny to tell his readers what is racial about my evaluation of Dr. Tewarie,
particularly when the professor ends his article with the triumphant announcement:
"Academic meritocracy not mediocrity is the goal" of students, professors and their
principal.

In my address, "Afro-Trinbagonians, Racism and the Education System," that I delivered at
Port of Spain City Hall on September 15, I argued that criteria other than grades (or more
precisely, standardized tests) should be considered when a student is being selected to
attend a university. I also distinguished betweentraining and education and complimented
Dr. Tewarie as follows: "It is to Dr. Tewarie's credit that he recognizes the intimate
connection between the academy and the world of work" (See trinicenter.com).

Most of our citizens do not know UWI's admission requirements or how entrance to UWI
works. It does not mean that because Prof. Kenny has not seen or does not know about
racial discrimination at UWI that it does not exist there. Race plays a crucial part in
decision-making at all levels of a multiracial society. The same is true of class in class-based
societies. For centuries, most of the students who went to Cambridge or Oxford (in fact,
most of the leaders of England) came from Eton and the public schools. In France, most of
the elite students were educated in the various "Grandes Ecole," including Sciences Po and
Polytechnique, that catered mostly to the upper class. Today, each country is trying to
change these biases. Yet, Prof. Kenny would have us believe that we, in Trinidad, never
think about race when we make decisions about job placement, university admissions and
even our love interests.

Part 2
It is even more troubling that the professor responds to my concerns but does not cite one
statement I made. Trafficking in crude generalizations and what he calls "peculiar
imbalances," in the Engineering student body, he concludes that on the basis of his
experience, "the university earlier had a rigid sex discrimination systemnow corrected by
affirmative action. This would be the equivalent of the current allegations of 'racial
discrimination.'" The professor must forgive me if I draw a different conclusion from similar
facts. Over the past two years, UWI at Mona and St.

Augustine has expressed concern about the disproportionate numbers of male and female
students at the institution. They are concerned especially about the low numbers of African
males on the campus. As far as I know, no one has called such a discussion sexist or
unworthy of being thrashed out by rational minds. At Mona and St Augustine, the Board of
Undergraduates conducted a study on Male Underachievement that was funded by the IDA.
As far as I know, no one has claimed that such a discussion or study was out of place, is a
distraction or a nuisance or has placed the nation at risk. Nowhere has one heard, as Danny
Montano suggested in a related context, "The society is divisive as it is already. It is the
easiest thing to wave a [feminist/sexist] flag at every turn."

Although the gender imbalance at UWI changed during Prof. Kenny's tenure, it is incorrect
to state that there was no gender discrimination during the period 1963-2003, particularly
in the sciences. It is just as disingenuous to dismiss questions of racial discrimination in
admissions, staff and faculty hiring at UWI in 2003 because no one has spoken about it.
UWI faculty, staff and students are afraid to speak out publicly for fear of retaliation. That
virtually no one from UWI has spoken publicly about what manifestly is a topic of urgent
national interest should tell Prof. Kenny how profoundly he misjudges what he thinks he
knows. He must also ask what leadership role UWI faculty has played in this important
discussion?

Had Prof. Kenny granted me the respect one gives to a colleague he would have
demonstrated how he disagrees with what I said. He would have recognized that although I
never called for a quota system at UWI, I acknowledged to Parasuram Maharaj that my
utterances may have been "ambiguous and the linkage between the composition of
UWIand the affirmative action principle articulated in Grutter v Bollinger may have been a
bit tenuous."

My central concern revolved around "what education, in its all-embracing sense, must mean
in a multiracial society and the role it must play to achieve a truly integrated society." The
operative statement that drew fire read: "No member of a multiracial society should feel
smug and secure in the fact that eight percent of its university body consists of one race
and where no one seems to be even thinking of the consequences of such a development"
(TG, August 22). I could forgive Maharaj's inability to differentiate
between contiguity and causality. It is difficult to forgive Prof. Kenny for not reading my
words at all.

As a result, the professor could not engage my concerns. He has not claimed that there is
no racial imbalance at the university nor, for that matter, has he told us the long-term
consequences of such racial and gender imbalances for our society. The UWI study on Male
Underachievement was concerned about the kind of society that is likely to emerge if most
of our university graduates and professionals are women. In his studied avoidance of my
position, Prof. Kenny refuses to answer why it is more legitimate to conduct a study on male
underachievement than it is to conduct a study on racial discrimination when our society
revolves around notions of race and ethnicity. Such a study is important.

Prof. Kenny must answer the central concern that I have posed in all of my disquisitions:
what is the nature and function of education in a multiracial society. In June of this year,
President Summers devoted his Commencement Speech to renewing Harvard's
undergraduate education because the ideas and values of those who hold leadership
positions "are shaped in no small part by the education our leaders receive in and out of the
classroom." He noted that Harvard is committed to diversity which is why "we filed an
amicus in the [University of] Michigan case. Going forward, I hope we can extend our
diversity by seeking out more actively students from economically disadvantaged
backgrounds and top students from around the world." He took pride that one third of
Harvard's first year class are minority students and more than 150 students came from fifty
countries around the world.

Given his concern about what a university student in the first decade of the 21st century
must know, President Summers said that Harvard's curriculum must strike a balance
"between depth and breath of knowledge, between content and method, between freedom
and prescription, between education in a common heritage and openness to the future and
the world." He also feels a Harvard graduate should know how to interpret a great
humanistic text, how "unraveling the mysteries of the genome is transforming the nature of
science, and how empirical methods can sharpen our analysis of complex problems facing
the world."

Such goals do not suggest that UWI must follow Harvard. It suggests that concerned
citizens and educators must reflect on the values and goals of our educational institutions to
determine if they are in tune with national aspirations. For example, how does a UWI
education prepare our students to construct a more racially coherent and ethically
responsible society?

Today, T&T has become more of a jungle because our education system has failed to do its
job. If it had, we would not be so scared to walk our streets. Today, T&T has become more
of a jungle because we are more concerned withtraining and grades than we are
with educating our students to act as moral agents in a world that can use some morals.
Today, we genuflect before grades as we ignore the truism that education is a relationship
between people rather than a relationship between things. In reifying grades and jockeying
for positions of power and prestige we forget to train our students to act in morally and
ethically uplifting ways and to develop their capacity for moral discernment. This is why Dr.
Tewarie is so tragically wrong when he insisted: "We do not ask the students what race they
belong to. We only ask them what grades they got" (TG., Sept. 9).

The education of a university undergraduate should be more ethical thanintellectual. It
should "focus on the development of individuals as moral agents" and teach students how
"to reflect both analytically and evaluatively" on the choices they make. "No matter what
career we choose, the single job that every human being has to work at is deciding what
kind of person he or she will become" (The Chronicle Review, Sept. 12). This is true for an
American as it is for a Trinbagonian student.

Truth cannot issue forth if the words of the favored few are trumpeted while the words of
the less favored are silenced. In Black Skin, White Masks, Frantz Fanon wrote: "My final
prayer: oh my body, make me always a man who asks questions." I pray that God gives me
the strength to ask questions as I seek to come closer to the truth. Honorable men and
women must respond to one another's concerns honestly as we seek to understand the
truth of our condition and our civilization. Our nation demands no less.