UWI Regional HQ Now A Reality

In Jamaica, there’s a saying, “Every mickle mek a muckle”, which translates into “every little bit helps”. And just as so many Caribbean people have achieved their goals by saving their “mickles”, so it is that The UWI has attained its long-wished-for Vice Chancellery Building. Officially dubbed The University of the West Indies’ Regional Headquarters (UWI-RHQ), the impressive two-storey building is a dream made reality through the vision of the University’s leadership, the financial support of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and generous donors, coupled with the hard work of The UWI project team and its contractors. The seat of central governance for the entire University was officially opened in June 2012 by the Most Hon. Portia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica.

Located on Kingston’s Mona Road, immediately opposite the main entrance of the Mona Campus, UWI-RHQ serves as home to a museum depicting the history of The UWI; a state-of-the-art archive; and offers dedicated space for some of UWI’s key research Institutes of excellence such as Criminal Justice and Security, Gender and Development Studies, and the Latin American and Caribbean Centre. It also boasts a large Council room and attractive lobby for receptions, graced by paintings and sculpted works from around the Caribbean. UWI-RHQ is deliberately located outside of the Mona campus to represent its
autonomy.

“The Regional Headquarters building housing the offices of the Vice Chancellery is a separate place,” explained Vice Chancellor Professor E. Nigel Harris. “It is truly regional. It’s a place that belongs to all of the campuses. This is a place where anybody who belongs to the University will feel at home.”

The UWI, despite having four campuses, is governed as a single entity, overseen by the University Council, the equivalent of the governing board of many universities, and is managed by an executive team made up of the Vice Chancellor, the four campus principals (who are Pro Vice- Chancellors), four other PVCs (for Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Studies, Research, and Planning & Development), the University Registrar and Deputy Registrar, the Chief Financial Officer and Chief University Information Officer. They oversee policy formation, strategic planning, finances, quality assurance of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, research, outreach and legal affairs. All these activities are supported by offices that were previously scattered mainly across the Mona campus. Today, they are all located in the UWI-RHQ.

Designed by architects Bob Fowler and Associates, with Kier Construction Company Ltd as the main construction firm, the building cost US$12 million, of which US$8.25 million was provided through a CDB loan. The loan is guaranteed in equal portions by the governments of Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and includes generous repayment terms and fairly low interest rates. Apart from the loan, the CDB also gave UWI a grant of US$500,000.

The overall goal of the Vice Chancellor’s Building project is to contribute to UWI’s long-term mission of propelling the economic, social, political and cultural development of the region. The three main components of the project are firstly, to improve the productivity of the Vice Chancellery, which included providing adequate space for Vice Chancellery staff. The second objective is to enhance strategic management by developing a communications strategy and plan; a risk management programme; a maintenance policy for all UWI facilities, and training 30 systems managers and other ICT staff across The UWI’s four campuses. Finally, the project seeks to place focus on enhancing research and innovation by formulating a research and innovation action plan.

However, even though the building is completed, the longer term aspects of the project are ongoing. In particular, the University needs to source the remaining US$3.25 million of the total cost, as well as the additional US$4 million for outfitting the building, and hopes that the private sector across the region will contribute to the fund.

Approximately US$1 million has already been raised through donations – signal contributions to the cause of an integrated Caribbean. These include US$100,000 from Neal and Massy Group; a significant contribution from Caribbean Cement Company; and substantial donations from alumnus, Dr. Aleem Mohammed, chairman of SM Jaleel and Company Limited, Trinidad & Tobago, and Chas E. Ramson of Jamaica. Having come this far, The UWI is confident that its alumni and friends will also help with their “mickles” to “mek a muckle”.