During the Federal period, the survival of the University College as a West Indian institution depended on its ability to maintain good relations with the Federal Government and its member states, a task which proved increasingly difficult as conflict between member states, especially Jamaica and Trinidad, grew. Recognizing the realities the College faced, Arthur Lewis, then Principal, adopted a policy of decentralisation characterised by abandonment of the residential requirement, merger with the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA) at St. Augustine, in Trinidad, which took effect on August 1, 1960 and establishment of a College of Arts and Science at Barbados.