OSS&D Objectives

Mission

The Office of Student Services and Development (OSSD), Mona, within this framework, remains committed to supporting the Universitys mission by creating a learning environment that facilitates and encourages the development and delivery of high quality programmes designed to foster the holistic development of the individual student. 

Strategic Aims:

To improve access to higher quality student development

To promote student success by offering a wide range of opportunities for students to develop socially, personally and professionally as a complement to the formal academic experience. The qualitative experiences offered should, in conjunction with the honing of cognitive skills, contribute to the shaping of the distinctive graduate of The University of the West Indies, one who is (i) a critical and creative thinker (ii) an effective communicator with good interpersonal skills (iii) IT skilled and information literate (iv) innovative and entrepreneurial (v) globally aware and well-grounded in his/her regional identity (vi) socially and culturally and environmentally responsible and (vii) guided by strong ethical values 

To improve the services offered to students as an essential support to their learning and development

Strategic Objectives:

To contribute to increasing access through improving the quality of student development as well as the quality and quantity and impact of research, innovation and publication within the department. shaping of the distinctive graduate as outlined in The UWI Strategic Plan 2017-2022 by delivering specific programmes and services which are to be managed by Student Services and Development Managers (SSDMs) and other staff in the Office (Department) of Student Services and Development 

To promote professionalism at all levels of the OSSD team by identifying, facilitating and/or providing training opportunities for all categories of staff and Resident Advisors in order to develop and/or enhance the following attributes: job-related knowledge and skills; a responsible attitude to work-life balance; institutional loyalty and engagement; positive customer service; and respectful and ethical behaviour

Compliant with the University’s new Triple A strategy of Access, Alignment and Agility, which will frame the institution’s focus for the next five (5) years, the Office of Student Services and Development has also located some of its objectives within this same context. The department aims at increasing access for students through the establishment of:

1. A Student Success Centre - a one stop shop for students to access academic support, ongoing career counselling, academic life coaching, personal development assistance, help with other student welfare matters, excellent customer service, and referral services.

2. A proposal to F&GPC, Mona, to see to the establishment of Academic Support for presentation in January 2019

3. A robust Student Exit Survey to extract information on the student experience

4. An effective system which extrapolates data from labour market survey to ensure that the department’s deliverables are aligned with labour markets expectations. 

5. New and impactful programmes that will target underserved student groups

6. A Soft Skills Summer Bridge Programme

7. An Online Virtual Hall for Commuting Students

8. A disability-friendly Campus by 2022

9. The appropriate ICT platforms for internal and external communication in keeping with international best practices

The department also aims at creating alignment that sees UWI as the University of Choice, to provide critical and informed research driven analysis and recommendations on dire issues. This will be done through establishing the OSSD as the leading Student Services Research Centre in the Caribbean.