b'Improving the Quality of Teaching, Learning and Student DevelopmentIncreasing Access throughmanagement of the disease within homes and in theTablet DistributionStaff Trainingwider society. Faculties and Departments increasedTheUniversityBookshopprovidedtabletstoThe Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Online Deliverythetrainingofstafftomeetthedemandsofbothstakeholders at a reduced cost. This was enhanced(CETL)providedtrainingforlecturersinthe online pedagogy and information sharing. throughcollaborationamongtheBookshop,theFaculties of Engineering and Social Sciences, which TheprimarychallengeexperiencedinAccesstoOfficeofthePrincipal,theUWIDevelopmentenabled them to enhance delivery of online content. teaching and learning was that of the forced cessationByMarch13,2020,theCampushadsuspendedandEndowmentFund(UWIDEF)andtheMonaTofacilitateTheUniversitystransitiontoonline of face-to-face delivery. This immediately transformedteaching and commenced the process of pivoting toAdministrativeandTechnicalStaffAssociationteaching and learning, the CETL worked with the thelandscapeofeducationitself,andtherapidremote online teaching, occasioned by the COVID-19(MONATS). This initiative saw a total of 513 tabletsOpen Campus to offer synchronous online training pivot to online delivery required by each Faculty andpandemic. The financial impact of COVID-19 as wellbeingmadeavailabletobooststudentsonlineopportunities in the use of Blackboard Collaborate Departmentastheonlymethodofinstructionforas issues related to the lack of internet connectivitylearning capabilities.To facilitate student ownershipUltra(BbC)andMoodleLearningManagement Semester II of Academic Year 2019-2020. andappropriateinstruments,posedsignificantof digital devices, similar initiatives were put in placeSystem(calledOurVirtualLearningEnvironment challenges for a number of our students. In keepingby the Faculties of Social Sciences and Science and(OurVLE) at the Mona Campus). The training allowed This shift, it must be stated, had a rich base from whichwith our student-centered focus as a University, theTechnology and the Western Jamaica Campus.staff to better align their courses to suit the needs 32 to quickly develop as it built on and accelerated theOffice of the Campus Registrar played a major role inof the region.At the Faculty of Engineering, the33mixed modalities of teaching that had already beenfacilitating this transition and supported the continuedTheLibraryalsomovedquicklyandrealignedEngineering Virtual Learning Environment (ENGVLE) initiatedbytheCampusPrincipal,ProfessorDaleengagementofourstudents.Someofthespecificstaff resources to partner with the Mona Campusplatformwasusedfortransmissionofmaterial Webber, as one of his major development thrusts foractions were: initiativetosupportstudentswhowerewithouttotheirstudentpopulationandtrainingsessions the Mona Campus since 2018. Given the advent of newdevices for remote learning. Using the Aleph Librarydesigned and implemented to prepare lecturers for digital technologies such as Blackboard Collaboratei.DevelopingguidelinestoenabletheconductofSystem, an initial gift of 516 tablets and 30 laptopsthisnewonlinedeliverymediumwereconducted andMoodleLearningManagementSystemthatassessments in the online environment. from various donors including The UWI Developmentvia ZOOM, another platform that was employed as allowedvirtualaccess,andalsothatthemajorityii.In recognition of the financial difficulties faced byandEndowmentFund(UWIDEF),werecatalogueda major source of communication during this time.ofstudentswereinvestinginsmartphonesandstudents, the following concessions were granted: and processed for loans to students in record time personalcomputers,somecomponentsofteachingof one week as a full cataloguing staff complementRevised Assessment Methodshad gradually shifted to virtual delivery. The persistenta.The Late Penalty Fine on outstanding fees wasrespondedtothecallforassistance.Further,TheCOVID-19pandemicinducedchangesin challenge that the Campus was faced with, however,waived for one (1) month. collaborationwiththeJamaicaLibraryServiceteachingmodalitiesthatnecessitatedrevisions was to ensure that equipment and internet access wereb.The Late Registration Fee was waived. was made for island-wide distribution to studentstotheassessmentmethodsforcourses,while available to the widest range of students. In addition,c.Access was reopened for students to requestvia parish libraries to ensure an easy transition toensuringthatstudentswereinvolvedinthis The UWI embraced the need for the online delivery ofLeave of Absence without penalty. remote teaching in April. The Main Library facilitatedtransaction.Insemester2ofAcademicYear courses through training on methods of instruction tod.Access was granted for students to participatestudents in Kingston and St. Andrew.In addition,2019-2020,theFacultyofSocialSciences(FSS), lecturers and tutors on delivery and the preparation ofin final assessments without prejudice to theirLibrarystaffwentbeyondthecallofduty,somewhich hosts the largest student population on the online visual teaching aids, as well as the expansionfinancial affairs once already registered. travellingtovariousdestinationstoensurethatCampus,proposedchangestothemethodsof of tools by which students could access online helpstudents could receive the devices. Approximatelyassessmentforapproximately361courses(200 and be assessed through the new systems of online458devices(443tabletsand15laptops)wereundergraduatecoursesand161postgraduate examinations and coursework assessment. There wasThefollowingmeasuressignificantlyenabledourissuedtoundergraduateandgraduatestudentscourses).EachDepartmentconductedextensive also need for the transmission of information on thestudents to manage the transition. from all Faculties during the period. internalconsultationstoarriveatthechangesto ANNUAL REPORT 2019/20 Realigning our Resources with Resilience and Resourcefulness'