A new report on the governance of the University of the West Indies is recommending that students pay 40 per cent of their tuition instead of 20 per cent.
Currently, governments of the region where a UWI campus is operational pay 80 per cent of student’s tuition.
The implications of this and other key recommendations have left many in the academic community concerned.
The report was commissioned by UWI’s Chancellor, businessman Robert Bermudez.
The key recommendations of the report were discussed on last Saturday’s edition of Talking History with Professor Verene Shepherd on Nationwide 90FM.
Lecturer in Political Science and President of the West Indies Group of University Teachers at St. Augustine, Dr. Indira Rampersad suggested 20 per cent increase could impact access.
The report has also recommended the abolition of the Finance and General Purpose Committees, F&GPCs.
Dr. Rampersad says the F&GPCs are usually headed by the Vice Chancellor and the campus Principals.
However the new recommendations are seeking to abolish that structure.
Dr. Rampersad says it’s still vague who would replace the VC and Principals.
Dr. Rampersad says the recommendations would negatively impact transparency, accountability and democracy of the University’s governance.
