The University of the West Indies(UWI) Cave Hill Campus’ galloping expansion and the associated financial challenges are quickly turning it into an endangered institution.
Political scientist Peter Wickham, a former UWI student who became one of its lecturers, issued that warning while saying he sympathised with Principal Professor Sir Hilary Beckles.
“UWI has to answer some serious questions in relation to the fact that it has allowed the provision of its core product to gallop so extraordinarily quickly to the point where I think it is becoming a threat to its own existence by the fact that it is so costly to run,” the pollster said.
He was speaking Wednesday night at Combermere School while participating in a Barbados Private Sector Association discussion on education.
“I have full sympathy for Professor [Sir Hilary] Beckles and I understand entirely what has happened, but those of us who went to university as students and those of us who taught at the university as lecturers – and I was one of them – understand UWI has some serious internal problems that it has to address. Unfortunately the cost of UWI has galloped out of all proportion.”
“And if you all think the $16 000 that are being asked as tuition fees for someone doing medicine is a small matter you have to appreciate . . . that does not account for the full economic cost that Government is being asked to pay.” (SC)
