MINISTER OF EDUCATION Ronald Jones has thrown out a bold suggestion that the Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity [BIMAP] consider upgrading to a full-fledged university. This indicates that he – and the Freundel Stuart administration – is seeking expansion in higher education.
Jones must develop the conversation by giving more details of any plans, however tentative, in light of the growing need for tertiary education. It is certain that enrolment will continue to grow, given the requirements of the economy and the need at the individual level to exploit opportunities wherever they may be available.
Any quest to expand capacity in higher education must meet demanding standards, both in the programmes offered and their outcomes. This is to ensure the employability of graduates and develop brand recognition.
Expansion of our higher education system must be responsive to market demands, contribute to economic growth and be innovative. It is one thing to have an expanding list of tertiary institutes, but structures must be in place to ensure that there are no systemic and structural problems.
So before BIMAP can become a university it must have very manageable classrooms where student-to-lecturer ratio meets international standards; and it must also have access to relevant technology which will make a big difference in today’s learning and teaching environment. It will also require a higher percentage of its faculty holding doctoral degrees.
We must build capacity not only by having more higher education campuses, but, more importantly, by having access to adequate financing, new models of governance and a regulatory environment not bogged down in bureaucratic apathy.
It will also mean collaborating with other institutes of higher learning and the commercial business sector.
There must be a vision that will help in attracting an international student body, funding from the private sector and developing research which can create real economic value. Studies in areas ranging from leisure and hospitality studies to specialised health care management and in the financial and accounting areas are in big demand.
There is a clear need to apply and adapt what is taught which means putting greater focus on interaction and problem- solving. Students will require more resources to help them realise the shift from theory to action.
In all this, the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus should not be overlooked or de-emphasised. At the same time we must set out the time frame in which an upgraded BIMAP and indeed the UWI Cave Hill should endeavour to be on the list of globally ranked universities.
In setting out his agenda on the way forward, Jones must redefine the academic excellence we must pursue, address the issue of relevance and indicate how the graduates will be of benefit to their communities.
