UCC names Sir Kenneth as chancellor, lands accreditation
Published:Sunday | July 26, 2020 | 12:14 AM
Former Governor General Professor Sir Kenneth Hall has been named chancellor of the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean, UCC, on the retirement of the current occupant of the office, President and Executive Chancellor Professor Dennis Gayle.
The UCC also said in a press release that Hall would continue to advise the UCC board on university governance and processes, and would also take on the role of “chief representative of UCC’s outreach efforts to a range of communities of interest, locally, regionally, and also internationally” as part of his new job. The university is trying to attract international students through its online offerings and blended programmes.
Prior to his appointment as governor general in February 2006, Hall led Jamaica’s top tertiary institution, The University of the West Indies, Mona campus, as pro-vice-chancellor and principal.
He also previously served as UCC chancellor in an interim capacity prior to the appointment of Executive Chancellor Dr Herbert Thompson in 2011.
Gayle will become a senior consultant to UCC and remain on the board of directors. He will also retain his title of president over the summer, the university said in the press release.
The UCC also announced that Audrey Sewell, permanent secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, has been named board chair, filling the vacancy created by the passing of chair Dr Rickert Allen.
The UCC, which began operations in 2005, was this month granted institutional accreditation by the University Council of Jamaica, ranking it alongside The UWI, Mona; University of Technology, Jamaica; and Northern Caribbean University.
It also obtained accreditation from the United Kingdom-based accreditation body Accrediting Services for International Schools, Colleges and Universities, ASIC UK, in 2017.