Orville Taylor | UWI is not U, not him, but WI

Recently deceased legend South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu reminded us that silence of those who know better enables wrongs. On Radio Jamaica, the flagship of this media group, our mandate is to be ‘active for the good of the nation’. To the privileged minority of persons in this country who happened to graduate therefrom, The University of the West Indies (UWI) stature and reputation mean everything. Perception is everything. Something doesn’t smell right and marine scientist Mona Principal, Dale Webber, can recognise the odour.

Along with the West Indies cricket team, and the Caribbean Examination Council, U is ‘Fi WI’, not the property of any individual, however powerful, and its stewardship must be for the benefit of the majority. There is a common thread here. UWI Chancellor Robert Bermudez, to the best of my knowledge, is not a UWI graduate, and interestingly, neither is Vice-Chancellor Hilary Beckles, whose degrees are from the University of Hull. But let’s leave the deep ship puns for now. The demise of UWI would do nothing to the integrity of these men’s qualifications. It would be catastrophic to the rest of us. Working at UWI is a blessing and the task is to make it better than we found it and leave.

At present, the university’s board chairman (Bermudez) and the board of directors (Council) are being investigated by an extraordinary committee, appointed by the chief executive officer (Beckles) over the circumstances surrounding his renewal of contract. Beckles, who turned 65 in 2021, is administrative head of a limping university, in financial crisis and which took the decision that as part of the recovery strategy, unless the circumstances are exceptional, no one past this retirement age should be re-engaged.

WALKING THIN LINE

For whatever reason, the ‘jury’ comprising the heads of West Indian governments was not unanimous. In fact, the two largest countries and thus, main economic contributors, did not support Beckles’ renewal. If one were to use the very standard that he has now ushered in regarding other ‘classified’ appointments, he would be making his comments from his retirement couch. This post facto inquiry is dangerous and threatens the reputation and integrity of the 74-year-old institution. Beckles is walking a thin line. Caribbean citizens from all walks of life are peppering me with the unanswerable. “How do you set up a committee to report to yourself regarding your boss and the board of directors?” After all, we in the Faculty of Social Sciences boast the two best human resources master's programmes in the Anglophone Caribbean. The faculty, which is 40 per cent of UWI, Mona, is a net earner for the university. Alas, all personnel in the faculty, who have actually worked outside of academia, solving real problems, are as dumbfounded. Nothing in our research or practical supports this.

UWI Mona is the single largest recipient of cash from ordinary Jamaican taxpayers, the greatest critical mass of Caribbean people. No Jamaican government-owned academic institution gets more money from a country whose gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is US$4,660. Trinidad and Barbados have GDPs per capita of $15,380 and $15,191, respectively. Thus, in relative terms, Jamaica’s working class is holding up the university, at greater sacrifice.

Webber has to take his chances with the deep blue sea, because money is as scarce as truth among politician. It is real hard times and as we try to live on skeleton budgets, we need people who can guide us how to make and save money. Bermudez is no cookie; he has a proven record of how to make dough and believe me, he is not ‘crackers’ either.

MEAN NOTHING

The thought of the UWI Mona becoming bankrupt is a horrific prospect. In June 2020, my column made the case that the university’s increased ranking among the universities which participated in the scheme means absolutely nothing if we cannot sustain ourselves financially. It is no different from a PhD who has a massive car loan or mortgage just for the prestige; but has to be constantly bailed out by his non-degreed brother, who has a decent job in information technology.

Just imagine the embarrassment and Wilmot Perkins doing cartwheels in his grave, as the ‘intellectual ghetto’ looks set to implode. Moreover, how can the largest collection of degrees in the English-speaking Caribbean, run by the reputed brightest and his benchmen, be unable to make ends meet?

Despite my triple ‘serfitikets’ from the UWI, I never support empty qualifications. Like my colleague head of our business school, I know what it is like to work with degreeless men and women who simply have sense, which they managed to turn into dollars. Ask Adam Stewart if he thinks that he is his father’s peer.

For far too long we at UWI have lived charmed if not deluded lives. In spite of us being one of the biggest draws on the Jamaican people, some of us have shown nothing for it. UWI held a privileged place for decades, with no concern regarding their qualifications being accredited. In 1987 when our University Council of Jamaica (UCJ) was formed, it was ostensibly to make certain that other tertiary degree-granting entities were not diploma mills.

The current saga where it seems that the vice-chancellor is moving on his supervisor is a source of great angst not just for the more than a dozen prime ministers who graduated from UWI, but for all those who have desires to attend the flagship institution of the region.

Right now, the UWI has accreditation by the UCJ. However, it is fragile and if anything shakes up its integrity standards, the university stature will slide like the Jamaican currency. Critical to this is that there be no conflict of interest and that no one is a law unto himself or reports to himself and judge, jury and executioner.

It is bad enough that Ordinance 8, which outlines acts of misconduct, requires that any misbehaviour, including his own, must laughably be reported to the vice-chancellor himself.

Doubtless, Beckles in his own reasoning thinks this is in his power. However, power and authority are not the same. Clearly he got the green light and he must read it carefully, because it may, however, be a traffic signal.

Dr Orville Taylor is head of the Department of Sociology at The University of the West Indies, a radio talk-show host, and author of Broken Promises, Hearts and Pockets. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and tayloronblackline@hotmail.com.

Editor's note: Dr Orville Taylor has been embroiled in a previous dispute with The University of the West Indies, and in particular Sir Hilary Beckles, over the issue of the university's decision not to promote Dr Taylor to professor.