UTech chancellor to demit office next month
Published:Wednesday | October 20, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Laura Redpath, Senior Gleaner Writer
Lord William Morris of Handsworth will be stepping down next month as chancellor for the University of Technology (UTech).
Morris, who was officially installed as chancellor in July 2000, will grace the university with his presence in an official capacity for the last time when he attends the graduation to be held on November 6.
Dianne Mitchell, vice-president of administration and university registrar, told The Gleaner yesterday that the chancellor will be missed.
"We worked fairly closely since 1999. He is very disciplined and a stickler for time," she said.
She noted that the main reason for the chancellor relieving himself of the esteemed position is to make it available for someone who will be able to serve the university at the local level.
"He always had a concern for the students and the staff," Mitchell added.
Morris, born in Manchester, Jamaica, in 1938, migrated to the United Kingdom, settling in Handsworth three months after his mother did in 1954.
They moved after his father, a part-time policeman, died in 1954.
According to a BBC profile, Morris' first job was at a local car parts manufacturer and "within a few years had shown his potential for representing workers' concerns".
Morris served as general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union up until 2003, representing approximately 900,000 workers.
The BBC website also states that Morris' "leadership has seen several high-profile battles, fought not in the firebrand style of some of his (union) predecessors, but with quietly spoken determination".
On the UK Parliament website, Morris' political interests span social justice, trade unions, the economy, international affairs and diversity.
He was raised to peerage in 2006 and honoured with membership in the Order of Jamaica in 2002.
Morris also serves as chancellor of the Staffordshire University in the United Kingdom.
Mark in Jamaican education
While he achieved much in England, Morris has made his mark on education in Jamaica.
According to UTech's Mitchell, Morris was introduced to its first Master of Business Administration programme.
He was also responsible for the chancellor's forum, a space to discuss further development of the university.
UTech's development has spread across the country, with locations in Montego Bay and Falmouth, and might indeed reach St Mary, Portland and Manchester.
"He really thought that (UTech) should be the people's university. He was all about taking the university to the people," Mitchell said.