UWI’s leadership gives percentage of salaries to student fund
Regional
Headquarters Jamaica. Saturday, May 02, 2020 -- The senior executive leadership of The University of the
West Indies (The UWI)—the Vice-Chancellor, Campus Principals, Pro Vice-Chancellors,
University Bursar and University Registrar—have all committed to allocating a
percentage of their salaries for the next three months towards a student
hardship fund. The aim of the fund is to promote equity of access for all
students as well as provide much needed additional counseling services during
this time.
The
executive leadership of the regional university has recognized that the rapid
transition to emergency online teaching in response to the regional spread of
COVID-19 has exposed the enormity of challenges facing financially and socially
marginalized students. With a student body of close to 50,000, at least 10,000
of them are believed to be functioning in a social circumstance that makes it
excessively difficult to participate equally and equitably in this moment of
digital intensification.
The
principals across The UWI’s five campuses stepped up in developing remedial
projects to confront this reality and to restore the level playing field
provided by the physical classroom culture. The UWI alumni have been called
upon to participate in fundraising and philanthropists have also responded by
donating hundreds of tablets.
The
offer of a salary-source contribution from the executive leadership to enhance
student wellbeing “is another part of the UWI CARES project, designed to
empower any excluded element of the student body,” says Vice-Chancellor,
Professor Sir Hilary Beckles. He explained, “This is a justice gesture to
further illustrate our commitment. We are here to serve and support them in
their quest to succeed.”
--00--
Comments
Post a Comment