In many respects, The University of the West Indies has undergone deep and dramatic changes which have helped reposition some of the University's original configurations and traditional directions.
Most notably has been the growth of student enrolment. Today, enrolment figures exceed 38,000. There has also been a significant shift in student demographics, with greater representation from the middle, lower middle and working classes. Today's students are more likely to be rural than urban. Larger numbers are part-time students. More are older and working full-time while pursuing University education.
This journey is propelled by a new five-year strategic plan to guide the University over 2007-2012.
The vision, energy and dynamic changes envisaged for the University over the next five years are in many ways a continuation of what has already been taking place at the University.
The regional construct of our University offers the unique possibility of mobilizing and linking our dispersed intellectual resources to create, innovate and to advise agents and agencies to capitalize on the progress and address the challenges of this moment in our history.
The year 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of The University of the West Indies. We embrace the opportunity to celebrate the University's achievements over the past six decades. It is also an occasion to re-assess where we are and what we must become to ensure our sustained growth and competitiveness. The process of stakeholder engagement must be strengthened and deepened so that the next decades will unassailably affirm The University of the West Indies as first in the region and first globally with respect to Caribbean knowledge and knowledge development.
The University of the West Indies is the region's flagship institution of higher learning. From its humble beginnings in 1948, UWI has grown to include 9 faculties, 3 campuses and 12 centres spread throughout the Caribbean. Student enrolment currently averages over 38,000 students.
