Principal of The UWI, Mona Professor Densil Williams (second right) is joined by (from left) Campus Registrar Dr Donovan Stanberry; Campus Council Chairman Dennis Cohen; and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles during the recent annual Campus Council meeting.
April 6, 2025
The UWI, Mona looks ahead
Bold transformational initiatives to secure institution’s future
ADMINISTRATORS of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona campus are confident that they are on the right track to move the world-rated academic institution into a new phase.
During the annual business meeting of the Campus Council on Friday, the administrators highlighted major strides in academic reform, financial restructuring, student support initiatives, and infrastructure development over the past year, while outlining an ambitious transformation agenda for the year ahead.
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With the meeting of the Campus Council held under the theme ‘Recentring to the Core: Securing Mona’s Future’, Principal Professor Densil Williams — in presenting the 2023/2024 campus report — affirmed that The UWI, Mona is actively responding to regional and global shifts in higher education with a clear and pragmatic strategy.
“We are firmly committed to securing Mona’s future by investing in high-quality human capital, building world-class infrastructure, and deepening partnerships that support our mission,” said Williams.
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“There is no better way to achieve economic transformation than through a strong, productive labour force. This is the vision the Mona campus is working towards,” added Williams.
Among the standout achievements of the past academic year listed by Williams were the strengthening of the Mona Office for Research and Innovation (MORI), the establishment of a dedicated Business Development Office, and a new Office of Strategic Planning and Enterprise Management (OSPEM) — each designed to enhance research output, entrepreneurship, and administrative efficiency.
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According to Williams, support for students remained a top priority, with the campus investing in upgraded multimedia teaching spaces and renovated residence halls. Significant contributions to research were made, accompanied by increased grant funding and an investment of over $60 million in infrastructure upgrades to halls of residence, underscoring The UWI Mona’s ongoing commitment to student welfare.
Engineering students also benefited from scholarships awarded through collaboration with Marubeni Corporation and technology donations from the National Water Commission.
The campus community celebrated academic excellence with Mona’s Debating Team winning the Inter-Campus Postgraduate Debating Competition for the seventh-consecutive year, and student Nile Anderson being named Jamaica’s 2024 Rhodes Scholar.
Williams said these achievements reflect a campus culture of leadership, critical thinking, and global readiness.
Strategic partnerships have also been key to The UWI, Mona’s forward momentum. The campus signed memoranda of understanding with institutions including the University of Alabama, University of South Florida, SUNY Buffalo, and the University of Botswana. These collaborations are expected to foster faculty and student exchanges, research projects, and the development of a Centre of Excellence in Comprehensive Evidence-Based Cancer Care.
On the financial front, the university administrators reported progress in revenue diversification and operational efficiency.
They pointed out that while post-employment pension and health benefits continue to be a major drag on its financial performance, the campus saw an improvement in its excess income over expenditure of over 750 per cent year over year, and also a strong improvement in its net current liability position by almost $1 billion year over year.
In addition, through redesigned administrative processes, the institution projects over $65 million in efficiency gains. Key improvements included a 39 per cent reduction in turnaround time for areas such as payments and recruitment, with 23 per cent of process steps now automated and standardised.
Looking to the future, the campus administrators said they are preparing to launch a series of capital development projects.
These include a new Faculty of Engineering building, a renovated Main Library, upgraded campus entrances, and a major expansion of the western Jamaica campus with the introduction of a new School of Global Health.
The administrators said curriculum reform also remains central to the campus’ future direction, with efforts focused on student-centred learning, workforce readiness, and the integration of research and innovation into teaching.
“The emphasis is on building a dynamic, modern university that meets the evolving needs of students, industries, and the wider Caribbean community,” said Williams.
He closed the meeting with a reaffirmation of UWI Mona’s mission.
“As we re-centre our campus to its core business, our achievements over the past year build a solid foundation to tackle new challenges. We are committed to creating an outcome-driven, action-oriented institution that serves our students and the Caribbean community with excellence,” said Williams.
The annual business meeting of Campus Council served as a reflection on its progress and a forward-looking declaration of purpose, grounded in innovation, resilience, and the pursuit of academic and operational excellence.
