PROJECT Strengthening Distance Education

A project seeking to strengthen the Open Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) to make high-quality education available to more people across the Caribbean through the use of distance education technologies has exceeded expectations.

Partnering with Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and Universal Service Fund (USF) to execute the Strengthening Distance Education in the Caribbean (SDEC) Project, the Open Campus is reporting phenomenal growth in the number of programmes that are relevant to the needs of private and public sectors regionally.

Word of this came from Dr Luz Longsworth, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal at The UWI Open Campus during the SDEC Project Showcase, held at Hilton Barbados Resort, yesterday.

“We have been able to develop programmes that have expanded access to our students in the region allowing them to stay home,... to earn and contribute to their countries,” she pointed out.

“With over 20 new degree programmes and over 130 new courses online as well as 37 and counting, new continuing and professional education programmes, the Project has exceeded the goals of achieving larger numbers of relevant programmes for our people.”

The technological improvements that have been funded through the SDEC project have created a robust system for student support, records management and an agile platform for growth.

Dr Longsworth also observed that through online study and the innovative funding model of the Open Campus, each country now has the opportunity to educate their population with a first-class quality UWI degree at a lower cost. She explained this is particularly relevant to students from countries without a physical UWI campus, but also is instrumental for those students who live or work in remote locations or who for personal reasons are unable to attend a physical campus.

Moreover, the Principal highlighted that St Lucia has been the fastest growing site over the 10 years of the Open Campus. Now, with approximately 800 students online, St Lucia is their third largest site behind Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago.

“When we look at the analysis of the cost of educating 800 students at degree level – undergraduate to doctoral level – the annual cost to the government of St Lucia for educating each student is below US$2,000 per student, per year,” she revealed.

“There is no where that kind of cost effectiveness for higher education of a good quality degree can be found. This is the message that we need to get out to the region about the power of what the Open Campus and the online modality can do in transforming those numbers that we are always lamenting about.”

Professor Sir Hilary Beckles Vice-Chancellor, The University of the West Indies expressed his appreciation to the partners for their support.

“The Government of Canada, through their Development Strategy, invested CAD$20 million in this project to expand distance education across the Caribbean. Indeed, this Canadian investment respected 60 percent of the overall resource allocation. The CDB made a significant contribution of $3 million, as did the Universal Service Fund of Jamaica making a contribution of CAD $1.1 million. These resources were matched with those already provided by the Open Campus at the University of the West Indies.”

Describing the project as being “brilliantly executed,” Sir Hilary also said it has become a model, not only for the University but for other institutions, in terms of how to implement effectively an internationally-funded project.

“The Open Campus was transformed, the impact of this investment and the effectiveness of this project have empowered the University of the West Indies to meet its broader remit to the people of the Caribbean,” he stated. (TL)