We don’t want anyone left behind, says UWI Guild president

Students of The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona say they are relieved after it was announced that a mix of face-to-face and online classes will be offered in the new academic year.

The closure of schools amid the coronavirus pandemic had heightened concerns for many students who have been negatively impacted by the digital divide because of a lack of resources.

UWI Mona will offer a blended approach for the new school year, but all courses will be online as a contingency in case there is a second wave of COVID- 19, Principal, Professor Dale Webber, said.

In light of a meeting held on July 14, a letter was sent to students informing them of the decision taken by UWI to implement blended learning for the new term, beginning September 7.

“It won’t be a situation where students will strictly be working from home. We do not want anyone to be left behind,” University of the West Indies Guild President Sujae Boswell told The Gleaner.

Face-to-face classes will be dependent on the size of the course cohort and the level of practical involvement required.

Adjustments will be made to the campus to include increased resources. Boswell said that more computers will be available in the labs on halls. He anticipates more donations of tablets and other resources for students in need.

The university will enforce health and safety guidelines in conjunction with the Government’s coronavirus-containment protocol. Sanitisation stations will be placed at various locations on campus, and classrooms will be retrofitted to facilitate social distancing.

There will be a limited number of rooms available on the halls of residence for the 2020-2021 academic year, as there will be no shared occupancy.

The university has decided not to increase tuition and accommodation for the traditional halls.

DISABLED STUDENTS

Campus Registrar Dr Donovan Stanberry told The Gleaner that special provisions were being made for students with disabilities. The administration, along with the guild and its representative for persons with disabilities, is working to ensure that their needs are met.

Jamaica’s first coronavirus case was recorded on March 10 and educational institutions were ordered closed days later. The country tallied 774 cases up to July 18 out of a global toll of more than 14 million.

Meanwhile, some faculty say they are feeling the pressure of extra work and would like to be compensated for the work they are putting in.

A lecturer who spoke to The Gleaner said that they had undertaken a greater workload, for which they were not compensated.

“It was a big bangarang. It was frustrating,” said the lecturer, who requested his name not be published.

Additionally, he expressed uncertainty about the future of adjunct lecturers and staff on short-term contracts because details on the upcoming semester have not been communicated to them.

Attempts were made to contact the West Indies Group of University Teachers for a comment regarding the future terms of engagement for lecturers, but a response was not forthcoming up to press time.

Webber said that details of the courses and registration procedures will be made available by July 31.