CMU moving to bring all lecturers up to qualification standard

The Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) says it is several steps closer to closing the lid on lecturers delivering courses without meeting the minimum qualification to do so, calling it one aspect of the institution’s drive to sanitise its image.

Marred by a fraud scandal that triggered the resignation of former CMU President Fritz Pinnock and former Education Minister Ruel Reid, current CMU President Professor Andrew Spencer said the school has raised the percentage of employees meeting the minimum qualification from 40 per cent to 75 per cent.

Spencer said there is a minimum requirement of a master’s degree for lecturers at most universities, but disclosed that there had been a challenge at CMU.

“We’re now at a place where – and our intention is 100 per cent – 75 per cent of the people who are delivering at the level that we expect them to have the minimum qualification,” Spencer said.

Strategic plan

He said a strategic plan that has been implemented at the university, which specialises in maritime education and training, is expected to take it to full compliance.

Spencer said over the past 18 months the university has been able to attract people with terminal degrees, that is the highest achievable degree in an academic field or professional discipline.

He said, within that time, the university has hired six individual with doctor of philosophy degrees who have joined from other institutions.

The university’s academic staff cohort stands at 101 with 20 per cent having terminal degrees.

He said in areas where there are no terminal degrees, individuals “years of experience”.

The university currently offers degrees through its engineering and applied technology, marine and nautical studies, shipping and logistics, and Advanced Skills and Professional Development faculties.

Meanwhile, it’s degreed student population totals 2,000, while an additional 1,000 are enrolled and completing courses.

Male students are marginally higher than female students at 51 per cent to 49 per cent.

Spencer said the university has seen more female students signing up for engineering degrees, a trend that once upon a time was atypical.

“We are the only ones who have that kind of ratio and you would not expect it. In the past we would have 70:30 in favour of males because we are very technical … Our top graduate from engineering last year was female. So, that 51 to 49 per cent excites us,” he said.

The student population is made up of individuals from Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Belize, The Bahamas, China, Peru, and Jamaica.

The university saw a decline in first-year student enrolment during the coronavirus pandemic years, but has since registered an uptick in the current academic year.

First-year student numbers have increased by 34 per cent, Keisha Walker, vice-president for administration and university registrar at CMU, confirmed.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com