Parliamentary committee meeting suspended after senior UWI admin show up virtually
Published:Thursday | June 30, 2022 | 12:10 AM
Wednesday’s meeting of the Human Resources and Social Development Committee was suspended due to the in-person absence of senior administrators of The University of the West Indies (UWI).
The committee was set to continue its review of the Report of The University of the West Indies’ Chancellor’s Commission on Governance of The UWI, July 2020.
Referencing a June 28 letter signed by UWI Registrar Dr Maurice Smith, committee Chairman Heroy Clarke said that he was informed that the pro vice-chancellor and principal of UWI’s Five Islands Campus, Professor Densil Williams, would attend the meeting virtually.
“We were expecting to have Dr Smith in person, only to be told minutes ago that he will be joining online. No reason has been given,” said Clarke, who is the member of parliament (MP) for St James Central.
The university registrar said it was his intention to attend the committee meeting physically, but he is currently off the island.
“Given the significant importance of this meeting, I thought it prudent to participate nonetheless,” Smith explained.
University Bursar and Chief Financial Officer Andrea McNish was present in Parliament.
Committee member Dr Morais Guy, the St Mary Central MP, reasoned that as much as technology can facilitate virtual meetings, he would prefer an in-person meeting as the discussions would be more fruitful.
“I am not happy and I am a little constrained to participate in the discussion as currently exists. I know – and with the greatest of understanding – that the registrar is off the island and PVC (pro vice-chancellor) is also off the island, but we could have been notified and we set a date for such,” Guy said, adding that he placed great reliance on a May 30 letter, which indicated that the administrators would avail themselves to appear before the committee, although it did not say they would do so in person.
Fellow committee member Tova Hamilton of Trelawny Northern endorsed Guy’s comments.
Smith, the university registrar, said it was also the preference of the UWI leaders to be face to face for such a meeting.
The committee chair said that The UWI has a responsibility to Jamaicans to come before the committee and respond to questions.
“When we ask you to come before us, it is not a joking matter. I hate to believe that persons would want to think that they don’t have to go down to 81 Duke Street because it is neither here nor there,” Clarke lamented, noting the downtown Kingston address of Gordon House, the seat of the nation’s Parliament.
He added that one way or the other, taxpayers’ money finds its way into The UWI and the people of Jamaica are desirous of knowing how those funds are being spent.
In response, Registrar Smith said there was no intention on the part of the university to slight the process.
“We completely understand the signal importance of this particular engagement, which is why we have availed ourselves and we had indicated earlier and I wish to reiterate that it would have been our preference to be face to face,” he said.
A date is to be set for the next meeting, when all invited persons are expected to attend in person.