Task Force proposes bold recommendations to help improve UG

Feb 18, 2016 News

---

—proposes five-year term for Vice Chancellor
A five-year minimum initial tenure for the incoming Vice Chancellor and the immediate establishment of a broad-based Committee  have been listed among the recommendations by the University of Guyana (UG’)s Transformational Task Force, which recently convened its inaugural sitting at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
The 30-member Task Force, which was officially appointed last week, comprises
representatives from constituent groups of the University, stakeholders representing the Government of Guyana, the private sector, civil society, and regional and international academics and professionals.
Following deliberations, the Task Force was mandated to complete a report for the attention of UG Chancellor, Professor Nigel Harris. Professor Harris had spearheaded the formation of the Task Force to help restructure and reposition the tertiary institution.
Issues discussed by the Task Force were placed into three broad headings: Governance, Resource Mobilisation and Options for Funding UG, and Quality Assurance – Academic Issues/Student Services. The three areas were used by the Task Force to make concrete recommendations on the way forward for the University.
It was from discussions in this regard that the Task Force was able to issue a set of bold recommendations to reposition and restructure the institution and provide the basis for the University Community and the Council to prepare a Strategic Plan that would lift the University to greater heights.
During its deliberation, the Task Force recognised the need for a Committee to assess and make recommendations for adjustments and/or amendments to the University’s Act and Statutes including the composition of the Council and the core competencies required for effective Governance.
In this regard, it was agreed that the University should immediately seek the formal support of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to facilitate this process as part of the Bank’s Institutional Development for UG.
It was also noted that a critical imperative in the transformation process must be the recognition by all stakeholders that UG is an autonomous institution. The Task Force members also conceded that “there must be strict adherence to the principles of effective governance being dependent on inter alia, vision, dedication, time commitment, leadership, transparency, openness and objectivity and trust.”
It was also agreed upon that UG, through its Council, must be accountable to the Government, students, staff, donors, alumni and the wider Guyanese community.
“In keeping with the principle of effective governance, there should be a clear distinction between the Council’s role in approving and overseeing policy in accordance with the provisions of the Act, Statutes and Regulations and that of the Administration whose role is to execute policy and be responsible for the day to day administration of the University.”
Further, it was recommended that consideration be given urgently to the inclusion of a Legal Officer of the University as part of the Institution’s Administrative and Organizational Structure, and that a Corporate Communications and Integrated Marketing Strategy be accorded a high priority so as to ensure a greater level of visibility for the University.
Additionally, the Task Force has concurred that the new Vice Chancellor, whose tenure should be for a minimum of five years in the first instance, be given the opportunity to assess and take the lead in executing the approved recommendations of the Task Force.
It has also been recommended that the incoming Vice Chancellor be allowed to provide a vision, lead development of a Plan to achieve that vision and make recommendations for Administrative re-structuring as necessary.
With resource mobilization and options for funding UG in mind, the Task Force recommended that the Office of Planning and Development be re-organised, expanded and empowered to take the lead in the Resource Mobilisation initiatives and measures identified by the Task Force and the agencies and individuals to be engaged to give effect to the recommendations.
“Those options should be considered to enable and expect Academic Faculties/Schools to undertake initiatives to assist in supporting their academic activities (e.g. research grants, travel to meetings, etc.).
Such initiatives should include consultancies in specific areas of Faculty/School specialisation with a cost sharing mechanism for allocating resources obtained therefrom,” outlined the Task Force in its report.
In focusing on quality assurance-academic issues/student services, the Task Force noted that quality assurance, academic issues and the provision of adequate student services at UG are complex and involve matters requiring a refocusing of the culture of the University to treat with these critical matters.
It was also concluded that creating a profile of the University and defining and creating it as an ideal institution would require that students must be accorded a high priority. It was also decided that urgent consideration be given to the rationalisation of the University’s Time Table to enable adequate planning for participants managing and overseeing University activities.
Recommendations by the Task Force also included that efforts be made at every level of the University to enable greater efficiency and the elimination of waste, and that there is the immediate updating of all University policies and the creation of manuals for specific areas of the University operations where these do not exist.
The Task Force has also recognised that the University be refashioned to give the Faculties a greater role in the management of the University, and that the incoming Vice-Chancellor be empowered and mandated to take the lead in mobilizing the entire University community to embrace a culture of “best practice” in every sphere of the University’s operations.
The need for a Quality Assurance Unit and on-going efforts to improve the teaching skills of the academic community to be established as a matter of priority has been recommended by the Task Force. It was also seen as necessary that “curriculum and curriculum reform be given priority and that the assistance of the Caribbean Development Bank be sought in facilitating this as part of the institutional support to the University, and capacity building as well as forging structured and formal linkages with other Universities and Colleges.”
The Task Force has also noted that there is greater accountability from Academic and Administrative staff to deliver student focused and student friendly services at the University. It has also been outlined that there should be integrated (cross-disciplinary) approaches to programmes at all levels of the University to better enable students to be prepared for the complex work environment in the 21st century, including the creation of sustainable societies.
Also, it was stressed that there be greater investment in Science and Technology in the context of forging new knowledge to meet Guyana’s developmental needs and that UG be part of a larger network and consequently, priority must be given to engaging Regional partners, universities and institutions.
Over the course of three days the Task force reviewed selected studies undertaken in the last decade that would have assessed the status of the University and made recommendations for change, assessed presentations on the perceived state of the University by past and present administrators, academic and non-academic staff, students, alumni, government, opposition, private sector, civil society and other persons and groups.
It also analysed and discussed the information received  so that defined areas of concern such as governance, administration, operational systems, facilities and other infrastructural features, staff and student matters, registration, quality assurance compensation, curriculum issues, resources and financing, alumni and stakeholder support and other areas deemed important.

---

---