Stephen Vasciannie THE UNIVERSITY of the West Indies, Mona, is almost always in the news. Most recently, at least one commentator, Dr. Ralph Thompson, has stoutly put forward the view that public funding for the University should be reduced, and that the savings so incurred should be channelled towards early-childhood education. This viewpoint reflects a position partially articulated by the Minister of Finance. Thus, Dr. Omar Davies has raised the question whether some of the money allocated to the UWI should not, in fact, be directed to other areas of the educational sector.
I say that the Minister's position is partially articulated because, as Minister of Finance, he should, I believe, explain whether he actually believes the money should be re-directed, and if he does, why he thinks this should be done.
Dr. Thompson has implied that the University is overfunded largely because there is a group of UWI-trained professionals making the decisions about funding, and this group is not about to have UWI shaken from its position of privilege. This, with respect, may not be the entire picture. Of course, there are several UWI graduates in positions of influence in the Jamaican Government and society. It does not necessarily follow, however, that these people are blindly standing in defence of UWI, with not a spare thought for other aspects of the educational system or the wider society. Thus, I would encourage Drs. Davies and Thompson (and others) to give further consideration to the point.
More specifically, those who contend that the UWI is overfunded could give us an idea of what this means in practice? Is it that the UWI is offering too many courses, and should be required to scale back on its offerings? Is it that UWI lecturers are not spending enough time in the classroom? Is it that UWI lecturers are not undertaking enough research? Or is it that we are pursuing lines of research that are not really beneficial to the societies we serve?
CRITERIA
This is not meant to be a defensive reaction: I simply want to have a greater understanding of the criteria that are being used to prompt the conclusion that the UWI is overfunded. When the criteria are properly identified, then a full debate on funding can take place. Similarly, although I agree entirely with Dr. Thompson's view that more money should be made available for early-childhood education, the onus remains on Dr. Thompson (and others who share his views) to indicate why the increased budgetary allocation for pre-primary learning should be taken from the UWI. The argument about diverting funds from the UWI to assist early childhood education actually represents the conflation of two separate arguments.
A PRESSING POINT
Argument One is that more money should be allocated from the national budget to early childhood education. Argument Two is that less money should be allocated to the UWI. It is Argument Two that needs further clarification and development. The UWI has its weaknesses; and, indeed, in past columns I have occasionally raised criticisms of my employer. At the same time, though, I believe that some of the wider perceptions of the UWI are based on an insufficient appreciation of what actually goes on at Mona, or on an inflated expectation of what any university can achieve in the short run.
In the course of an outstanding presentation on "Governance and the Media" at the 2002 Mona Academic Conference, the Hon. Oliver Clarke, publisher of The Gleaner, indicated that the publications output of the UWI was far too heavily skewed towards the past, and in particular, to slavery matters. He reached this conclusion, he said, from a quick review of the publications catalogue of the UWI Press. It occurred to me at the time that Mr. Clarke's observation was a little misdirected. It was, I thought, a criticism of the UWI Press, and not of the University itself.
INTERNATIONAL SOURCES
Every year, hundreds of publications by UWI lecturers appear in academic journals and books published by local and international sources. If, at a specific point in time, the UWI Press has a particular slant, only an inappropriately broad brush could cause the paint from the Press to cover the entire output from Mona. Partly in response to Mr. Clarke's observation, a West Indian Ph.D. student in the United States e-mailed me to criticise the UWI, and to complain that UWI lecturers wrote only about slavery.
I echoed the Vice Chancellor, Professor Nettleford (recently selected as The Gleaner's 'Man of the Year', incidentally), by suggesting that we always need to look behind us, even as we go forward. I also pointed out that no small number of UWI lecturers wrote for The Gleaner, and encouraged her to look at articles in Social and Economic Studies, the West Indian Law Journal, the West Indian Medical Journal and elsewhere, for the output of UWI lecturers.
CARIBBEAN LIFE
Right now, I would encourage her further to look at Governance in the Age of Globalisation, an important 600-page book edited by the Principal of the Mona Campus, Professor Kenneth Hall, and Professor Denis Benn. That publication, arising from the 2002 Mona Conference, includes an edited version of Mr. Clarke's presentation, along with over 30 other essays on various aspects of Caribbean life. If you have doubts about the intellectual contribution of the UWI, might I suggest a look at this book for a start?
Finally, a few weeks ago the Faculty of Social Sciences sponsored a Conference on "Bridging the Gap" between Mona and the wider society organised mainly by Professor Barry Chevannes and Dr. Clinton Hutton. From the outset, Professor Aggrey Brown questioned whether, in the light of the University's many contributions since 1948 (including work by the Extra-Mural Department/School of Continuing Studies), there was really a gap to be bridged. And former Principal, Professor Gerald Lalor, the keynote speaker at the conference, systematically noted many of the areas in which the University has made its mark. Those, then, who wish to argue for a reduction in funding for the University, should, at very least, give us an idea of how much value we should place on the work undertaken by the University over the years. After an assessment of the value added by the University, we may well conclude that the place is underfunded but that's another point for another time.
Stephen Vasciannie is Professor of International Law and Head of the Department of Government, UWI, Mona. He is also a consultant in the Attorney-General's Chambers.
