The University of Technology (UTech), Jamaica’s 60th Anniversary theme “Pioneering Past; Bright Future” captures the progress of the institution over its six decades of existence. Since 1958 when it started as the Jamaica Institute of Technology, the institution has transitioned through the era of being the College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST) to becoming the University of Technology, Jamaica.

From its early beginnings training professionals in preparation for Jamaican Independence, UTech, Jamaica has become a national university of international standing.

The progress continues under the able leadership of Professor Stephen Vasciannie, legal luminary and former Jamaican Ambassador to the United States of America. Under his leadership, the university has obtained Candidacy for Institutional Accreditation by the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ); has established the UTech, Jamaica Press; and has significantly advanced the process for establishing the Jamaica Law School at UTech, Jamaica, among other notable achievements.

Achievements

Like Jamaica’s explosion in international athletics in the more recent past, UTech, Jamaica has made remarkable progress over the last 10 years. Objective data from public reports, such as the University’s Annual Reports, Public Perception Surveys, Economic and Social Surveys, of Jamaica, National Labour Market Surveys and others, reveal achievements that are most noteworthy.

Among the many achievements of UTech, Jamaica, the objective data points to the following:

Significant improvement in the profile of the institution over the last 10 years. Several developments have contributed, to this including but not limited to the following:

(i) Training of Doctoral level pharmacists, PhD-engineers, PhD educators, dentists, lawyers, and other professionals at terminal degree levels.

(ii) Development of Olympic and World Championships athletes that have beaten the rest of the world and set world records. Asafa Powell, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sherone Simpson, Odayne Richards and Elaine Thompson are shining examples. Even the legendary Usain Bolt was at one point in the line-up of athletes training on UTech, Jamaica’s back field.

(iii) Establishment of the first University Sport Faculty in Jamaica, the Faculty of Science and Sport, the launch of which was even the subject of a newspaper editorial in 2010 entitled “Congratulating sporting vision”.

(iv) Award to the university of major consultancy contracts by the Government of Jamaica and the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

(v) Collaboration internationally with other universities in major research projects funded by international organisations.

Infrastructure

(2) Major infrastructural and administrative improvements: These improvements were carried out through the UTech Enhancement Project and other initiatives with major contribution from the university’s own fiscal prudence — the university contributed US$16.780 million, almost matching the Government’s US$17.157 million made available through the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). This is the largest single investment in infrastructural improvement that the institution has ever had since being upgraded to university status. The improvements included the following:

(i) The completion of six institutional-strengthening consultancies

(ii) The implementation of semesterisation that provides added flexibility to students for completing their courses of study

(iii) The construction of the Mustard Seed/Day Care Early Childhood facility

(iv) The construction of new Students’ Union facilities

(v) The expansion of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM)

(vi) The renovation of 15 existing teaching laboratories

(vii) The upgrade of the main campus 24kVa electrical distribution systems that has provided more reliable electricity supply on the campus.

(viii) Construction of an Environmental Laboratory

(ix) Construction of the Shared Facilities, which includes 20 classrooms, three lecture theatres, computer labs and sanitary facilities.

Other improvements

(x) The Infrastructure upgrading project which involved the installation of:

(a) A network of storm water drainage which has relieved a long-standing problem of flooding on the campus.

(b) Sewer lines to facilitate connection into the public sewer system, which has solved the problem of overflowing sewer pits on the campus, which sometimes created health hazards.

(c) Enhancement of the potable water-distribution system, ensuring greater reliability of water supply.

(d) Rationalising and rehabilitation of the campus road network, which has enhanced the flow of traffic on the campus.

(e) The facilitation of the construction of the Papine, Mona Sewerage Project in collaboration with NWC, from which, even the neighbouring community of Mona Heights has benefitted. Prior to this, the university and the neighbouring community had to rely on sewer trucks to empty sewer pits.

The major infrastructural elements of the project were executed on time and within budget under the leadership of UTech Jamaica’s expert staff Major Patrick Cameron and former permanent secretary in Jamaica’s water and housing ministry, Ms Genefa Hibbert.

Graduate quality

(3) Continued output of good quality graduates: According to the National Labour Market Survey 2017, published by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, “HEART Trust/NTA, University of Technology (UTech) and The University of the West Indies (UWI) were the predominant suppliers of staff training” with 63 per cent receiving training from HEART, 62% from UTECH and 61 per cent from UWI.

The report further stated that, “Overall, the quality of training received was perceived to be good . . . . . . UWI (94 per cent) received the highest ratings from employers for good quality staff, followed closely by UTech (93 per cent)”. These findings show that the university has been a major contributor to the Jamaican labour market and is perceived by employers as producing good-quality graduates.

Value for money

(4) Provision of training at lowest cost to the Government: According to the Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica 2016, the per capita expenditure of the Ministry of Education for training in various institutions shows an average of $339,739 spent per student in tertiary institutions for 2015/16.

The expenditure of the Government per student at UTech, Ja was $146,901, the lowest of all tertiary institutions. By comparison, the Government spent $534, 523 per student at the UWI for the same period and $158,810 for students in technical high schools. The evidence shows that UTech, Jamaica gives the greatest return on each dollar spent by the Government for tertiary education.

Reserves

(5) Maintenance of significant reserves: Based on audited financial statements, in 2008 the university’s reserves were $1.67 billion. In 2015 the reserves were $2.24 billion and in 2016 they were $2.55 billion.

Very few public institutions can point to reserves that have accumulated to such a level based on their own fiscal prudence. The reserves, like Jamaica’s Net International Reserves, help in the maintenance of stability by providing a buffer against external and internal shocks.

Academic upgrading

(6) Upgrading of diploma and certificate courses to degrees. In UTech’s 40th Anniversary Commemorative Magazine, published in 1998, it is documented that the university offered 97 courses of which there were 24 specialised undergraduate degrees, one postgraduate degree, 35 diplomas, eight professional programmes and 29 certificate programmes.

During the last 10 years, certificate and diploma courses were upgraded to degrees so that in 2016/17 there was a total of 100 courses, of which 68 per cent were at the undergraduate level and 32 per cent at the graduate level. This profile shows significant progress in transitioning from college to university during the period.

Research

(7) Strengthening of Research: During the last 10 years, the research output of the institution increased significantly, marking the beginning of the establishment of a research culture. This included revitalisation of the well-recognised Journal of Arts, Science and Technology (JAST). In recent times, there has been a redoubling of the institution’s research efforts.

(8) Nationwide Community Outreach: Through the FiWi Jamaica project — which was singled out for special commendation in US President Barack Obama’s congratulatory message to Jamaica on the 54th Anniversary of Jamaican Independence — and other outreach activities, the university has positively impacted the lives of many marginalised groups in our society and created awareness of social responsibility.

For example, over the last four years the College of Oral Health Sciences has provided dental services to over 300,000 individuals from across the island at no charge to the patients as a part of the university’s community outreach activities, special attention being given to the elderly and the special needs population.

UTech, Jamaica delivers

UTech, Jamaica is one of the best and most efficiently run public training institutions in Jamaica that continues to effect positive change in our Jamaican society. The above-mentioned achievements present a picture of an institution that has been progressing successfully in fulfilling its mandate according to the University of Technology, Jamaica Act.

The institution is doing well and has always done well. Notwithstanding intermittent periods of negative publicity, oftentimes due to a lack of general exposure of the facts, UTech Jamaica continues to punch above its weight and can only excel further, with continued support.

Professor Colin Gyles is Deputy President at the University of Technology, Jamaica