UWI Cave Hill reaccredited through 2032

The University of the West Indies (UWI) at Cave Hill has been reaccredited through 2032, which the Barbados Accreditation Council (BAC) described as recognition of the UWI’s continued commitment to quality.

BAC Chairman Richard Ishmael presented the certificate of reaccreditation to Cave Hill Principal Professor Clive Landis at the BAC’s headquarters at the Phoenix Centre, George Street on Monday. 

The reaccreditation maintains Cave Hill’s institutional accreditation, first granted in 2013, 50 years after it became the 78-year-old university’s third campus.

BAC Executive Director Lisa Gale said the renewal confirmed that the campus had maintained and enhanced the quality of its offerings.

The reaccreditation reflected confidence in the university’s mission, governance, academic environment, people, resources and systems that support student achievement and institutional improvement, she said.

“Reaching this point requires honest self-evaluation, careful documentation, and extensive collaboration.”

She also highlighted Cave Hill’s contribution to Barbados over more than six decades, noting its role in expanding access to higher education and developing generations of skilled professionals.

“For more than six decades, Cave Hill Campus has expanded access to higher education, developed generations of skilled professionals, and contributed to the intellectual, social, cultural, and economic advancement of the country that we have grown to love, Barbados.” 

Gale described the campus as “more than a tertiary education institution” and called it “a national and a regional asset”.

She pointed to the university’s role in teaching, research, public service and regional engagement, as well as its contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gale said accreditation also carries significance beyond the institution itself because it can strengthen confidence in Barbados’ tertiary education sector and the qualifications earned by its graduates.

“It helps to strengthen not just Barbados, but our regional and our international standing.”

For Professor Landis, the reaccreditation was significant because it provided international benchmarking for the campus. He said Cave Hill was proud to have been the first tertiary education institution to receive institutional accreditation from the BAC in 2013.

He explained that the process involved extensive preparation, including producing a 500-page accreditation self-study, followed by an inspection from April 13-17.

The inspection committee included academics from the US and the region and was led by University of Arizona Professor Celestino Fernández.

“They did not leave any stones left unturned,” Professor Landis said.

The assessors commended the dedication of Cave Hill’s staff and its quality assurance mechanisms, particularly the institution’s ability to maintain quality programmes despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and financial constraints, he said.

The assessors also recognised Cave Hill’s collaboration with the government, other governments and industry, describing that collaboration as “impressive”, he added.

He continued: “We also want to leverage our ability to generate new knowledge and then to ally that with partnerships with the government, with partnerships with the private sector into applied knowledge, where we can create value for Barbadian society and, of course, through commercialisation, value for ourselves as well.”

The reaccreditation follows a year-long process involving staff across the university and the BAC.

Professor Landis thanked the accreditation team and others who contributed to the process, as well as the BAC for what he called a professional accreditation exercise.

Gale said the BAC, which was established by an Act of Parliament 22 years ago, would continue working with Cave Hill throughout the accreditation cycle.

“Accountability, open dialogue, and professional respect will continue to shape the relationship between the BAC and the University Cave Hill Campus,” she said. (LE)