DEPARTMENT HEADS
ACADEMIC PROGRAMMING AND DELIVERY DIVISION
GENERAL
1.The University of the West Indies, Open Campus serves the following English-speaking Caribbean countries:
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Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda
Bahamas, The Commonwealth of
Barbados
Belize
British Virgin Islands
The Cayman Islands
The Commonwealth of Dominica
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Grenada
Jamaica
Montserrat
St. Christopher & Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent & The Grenadines
The Republic of Trinidad & Tobago
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2.The University began teaching in 1948 at Mona in Jamaica as a University College affiliated with the University of London, and became independent in 1962. The University is now a dual mode institution offering teaching by distance education as well as face-to-face. The University has campuses at Mona in Jamaica, St Augustine in Trinidad and Cave Hill in Barbados, and University Centres in the countries listed in the foregoing section. The UWI on-campus student population is currently over 30,000 full-time equivalent students.
3.In a major initiative to grow our student population and service the widely dispersed needs of country partners, the University has launched the Open Campus; an entity that is built on the outreach services, including distance education and continuing studies, being offered throughout the Caribbean at present. The current population of our distance students and continuing education students is over 20,000 today and it is hoped that this number will increase to over 40,000 Open Campus students by 2012. The Open Campus currently utilises a wide variety of distance delivery methods, has 52 education centres in 16 different English speaking countries and a staff of almost 400 professionals to support our growing student population.
OPEN CAMPUS
4.The UWI Open Campus works with faculty on the three campuses, as well as with other tertiary institutions and development agencies throughout the Caribbean to design, develop and deliver quality programmes by distance to meet the learning needs of the people of the Caribbean.
5.The office of the Director of the Academic Programming and Delivery Division is located at the Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. Other Open Campus faculty and staff are also located on the Mona campus in Jamaica, St Augustine in Trinidad and Open Campus centres which exist in Non-Campus Countries and off-campus sites in campus territories. The Sites are managed by Heads of the Centres or Site Coordinators in collaborating institutions.
6.There are four functional areas within the Open Campus Academic Programming and Delivery Division: Pre-University and Professional Development; Undergraduate Studies; Graduate Studies and Special Projects. The three academic departments are responsible for the planning and designing new programmes, managing existing programmes, developing and producing courseware employing a variety of distance and classroom formats and methods, managing the delivery of courses, supervising part-time faculty engaged in the learning environment and evaluating the quality of our programmes, courses and faculty supporting our students. Department Heads are involved in all aspects of the learning process and will take the lead in one or more academic disciplines supported by their academic department.
REQUIREMENTS
7.The successful applicants should have a PhD degree in a relevant discipline, with proven practical experience in distance education, good interpersonal skills, the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, and good time-management skills. Experience in project management and university administration is essential to the position.
- The Department Heads must have been exposed to a variety of increasing administrative and leadership responsibilities in an academic institution that supports distance delivery and continuing and professional education programmes. In addition, the Head must have experience working in a distance education environment and with ideally designed and delivered online courseware.
9.The Department Heads of the Open Campus will work with Faculties and organisations affiliated with the UWI to adapt or develop courses or programmes for distance education delivery. The Heads will be required to manage and supervise an academic department and supporting professionals who are responsible for the analysis, design, development and delivery of programmes to students throughout the Caribbean and beyond. Heads will oversee the work of part-time faculty and other contracted personnel hired to support the Open Campus student population.
- Ideally the Department Heads will have knowledge of the academic environment within UWI and throughout the Caribbean.
ACADEMIC LEVEL
11. Senior Lecturer or Professor depending on qualifications and experience.
WORK LOCATION
12. Although these positions may be physically located in any of the UWI Open Campus sites for administrative support, the job incumbents will be required to travel throughout the Caribbean as part of their job responsibilities. Locations will be negotiated with the successful candidates.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
13. The job incumbents must be able to work in a virtual team environment. The incumbents will live and work in one country and manage and collaborate with others located throughout the Caribbean. The incumbents must be able to engage others in team meetings, develop ideas, and supervise the work of others using a variety of ICT and collaborative web tools. Extensive experience in managing distance projects and working in virtual project teams is an asset; and excellent computer skills are essential.
REPORTING
- The Academic Department Heads are responsible to the Director of the Academic Programming and Delivery Division for the effective execution of their duties and responsibilities.
TENURE
- Appointment will be for three years in the first instance.