About UWI Open

The Open Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) is the newest addition to the University that will expand the scope, enhance the appeal and improve the efficiency of its service to the individuals, communities and countries which it serves.

The idea of an Open Campus of the UWI is based on the notion that all high-quality university education, research and services available at our institution should be open and available to all people who wish to reach their full potential inside and outside of the Caribbean region.  To meet this commitment, the Open Campus has adopted  diversified access routes, quality teaching and learning experiences, innovative pedagogic design, relevant research and community partnerships to deliver new ways of face to face, blended and online learning to all of its communities.

The campus uses contemporary ICTs as a primary medium for the delivery of its programmes. Blended learning is its characteristic delivery style. The ideal of "anywhere" and "anytime" access drives the design of the campus's programmes and management systems.  

The UWI as a regional institution is established to provide tertiary level education to sixteen English speaking countries scattered throughout the Caribbean and Central America.  The countries supported by UWI, which also have physical locations serving local communities, include: 

The University has an undergraduate and graduate population of 39,000 students scattered throughout the Caribbean but the majority of the students are located on one of the three main campuses located in Mona in Jamaica, Cave Hill in Barbados, and St. Augustine in Trinidad & Tobago.

One of the primary aims of the University’s newest strategic plan is that its latest campus will be both virtual and real with physical locations available in all the countries that it serves. Based on the UWI’s Strategic Plan, the UWI Open Campus:

• Has a physical presence in each contributing country.
• Functions as a network of real and virtual nodes to deliver education and training to anyone   with access to Internet facilities.
• Enhances its physical presence in each contributing country to permit the offer of those programmes and services that are more appropriately provided face-to-face.
• Permits the blending of online and face-to-face learning experiences to enrich the social aspects of learning in a collegial environment.  

Distinct from the UWI’s existing main campuses, the Open Campus will not have faculties such as medicine, law, humanities etc. Its structure will be determined not by academic disciplines but by clustering the functions that it will require to fulfill its business. The major intellectual resources of the Open Campus will be sourced from the existing campuses of the UWI and from other sources as well.

Our intention is that the functions currently executed by the existing outreach departments will continue to be fulfilled by the campus. However, the scope of the programmes on offer will be expanded to include more of the offerings available in the existing three campuses as well as totally new programmes created to meet needs identified in continuing consultation with stakeholders in the target clienteles.

The Open Campus is currently building our web presence. Prospective students have been applying for UWI undergraduate programmes and other courses through our current online application website at http://dec.uwi.edu/admissions/. Associate degree students may also apply on-line.

The Open Campus Antecedents

The Council of the University of the West Indies (UWI) formally approved the existence of the UWI’s Open Campus in April 2007, effectively unifying all of its outreach, teaching and public service areas. The Open Campus will formally offer programmes and other service activities beginning in August 2008.

With new technologies, courses and programmes, trained e-tutors, and over 60 years of teaching and research experience, the Open Campus is ready to deliver higher education services to empower more Caribbean people. Already, over 20,000 students are currently enrolled in its existing programmes across the Caribbean, with new prospects growing all the time.

While we are working on building our new web presence, you may still access key information from our antecedents listed here, all of which now make up the structure of the UWI’s Open Campus.


Office of the Board for Non-Campus countries and Distance Education

The Board for Non-Campus Countries and Distance Education (BNCCDE) has the responsibility to promote, develop and administer the work of the University in countries where it does not operate major campuses and to ensure effective delivery of programmes to these countries. It is responsible for distance education, continuing education, external and extension work in all contributing countries. The Board executes its mandate through the Distance Education Centre (UWIDEC), the School of Continuing Studies (SCS) and the Tertiary Level Institutions Unit (TLIU). The Office of the Board is its coordinating centre.

Click here for the Board for Non-Campus countries and Distance Education.

School of Continuing Studies

The School of Continuing Studies (SCS) provides opportunities for lifelong learning through a variety of high quality programmes designed to contribute to the educational, social, cultural and economic development of the people of the Caribbean region. The School delivers continuing education programmes ranging from basic education, through secondary courses, vocational, technical, para-professional & professional studies, first year university level programmes as well as associate degree programmes. It offers public education through a variety of initiatives. The work of its specialised units includes teaching, programme development, community development and advisory services in the fields of social work, women’s studies, child development and labour education. The SCS has Centres in all contributing countries.

Click here for the School of Continuing Studies (SCS)

Tertiary Level Institutions Unit

The Tertiary Level Institutions Unit (TLIU) was established in 1996. Its goals are to expand access to tertiary education through articulation of programmes of other institutions with UWI programmes as well as the divestment and franchise of UWI programmes. It seeks to promote institutional development of tertiary level institutions in contributing countries so that they can deliver parts of degrees or full degree programmes. The TLIU undertakes research and other projects to assist in developing a more efficient regional tertiary education system.

Click here for the Tertiary Level Institutions Unit (TLIU)

UWI Distance Education Centre

The UWI Distance Education Centre helps university departments to develop courses for distance delivery and facilitates the delivery of those courses through 33 teleconference facilities across the region. It provides training in instructional design, tutoring, counselling and audio-conferencing techniques to academic staff. It conducts programme evaluation and research in order to improve the quality of these programmes and services. The UWIDEC is shifting its delivery towards blended learning with increased use of Web-based instructional methods.

Click here for the UWI Distance Education Centre