The Brain Train QUALITY HIGHER EDUCATION AND CARIBBEAN DEVELOPMENT

The Board for Undergraduate Studies (BUS) has responsibility for undergraduate policy, quality assurance and preservation of regionality at the University of the West Indies (UWI). The Office of the Board for Undergraduate Studies (OBUS) is the implementation arm of BUS. Since OBUS began its work in 1996, a critical area of focus has been the development and implementation of UWI’s system of quality assurance that was mandated by the 1995 Report of the Chancellor's Commission on Governance.

This focus on quality has been in keeping with developments in higher education across the world. Indeed, quality has become a guiding principle for institutions of higher education, internationally, regionally and locally. The recently approved 2007-2012 UWI Strategic Plan makes it clear that an emphasis on quality will continue to be a focus for UWI and OBUS. A key component of this Strategic Plan is improvement in Teaching and Learning, through curriculum review and reform, an enhanced focus on student learning, enhancement of the learning environment and more effective quality assurance.

OBUS has been tasked with driving the operationalisation and implementation of this component of the Strategic Plan. In carrying out its mandate, OBUS intends to emphasise the need for a focus on quality enhancement at all levels of the University. It will support quality enhancement efforts through the work of its Quality Assurance Unit, and by ensuring that UWI’s policies are critically reviewed to ensure congruence between the goals of the Strategic Plan and the institution’s policy framework. OBUS will also continue to promote the process of accreditation for professional disciplines and institutional accreditation, including at national levels, for UWI.