News Releases

The UWI Welcomes Dr Maurice D. Smith as new University Registrar

For Release Upon Receipt - July 31, 2019

UWI


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Among new appointments taking effect at The University of the West Indies (The UWI) as the new teaching year approaches, is that of a new University Registrar. Dr Maurice D. Smith will assume the office on August 1, 2019 succeeding Mr C. William Iton who has served for the past 12 years.

As University Registrar, Dr Smith will serve as head of The UWI’s Office of Administration, overseeing a myriad of administrative duties across the regional institution.  Statute 13 of the University’s Statutes and Ordinances, details that the University Registrar shall be responsible for the custody of the Common Seal and for affixing it to authorise documents in accordance with the Statutes and Ordinances. The incumbent is expected to be the custodian of the University’s records. He will also act as Secretary for a number of bodies across the University system including the University Council, the Senate, and any standing, special or advisory committees set up by the Council or Senate.

A Jamaican 2010 Fulbright Scholar, Dr Smith holds a Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership and policy (with high commendation) from Howard University. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees with honours from Northern Caribbean University and Nova Southeastern University and received his professional training at the Mico University College in Kingston, Jamaica.

Among his professional accomplishments, Dr Smith is credited with the establishment of Belmont Academy; Jamaica’s first Centre of Excellence. He is a former Principal Director of the National College for Educational Leadership (NCEL) and in 2015, he was appointed as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information. Since 2017, he has served as an international educational consultant to the World Bank, UNESCO and Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, providing policy and technical advice to governments across Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East.

Dr Smith is a certified Performance Coach and Commonwealth Professional Fellow in Education. He is also an author and a well sought after motivational speaker who frequently addresses local and international conferences on matters related to educational leadership. A recipient of numerous honours, Dr Smith’s accolades include the Governor General’s Achievement Award (2019) and the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education (2016). He is also a Justice of the Peace for the parish of Kingston.

The University welcomes Dr Smith and wishes him a successful tenure at the regional institution. The UWI also extends its gratitude to out-going University Registrar, Mr C. William Iton, for his remarkable tenure at the regional University.

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About The UWI

For over 70 years The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has provided service and leadership to the Caribbean region and wider world. The UWI has evolved from a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948 to an internationally respected, regional university with near 50,000 students and four campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, and an Open Campus. As part of its robust globalization agenda, The UWI has established partnering centres with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa including the State University of New York (SUNY)-UWI Center for Leadership and Sustainable Development; the Canada-Caribbean Studies Institute with Brock University; the Strategic Alliance for Hemispheric Development with Universidad de los Andes (UNIANDES); the UWI-China Institute of Information Technology, the University of Lagos (UNILAG)-UWI Institute of African and Diaspora Studies and the Institute for Global African Affairs with the University of Johannesburg (UJ). The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science & Technology, Social Sciences and Sport. 

As the region’s premier research academy, The UWI’s foremost objective is driving the growth and development of the regional economy. Times Higher Education ranked The UWI among the top 1,258 universities in world for 2019, and the 40 best universities in its Latin America Rankings for 2018. The UWI was the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists.  For more, visit www.uwi.edu.

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)

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