Education Minister Anthony Garcia says Thursday’s announcement of businessman Robert Bermudez as the next chancellor of the University of the West Indies was not a premature announcement.
“I was directed by the Cabinet to make such a statement. In fact, it was the feeling of the Cabinet that at this point it was safe and prudent to make such a statement,” Garcia said in Parliament yesterday in reply to Opposition queries about his post-Cabinet media briefing announcement on Thursday.
Yesterday however, UWI’s Council, took issue with the announcement, signalling Garcia may have spoken out of turn.
In Parliament also, UNC MP Fazal Karim asked Garcia how soon the person identified to assume the position was expected to take up office.
Garcia, however, said, “At this point I’m unable to advise an exact date when the new chancellor will assume office. A procedure has to be followed.”
After Opposition laughter at that point quelled, Garcia continued, “There will be a meeting next week Thursday in Barbados of the University Council in which the report of the search committee will be presented. After that, the University Council will decide when the new chancellor will assume office.”
He said the current Chancellor, Sir George Alleyne, leaves July 31.
Karim asked if the premature announcement by Government - in contravention of UWI’s Statute Four - had prejudiced and polluted the appointment process.
Garcia replied, “I totally disagree. My statement at the post-Cabinet briefing wasn’t premature. A Search Committee had been appointed to identify choices for a new chancellor.”
UNC MP Dr Bhoe Tewarie asked if this development signals Government’s intention to interfere in UWI appointments. Garcia denied this.
Prior to yesterday’s session, Tewarie, a former UWI principal, said he’d been surprised by Garcia’s announcement on Thursday. He said the appointment matter is normally handled by UWI’s Council and “notwithstanding the financial support of regional governments, UWI is an institution that remains autonomous and independent.”
Tewarie said usually a chancellor is determined by the sitting of the UWI Council, adding Garcia’s announcement could politicise the chancellorship and reflect political intervention.
While he said he has no problem with Bermudez as the choice - particularly given the financial realities of current circumstances and the need for new directions - Tewarie said he hoped UWI ‘s Council could assert its independence and wouldn’t be unduly affected by Garcia’s political blunder.
UWI: NO DECISION YET
The University of the West Indies says it was “surprised” by Education Minister Anthony Garcia’s announcement of Bermudez as its new chancellor, as a decision on the new chancellor is yet to be finalised.
In a strongly worded media release from its regional headquarters in Jamaica, the university’s administration said it had noted with surprise Garcia’s announcement.
But dismissing any speculation the appointment of a chancellor is political in any way, it said, “The university administration wishes to take this opportunity to indicate that chancellors are appointed in accordance with the university’s Statute 4 which clearly states, ‘The chancellor shall be appointed by the University Council’.”
UWI said over the past few months it has been working with a specially appointed Search Committee to identify an appropriate successor to Sir George.
It added, “The matter of the appointment of the university’s new chancellor is an item on the agenda for the upcoming annual business meeting of the University Council set to take place on April 27, 2017 in Barbados. It is at this meeting that a final decision will be made on the new UWI chancellor.”
