UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF THE CARIBBEAN (UCC)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a University College?
A university college can be defined as an institution that attempts to amalgamate
many of the functions of a university and a college. It can be viewed, therefore, as
a hybrid of some of the functions of a university and a traditional college. In other
words, a comprehensive institution that offers a comprehensive range of
programme offerings from certificates through degrees and higher degrees with its
main focus being at the baccalaureate degree or diploma level in the applied areas.
The concept of the university college originated in the Canadian education system
in response to an essentially pragmatic issue, i.e., constraints placed upon access to
baccalaureate degree programmes, particularly for those living outside major urban
regions of the provinces. While public or traditional colleges were mandated to
offer the first two years of a degree, access to studies necessary to complete the
degree was possible only by distance learning.
Q2. Why establish a University College?
A. Since the acquisition of IMP by IMS in October 2002, we are now more than
twice the size we were before and of course, more than twice the benefits. The
merger has resulted in the largest privately-held higher education consortium in
Jamaica.
Both IMS and IMP had previously made a name for themselves in the market
place, primarily by their local and overseas programme associations. IMP, the more
established of the two has had 27 years of operation, with a larger student
population. IMS on the other hand had a smaller student population and had
secured for itself a strong affiliation with overseas universities which helped
enormously to bolster its market position.
Over the years, IMS and IMP have demonstrated the capacity to train and educate
large numbers of Jamaicans in a wide and comprehensive range of programmes,
making a unique and tangible contribution to Jamaica's social and economic
development. The acquisition in October 2002 resulted in an interim/transitional
institutional name: IMS/IMP. Whilst the merged entity has served to capitalize on
the benefits and individual strengths of each institution, the current form and
structure is by no means suitable for an Institution of this magnitude and repute and
moreover neither does it convey the new functions and mission adopted by the
expanded organisation.
In addition, of interest is the fact that the demand for higher education, especially
non-traditional deliver modes, is increasing rapidly in Jamaica and most other
countries. This demand is due to: the growth of the knowledge economy, movement
to lifelong learning and changing demographics. While demand is growing, the
capacity of the public sector to satisfy the demand is being challenged. This is due
to budget limitations, the changing role of government, and increased
emphasis on market economy and privatization.
At the same time, innovations in information and communication technologies are
providing alternate and virtual ways to deliver higher education. New types of
providers such as corporate universities, media companies and indeed university
colleges are emerging. This scenario is changing further by providers - public and
private, new and traditional- delivering higher education services across national
borders to meet the need also in other countries. As a result, an exciting but rather
complex picture of higher education is emerging. This no doubt has provided the
impetus and catalyst for the current General Agreement on Trade in Services
negotiation, under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation, WTO. GATS is
designed to increase trade liberalization internationally, and includes higher
education as a service sector. It is therefore most important that private local tertiary
institutions like IMS and IMP are cognizant of the impact of this trade liberalization
on higher education and are taking urgent steps to maximize the benefits and
minimize the threats to a robust quality higher education system regionally and
internationally.
Q3. What are the chief aims of the University College?
A. Some of the main aims of the University College are:
to create a supportive, student centered environment which fosters the acquisition of competence and social awareness.
to educate and train middle and high level business and professional personnel.
to grant undergraduate and graduate degrees, diplomas, certificates and other professional qualifications
to engage industry and the professions in a partnership to promote high performance work places.
to mobilize and manage the required physical, human, technological and financial resources to deliver high quality services to Jamaica and the Caribbean on a continuing basis
Essentially, the aims and objectives of the UCC, therefore, are to firmly position
the new institution as a centre of excellence distinguished by a wide variety of
programmes both at the lower and upper levels; align the institution to ensure that
it embodies new, emerging and changing trends in order to remain a relevant and
viable option for quality higher education in Jamaica and the wider region, and
finally to benchmark the institution against professional practices and international
standards.
Q4. What will be some of the main benefits to current and future students
A. Some of the main benefits will be:
New and independent university college status mainly in the areas of cost reduction, greater ease of articulation and enhanced recognition overseas.
Larger number of students will be educated in Jamaica and other Caribbean islands in the lower levels of many bachelor degree programmes while providing alternatives and greater ease of articulation for the completion of the upper levels at affiliated overseas (US and British) institutions
With greater support and expertise from its affiliated overseas institutions, the UCC will be better able to develop and deliver more local bachelor and graduate degrees. The UCC and its student body will also continue to share the individual and internationally recognized brands of these universities in the local market, and will continue to benefit from their enormous experience and resources thereby enhancing capacity and lifelong learning
Assurance of clear direction and strong market credibility and appeal in the Caribbean
Immediate recognition of belonging to a growing global trend in higher education.
Q5. What will be the roles of the Institute of Management Sciences and the
Institute of Management & Production, IMS and IMP?
A. IMS and IMP will function as subsidiaries or institutes of the new parent entity,
the University College of the Caribbean, UCC. Both IMS and IMP were
recently re-registered as independent tertiary institutions by the University
Council of Jamaica, UCJ. As a new parent entity or umbrella organization,
however, the UCC will first have to go through a period of transition, and will
subsequently be seeking similar formal registration status from the UCJ, in keeping
with standard registration criteria and procedures.
Effective January 2004, both subsidiaries, IMS and IMP will therefore be trading
under the name of the new parent entity, the University College of the Caribbean,
UCC. The UCC, through its subsidiary/institute, IMS, will be gradually
established as a regional hub in the Caribbean for the import and export of
higher education services and programmes (undergraduate and graduate degrees
only) offered by its two main overseas affiliates, the Florida International
University and the University of London. IMS in this regard, therefore, will be
the coordinating and administrative arm for the import and export of degrees
offered by these universities.
The UCC, through IMP, on the other hand, will be the body responsible for the
development and delivery of local, indigenous professional certificates, diplomas,
associate and bachelor degrees for the Jamaican market.
Q6. I was previously enrolled as a student with the merged institution, IMS/IMP
(transitional name) in September/October 2003. Will I now be considered a
student of the new parent entity, UCC? Which institution will I be graduating
from?
A. Yes, beginning January 2004, all current as well as all new students pursuing
locally developed certificates, diplomas, associate or bachelor degree programmes,
will effectively become students of both the UCC and IMP. Essentially, therefore,
the UCC and IMP will confer diplomas and degrees on all students who have
successfully completed all the requirements of their programmes ie. students
will graduate from both the UCC and IMP, and these names will actually appear
on their diplomas/degrees.
Q7. To which institution should I pay my tuition fees?
A. Until further notice, tuition fees should continued to be paid to the account of the
Institute of Management & Production, IMP.
Q8. What will be the new and future role of the faculty?
A. As an inevitable consequence of its new mandate, the UCC will attract a
heterogeneous array of additional adjunct and full-time faculty. Some will
come from a conventional university environment, others from business and
industry, while many will likely be former instructors in the traditional
college sector. Instructional quality and excellence in teaching will continue
to be a defining characteristic and major goal of the UCC. UCC faculty
members will be expected to bring a greater degree of business, industrial or
professional experience to supplement their teaching and to maintain an
ongoing contact with their fields.
faq's 
press
room 
