101 responses to “UWI GUILD Meeting Ends in TURMOIL”

1. 

   David

   March 7, 2025 at 4:46 am

   
   

   Guild to UWI: Bring the proof

   The Guild of Students at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus, are demanding to see evidence of alleged financial mismanagement.

   A rally led by the Guild last Thursday saw students marching in protest against grievances such as poor infrastructure, lack of maintenance, inconsistent internet service, financial mismanagement, the closure of the Guild’s financial account and the transfer of the cash to the Office of Student Services.

   In a statement released after, UWI said: “The discovery of financial irregularities was why the control of funds was taken out of the hands of the Guild of Students of the Cave Hill Campus.”

   During a press conference yesterday in the Student Union building, president Tyson Holder rejected claims that the Guild was responsible for financial mismanagement.

   He alleged any financial irregularities cited by the university would have “happened under its own imposed financial regime.”

   He said there were questions about the Guild’s vehicle, which “disappeared” with no answers forthcoming.

   The Guild’s office manager, who was appointed by the registrar, was responsible for managing the checks and balances. However, in 2022, control of that office was transferred to the Office of Student Services and the Guild no longer had access to the financial account, limiting its financial independence.

   Claims by UWI of “mismanagement of funds,” soon arose, which caused the committee to request an audit as evidence for the irregularities to be made known to them. However, no audit has been provided.

   According to Holder, an assessment was, however, made by the office manager and it was revealed that everything was in good order.

   The budget for the period 2024 to 2025 came up to a total of $680 880.

   Alens Plante, a student representative for Sir Keith Hunte Hall, said morale at the campus was stifled as a result of having to go through the Office of Student Services, a process described as very rigid.

   “We have to understand that the priority that they give to outside entities as opposed to the students at the school will cause them to become disengaged and there is this heightened apathy at the school that students are just totally disinterested in anything that’s going on, but that rigid nature is from them”.

   He added that as a result that the Guild requested the position of the office manager be restored.

   “If the Guild office manager is in the appointed position by the registrar of the campus, why must we have to go through so many bureaucratic structures again when she is the appointed person and direct communication to the campus registrar? The registrar is the one that approves everything on campus. That is the powers given to her,” Plante said.

   Holder said that restricting the Guild’s independence resulted in severe consequences, not only affecting the number of its financial resources but the university as a whole.

   “It also limits student advocacy and the Guild’s ability to defend student interests is weakened,” he added.

   He said the Guild would continue to advocate for transparency and fair governance and that a full report would be sent to the vice-chancellor requesting that decision-making authority be returned.

   “The Guild has defended student rights at UWI for over 60 years and will not accept superficial solutions. We demand open discussions at the highest level of university leadership,” he said.
   (AJ)

   Source: Nation

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