University Corporate Profile

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF THE CARIBBEAN

Corporate Profile

Company Overview

he University College of the Caribbean is a privately held University College offering courses at the Diploma, Associate, Bachelor, and Master levels of education. Our core areas of focus are in Business studies and Information Technology and we also offer courses in advanced education studies and law.

History

In 2002, the Institute of Management Sciences (IMS – est. January 1992), acquired the Institute of Management and Production, (IMP – est. January 1976) to form the largest private higher education consortium in Jamaica. The merger created the University College of the Caribbean (UCC).  UCC became the parent organization in 2004 and established the second private university in Jamaica. The new entity in partnership with Florida International University (FIU), the University of Florida (UF), and the Florida State University (FSU) have since embarked on a major initiative to launch a number of new business, information technology and engineering training programs in Jamaica, which began in June 2005. In May 2008, the UCC was granted permission to offer the Diploma in Law in partnership with the University of London. The main objective focuses on the further preparedness of secondary school graduates and mid level professionals with some degree of tertiary training for entry, or for upward mobility into business or industry. The UCC/IMS/IMP has been in the business of developing and providing higher education and training for the past 31 years. To date, approximately 65,000 persons have successfully graduated from its several programs. Currently, the organization has an annual part-time and full-time student population (chiefly working professionals) of approximately 5,000. The UCC has a highly qualified and experienced administrative and academic staff of 180 and 250 respectively to support all the above-mentioned programs.

Registration

The University College of the Caribbean is fully registered and recognised by the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ), the official accreditation body for tertiary education in Jamaica and is a member of the Commonwealth and OAS consortia of universities.

Business Model

The main campus and headquarters of UCC are at 17 Worthington Avenue with satellite campuses at the Old Hope Road and Oxford Terrace locations in Kingston and four regional campuses at locations in Montego Bay, Mandeville, Ocho Rios, Savanna-la-Mar and in February 2009 it opened its newest regional campus in May Pen. The UCC has also begun its expansion into the Eastern Caribbean region through franchise operations. In January 2007 the Institute of Business and Technology in St. Lucia began offering UCC degrees to their first cohort of students.  In order to satisfy the evolving needs of students for whom face to face instruction was proving to be a challenge, UCC created a Distance Education & Global Learning Unit and began offering courses via television.

In December of 2008, the UCC embarked on a major expansion of its Worthington Avenue main campus valued at J$200 million with a view to significantly increasing its student capacity and installing state of the art library, computer lab, student and lecturer amenities and administrative facilities.

The UCC, through its subsidiary, IMS had been established as the regional hub in the Caribbean primarily for the import and export of higher education services and programs (i.e. undergraduate and graduate degrees only) offered by its two main overseas partners, the Florida International University and the University of London. The UCC through IMP, is the body responsible for the development and delivery of local, indigenous professional certificates, diplomas, associate and bachelor degrees for the local Jamaican market.

Governance

The UCC is governed by a 15 Member Board of Governors with Chairman Dr. Dennis Gayle. The Board is comprised of members who are all expert in the fields of business and particularly human capital development.

UCC operates under the Presidency of Mr. Winston Adams and is managed by a team of Vice Presidents, Associate Vice Presidents, Directors and Managers including professionals holding doctoral degrees who are qualified in a variety of disciplines.

The UCC employs and continuously develops a system of management by objectives to ensure that the quality of its deliverables is improved as the institution grows in order to ensure the optimum student and stakeholder outcomes.

Competitive Advantage

The University College concept is firmly rooted in a philosophy of education based on flexibility, professional standards and work place exposure. The UCC is further distinguished by its wide variety of programs and levels, the flexibility of entry qualification, clearly defined exit standards which are benchmarked against professional practice, distinctive competence of graduates; relevance; equitable access; financial viability; diversity of faculty, staff and programs; high quality local & overseas programs; international partnership arrangements and exemplary governance.

With its status as a University College, the UCC affords students the best advantages of both systems with a selection of rigorous and timely indigenous baccalaureate degree and diploma programmes complemented by a an equally relevant slate of baccalaureate and Masters programmes offered on behalf of its overseas partners, Florida International University, the Florida Memorial University and the University of London.

The UCC also has within its ambit a University College of the Caribbean Foundation that is charged with the responsibility to offer and manage scholarships for students of the UCC. In so doing it offers a wide variety of scholarships, maximising opportunities for tertiary education for students across Jamaica.

The UCC Foundation is also charged with the responsibility to undertake fundraising activities for the UCC to support not only its scholarship programmes but also activities to upgrade its facilities and expand its programme offerings. The UCC Foundation (US) Incorporated is registered in the state of Florida, as a 502 c 3 public charity.

Market Size and Description:

The UCC’s core student population is drawn from a wide array of industries. They are usually employed at the senior clerical, supervisory and lower managerial ranks and in the main are aged in their 30s and 40s. With its expansion into offering full time programmes at the Worthington Avenue Campus in New Kingston, UCC now also caters to the needs of recent high school graduates largely from the corporate area, aged mainly from their late teens to early and mid twenties

The UCC College Access Programme unites students, families, high school personnel and the University College of the Caribbean community in a common goal: to envision education beyond high school and send a greater number of students to college. By working together, we can elevate the expectation of students and their families regarding the importance, access, and attainability of tertiary education. This is an academic programme for qualified high school graduates who desire to further their education with the convenience of studying close to home.

 

The market for tertiary education and training in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean is growing. The current market in Jamaica is estimated at 45,000 students with a potential gross revenue of J$4.5 billion per annum. This is as a result of the significant expansion of the private sector, which has created the need for trained and skilled personnel.  This has provided a major stimulus for mid-professionals to advance their management and business skills. In addition, studies have shown that Jamaicans are continuously seeking educational and retraining opportunities to improve their marketability, earning potential and social position.

March 2011

University College of the Caribbean

17 Worthington Avenue

Kingston 5

Jamaica,West Indies