When UTech started as the Jamaica Institute of Technology, the Science Department was one of the first Departments to be established, reflecting a vision that the institution should have strong grounding in science. Later, when the name was changed to the College of Arts, Science and Technology, the new name identified science as one of the pillars on which the institution would stand and make its mark on the Jamaican educational landscape. With University status being granted in 1995 and a new academic structure being put in place, the Science Department became the Faculty of Health and Applied Science. The new structure recognized the two distinct emphases that had emerged within the former Science Department: (i) An emphasis on health-related disciplines which was reflected in the Faculty structure as the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and (ii) An emphasis on pure and applied sciences which was reflected in the Faculty structure as the Department of Science and Mathematics. With the continued development and expansion that has been taking place within the Faculty it is proposed that the Faculty of Health and Applied Science form two separate entities, a College of Health Sciences and a Faculty of Science and Sport, reflecting the two areas of emphasis and also highlighting UTech’s commitment to and success in sports .
ESTABLISHMENT
The University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) has established the new Faculty of Science and Sport which came into effect at the start of the 2009/2010 academic year.
As part of its ongoing restructuring and expansion to meet relevant labour market needs for Jamaica's development, the University's former Faculty of Health and Applied Science was this academic year reorganised into two separate entities - The Faculty of Science and Sport, building on the tradition of the Department of Science and Mathematics and the College of Health Sciences, replacing the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
STRUCTURE
The Faculty of Science and Sport comprises three schools and a centre.
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School of Natural and Applied Sciences which offers the bachelor of science in science and education with majors in biology and chemistry, biology and mathematics, biology and physics, mathematics and chemistry, mathematics and physics, and physics and chemistry. The School also offers a new Bachelor of Science degree in applied science with majors in industrial and analytical chemistry, environmental science and forensic chemistry.
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School of Mathematics and Statistics which offers the new Bachelor of Science in applied statistics with majors in social and economic statistics and environmental statistics. The school will continue to offer science and mathematics modules in all courses of study in all faculties across the university.
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The Caribbean School of Sport Sciences which, beginning in January 2010, will offer the Bachelor of Science in sport science specialising in sport coaching, sport management, sport psychology and athletic training, making it the Caribbean's hub for high-quality sport education and training. The school will also have responsibility for the management and delivery of the over 20 sport electives offered to UTech students.
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The Centre for Science-based Research, Entrepreneurship and Continuing Studies will consolidate activities in research, entrepreneurship, continuing studies and delivery of specialised multidisciplinary science-based service modules.
Spawning Research and Innovationn
Acting Dean of the Faculty of Science and Sport, Dr Colin Gyles notes that the establishment of the faculty with dedicated focus on the development of science and sport is a major thrust for the University. The faculty, he said, "will focus much-needed attention on research and other scholarly activities to provide bases for creating new knowledge that will spawn innovation and the creation of new technologies."