Fifty newly promoted academic staff at the University of Technology, Jamaica were formally recognized for their successful progression to the ranks of Professor, Associate Professor, and Senior Lectures at a special ceremony hosted by President, Dr. Kevin Brown at the SHTM Hotel, Papine Campus on Thursday, October 26, 2023.
In his recognition address, Dr. Kevin Brown, formally welcomed into the fold, 8 new Professors, 9 Associate Professors and 33 new Senior Lecturers which according to the President, is “the largest cohort of academics and members of faculties to be promoted” at once. Reiterating his day one commitment of “taking care of our people,” the President emphasized that “in taking care of our people, we should celebrate success, adding that “the idea of this event emerged from that commitment.”
Dr. Brown shared that the appointments were approved by the University Appointments and Promotions Committee (UAPC) at its meetings held on March 28, 2023, and on June 7, 2023. The appointments were later ratified at UAPC meetings on April 19 and June 15, 2023, bringing them into effect in March and June 2023. He further explained that the recommendations for the appointments “took into consideration the extensive body of teaching, research work and publication of all applicants as well as the applicants demonstrated leadership and service to the University and in the wider community.”
The President charged the new appointees to continue lending their expertise to the furtherance of the University’s mission by “breaking new frontiers in Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM)” in a manner that will advance new knowledge and positive growth in society.
Deputy Chair, UTech, Jamaica Council, Mr. Aldrick McNab in his encouraging address, congratulated the promoted academics and urged them to understand their value as educators. He challenged them to make their latest appointment serve as a “renewal” of who they are and the job that they must do as they are called to “transform lives.”
State Minister in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Honourable Marsha Smith in her address, applauded the educators in their elevated roles. She encouraged the UTech, Jamaica team to continue its excellent work in ensuring that the “lifelong learning process…always remains with you.” While accrediting the promotions of the 50 academics to the University’s proactive succession planning and growth strategy, the state minister noted that “When you think back earlier in your respective careers and you were being asked to host a training, take on a new task…all of those things were geared towards building your capacity.” She noted that through this capacity building, academic staff have been empowered to take advantage of the new opportunities that help to push the University forward. “The university cannot grow and the standards cannot be maintained if it is that Faculty itself does not improve,” she underscored.
Guest speaker, Reverend Dr. Stevenson Samuels, University Chaplain and Senior Pastor of Wlatham Park New Testament Church of God, in his well-known inimitable style, was as entertaining as he was instructive in his charge to the newly minted academics to “be keepers of the future” by “keeping it tall.”
Elaborating on his topic, Dr. Samuels used the acronym P.R.I.C.K to encourage the educators to take vested interest in Publication, Research, and the Intellectual formation of the profession by becoming Consultants who are committed to expanding the Knowledge tool repository of teaching and learning. He further encouraged the educators to maintain the “stature and dignity of academia” at UTech, Jamaica as “this is the University of choice for professionals who are entering industry.”
