Administrative inefficiency at UWI
THE EDITOR: I have just completed a degree at the University of the West Indies, I wrote my final exams in May which was over three months ago and I received my grade slip this week. This is no surprise to me since for the past three years the administrative staff at UWI has failed in almost every duty they were required to perform regarding my administrative tasks and procedures. I have heard countless horror stories from other students about receiving registration packages late and having to pay exorbitant late fees, not appearing on class lists because their forms were misplaced, receiving their exam timetable containing courses they didn’t do and even paying to have transcripts sent to other universities and having it reach late or not reach at all. What makes it worse is not just the inefficiency with which the staff operates but the attitude of the staff as well. They basically have no "people skills" they behave as though they are doing you an immense favor when it’s actually their job to ensure that these procedures are carried out properly. They are not at all polite, I’ve seen members of staff shouting at students and humiliating them, I have had many friends who are afraid to go and ask questions or query anything simply because they don’t know if the clerks will decide to unleash their day’s frustration on them. Although having endured three years of administration’s inefficiency and blatant disregard for students, I have decided to further my education by pursuing postgraduate studies also at UWI despite warnings from many of my colleagues and friends that I should go abroad. As predicted the deadline for registration is rapidly approaching and the postgraduate office situated just next door to the administrative building has not received my information due to the fact that it has not been loaded onto the system. I have to go to administration and get a letter, which takes three to five working days to write, stating that I have completed my degree in order to begin registration in the building next door at the same university. I think this is utter foolishness. We may be young people but we are intelligent members of society and the future leaders of the region. I think that if UWI wants to improve its services and salvage what’s left of its administration’s reputation it should get rid of all those people being paid to do nothing all day and hire persons who deserve their salary. N ALI Trincity
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"Administrative inefficiency at UWI"