UTECH still wants Trelawny

[Tilla]

Still think GC Foster should be a college within the UTech. Makes much more sense than it out there on its own as a sports college. I also agree with Don1 reasoning 100%. Karl you know you and I have been down this road over the phone in some hour to two hour conversation a couple years ago.

OK, GC Foster should be a part of either UWI or UTech.

[Tilla]

Don1: Karl's cousin is the principal at GC Foster. Karl therefore has ulterior motives in not seeing the school become a part of UTech. Karl's view is clouded by his principal/cousin relationship link to the institution. I will tell you that you will not get him to sway on his position, irrespective how much argument you put forward to try and convince him.

That said, you can therefore appreciate his questions about where CAST/UTech has been successful. He is not going to give in, no matter how much you show him the benefit of the merger.

I for one support the merger wholeheartedly, where UTech absorbs GC Foster. It only makes good sense. . .

There is no smoke without fire.

[Tilla]

The UTECH education model is key....moreso than the UWI model.

Say it again fi mi sir. UTech education more fit the needs of Jamaica and the other Caribbean countries who send students there to study.

[Karl]

While I wholeheartedly support the idea of a western UTECH campus I don't see the rationale of basing a campus around a stadium.

A university is primarily geared towards academics...not sports.

UTECH just needs some open land for a greenfield development or take over some academic institution with the required space...I don't see why the preoccupation with Trelawny.

Also with respect to GC Foster... a western campus is not mutually exclusive...I would love to see UTECH do both a western campus and GC Foster type eastern expansion.

The UTECH education model is key....moreso than the UWI model.

What about the need for each institution?

Do you think being automonous allows for greater creativity?

Do you think expansion could be faster for both if each was kept an independent entity?

Do you think our needs in the context of demands made by the size of our population -
as in numbers seeking the particular discipline(s) offered by each institution and additionally the country's need to satisfy demand (as needed to fill current workforce needs, to absorb secondary high school graduates and those requiring continuining education...to 'export' for gaining higher education and migration...) to impove workforce productivity and also to alleviate social pressures?

..and on and on...?

Just asking...if there is any way that keeping both institutions separate could get us greater benefits.

If as Don1 suggests economy of scale, synergy...improved efficiencies demand a UTech/GC Foster merger?

I asked Don1 to consider and I ask you the same question, why not mergers of teachers colleges?

Don1 suggests that last question is 'crazy' ...irrelevant...or as he euphemistically puts it

the proposition is either ridiculous or sublime.

...to which I ask, 'why?' ...why are these different from the UTech/GC Foster proposed merger? Do you not believe there would be economy of scale, synergy and improved efficiencies?

[Karl]

Don1: Karl's cousin is the principal at GC Foster. Karl therefore has ulterior motives in not seeing the school become a part of UTech. Karl's view is clouded by his principal/cousin relationship link to the institution. I will tell you that you will not get him to sway on his position, irrespective how much argument you put forward to try and convince him.

That said, you can therefore appreciate his questions about where CAST/UTech has been successful. He is not going to give in, no matter how much you show him the benefit of the merger.

Wrong, Tilla.
My sister-in-law was the principal of GC Foster. She has retired.

I for one support the merger wholeheartedly, where UTech absorbs GC Foster. It only makes good sense. . .

Fine!
Now, if you please, give me the reasons on why not the teachers colleges?

[Don1]

Don1: Karl's cousin is the principal at GC Foster. Karl therefore has ulterior motives in not seeing the school become a part of UTech. Karl's view is clouded by his principal/cousin relationship link to the institution. I will tell you that you will not get him to sway on his position, irrespective how much argument you put forward to try and convince him.

That said, you can therefore appreciate his questions about where CAST/UTech has been successful. He is not going to give in, no matter how much you show him the benefit of the merger.

I for one support the merger wholeheartedly, where UTech absorbs GC Foster. It only makes good sense. . .

There is no smoke without fire.

ok boss

[Karl]

Utech does too many fluff programs though.

I wish they would focus on hard core engineering like Caltech, IIT, Imperial College and MIT.

Willi?

[Don1]

Wrong, Tilla.
My sister-in-law was the principal of GC Foster. She has retired.



Fine!
Now, if you please, give me the reasons on why not the teachers colleges?

There may or may not be a case for the merger of two such colleges...I am not familiar enough with them to have an opinion either way.

[Karl]

While I wholeheartedly support the idea of a western UTECH campus I don't see the rationale of basing a campus around a stadium.

A university is primarily geared towards academics...not sports.

UTECH just needs some open land for a greenfield development or take over some academic institution with the required space...I don't see why the preoccupation with Trelawny.

Also with respect to GC Foster... a western campus is not mutually exclusive...I would love to see UTECH do both a western campus and GC Foster type eastern expansion.

The UTECH education model is key....moreso than the UWI model.

Now you are on 'my track'
...minus the GC Foster type expansion.

btw - You said -

I do not see the rationale of basing a campus around stadium.

A university is primarily geared towards academics...not sports.

...and do you think this would be better - Utech should stick to the academics and add a UWI type 'sports' expansion?

[Karl]

There may or may not be a case for the merger of two such colleges...I am not familiar enough with them to have an opinion either way.

OK!

[Karl]

Still think GC Foster should be a college within the UTech. Makes much more sense than it out there on its own as a sports college. I also agree with Don1 reasoning 100%. Karl you know you and I have been down this road over the phone in some hour to two hour conversation a couple years ago.

OK, GC Foster should be a part of either UWI or UTech.

I know your view.


btw - Can I accuse you of a bias leaning towards your past school?


...or is it about just needing a good sports arm for your Utech and GC Foster looks ripe for the taking?

Seriously - I think both institutions need to expand...separately! Both need to better satisfy the needs of the nation. GC Foster needs to join with private entities such as the JFF/Francis' MVP type organisations.

GC Foster could open a football academy twinning with say the GUNNERS and in T&F encourage Maurice Wilson to become its Anthony Davis and develop or acquire its own 'Glen Mills or Steven Francis' type maestro.

...and as for Utech, she needs to take the MVP model as separate entity to the West!

We need more of these innovations not less! ...at least that is how I see it!
Talent abounds!

[Jawge]

Th reason why I agree with Willi is because of the changing of the times. JA need a technology school focusing on engineering ad its applications. In germany engineering students have to do almost two years practical work at some corp before sitting in classrooms with theory. In the US it's the other way around in your final year you coopt or do hands on in some summer programme with a corporation.

Ja needs to adopt the above approach but the local corps. must fund research. I was crying how a particular corp. didn't fund research at UWI only to see them a year later fighting in court with a small business for a software. They could have easily got a superior software from research with less cost and headache.

The tourist industry feels that they have no need to fund technology research but as time goes by and profit margins get thin; they will also see the need for technology (computer and its science in particular).

Willi is right JA a needs a school that is serious about science and technolgy (especially geared towards the info age).

[Mosiah]

In the US it's the other way around in your final year you coopt or do hands on in some summer programme with a corporation.

Is that true for all US engineering schools?!

[Jawge]

not all but considering the fact that Ja has so few, I would be inclined to think Ja would model the best ones abroad. What say you?

[Tilla]

btw - Can I accuse you of a bias leaning towards your past school?

Maybe there is a slight bias, but not because I am a past student, I am more familiar with the institution and its capabilities. If you are familiar with many of the well run programs at CAST/UTech, you will have an idea why I am for the integration. I also think there are economies of scale to be realized from merging of the two institutions. This would be particularly beneficial to a country which is struggling economically.

I also think that many of the people who go to GC Foster, if they were a part of UTech, they could have access to other areas of study which are not available to them right now. Maybe a GC Foster student could want to take on business management studies which they could combine with their sports studies. This would be facilitated by the merger.

Also, of you look at most well run universities (take UWI), they have their Faculties, of medicine, natural sciences, engineering, law, social sciences etc, etc.) . UTech have their school of business, architecture, hotel management, school of business, engineering, Technical Education (teacher training) among others. These institutions offer the much more options for their students. Making GC Foster a college of UTech would be much better for the school and the students involved.

...or is it about just needing a good sports arm for your Utech and GC Foster looks ripe for the taking?

My original reasoning applies to this question. I think as a school of sports alone, GC Foster College is limited in its offering to students. Not every student who go to a school will want to only study sports studies. Students may want to take on other studies the school is not accredited in offering at this time. Why should a school limit its students?