Mona campus of the University of the West Indies, St Andrew. - File

The Editor, Sir:

It was expected that the article titled 'What's up at UWI?' published in The Sunday Gleaner on February 10, would stir up concern in the university's administration. Such a response was not expected, however, from the executive of the Mona Association of Postgraduate Students (MAPS).

Let us now outline the series of events, which led to the titled article. During the latter part of the first semester of the 2007/2008 academic year a series of meetings was held where there was an attempt to gather as many graduate students as possible.

The main issue on these agendas was the stipend, as it was cited as the most pertinent of the list of issues affecting graduate students. On all occasions representatives of the executive of MAPS were invited to the meetings. At the final meeting, one of the authors of the article, invited Dwaymian Brissette, president of MAPS, who in turn asked three of his executive members to attend on his behalf.

Two of them explicitly stated that they would not attend because the meeting was being held in the Chemistry Department. The third, Damion Whyte, the immediate past president of MAPS and an adviser to the current president, attended the meeting.

At this meeting, it was suggested by the MAPS representative that before further actions were taken by graduate students, we were to sensitise the public on the issues affecting graduate students by writing a series of articles highlighting the importance of research and our plight as graduate students regarding the existing state of affairs.

Representing the president?

The article's submission was conceptualised by this adviser to the MAPS executive and was never an idea put forward by the graduate students. We accepted the idea based on the fact that: 1) he is a graduate student; 2) he is a past president of MAPS; 3) he is an adviser to the current president of MAPS and 4) He was representing the president. A draft of the article was circulated to selected members from each department present at the meeting as well as the said adviser.

There were no objections or additions forthcoming from these individuals and the adviser gave his word that it was to be reviewed by the executive of MAPS. Additionally, a member of the committee of the authors (Oscene Barrett) who lives across from the president of MAPS on postgraduate flat on the UWI, Mona campus, said he told him about the article and its contents and he had no objections at any point in time.

The adviser gave his word that he would make copies of the article available to the president and other members of the committee. While the executive can argue that they did not see the article they cannot say that they were not aware of the article or its contents. The article was in circulation for over a month before it was submitted to The Gleaner and at no point was there any suggestions for amendments or queries made.

The president was given a proposal in December of 2007 to submit to the Finance and General Purposes Committee and the Academic Board with regards to an increase in our stipend and other issues pertaining to graduate students (e.g. supervisory issues).

According to Brissette, these issues were thoroughly discussed including a proposed strike. Up to now no response has been forthcoming from the president of MAPS or the UWI administration. How can an administration hear of a proposed strike and refrain from responding? It leaves one to wonder whether the administration is negligent or Brissette was being truthful.

MAPS claims that it represents all the postgraduate students, but their latest statement and actions clearly demonstrate that they do not. For many years, students (undergraduate and graduate) have elected persons based on popularity and selfish desires of perking their respective resumes.

They seem more concerned with some of the benefits that these positions offer, than with the concerns of the persons they are supposed to represent. If MAPS was representing graduate students they would have been in full support of our cause.

MAPS claims that it has seen improvements, but improvements in what area? Obviously if these improvements were evident we would have no need to go public! Any conversation with the executives of MAPS seems like a conversation with someone from administration.

Since they are dissociating themselves from the February 10 article, the graduate students must ask the president and his subordinates to clarify whether they have lied to the administration, graduate students and the general public. Based on their actions, we no longer have any confidence in them as good representatives of the graduate student population and they should resign forthwith.

I am, etc,

MARK LAWRENCE

(On behalf of concerned graduate

students, authors of

'What's up at UWI?')

Mona, Kingston 7