(The following is extracted from 2004 dissertation, Postcolonial Institution Building in Higher Education, Belize—A Narrative Study that examined the processes of postcolonial institution building in higher education. The research study centred on the national university of Belize and its three evolutionary phases: Belcast, University of Belize and the University of Belize. It also examined, partially, the University of Belize (UB) crisis in 2003 when the UB central administration attempted to restructure the university. That 2003 crisis resulted in the formation of the UB Faculty and Staff Association (UBFSA) that successfully introduced counter proposals to those set out by the central administration. Excerpts are taken from the closing summaries of the dissertation study that examined the impact of the amalgamation of the four government institutions along with the University College of Belize (drawn from pages 305—310) ).
Local Considerations
The university can benefit through a re-examination of its mission and vision. Do the “theories in use” match “espoused theories” (Argyris and Schon 6-7)? For example, does the university promote access and equity, but then build structures within the institution that replicate an elitist tertiary level education service provider? There is need to rethink the mission of the university and whether it serves the development of the country, the government, or institutional goals (or a combination).
Government fiscal funding and support speak of genuine interest to provide access and equity in the social fabric of higher education. However, institutional control has shown that excess practice is counterproductive to the development of the university. The integration of greater autonomy in the university’s governance structures and practice (such as the amendment to the University of Belize Act, 2000 to effect governance changes) would signal that the government is willing to initiate the process of university independence by enshrining academic freedom and autonomy. This would also allow for discontinuing the practice of using institutions of national import for political ends.
The three phases of institution building in higher education showed an escalation of crisis management that historically caused increased levels of anxiety among faculty, staff, students, and major stakeholders of the university, not to mention the community at large. These crises call for establishing a workable communication system between the government and the university, one based on integrative, substantive negotiation rather than on competitive confrontation to gain political mileage.
The university has to establish a common identity for all stakeholders that allows for valuation of the merging institutional histories. Maintaining a flagship position even after the amalgamation has proven more divisive than productive. This necessitates establishing an internal and external communication system that is integrative versus exclusionary, open versus dictatorial. Stakeholders who constitute the board of trustees need to be committed to the development of the institution, and should have the background to contribute meaningfully to higher education policies.
Developing countries, in particular, have historically resisted domination and oppression by creating communities committed to educating upcoming generations. By establishing community and collegial spirit based on the values of respect, mutuality, integrity, idealism, and altruism, the university can benefit as an entity that shares common goals. It should nurture and encourage expert and committed stakeholders who are prepared to work creatively within the many identified and recognized constraints. This can be effected internally through mentoring and in-house professional development activities. A poor developing country cannot realize a human resources development strategy without major fiscal investments. Other support systems that have worked over the years can assist in filling in some of the gaps as plans to train personnel go into effect…. .
…. One of the most significant challenges to postcolonials comes in re-establishing and regaining a sense of identity. The evident challenges result from the new forms of neo-colonial systems that, almost simultaneously, replaced the colonial order. In this study of higher education in a small Central American country, it became evident that neo-colonialism comes from external as well as internal forces. In Belize, the government assumed a neocolonizing role to control university management. Fiscal control translated into limiting academic freedom and autonomy. As a spinoff of this governance and fiscal dependency, the university lacked the ability to create, in healthy ways, its own identity because of structural constraints.
The country’s successive governments, all presumably seeking to nurture the creativity and talents of its citizenship, ironically alienated its intellectual community for reasons of political exigencies. A small country that already loses many of its trained academics and professionals through the “brain drain phenomenon” (that understandably makes the government sceptical about sponsoring training) cannot afford to alienate those academics and professionals willing to remain at home toward the country’s development goals. On the micro level, the university likewise cannot afford to alienate its internal academic community by not appreciating the various stakeholder talents and commitments.
As this research study showed, when more value was placed on one group over others, alienation developed into a class system within the university. If the university does not integrate the values of all the merging institutions in respectful and dignified ways, these false factions will continue to subvert productive, unified working relationships.
The dichotomies that divide faculty and administration often prevent communication about important issues that genuinely require working in partnership to arrive at solutions. Collaboration becomes harder to achieve when the administration’s fiscal dependency on government defines its function. The change might have to begin with reforming the legislative Act delineating how power is enacted in the university governance structure. Fiscal dependency most certainly will not disappear. It might even increase over a period of time until the university becomes stabilized and established. However, in much the same way that the country has had to assert its independence, the university can benefit from assuming an identity that is in line with both national and institutional goals.
The young university is facing what many universities in similar situations have faced—determining its future direction. Should the university cater to the pace set by those who insist on assuming corporate characteristics, or should it strike a balance between meeting social and business goals? Many of the types of students who trained in the former government-owned institutions are now being excluded from higher education under the new structure. As a subsequent study, it would be interesting to examine who benefited most or least from the amalgamation of the five institutions.