Sir Paul Altman Steps Down as Chairman of The UWI Cave Hill Campus Council After 15-Year Stint, Emphasizes Financial Sustainability

After 15 years at the helm of the highest decision-making body at The University of the West Indies Cave Hill, renowned businessman Sir Paul Altman will step down from the role of chairman of Campus Council on April 30. And he still wants to see the university reducing its dependence on the government for financial support.

Sir Paul, Managing Director of Altman Real Estate, made the announcement of his departure during the recent annual meeting of the council, saying he was honoured to have served the institution for more than a decade.

He noted that his association with Cave Hill dates back to 2003 when he served as a Chancellor’s nominee on the Finance and General Purposes Committee.

“I became acquainted with the stark realities of managing and resourcing a campus like Cave Hill, and the astuteness and dedication of staff involved in this process,” he said.

Sir Paul was appointed Chairman of the Campus Council in 2009, as a representative of the business sector, and that same year he was conferred an honorary degree by The UWI for his leadership in tourism development and heritage conservation in the Caribbean.

Reflecting on his tenure, Sir Paul said he was grateful for the opportunity to preside over 14 meetings of the Council.

“As I demit office as Chair of the Campus Council, I do so with rich memories and I wish to congratulate all those involved in this important institution and to encourage them to continue the excellent work as it moves forward with our outstanding principal, Professor (Clive) Landis, Registrar (Rommel) Carter, Deans and members of the management team and all those participating in the delivery of the various programmes and initiatives.”

Looking ahead, Sir Paul told senior members of the campus administration team present that he is inspired by the institution’s entrepreneurial efforts towards revenue generation, which he believes is the key to the sustainability of the campus.

He also has hopes of The UWI reducing its dependence on government funding.

“One of my main wishes for the future is that each campus sets its own targets for self-sufficiency. There must be a point in time when we wean ourselves of government funding. After 60 years of Cave Hill (as a campus) and 75 years (of The UWI) as a university, we continue to work towards this goal,” he stated.