A significant institutional conflict has emerged between Trinidad and Tobago’s Tertiary Education Ministry and the leadership of the University of the West Indies (UWI) regarding the planned relocation of the Faculty of Law to the Debe South Campus. Minister Dr. Prakash Persad has expressed profound shock and disapproval after UWI officials informed students of a government-mandated relocation without proper authorization.
The controversy stems from an official email dispatched on March 18, 2026, by Law Dean Dr. Alicia Elias-Roberts, which asserted that the government had ordered the law school’s transfer to the Debe facility by August 2026. The communication detailed a recent site inspection conducted by university administrators and media representatives, and scheduled town hall meetings to address student concerns.
Minister Persad vehemently disputed the university’s claims during an interview, emphasizing that no definitive government policy exists regarding the campus’s future. He revealed that during a January 19 meeting with all stakeholders—including UWI Principal Prof. Rose-Marie Belle Antoine and representatives from Palo Seco Agricultural Enterprises Ltd—it was explicitly communicated that final decisions would require Cabinet approval led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
The minister characterized the university’s actions as particularly discourteous, noting that neither his ministry nor the construction contractors received prior notification about the media visit to the ongoing construction site. He reiterated that the Debe campus remains under government supervision until renovation works are completed and officially handed over to UWI.
Historical context reveals the campus represents a $600 million project initially conceived during Persad-Bissessar’s first administration (2010-2015). Despite its original purpose to host management studies, psychology, economics, education, and law programs, the facility has remained largely inactive for nearly a decade, seeing only temporary use as a COVID-19 step-down facility.
The current administration has committed to revitalizing the abandoned campus, with Minister Persad assuring that necessary corrections are underway to prepare the facility for potential September occupancy. However, he maintains that ultimate determinations regarding the campus’s academic purpose will be made at the cabinet level, not by university administration.
University officials have not provided immediate commentary regarding the minister’s statements, leaving unresolved the tension between institutional autonomy and governmental oversight in Trinidad’s higher education landscape.