The University of the West Indies (UWI) Global Campus announced the appointment of Mrs. Elia Grant-Fraser as the new Director of the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), effective August 1. Having previously served as the Acting Director of CETL since 2023, Mrs. Grant-Fraser brings over a decade of dedicated service to The UWI Global Campus, where she has held various senior roles within the Academic Programming and Delivery (APAD) Division, shared UWI in a statement.
Her previous positions include Curriculum Development Specialist, Production Manager, Acting Head of the Course Development Department, and Head of the Online Programmes Delivery Department from 2020 to 2023.
It is also reported that throughout her tenure, she has led numerous innovative initiatives, notably the creation of a Multimedia Production Studio at the Global Campus located on Gordon Street, Trinidad. This project was part of the Global Affairs Canada-funded Strengthening Distance Education in the Caribbean (SDEC) initiative. The project involved transforming a 40-foot shipping container into a state-of-the-art multimedia studio, providing valuable resources for APAD and other departments. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mrs. Grant-Fraser was instrumental in designing and delivering training courses for the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Information in Jamaica, as well as the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services in Trinidad and Tobago, supporting adult education programs.
Her extensive experience in education spans over 30 years in Trinidad and Tobago. She has worked with students ranging from secondary school entrants preparing for their entrance examinations to university undergraduates, postgraduate students, and in-service teachers pursuing further qualifications in education and leadership at The UWI’s St. Augustine and Global Campuses. Her association with The UWI began in 2003 when she joined as a part-time lecturer at the St. Augustine Campus, where she taught courses on ICT integration and media use in education.
Prior to her tenure at The UWI, Mrs. Grant-Fraser was employed at the Ministry of Education in Trinidad and Tobago from 2004 to 2009. Her work in distance education was particularly influential during this period. She held roles such as Project Coordinator and Courseware Design and Development Manager in the Distance Education Unit, where she contributed significantly to the pioneering National Open School of Trinidad and Tobago (NOSTT).
This collaborative project with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) focused on training secondary school teachers to develop Open Education Resources (OER) in core subjects like English, Mathematics, and Science, aimed at students who had fallen behind in traditional schooling. She also conducted numerous professional development workshops on distance learning, courseware development, and technology tools.
Her involvement in the COL’s Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) was notable, serving as a team lead and instructional designer at the first bootcamp held in Mauritius in 2006. This initiative aimed to develop freely accessible OER courses for global public use, further emphasizing her commitment to open and accessible education.
Beyond her professional roles, Mrs. Grant-Fraser has contributed to public service and policy. She served as an External Examiner in Educational Technology for the Teachers’ Training College in Trinidad and Tobago (2004–2008) and was a member of several government committees such as the Learning Materials Evaluation Committee and the Textbook Evaluation Committee. She even chaired the strategic planning sub-committee for learning materials evaluation in 2008. Her expertise has also been sought for training public service officers in Trinidad and Tobago, focusing on adapting courses for blended and online delivery, especially during the pandemic.
Her academic credentials include a Master of Arts in Educational Technology from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, earned through the Commonwealth Scholarship program. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from The UWI St. Augustine and has completed project management training. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Education at The UWI St. Augustine, where her research explores students’ cognitive presence in online courses at The UWI Global Campus. Her academic work and research have been presented at numerous regional, national, and international conferences.
Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal Dr. Francis O. Severin expressed strong support for her appointment, stating, “When we pondered who could initiate and lead this novel ‘project’ in the Global Campus, it was immediately clear to us that Elia was the right colleague. Aside from the obvious, that she is eminently qualified to inaugurate this scope of work in the Campus; she is also deeply interested in its trajectory and evolution. She sees this as critical to online and distance education, indeed her life’s work in education. I am happy she accepted the challenge, and we expect exciting outcomes as the initiative unfurls. That this has come to fruition reassures me that the Global Campus is going places and success is the only route for us.”
The leadership of The UWI Global Campus, including the Principal and senior management team, expressed congratulations Mrs. Grant-Fraser on her new role. They also stated that they look forward to her ongoing contributions in advancing institutional excellence and fostering innovation in teaching and learning across the campus.